Designed Integration & Student Collaboration

1. Designed Integration & Student Collaboration Amber Hall, Business Teacher ahall@lps.k12.co.us, www.amberhall.net

2. DISCO for Today… • Design of Integrated, Collaborative Projects • Teacher & Program Benefits • Student Benefits • Integration • Student Project Example – GVC Website • Collaboration • Opportunities • For Teachers • Resources

3. Collaborative Projects? Before we get to student benefits, the reality of teaching in CTE programs…

4. TEACHING CTE! Multiple Preps CTSO's Couselor maintain or increase enrollment Publicity Manager Career Coach Solo in Building Changing Content Curriculum Writer

5. Design Collaborative Projects! • Because I can’t be everything to everyone… • Moving accountability on to my students • Learning • Improving themselves • Teaching peers • Adding valuable content • Assessing for learning (self and peers)

6. Design Collaborative Projects! • Helps keep class relevant • Realistic projects • Student-ownership for possibilities and results • Social learning • Differentiated learning Because I can’t be everything to everyone…

7. Design Collaborative Projects! • Publicity for our programs • Amongst students • School community (faculty, administrators, parents, volunteers) • Internationally! • Better quality of products to display Because I can’t be everything to everyone…

8. Design Collaborative Projects! • Embedded in Curriculum • Already developed projects that easily blend into our curriculum! • Application of learning • Course competencies, incorporation of technology, links to other classes Because I can’t be everything to everyone…

9. Design Collaborative Projects! • Better Assessments & Practices • Student self-evaluation and peer evaluation • Using rubrics! • To improve learning, not just as post-evaluation • Clearer expectations • Easier to Modify and Expand Because I can’t be everything to everyone…

10. Design Collaborative Projects! • Make Me a Better Teacher! • More resources available for my students (especially when I’m not) • Better practices through coordination and mentoring with others • Now I have a clue! (Very reassuring) • Teaching transparency with teachers in other buildings, states and countries Because I can’t be everything to everyone…

11. Design Collaborative Projects! So while designing the projects in the beginning is time consuming, these projects are making my teaching life easier and more productive, and hopefully my students’ learning experience more exciting and beneficial… Because I can’t be everything to everyone…

12. Design So Students Benefit • Employability Skills… • Project Management • Team Work • Learning to prioritize • Time and resource management • Communication skills (not just texting) • “Soft Skills” (Intra & Interpersonal)

13. Design So Students Benefit • Life Skills… • Self-management • Interaction – making friends and working with foes • Life long learning?

14. Design So Students Benefit • Ownership… • Re-energizes students (at least when the work is good) • Students get recognition locally (or even internationally) for their work and talent • Differentiation challenges all students at their level • always more students can do to improve the product or teammates understanding

15. Design So Students Benefit • Reality Check • Hard to maintain an attitude of superiority and entitlement culturally when others (in class or internationally) are just as talented or skilled (if not more so) in our work on the same project

16. Integration • Pull together core class competencies • How concepts build on each other through ongoing application to the project • Relation to other subjects and real life! • Technology or building standards

17. Student Project Example Global Virtual Classroom – International Collaborative Website Building Contest In collaboration with students in Canada and Malaysia, our students built the winning site… The Real World, Actually

18. Collaborative Process • Beginning Communication & Teambuilding (continue throughout) • Determining strengths of each member • Picking student leaders • Develop vision and team culture • Define all students roles in relation to the project

19. Collaborative Process • Outline project timelines/deadlines • Identify and gather needed resources • Continue delegating tasks/responsibilities • Resolving conflicts • PERFORMING • Creating the actual product

20. Opportunity - Teacher Role • Process Manager • Planning • Facilitating • Assessing • Let the students manage the product! • We just assess it periodically and the final version

21. Opportunity - Assessment • Provide students with criteria for assessment prior to performing • Informal assessment throughout for qualitative feedback to students • Lots of self & peer assessment throughout

22. Opportunity - Assessment • Small formative assessments during performing to keep students accountable and clarify my expectations • Final formative assessment • Performance/Presentation • Content Evaluation • Writing Reflection and Evaluation of project, teacher & team

23. Assessment Rubrics

24. Opportunities for Integration & Collaboration • In class or as extension activities for accelerated students • With our CTSO’s • For us! Amongst us!

25. Opportunities for Integration & Collaboration • Multiple organizations exist to provide opportunities and promote student accomplishments to a global audience • Online • CTSO’s • In the community

26. Online Opportunities • www.virtualclassroom.org or www.gsbi.org • International Collaboration contests – website building • Assist in connecting students (or teachers) to converse internationally • Great forum to connect with other teachers to collaborate on any project you have in mind – teacher this past year from South America organized students writing a children’s story book including stories in many different languages – over 1000 stories overall • http://www.globalschoolnet.org/index.html • Multiple global & collaboration contests • http://www.geponline.org/ • Projects geared towards low-income students

27. Online Opportunities • http://www.iearn.org/ • Projects designed by teachers and students - all projects involve a final "product" or exhibition of the learning that has taken place as part of the collaboration (magazines, creative writing anthologies, websites, reports to government officials, arts exhibits, performances, and many more examples of youth taking action) • http://www.unicef.org/magic/bank/case026.html • International Education and Resource Network – long list of organizations that may also provide collaborative project opportunities • http://www.seed.slb.com/en/things_to_do/projects/guidelines.htm • Project forum soliciting feedback & participation – Science based?

28. Additional Opportunities • http://www.cilc.org/c/education/student_projects.aspx • The Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration, Inc. (CILC) in Indiana • Simulations • Junior Achievement Titan Business Simulation • Management and Marketing simulations available for purchase • Judged events – students, other education professionals or business professionals judge instead of the teacher • Using CTSO events as projects • Local Organizations (education or business) • Junior Achievement, Rotary, Chambers of Commerce, industry organizations

29. Questions? Link to the Presentation and Additional Resources Available at www.amberhall.net. Contact me at ahall@lps.k12.co.us For more project examples, look at the International Business and Comp Apps 2 pages.