tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7525941061387824183.post732387349020951139..comments2024-02-20T15:17:27.759-05:00Comments on Concrete Classroom: Scratch: collaboration or not?concretekaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03817234454056267050noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7525941061387824183.post-31106899419776419102010-04-07T23:40:21.505-04:002010-04-07T23:40:21.505-04:00Nice overview of the collaboration and suggestions...Nice overview of the collaboration and suggestions for how to make it work smoother. It was a learning experience. I know when I tried a sprite based collaboration between classes, like Carl, I had difficulties as well.<br /><br />As you mention our collaboration had a number of fundamental issues that I think we can solve. The reality of the world we live includes multinational companies with teams working on collaborative projects in different parts of the world. So I like the fact that we are working multiple time zones away.<br /><br />I think, we have a much better understanding of the structural issues involved with the collaboration. In addition, especially with middle school kids once we create some type of icebreaker activity that allows the kids to meet each other, see where they live, attend school we will build the relationship needed to make the collaboration much better. Also by doing this each group will learn more than just how to animate a sprite. I am looking forward to trying this again.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15930063725865547552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7525941061387824183.post-3179462773549197992010-04-05T09:21:29.841-04:002010-04-05T09:21:29.841-04:00Thanks Carl and Scott for confirming what was miss...Thanks Carl and Scott for confirming what was missing here. It is good to have outside perspectives showing the same problems (lack of relationships) and results (lack of student buy-in). It definitely helps me/us plan for more successful projects in the future.<br /><br />I totally agree with Scott's last sentence "tech issues become a very convenient excuse for them." Well said.<br /><br />Kevin, you ask a critical and important question that I have been thinking about all of last night and this morning. Carl's admission to the same issues in an in-classroom collaboration sheds some light on it. <br /><br />Kevin, I feel another blog post brewing to try to fully answer your question. Thanks for the push back.concretekaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03817234454056267050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7525941061387824183.post-57809298281655317182010-04-05T02:27:28.535-04:002010-04-05T02:27:28.535-04:00This is a very useful reflection and I hope to sha...This is a very useful reflection and I hope to share it with colleagues as an example for collaborative projects and the steps to success. I have done several projects that have had that similar results. For me, the crux of the issue is what I have heard is called the hand shaking process. The first step in any collaboration is that students need to get to know the person on the other end in some fashion. This step is important for collaborations within the same class to classes on the opposite side of the world. Students have to take ownership over the relationships. Trust has to be built...<br /><br />Students who build trust into their working relationship will work harder to overcome the tech issues. Otherwise the tech issues become a very convenient excuse for them.SMeechhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00638316760895718112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7525941061387824183.post-10447806931486365492010-04-05T00:41:12.393-04:002010-04-05T00:41:12.393-04:00Very interesting, I can see where there are lots o...Very interesting, I can see where there are lots of problems to solve.<br /><br />Now I don't feel so bad, I did as Kevin, (comments), said. Collaborated within my class and still had some of the exact problems. My students used the message service within our Moodle to communicate as they had to go there anyway, to get assignments, etc., while learning to use Scratch.<br /><br />I need to write up what I did and what happened.Carlhttp://weemooseus.edublogs.org/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7525941061387824183.post-58562154192276147582010-04-04T23:19:54.921-04:002010-04-04T23:19:54.921-04:00Why not do the collaboration within the class? Is...Why not do the collaboration within the class? Is there some reason you have to create all these barriers to collaboration (12-hour time zone changes, ...)Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14528751349030084532noreply@blogger.com