Thing #5: Collaboration

I’ve never really been a traditional classroom teacher. My only experience as such was during my year as a student-teacher-intern. My passion was never to teach students the traditional subjects, but rather to enrich their education with languages. Being an auxiliary (or ‘specials teacher’) is an entirely new experience. You realize how much you do not matter. You realize that you are always an afterthought (and sometimes not even that). You feel isolated and alone. No one quite knows what to do with you or how to help you. This is especially true when you are the only person in your department, and it is your sole responsibility to make decisions, as well as create the curriculum.

While this might make being an auxiliary teacher sound awful, it was a truly rewarding and enjoyable experience that I would not trade for anything. However, all teachers, but especially auxiliary teachers, have to become resourceful when it comes to finding a team and creating a support system in the school. I was very fortunate because I quickly became very good friends with a handful of teachers in each of my buildings.

Even in my current role, I feel very isolated, but am still thankful for the connections I have with so many former colleagues and teacher friends. I can’t imagine living and working overseas without being able to use technology to keep in touch with them. During my first year in France, my students were digital penpals with students in my best friend’s class. Being able to use Google docs to exchange letters and create authentic learning situations and interactions was essential. Being able to see first hand the collaboration that was taking place between students on two different continents, who did not speak the same native language was truly fascinating.

I’ve also used Google docs to collaborate with former colleagues and to improve my teaching. We’ve often used various platforms to talk and exchange ideas–Google Hangout, Skype, FaceTime, etc..With technology, the possibilities are virtually limitless.

Creating a Collaborative Lesson

It used to be that distance was a restrictive factor in communication. Today, that is no longer the case. With technology, you are able to easily communicate with people around the world. As I am still working without a department or cohort, I still rely on friends and colleagues in the United States to help with with lesson planning and brainstorming. Now, there is a six hour time difference, which can complicate things from time to time (especially with video conferencing). However, with collaborative documents (such as Google docs) sharing ideas has become much easier.

I recently contacted three of my friends who are also teachers to get some feedback regarding an upcoming lesson I am preparing. I typed the lesson in a Google doc and then shared it with them, and gave them editing rights. This is a quick and easy way for everyone to not only share ideas, but to interact with each other. I also created a Padlet where we could share other resources we found that might be useful. With both of these examples, we are able to have asynchronous collaboration that is beneficial for everyone.

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Collaborative Lesson Reflection

I love exchanging ideas with other teachers! When I first started my career I was very hesitant to accept any sort of feedback (positive or negative). Luckily, that is no longer the case. What I really like about my self-created cohort is its diversity. I love getting perspectives from a wide-range of levels and backgrounds, as well as learning about resources other teachers use that I may be unfamiliar with.

What I appreciated most about this collaboration was how easy it was to organize and the thoughtfulness of the feedback I received. I loved the idea of adding a kinesthetic element to the lesson. I also had no clue about Coogle, but it seems like a great resource to use since all of my students already have Gmail/Google accounts. Prior to this collaboration, I was unfamiliar with the idea of using inquiry based hooks, but thanks to the example that was given, I believe that this activity would be extremely beneficial and enable me to do some slight differentiation with my students.

We also used Padlet to exchange ideas. I like this resource, but if I were to do it again, I would have chosen a different format. I didn’t like that I wasn’t able to directly reply to posts from other people.

Even though we’re over 3,000 miles apart, technology made this collaboration super easy and super meaningful. I think that this is an activity that all teachers should try to complete at least once per year in order to push themselves beyond their comfort zone.

ISTE Standards Connections:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity: Using tools that allow collaboration, such as Google Drive, Padlet, etc. not only encourages collaboration, but truly facilitates it in a way that is engaging and enriching.
2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments: Preparing students for the future means giving them the opportunity to use programs that are currently being used in the workplace. Authentic learning experiences are key to student success.