I am excited to share about our second (digital) Expert Day that we have incorporated into the design elements of expeditions (PBL) at my school. EL Education strengthens learning for students through the implementation of Expeditionary Learning projects that are PBL in style and incorporate engaging, standards based lessons, collaboration opportunities, authentic audience, and high quality work. This is how we teach at my EL school. A large portion of the research and investigation for expeditions come from collaborating with experts from all walks of life. We have an expert day integrated into every grade level expedition (6th-8th) and some of those expert collaboration opportunities have taken place virtually. I understand some my consider this type collaboration, virtual field trips, but they are much more than a guest visiting the room or just talking via a webcam connection.
I listen to the projects Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis describe from their book, Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time, and marvel at the experiences technology innovation has afforded students in the classroom of today. I, too, have read Friedman's, The World Is Flat and it fascinates me how much progress has been made in teaching and learning just since Friedman's publication in 2005. Much of that progress because of collaboration on a global spectrum. Thanks to technology, I can offer students access to a multitude of experts with which to collaborate on research, projects, or receive critics on their work. 8th grade expedition each year is called Take A Stand. Students are asked to take a stand for an injustice, research that problem or issue, and create an actionable solution to the problem. In the past, some students topics or culminating product has been in an area for which teachers or the internet had no first had knowledge. This is where social media photo bombs the picture. Last year we connected via Twitter and Facebook with slam poets in NC and the upper area of SC for students needing tips on presentation techniques. The poets connected with small groups of students via Google Hangout and allowed students to present to the poet for feedback. They met again after the editing process for one last feedback protocel before students went public with their slam poetry. My 7th graders last year also collaborated with the organization Teen Cancer America to help the organization with a social media campaign they were considering launching in the Spring. The collaboration began as a service learning project but morphed into a partnership that will last long term. Using Google Hangout, students collaborated with organization executives, hollywood actors, producers, and directors to help create a media campaign to bring awareness to the need of specialize teen cancer research and teen cancer units in American hospitals. Below is a small sample of that collaboration. Teen Cancer America executives eventually visited SC looking for a willing hospital to potentially be the first location in SC for a teen treatment unit. Students will continue this connection this year and work with organizers to create a new fundraising campaign for our local community to support this organization. Teen Cancer America Collaboration Sample student Slam performance after expert critique. I agree with Vicki Davis that audience can improve learning and experts motivate students to place a greater value in their work. I am looking forward to seeing my student make more connections, globally in the next few weeks as Expert is on the horizon. Stay tuned to see who shows up this year!
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Amy DentInstructional Coach, tech geek, news junkie, and passionate about learning. ArchivesCategories |