Community Building Examples
In-Class/School-Wide Classroom Community:
- Source: Edmodo
- Participants: Teacher: Jennifer Scheffer and her high school class
- Strategies: During the beginning of the school year Jennifer Scheffer created an Edmodo account after reading a post from Steve Anderson titled "Summer Learning Series Collaborative classroom with Edmodo". After reading the benefits she felt this would be a great learning management system because many students are already familiar with Facebook and Twitter, which is similar to the Edmodo layout. The students were then directed to each create their own "profile" that even included their own profile picture. After these accounts were created the teacher shared polls, quizzes, post discussion questions, send reminders for due dates, and text notifications.
- Role of Technology: Since Twitter and Facebook are ever increasing in popularity this is a very welcoming technology to be used by students because of the similar features. It allows students to develop professionalism, as well as, to stay updated with their academics. The text notifications are also beneficial because it does not require students to stay glued to their computers and can be updated as soon as something might change.
- Benefits: Both teacher and student set up took very little time and did not require direct instruction. Has an IPHONE, IPAD, and Android App which makes use very convenient and provides teacher the option to link through Google Doc's. Provided a way for students to participate who might feel unconformable sharing orally in class.
- Challenges: Requires access to Internet or smartphone device. Students began to "turn off" text notifications so they wouldn't be bothered. Some students had difficulty transitioning to the dependence of technology.
Local Community
- Source: http://www.niu.edu/p20/projects/ilp/roar.shtml
- Participants: K-3 students at LittleJohn Elementary School, College of Education undergraduate students, Department of Literacy Education at Northern Illinois University.
- Strategies: This particular program was designed to combine read aloud activities in conjunction with science and art activities to assist bilingual and monolingual students to develop vocabulary and listening skills.
- Role of Technology: Various technologies such as; computers, IPADS, tablets, microscopes, test kits were used to further understand and interpret science.
- Benefits: This programs provides a fun learning environment for students, which is different from the everyday learning environment they might be used to. This environment is important because it gets children excited to learn and sparks motivation. This program also provided undergraduate students the experience of working with bilingual and monolingual students in K-3 which not all students have the opportunity to experience. Students also benefited from the the additional instruction time in addition to the time they have in class.
- Challenges: Working with students whom speak different languages then the undergraduate students participating in the program. Must be fully trained and have the knowledge of how to use the technolgoy for it to be successful. Also, schedule difficulties. Must remain consistent and participants (undergraduate students) must be committed to the program.
Global Community
- Source: http://plpnetwork.com/2011/10/26/the-case-for-cultivating-cultural-awareness/
- Participants: Teacher Kelly Dupas and her 2nd grade class, Josh Stumpenhorst and his 6th grade class, classrooms in Alabama and Canada.
- Strategies: Kelly Dupas used multiple means of technology with her students. First she used Skype in collaboration with Stumpenhort's 6th grade class from Illinois to discuss various historical figures. The 6th grades were able to provide the younger students with more detail of these historical figures. She then used Skype and Twitter as a means of communication to set up "pin pal's" with 2nd graders from Alabama. Through this, the students shared information regarding weather, geography, culture, and developed reading fluency through sharing poems and other writings. Students began to learn that the information they were learning served a purpose.
- Role of Technology: Skype and Twitter provided a means of communication and collaboration between each party, where students were able to learn new information regarding weather patterns and historical figures. The various perspectives allowed students to become more culturally aware and allowed students to learn from each other. Students also learned there is more to the world then what is right there beside them.
- Benefits: Students were excited to learn. Students were provided a means to learn and reflect upon curricular content with others. Students developed relationships with other students they communicated with and reached out to them during natural disasters.
- Challenges: Skype calls were sometimes difficult due to time zone differences and schedule changes. Required commitment and collaboration, without the both the project was not possible. Required access to technology.