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We do not know what specific skills children will need in the workforce when they become adults.
Recent literature points to the “seven C’s” as essential skills students in the 21st century (Trilling & Fadel, 2009) which include collaboration, teamwork and leadership, cross cultural understanding, communications and ICT literacy(Trilling & Fadel, 2009)
All of these skills are at the heart of the Connected Classrooms project.
Teachers “can and should model for their students the collaborative learning and knowledge construction that is at the core of 21st century competencies” (Carroll, Fulton, and Doerr, 2010, p.4)
Connected Classrooms promotes collaborative planning among teachers.
A professional culture of collaboration enables teachers to become better educators collectively (McCombs, 2010).
This involves encouraging not only students but also teachers to experiment and have opportunities to innovate (Azzam, 2009).
The three core teachers come from a variety of educational backgrounds and teach based on their expertise and passions. Expertise ranges from children’s literature, technology fostering active citizenship, global education, fine arts, to writing. Teachers collaborate in three to four face-to- face collaboration days yearly, monthly videoconferencing meetings, and daily email communication.
Students engage in four teacher-facilitated videoconferencing lessons a week based on the teacher’s area of expertise and passion. Students participate daily on a shared moodle site; they engage in online literature circles, weekly forums, collaborate on a year-long inquiry project, and both create and share a variety of multimedia content.
The nature of the videoconferences is highly collaborative; students engage in activities that are constructivist and require both creativity and critical thinking.
Students have the opportunity to select from a range of books based on their interests and participate in online literature circles where they discuss these books with teachers and students across the four communities.
Teachers alternate planning and delivering units through video conferencing. Students have opportunities during these lessons to share their ideas with peers in different communities.
"Through the team teaching and planning process, teachers also become learners in this project working together to build on their own skills as teachers." - Sara (English Connected Teacher)
"The best part of teaching in Connected Classrooms has been having a window into the classrooms of my teaching colleagues. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed seeing how they work, strategies they use, and how they respond to classroom challenges. I love watching how they plan and implement lessons, and I love finding out what inspires them. " - Brooke (ECC teacher)
“In Connected Classrooms, I am willing to try new things and step out of comfort zone.” – Aislinn(ECC teacher)
“Connected Classrooms has created a microcosm of the larger school environment, putting teachers in the position of learners and allowing them to experiment with different practices.” - Jen (English 8 Connected Teacher)
"I think our project has served to break down walls, and has made me more willing to take risks and change what I do. I think that when we put ourselves out there to ninety students on the videoconference screen, we are in a vulnerable place. At the same time, I think this is a place where deep learning can happen." -Brooke (ECC teacher)
"Having an authentic audience makes students more aware of what they put out there. They respond to each other’s online submissions and they know that it will be read by someone other than their teacher." - Sara (English 8 Connected Teacher)
"Connecting is extremely valuable in regards to providing an opportunity to conduct formative assessment. By sharing the lead in lessons, teachers are given more time to observe students while another teacher is leading instruction." - Karen (English 8 Connected Teacher)
"Students are provided with opportunities to extend their peer groups working collaboratively with students in different communities. Technology is used as a vehicle in this project to promote and facilitate connections among students." - Brooke (ECC teacher)
"Creating opportunities for multi-school communication has created kinship in my class, and among schools in the district. This opportunity has opened doors of friendship for my students and helped to form peer groups from other schools." -Jen (English 8 Connected Teacher)
"Our students have a variety of multimedia equipment available to learn with and from. The students constantly engage with multimedia content; showing them how to create multimedia themselves is of interest to them. They want to learn it. It is relevant to their lives. " - Errin (ECC teacher)
"I have found that quick transitions and small chunked exercises that are regular practice in connected lessons create a teaching platform which engages kids most fully." - Jen (English 8 Connected Teacher)
"Offering students a range of choices in the books they read through online literature circles has increased student interest in reading. We have had parents come and tell us that their children are often choosing to read instead of watch T.V. at home and many of my students are taking long books home and finishing them in a night." - Brenna (English 8 Connected Teacher)
Four English teachers in four communities work collaboratively to deliver lessons that encourage critical thinking. Each teacher brings different strengths and passions to the team including using technology in innovative ways to represent learning, responding to literature using process drama, using assessment for learning strategies to improve writing, and teaching social justice. Teachers have opportunities to collaborate through face to face planning meetings and daily email communication.
English 8 Connected
Classrooms
Research Foundations
Three teachers collaborate to combine their classrooms via daily videoconferencing, online collaborative work, and have students create a variety of multimedia content.
Promoting Innovative
Practice
Student Engagement
Extending Community of Learners
Shifting Assessment
Teacher Collaboration