Literature, Culture, and Collaboration

flickr image by tompagenet

How project started...• The two schools for the project were 

Brookfield High School Brookfield CT, USA and Clarington Central Secondary School in Bowmanville Ontario Canada

how the project started 39

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Setting Up a Virtual Learning Space

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Start early and communicate often 

karen3

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What is Google Apps ?• runs under the paradigm of "cloud computing"• all programs (word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software)

run off Internet servers• all data (documents, images, etc.) are stored on Internet servers• can Access programs and data from any device with a browser or

an APP• Google Apps is free for schools !• click here for information

Clear expectations for what technologies will be used

Strong coordination so students will have the same experiences at the same times

 

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Questions for DiscussionWhat things does your group have in common? Think outside of school as well as inside of school.

How are Canadian and American experiences of Secondary/High School similar and different?

Discuss some of your plans for the next year.

Share some information about the books with you have read (both in school and out of school). What do you like/dislike about literature?

What is your communal (group) knowledge of J.D. Salinger and Mordecai Richler?

Checklist graded by both teachers

American teacher was grading both Canadian and American students.

Canadian teacher was grading both American and Canadian students.

Students used Google Docs to share the documents with each other and with both of the teachers

Feedback was given electronically across borders without any wait time for returning student work

Grading for both rubrics

Presentation and Website and Literature Connection Rubricsgraded by home teacher

Revision history of project was checked to see who participated 

Revision history of project was checked to see when the members of the group collaborated, or added to the documents and websites

RecommendationMake sure to have students share as collaborators or owners to enable the  revision function of Google Apps

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Other Collaborative IdeasShared documents between students and teachers. Teacher can comment on the document as the student works on it.

                             Research

 

• Works Cited had to be annotated - minimum of 1 source per student with 5 - 8 sources total per group

 •  Brookfield students had access to

University of Connecticut Databases

Recommendations• Clear boundaries have to be established as to the

types and level of scholarship of the sources.• Students need to be able to evaluate sources to

distinguish between good and less good resources

Types and Sources for Research

Student Collaboration

Creating a visual presentation

voicethread and prezi links

Web 2.0 Tools

Simulcasts of the visual presentations

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Cultural Presentations

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https://sites.google.com/a/brookfieldps.org/catcher-in-the-rye-conor-michael-rich-and-shawn/

https://sites.google.com/a/brookfieldps.org/drbm/

https://sites.google.com/a/brookfieldps.org/alex-caitlyn-devon-brittany/

https://sites.google.com/a/brookfieldps.org/brownj/home/1950-s-american-television

https://sites.google.com/a/brookfieldps.org/joanna-mikhail-amanda-alana/

• Self motivation- What skills do I need to organize a project with people in a different country

 • How to set a schedule for themselves

 • Follow through

 • How to work through a perceived  lack of

communication (this happened on both sides) • How to resolve different understandings of the project

 • Overcoming a long distance

 • Similar to  taking an online course

Student  learning -possible obstacles to success

I learned about the differences in cultures and it really made me aware of how "programmed" we are in New England. I also gained an appreciation for doing work with individuals who are not in the same area as I am.

I also learned that others can offer perspective on literature and technology that I would not have learned of elsewhere.

I would suggest really trying to ensure that everybody, Americans and Canadians, are putting forth the necessary effort for this project. This would include ensuring that students check their google sites every day and that they are involved in the entire process.

Student Feedback Survey 

 Stress the importance of frequently checking Google Docs or another agreed upon form of communication.

That real time collaboration with people you don't see every day is a chore. You need even more motivation than usual at a time when motivation is even harder to come by. The process was useful, but painful

I learned how to successfully use certain technologies to virtually interact with others, a skill that I predict will prove valuable in college.

              Some places to look for global collaborators

epals.com

http://media.iearn.org/projects

http://www.tigweb.org/action-tools/projects/

Liz Spencer  English Language Arts Department Chair

Spencerl@brookfieldps.org  

Sydnye CohenLibrary Media Specialist

Cohens@brookfieldps.org