Collaboration

Now that our website project is off and running, I am finding myself really impressed by the collaboration that is happening organically in the classroom.

Students are collaborating in a variety of ways for a variety of purposes.

There is collaboration through blogs.  Students are starting to catch on to the idea that we can share ideas and resources through blogging.  Students with similar topics are stopping by their peers' sites to check out what they are thinking about.  Certain blogs have become mentor texts for the class, and I am seeing students borrow ideas from their peers.    

There is collaboration face to face.  Just this morning I overheard one student ask another student if she could share the document they created because they had the same topic as a peer.  This sense of leaning on each other has been really awesome to watch.  Students know that it isn't just me who can help with questions; they are going to each other for help.

Certain students are becoming experts in certain areas.  Navigating Weebly has been a little challenge for some and leaders have quickly emerged.  I consider them "tech helpers" and when a student has a technical questions about website construction, we call on these helpers.  They honestly know more than I do about the functions of the site.