A few weeks ago in my technology class, we did collaborative group work. This meant that we all got to do the same thing at the same time, but through different computers and talk as we were working about what we were experiencing. A few things all happened at once as we were taking part in this learning activity.
The first was that we could collaborate. If someone got stuck on a certain part of our "virtual fieldtrip", another group member could either explain how to get back on track, or we could actually go and manipulate their computer to show them how to get back to where they were supposed to be. It allowed for critical thinking as well: something I have been stressing to my eighth graders. When we came across a certain site, we could stop and discuss the benefits of the website or tool as well as its downsides so that we could all get a good handle on where to use the tools in our future classrooms and not simply "ya, this is a pretty good tool, I'll use it at some point."
The second was that it allowed our leader Caitlin to work with us in smaller groups to give us smart board training. She was able to focus on the needs of a few because she knew the rest of us (the majority of the class) was on task in our smaller groups because we were helping each other stay focussed.
I would recommend this method of working collaboratively for all of my grade eights as well as the parents who may be reading this blog. Students, if you are finding it hard to stay on task, or you need to discuss the benefits or negative aspects of something you are studying, find a buddy to work with who can help you out when you get stuck, or simply give you a fresh pair of eyes to analyze a piece of information!
The old saying is true: two heads are better than one, or in this case, two students on different computers doing the same task make for more effective and deep discussion and a better problem solving pair than one.
