Monday, August 30, 2010
Asynchronous collaboration
I've been thinking about the way we collaborate with our overlapping lessons, and that is great, but I think we are missing a much broader opportunity for asynchronous collaboration. What I mean is this: My electronics class makes batteries out of potatoes to demonstrate simple circuits. Even though we do this in August, Layne could still use that as a reference point when he gets to appropriate places in chemistry to discuss electron flows, ions, or properties of acids/bases. I think sometimes we feel the lessons have to be done in a synchronous flow, but I think that is not always the case.
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I agree the timing does not have to sync and in some cases it is better if it does not sync. In the example you use by have Layne revisit your lesson later it re-enforces that learned skill.
ReplyDeleteI do like that idea, and try to use it as much as possible. The problem I still have is that I don't know what everybody is teaching at any given time. In fact, I'm still unsure of what is going on in Stockdale's class--the students try to tell me but I get lost every time. :)
ReplyDeleteWe need to talk about what each of us is doing at our meetings
ReplyDeleteAgreed
ReplyDeleteFor example, my students are doing a timeline on the history of chemistry. It's purpose is a pre-cursor to SI Units but the benefit is that kids are seeing "holes" in time from Greek society until modern chemistry. They've been commenting that it ties to their World History classes. So, they see a connection that could be reinforced.
I'm going to note for our next meeting to discuss how we can better distribute our curriculum to each other. I think this is an important step in improving our collaboration.
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