Hello to you and welcome to my blog! This blog is an educational exercise as a part of the EDM 510 course. Below you will find a question that has arisen in my current work place and I would love to read input from you all! Thank you for your response!
Currently, I teach Kindergarten with a team of 4 other teachers. We each have our own classroom and are responsible for each individually. Three out of the five total kindergarten teachers have a break together, while the other two teachers have a different break together. My question to you is how might you go about collaborating with the entire team without having to stay after school for a meeting? Please give me an idea for some type of technology you might use or some other kind of strategy you would use to enhance collaboration across the entire team.
There are so many different ways to collaborate and interact with colleagues through the use of technology. Aside from just emailing, I would say that Google Docs is probably the best outlet to use. This tool allows different people to work on the same document simultaneously from different sources. There is also a feature that allows you to invite others to edit (or view) documents. This would be great for teachers who are working together to create a test (or any other activity) for the entire grade level. It is also great for this purpose in that before sharing an activity with the entire grade level to use, other teachers can go in an edit the content or add more to it if they see the need.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Taylor mentioned. Google Docs presents a great opportunity for you and your collaborating teachers to work together without having to stay after school. I think that those who have break together could collaborate and create one document that you could share with the other 2 teachers that have break together. This way everything would be documented and could be used in the future.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Taylor about there are so many different ways to collaborate and interact with colleagues through technology. Google Docs is one great tool to use but you can also use Skype when the students are sleeping since they should all be napping at the same time. You can also use the this great feature of blogging to post different ideas and activities. If you are looking for activities to do as a group Google Docs will allow for you to edit and provide suggestions. I would just check with the other teachers to see which option they would like to use to collaborate that is easier for them.
ReplyDeleteI know it is hard when the entire grade level team is not on the same type schedule. In previous years, my second grade team has had up to seven members and at times three different break (P.E.) schedules. I think a weekly Google Doc (Suggested above as well) would be a great place to have a team discussion board. I know most school computers have easy access to Google Docs versus trying to get everyone to join a wiki or blog. Teachers could post comments, questions etc. for everyone to share. This might be a little more effective than trying to catch each other in the hall or after hours meetings.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you that Google Docs would be a great place to collaborate. I will suggest it. Not only is it a way to keep adding and editing, but we could view it from year to year instead of reinventing the wheel, so to speak, each time! Thank you!
DeleteI hate to jump on the Google Docs train but I also agree that that would be a really good tool to use to collaborate with other teachers. A wiki could be a good option but the Google Docs option would allow the teachers to type suggestions and ideas into the document seen by all. In addition, they could work on a document together, like a poster for an upcoming big event that would be passed out to their grade level.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that everyone is in agreement about Google Docs. I have used it before, and definitely saw the potential there! Thanks for your input!
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