Collaboration

According to Rheingold (2008), advances have been made throughout human history thanks to the human ability to collaborate. People working together to create new solutions and inventions have taken us from the discovery of fire to the creation of collaborative programming in which people from all over the world work together to solve problems, share ideas, and generate new knowledge.

I believe people - especially in today's society - are naturally social creatures who thrive on interaction. Imagine a couple of people sitting around drinking coffee. One of them says, "You know, this cream and sugar is pretty good. I wonder what would happen if I added a touch of vanilla?" A discussion ensues, possibilities mentioned, and finally they decide, "Why not?" and give it a try. Then chocolate, hazelnut, pecan, caramel, and so on. Flavored coffee beans...then flavored creamer...and now the cup of coffee on my desk with "Almond Joy" flavored creamer I enjoy. Did it happen that way? I truly do not know, but I imagine that the idea of flavored coffee creamer, like many great ideas, happened in just that way. People sitting together, talking things out, trying different things, and then realizing what a great idea they have.

In the following video by Eggers (2008), his very successful tutoring program began in that way. A group of friends were discussing education, and his teacher friends' frustration and lack of help led to an amazing system of tutoring centers all across the country.

Time and again people have shown their amazing capacity to create when they work together. Technology provides many opportunities to enable people to create more than they ever have before.

Through collaborative software, such as wikis and Googledocs, individuals are able to collaborate no matter what part of the world they are in, or what field they are in. Communications software like Skype allows people to visit live and even see each other in video if they wish. Now, not only can they share ideas, documents, images, and video - but they can see and talk to the other people. If people are social animals, as I believe they are, then this opens up so many more opportunities for us to work together. According to constructivist principles, environment and social interaction are key factors in learning. In today's technology rich world, our environment has changed, but the need to interact with others has not. 

Matthew, Felvegi, and Callaway (2009) conducted research in the form of a case study in an effort to see how the collaboration through a wiki could enhance the learning experience. What they found lends support to the claim that collaboration adds depth and understanding to the concepts being taught. When a learner is solitary, it was found that the assignments and readings were meaningless to most. However, when the students became engaged in sharing and discussing ideas on the wiki, their understanding deepened, their curiousity and desire to find new information grew, and learning was enhanced.

Being able to bounce ideas off others is a key factor in learning.
When my students are in the classroom, I make sure they have the opportunity to discuss what they are learning. Invariably, they will discover a different viewpoint, or more knowledge of the topic. Now, however, I also have them collaborating in wikis, sharing files and links on Edmodo. Their learning is enriched through the interaction with their peers and with me. The social setting of Edmodo ("Mrs. Moore, this is better than Facebook!") encourages them to interact more, and gives me new insight to their lives. The wiki allows them to create using their favorite thing: technology. Not only are they learning to navigate through the internet and various computer programs, but they are learning to navigate through the world of people and how to communicate effectively.

References

Eggers, D. (2008, February). Dave Eggers' wish: Once upon a school [Video file]. Retrieved from  http://www.ted.com/talks/dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_a_school.html

Matthew, K., Felvegi, E., & Callaway, R. (2009). Wiki as a collaborative learning tool in a language arts methods class. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42(1), 51-72. Retrieved from ProQuest Central. (Document ID: 1980440621)

Rheingold, H. (2008, February). Howard Rheingold on collaboration [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html