Virtual Collaborative Classrooms
Instructional Manual
Instructional Unit
This unit of instruction is intended for Kindergarten through Eighth Grade teachers at Tennessee Virtual Academy, a virtual school operating via Union County, while serving students throughout the entire state of Tennessee. The instructional unit will teach the educators how to create and implement lesson plans that foster successful collaboration and interaction amongst students during live, synchronous sessions. Teachers will learn the benefits of student collaboration in the virtual setting, while they will gain proficiency in utilizing breakout rooms in Blackboard Collaborate.
PLEASE BE SURE TO CLICK THE TITLE OF EACH LESSON, IN ORDER TO DOWNLOAD THE POWERPOINT. EACH POWERPOINT CONTAINS A NOTES SECTION FOR THE INSTRUCTOR.
Lesson Overview: Teachers will learn about the importance of collaboration in both the virtual and general educational setting.
Resources or Materials Needed:
· A computer with access to the Internet
· Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGGW4IezbC4 (Canned Heat:
“Let’s Work Together”)
· Speakers to play song
· Working microphones
· Results of teacher and student surveys regarding TNVA collaboration
· Access to http://padlet.com/summieshines/collaborate
· Online assessment link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1P4WptGZxbstTHk2p5WM3dKCziC2luPVxM3jMKKAfD-E/viewform?usp=send_form
· Tables from TCAP Writing Survey results
Lesson Objectives: Given access to Blackboard Collaborate tools, teachers will write 3 reasons to foster collaboration in the virtual education setting with 100% accuracy.
Time: 60 Minutes
Lesson Overview: Teachers will learn about the various roles for themselves and for the students in a collaborative classroom.
Resources or Materials Needed:
· A computer with access to the Internet
· “No One Wants to be Left out” song from YouTube
· Speakers
· Microphone
· Collaboration chart
· What is the Collaborative Classroom article by M.B. Tinzmann
· List of teacher/student characteristics
Lesson Objectives: Given a list of 10 roles and Blackboard Collaborate tools, teachers will identify a collaborative classroom role as either the teacher’s or the students’ with 80% accuracy or greater.
Time: 60 Minutes
Lesson Overview: Teachers will understand the importance of discussion and debate in the classroom by reviewing how discussion fosters critical thinking skills.
Resources or Materials Needed:
· Computer with access to the Internet
· Relaxing music
· Speakers
· Microphone
· PowerPoint slide from TNVA Math Lesson
· PowerPoint slide from TNVA ELA Lesson
· PowerPoint slide from TNVA Science Lesson
· PowerPoint slide from TNVA History Lesson
· Using Debate to Develop Thinking and Speaking Skill video - https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-economics-with-debating
Lesson Objectives: Working in groups of 3 to 5 and using Blackboard Collaborate tools, teachers will verbally edit a PowerPoint lesson slide to include an opportunity for discussion or debate with 100% accuracy.
Time: 60 minutes
Lesson Overview: Teachers will practice various ways of grouping students for successful collaboration in the virtual setting.
Resources or Materials Needed:
· Computer with Internet access
· List of 10 students with attributes
· Study Jams website
· PowerShow website
· Trello websites
· Kidrex website
· Sheppard Software website
· Edutopia quiz
Lesson Objectives: Given a list of student attributes, teachers will group students according to learning style using Trello with 100% accuracy. Given a list of student attributes, teachers will group students according to multiple intelligences using BBC tools Trello with 100% accuracy. Given a list of student attributes, teachers will group students according to interest using BBC tools Trello with 100% accuracy.
Time: 60 minutes
Lesson Overview: Teachers will discuss the frustrating aspects of working in a group. Guest speakers from other virtual schools will share their best-practices. The teachers will then work on creating team expectations for their own classrooms.
Resources or Materials Needed:
· A computer with Internet access
· Website www.kahoot.it with access code 25425.
· Working in Groups article (http://www.lboro.ac.uk/service/ltd/campus/grpwork.pdf )
· Guest speakers from ARVA and LAVA
· Article “Fostering Collaboration in the Online Classroom” (http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/fostering-collaboration-in-the-online-classroom/ )
Lesson Objectives: Working in groups of 3 to 5, given a blank page and Blackboard Collaborate tools, teachers will create a list of group norms with 100% accuracy.
Time: 60 minutes
Lesson Overview: Teachers will discuss the challenges and benefits to evaluating students within a group. Teachers will discover techniques for grading individuals in a group and defining their own rubrics.
Resources or Materials Needed:
· Computer with Internet access
· Video of students in a group
· Rubric for evaluation within groups
· Article “Working in Groups”
Lesson Objectives: Given a rubric, video of students working in groups, and BBC tools, teacher will evaluate a student according to his/her performance within the group with 100% accuracy. Given BBC tools, teacher will work in groups of 3 to 5 to create a 4-point rubric for evaluating an individual within a team with 100% accuracy.
Time: 60 minutes
FINAL EVALUATION
Materials List
Instructional Materials
· A computer with access to the Internet
· Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGGW4IezbC4 (Canned Heat:
“Let’s Work Together”)
· Speakers to play song
· Working microphones
· Results of teacher and student surveys regarding TNVA collaboration
· Online assessment link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1P4WptGZxbstTHk2p5WM3dKCziC2luPVxM3jMKKAfD-E/viewform?usp=send_form
· Tables from TCAP Writing Survey results
· Online site http://padlet.com/summieshines/collaborate
· “No One Wants to be Left out” song from YouTube
· Collaboration chart
· What is the Collaborative Classroom article by M.B. Tinzmann
· List of teacher/student characteristics
· Relaxing music
· PowerPoint slide from TNVA Math Lesson
· PowerPoint slide from TNVA ELA Lesson
· PowerPoint slide from TNVA Science Lesson
· PowerPoint slide from TNVA History Lesson
· Using Debate to Develop Thinking and Speaking Skill video - https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-economics-with-debating
· List of 10 students with attributes
· Trello site https://trello.com/b/f1LGaGpI/assessment
· Trello site https://trello.com/b/gjC7l5ia/interest-based-groupings
· Trello site https://trello.com/b/Yrk3rHPt/multiple-intelligence-groupings
· Trello site https://trello.com/b/kEqObDjQ/sample-groupings
· Study Jams website
· PowerShow website
· Kidrex website
· Sheppard Software website
· Edutopia quiz
· Kahoot site www.kahoot.it with access code
· Working in Groups article (http://www.lboro.ac.uk/service/ltd/campus/grpwork.pdf )
· Guest speakers from ARVA and LAVA
· Article “Fostering Collaboration in the Online Classroom” (http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/fostering-collaboration-in-the-online-classroom/ )
· Microsoft PowerPoint
· Video of students in a group
· Rubric for evaluation within groups
· Article “Working in Groups”
Sources
Tennessee Department of Education (2014). 2012-1013 Responses to Writing Survey.
Toten, S. (1991). Cooperative learning: A guide to research. New York: Garland.
Dick, W., Carey, L, Carey, J.O. (2001). The systematic design of instruction (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Ertmer, P. and T. Newby (1993). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance improvement quarterly 6(4), 50-72.
Gagne, R. (1988). The events of instruction. Principals of instructional design (pp. 185-204). San Diego: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
Roblyer, J.E. (2001). Learning theories and integration models. Integrating educational technology into teaching. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Me.
Padlet is the easiest way to create and collaborate in the world. (n.d.). Retrieved March 8, 2015, from https://padlet.com/
Pricing - Smore. (n.d.). Retrieved March 8, 2015, from https://www.smore.com/pricing?ur=account-see-plans
Yammer Business Collaboration Software. (n.d.). Retrieved March 8, 2015, from https://about.yammer.com/
Trello. (n.d.). Retrieved March 8, 2015, from https://trello.com/
Kahoot! | Game-based blended learning & classroom response system. (n.d.). Retrieved March 8, 2015, from https://getkahoot.com/