CurriculumGuide:

CollaborativeTechnologyTools
AlexandraIggulden,MelanieBriarJamieson&JanLewis
ETEC510Section66C
UniversityofBritishColumbia
ChelseyHauge
August2,2015

CURRICULUMGUIDEFORCOLLABORATIVETECHNOLOGYTOOLS

Table of Contents

SECTIONA:OVERVIEW
A.1WelcomeMessage
A.2WhoisthisGuidefor?
A.3WhatYouNeed
A.4OrganizationofGuide

SECTIONB:THEORETICALFOUNDATIONS
B.1WhatisCollaborativeLearning?
B.1.1CollaborativeLearningdoesnotequalCooperativeLearning
B.2CollaborativeEducationalTechnologyDefined
B.3WhyareTheseToolsNecessary?
B.4Digital&ProvincialStandardsforCollaborativeLearning
B.4.1ISTEStudentCollaborationStandards
B.4.2ISTETeacherCollaborationStandards

SECTIONC:DESIGNENVIRONMENT
C.1DesignChoices
C.2DesignElements
C.3DesignFeaturesWithintheLearningExperience
C.3.1Weebly
C.3.2Thinglink
C.3.3TheForums
C.3.4Padlet
C.3.5GoogleForm
C.4DescriptionofLearningContentOurThreeCollaborativeTools
C.4.1Kidblog
C.4.2Skype
C.4.3VoiceThread

SECTIOND:WEBSITENAVIGATION
D.1ProfessionalDevelopmentEnvironment
D.2ClickThroughtheWebsite
D.3WebsiteModules
Module1:Introduction
aIntroduction:LandingPage
bTheWhat
cTheWhy
Module2:CollaborativeedTechUnits
aCollaborativeedTechUnits:LandingPage
bKIDBLOGUnitMainPage
i.CollaborativeIdeas
ii.LessonPlan
c.SKYPEUnitMainPage
iCollaborativeIdeas

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i.iFourStylesofSkypeClassroomCalls
iiLessonPlan
d.VOICETHREADUnitMainPage
i.CollaborativeIdeas
ii.LessonPlan
e.SubjectSnapshotsToolsAcrosstheCurriculum(ThingLink)
Module3.0:BuildingaCommunityofPractice
a.BuildingaCommunityofPractice:LandingPage
b.TheForums
c.SuccessStories(Padlet)
d.AboutUs
e.FeedbackSurvey(GoogleForm)
Module4.0ButWait,TheresMore!
a.ButWait,TheresMore:LandingPage
b.Resources
b.iCollaborativeTechnologyToolsSiteOfficialCurriculumGuide
c.SiteReferences&ImageCredits

SECTIONE:CONCLUSION

References

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SECTION A: OVERVIEW
A.1 Welcome Message
ThisCurriculumGuide(isCCBYlicensed,whichmeansyoucanredistribute,reuse,
remix,andretainit)hasbeendevelopedtosupportnavigationofthe
CollaborativeTechnology
Tools
professionaldevelopmentsite.Thiswebsitegrewoutofearlydiscussionsthedesign
teamhadaboutoureducationaltechnology(edTech)interestsandthechallengesoftenfaced
byourcolleagueswhenincorporatingedTechintotheirstudentsvariouslearningcontexts.A
barrierwesawinourownteachingandlearningcontextswasthatteachershadlimitedtimeto
learnnewtoolsandneededstructuredsupporttounderstandhoweducationaltoolscouldbe
broughtintotheclassroom.OurteamsfinalprojectforETEC510(designanonlinelearning
experiencearoundatopicofyourchoice)becameouranswertothequestion:Howcanwe
designalearningenvironmentforteacherswhohavelittletimeforprofessionallearning?Our
sharedmotivationwastosupporttheprofessionaldevelopmentofourcolleaguesandassist
theirincorporationofedTechusingpedagogicallyinformeddecisions.FromthemanyedTech
optionsavailabletoteachers,wenarrowedourfocusdowntoconsiderthoseedTechtools
availabletoassistteacherswithtrainingtheirstudentsintheimportant21stcenturyskillof
collaborativelearning
.InthisGuide,youwillfindlearningobjectivesoutlinedforeachofthe
threecontentUnitsaswellasobjectives,rationales,andbriefexplanationsbehindeverysite
page.Pagesarecontentrichanddesignedtosparkideasforhowtointegrateonline
collaborativeedTechtoolsinallyourclasses.
Wehopeyouenjoylearningfromthisresourceasmuchasweenjoyeddevelopingit!
Sincerely,TheDesignTeam,
Lexi,Jan,&Briar

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A.2 Who is this Guide for?

Collaborativelearningisaviablepracticeforteachersandstudentsof
all
agesand
cultures.Weanticipateabroadaudiencefor
CollaborativeTechnologyTools
.Since
collaborativetechnologytoolscanbeusedbyeducatorsofanyagerange,ouroveralltarget
audienceissimplyeducators.However,tofocusthegeneralscopeoftheprojectwenarrowed
downourtargetaudiencetoK9educators.Activitiesandexamplesdeliberatelycrossthe
curriculumtoincreasethereturninterestofourK9teacherswhochangeteaching
assignmentsoverthecourseoftheircareer.
Wehavefurtherdrilleddownthefocusonthespecificlessonplansforthe
CollaborativeEdTechUnitstotargetmiddleschoolgrades(68).EachofthethreetoolLesson
Plansidentifycurriculumexpectations/prescribedlearningoutcomesfromthethreedifferent
provincesthemembersofthedesignteamhailfromKidblog,
BritishColumbia
Skype,
Ontario
andVoiceThread,
Manitoba
.

A.3 What You Need

TofollowthisGuideyouwillneedthishyperlinktothewebsite
Collaborative
TechnologyTools
foundattheaddress
http://collaborativetechtools.weebly.com/
.Wehave
assumedthatteachersusingthissitearetechnologyreadyandhaveskillsnavigating
computerhardwareandtheInternet,includingdownloadingappropriatepluginsifrequired.
(Note:Asthiswebsiteisinitsfirstiterationwehavenottestedthetechnologyforaccessibility.
Ifyourequireassistancewithaccesspleaseemailoneoftheauthorswhowilltakestepsto
assistyou).Otherwise...
Minimumrequirements:

ComputerwithInternetConnection

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Additionalrequirements:
(ifyouareparticipatinginanyoftheaudioorvideo
submissions)

headset

microphone

webcam

A.4 Organization of Guide

TheGuidecloselyfollowsthewebsitethroughalinearnarrative.Foreaseofuseeach
sectionofthisdocumentprovidesahyperlinkand/oraQRcodelinkingtotheappropriate
webpage.IthasbeendividedintofourSections,labelled(A)through(D)...

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SECTION B: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS

B.1 What is Collaborative Learning?
Collaborativelearningisastudentcontrolledactivitywherelearnersworktogetherand
throughconsensusaccomplishgrouporindividualtasks(McAlpine,2000Panitz,1999).
Collaborativelearningstrategiesareapproachestolearningthatarebasedonconstructivist
theories.ThistheoryisbasedonVygotsky'ssocioculturaltheorywhichstatesthatsocial
experienceshapesthewaysofthinkingandinterpretingtheworld(Jaramillo,1996,p.135).
Acquisitionofknowledgeinconstructivist(andthereforecollaborative)learningenvironments
needstobe
contextualized
and
negotiated
throughsocialinteraction(Jaramillo,1996).This
theoryvaluesstudentspriorknowledgeVygotskyszoneofproximaldevelopmentsuggests
thatnewknowledgemustbebuiltuponpreexistingknowledge(Watson,2001).Collaborating
throughdiscussionsorreflectivewritingwithpeersisaprovenclassroomtechniquedesigned
toencouragestudentstomakeconnectionstopriorknowledgeandthenlinkthatschemato
newwaysofknowing.Teacherswhohaveembracedcollaborativelearningcreate
environmentswherelearnerstalkwitheachotherandarelearningsomuchmoretheyre
learninghowtobeproactive,theyrelearninghowtodependontheirpeers(Edutopia,2012).
ThisanecdotalevidenceisnotsurprisingwhenoneconsidersVygotskyssocialpremise.
Collaborativeactivitieswhichrequiregroupsoflearnerstointeractisaneffectivedesignfor
learningenvironmentsbecausethesegroupingsnurturethesocialinteractionuponwhich
connected,sociallyconstructedlearningdepends(Scheer,Noweski,&Meinel,2012).
B.1.1 Collaborative Learning does not equal Cooperative Learning
Educatorsmaymistakenlythinkcollaborativelearningisasynonymforthevarious
groupworkactivitiesofcooperativelearning(ie.ThinkPairShare,orJigSaw)butthisisnot

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thecase.InavideointerviewDavidOliosharesthatwhile
cooperative
learningworkstoward
consensusthatisconcernedwithasingle,endproductoridea,collaborationisnta
consensusdrivingdevice,itsawayforpeopletoproblemsolve,anditsanenvironmentfor
themtobeabletoengageinproductivethinkingand[deeper]learning(TeachingChannel,
n.d.,2:28).Collaborativelearningisdesignedforindividualideastoemergeafterbeing
reworkedfromhearingtheideasandperspectivesofothers.Whilethelocusofcontrolin
cooperative
learningisteachercentered(Panitz,1999),collaborativelearningisa
student
centeredpracticethathasbeenshowntoresultinhigherstudentachievement,higher
selfesteem,highermotivationforallstudentsacrosssocioeconomicandcultural
backgrounds(Edutopia,2012,0:55).

B.2 Collaborative Educational Technology Defined

Collaborativeeducationaltechnologiesaretoolsthatallowgroupsoflearnerstoshare
theirlearning.AccordingtoBonkandCunningham(1998),collaborativeeducational
technologiesaffordsocialinteractionthatisinthehandsofthelearnertobuild,browse,link,
draw,juxtapose,representandsummarizeinformation(p.30).Further,Bonk&Cunningham
positthatcollaborativeeducationaltechnologiesextendinteractionsbeyondteacherstudent
andprovideopportunitiesforsharedknowledgeandintroductionofnewlearning(p.31).
ReturningtoVygotskystheoryofsocialconstructivism,Bonk&Cunninghamsexplanationof
collaborativeeducationaltechnologyalignswiththeconstructivisteducationaltheorythat
learningisactiveandsociallysituated.

B.3 Why are These Tools Necessary?

Thereisanincreasingneedforteacherstoprepare21stCenturylearnerstodevelop
thecriticalthinkingskillsnecessaryforinclusionintheincreasinglyparticipatory,connected
culturewithinwhichlearnersareimmersed(Scheer,Noweski,&Meinel,2012).Collaboration

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doesnotonlytakeplaceoffline,infacetofaceinteractionsbecauseonlinetoolsallowfor
increasedconnectioninbothrealandasynchronoustime.Thus,teachersmustmodel
collaborativeskillsinthedigitalcontextstheirstudentsarelikelytoexperience(Kivunja,2015).
Despiteanincreasedemphasisonincorporatingonline,digitaltechnologiesintheclassroom
(Chen,GallagherMackay,&Kidder,2014),manyteachersarestillnotactivelyintegrating
thesetechnologiesintotheirlessons(Garcia&Morrell,2013Palak&Walls,2009).Several
reasonsforthisincludethe:

effortrequiredtonavigatethedepthandscopeofedTech(Ciampa&Gallagher,
2014)
analysisrequiredtounderstandthepedagogicalaffordancesofthetool(Ciampa
&Gallagher,2014)
planningrequiredtousethetoolwithintheircurriculum(Beggs,Shields,Telfer&
Bernard,2013Ciampa,2014)
timerequiredforskilldevelopment(Ackermann,2002Ciampa,2014Harris,
2008bHarris,Mishra,&Koehler,2009Papert&Harel,1991).

Thisprofessionallearningenvironmentisourresponse,aseducationaltechnologists,to
meettheaboveneedsofourteachingcolleagues.Theprimaryeducationalactivitiesare
designedasinstructionalexemplarstoincreaseteachersa)awareness,b)comfortleveland,
thus,c)classroomuseof,threespecificcollaborativeedTechtools.Researchsuggeststhat
justintimePDopportunitiesallowimmediateactionbyteachersintheirclassroomswhich
increaseslikelihoodofstudentexposuretocollaborativemethods(Harris,2008aHarris,etal.,
2009Lawless&Pellegrino,2007
Owston,Wideman,Murphy,&Lupshenyuk,2008
Palak&
Walls,2009).
StudiessuggesteffectiveedTechprofessionaldevelopment(ETPD)willresultinhigher
levelsofchangeinteachersbehaviourregardlessofthehighlyindividualizedcontexts
informedbyeducationpanel,studentpopulation,orcontentareasinhabitedbyindividual
teachers(Harris,2008a).Ourlearningdesignprojectdrawsonfiverelevantcharacteristicsof
effectiveteacherETPD.EffectiveETPDis,

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1.

Conductedinschoolsettingswhereteachersarecomfortableandcan
easilyaccesstheresourcesdirectlyrelevantforcreatingmaterialstailored
totheirneeds
NationalStaffDevelopmentCouncil[NSDC](ascitedinHarris,
2008a,p.21).Providinganonline,interactiveplatformallowseducatorsto
accesstheirlearninginstantlyfromanywhere,whetherfromtheirownschoolsor
homes,atatimethatisconvenienttotheirschedules.

2.

Plannedandofferedbyteachers
NSDC(ascitedinHarris,2008a,p.21).It
iseasiertorespectandreceivedirectionfromfellowteachers,asopposedto
overlyoptimisticadministratorslongoutoftheclassroom.

3.

Includesconcretementormodelsofspecificcurriculumbestpractices
withopportunitiesforQ&Atroubleshooting.
Thewebsiteincludesa
commentsdesignedfortroubleshootingandsharingofgeneralquestionsand
successstoriesfromthefield.

4.

Includes
direct
instructionintheoperationalizationofstudentcentered
pedagogy.
Focusonteachertrainingshouldmoveawayfromisolatedtech
trainingandtowardintegrationoftechintocurriculumtohelpteachersusetech
tosupportstudentcenteredpedagogy(InternationalSocietyforTechnologyin
Education[ISTE],n.d.Palak&Walls,2009,p.437).Ourlearningdesign
includeshighlightingtheusefulnessofthisepistemologyforstudentsuccess.

5.

Providesorconstructsreadytouseresources.
Alackofeasilyaccessible
setsofclassroomreadyresourcesortoolsoftenresultsinconfusionand
resistance[towardsnewteachingapproaches]which
undermineeducational
reformefforts(Ackermann,2002Harris,2008bHarris,etal,2009,p.404
Papert&Harel,1991).Eachtoolsectionhasanassociatedlessonplan,
example,orexemplarpreparedforimmediateclassroomuse.

B.4 Digital & Provincial Standards for Collaborative Learning

Technologyandcollaborationwithineducationgohandinhand.Framingthistopicas
aprofessionallearningexperienceforeducatorswasdirectlyinformedbytheinfrequentlevels
ofschoolintegrationobservedbythedesignteam.ThelegitimatevalueoffocusingonedTech
toolsspecificallydesignedforcollaborationwasconfirmedbytheinternationalstandardsfor

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technologyintegrationpromotedbytheInternationalSocietyforTechnologyinEducation
(ISTE),anorganizationdedicatedtofacilitatingsystemwidetechnologyintegrationin
innovativeandrelevantwaysforstudents,teachers,technologycoaches,andadministrators
(ISTE,2008).Couchedinthefamiliarlanguageofeducationalobjectivesandgoals,ISTEhas
developeddistinctsetsofstandardsforeachofthemajorstakeholdersineducation.Although
notmandatedbyanyofourCanadianMinistriesofEducation,wefeltthesestandardswereof
sufficientqualitytoestablishstrongrationalesandprovideusefulguidancefordesigningour
professionallearningexperience.RelevantISTEStandardsareintroducedonthesiteand
summarizedbelow.(UsersshouldnotethattheISTEsourcesbelowarehotlinkedforfurther
exploration.ThoseprintingthisGuidemayscantheQRcodestoaccessbothsources).

ISTE*SStandardsfor
Students,2007

ISTE*TStandardsfor
Teachers,2008

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B.4.1 ISTE Student Collaboration Standards

2.CommunicationandCollaboration
Studentsusedigitalmediaandenvironmentstocommunicateandworkcollaboratively,
includingatadistance,tosupportindividuallearningandcontributetothelearningof
others.
a.Interact,collaborate,andpublishwithpeers,experts,orothersemployinga
varietyofdigitalenvironmentsandmedia
b.Communicateinformationandideaseffectivelytomultipleaudiencesusinga
varietyofmediaandformats
c.Developculturalunderstandingandglobalawarenessbyengagingwithlearners
ofothercultures
d.Contributetoprojectteamstoproduceoriginalworksorsolveproblems
(
ISTE*S
,2007).

B.4.2 ISTE Teacher Collaboration Standards

ThefollowingscreenshotsofISTE*TStandardsshowhighlightsofvariousspots
whereteachersareencouragedtoexplicitlyorinferentiallycollaboratewithstudents,model
collaborationasaprofessional,orempowerstudentstocollaboratewithotherstudentsor
expertsinbothfacetofaceandvirtuallearningenvironments.

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(
ISTE*T,2008
)

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SinceallthreedesignersareCanadianeducatorsandwedonotpresumetobe
familiarwiththeexpectationsandstandardsofothercountries,thetargetaudienceofthis
professionaldevelopmentexperienceisCanadianteachers.Althoughwewelcomeandexpect
internationalopportunitiestocollaborate,withtheexceptionoftheISTEstandardsthat
deliberatelymarketthemselvesasinternationalcontent,wehavenotspecificallyaddressed
globallydiverseregionalstandardsandinvitecontributionsfromthosewithmoreexperiencein
theseareas.
Canada'sprovincesandterritoriesdonothaveacountrywidestandardfor
collaborativestudentbehaviour,letaloneanythingspecificallymandatingtheuseof
technologyforcollaboration,yetthere
is
aprecedentinthe"learningskills"or"workhabits"
categoryofmanyCanadianregionsreportcards.

(OntarioVirtualSchool,n.d.)

ThecontentspecificlessonplansprovidedattheculminationofthethreeedTechtool
unitshavetheirowncurriculumexpectationsattachedtotheparticularsubjectandgradethey
aredesignedforandwillbeprovided,andreferenced,intheappropriatesectionofthe
webpageandthisGuide,furtheron
.

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SECTION C: DESIGN ENVIRONMENT

ThethreecollaborativeedTechtoolswhichthedesignteamchosetoshowcaseasthe
backboneofthelearningcontentforthissiteareonlinetoolswewerefamiliarwithandenjoyed
using,whichwefeltourcolleagueswouldgainthemostvaluewhengiventheopportunityto
familiarizethemselvesmoredeeplywitheachtoolfortheirstudentsuse.Inadditionto
personalpreference,thetoolspresentedherehadtomeetthefollowingcriteria:
thetoolisavailableonline
hasaviablenocostoption
hasprivacyoptionsforsafetyandaccessibility
affordsenjoyablecollaborativeengagement
usesdifferentmodesofcommunicationasitscentralaffordancetext,visual,andaudio
providesarangeofsynchronousandasynchronousoptions

C.1 Design Choices

Wehaveendeavouredtodesignourlearningenvironment(website)tobeas
userfriendlyaspossible,allowinglearnerstoeasilynavigateeverypage,inoptimalorder,
understandinghowtointeractwiththecontentandotherlearnerswithouttheneedtorefer
extensivelytothisGuide.
Forexample,eachCollaborativeedTechUnitofthewebsite(referencedinthisGuide
underModule2)hasbeenorganizedintoaminimumofthreesitepages:
edTechtoolmainpage,whichdescribesthetoolinbasicterms,
CollaborativeIdeaspage,whichconnectsthelearnerwiththecollaborative
affordancesofthatspecifictoolfortheclassroom,
LessonPlanpage,whichprovidesareadytouselessonplan,followinga
uniformthreepartlessonformat,forteacherstoimplementimmediatelyintheir
ownclassrooms,iftheychoose

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C.2 Design Elements

Intermsofdeliberatewebsitedesignelements,avarietyofdesigndecisionsweremade
toallowcontinuity,familiarity,andselfdirectedlearningtooccur:
colourandfontspecificformatting(ie.reditalicsformetatextor
teachertodesigner/designertoteacherconversationsgreenforInterActivities
blueitalicsforquotesblackformaincontent)
smallbluebuttonsorunderlinedlinktextleadingtospecificpages
theuseofhorizontaldividerstofurtherdelineatetheprogressionofideasupona
page
underlinedlinkswithinthemainbodyoftexttoindicateadefinitionofatermora
namedpagewithinthissite
iconsdesignedassemanticsignpostsfor:
InterActivitiesforeachmajorsection,culminatinginavisittotheForums
BigIdeas,ortakeaways,fromaparticularpage,whererelevant
Skypeiconinthesamepositiononeachofthefourcallstyleminipages

C.3 Design Features Within the Learning Experience

Inbeingdirectedtocreateanonlinelearningenvironment,itseemedlogicaltoinclude
opportunitiestopresentandinteractwithcontentthatwentbeyondwhatwouldbepossible
withtraditionalprintmedia.Therefore,avarietyofprograms,digitalartifacts,andwaysof
engagingwithboththelearningcontentandfellowlearnersweredeliberatelyincludedinthe
designofthisonlinelearningexperience.

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C.3.1 Weebly
Ourgrouphaschosentousethegrowinglypopular
Weebly
websitegeneratorplatform
tocreateourinteractivelearningenvironment.

Weeblyaffordseachofourgroupsmemberswiththeabilitytocontributetothesite
simultaneously.Thecapabilitiesforincludingand/orembeddingtext,pictures,videos,and
toolsfromoutsidesources,throughtheuseofthedraganddropbuildingfeature,makesthe
creationofcustomizablewebpageseasy.
C.3.2 Thinglink
Learnerswillencountera
ThingLink
embeddedonthelastsitepageofModule2.
ThingLinkisaninteractiveimagegeneratorwhichmakesuseofrichmediatagstoembed
linkstorelevantcontentdirectlyontotheimage(orvideo)chosen.Thisprovidesauniqueand
interestingwaytoprivilegevisualandaudiomultimediacontentovertraditionaltextbased
presentations.WechosetoincludeThingLinkattheendofourcollaborativeedTechtoolunits
asameanstoprovidemicrosnapshotsofadditionalexamplesofhowmiddleschoolteachers
couldincorporatethesethreetoolsintheirclasses,regardlessofwhichsubjectstheyteach.
Wealsoincludedabriefappealtotheversatilityofcollaborationasa21stCenturytool
applicabletostudentsofanygradelevelintheK9panel.

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C.3.3 The Forums

Weeblyprovidescreatorswiththeoptionofaddingablogoradiscussionforumtotheir
website.Hereparticipants/readerscanposttheirfeelings,comments,andquestionsonan
interactiveplatform.Wechosetoincludeaforum,ratherthanablog,becausewebsitecreators
arealsoabletoorganizeandassigntiersoftopicsforparticipantstointeractwith.Thishelps
tomotivateandstreamlinelearnersexperienceontheforums.
C.3.4 Padlet
Padletwallscanbedescribedasvirtualbulletinboardswherepeoplecan
simultaneouslyposttheirthoughtsonaspecifictopicandviewotherspostsinrealtime.The
ownerofthePadletwallhastheabilitytocustomizethewallsaestheticappearancewitha
varietyoftemplatelayoutoptions.Ownersarealsoabletoadjusttheprivacyfeaturesofthe
wallmakingitvisibletothepublicandthelevelofmoderationrequiredbeforepostsarevisible.

C.3.5 Google Form

GoogleFormisanonlineapplicationtocreate,distribute,andcollectsurveys.This
applicationallowsaonewaycollaborationfromtheparticipantstothesurveycreators(who
designandeditquestions,andcanthenviewincomingdatastreams).
ThedatafieldswithinGoogleFormarerobustquestiontypesthatareclickreadyto
editanddropintothesurvey.Questionstypesinclude:Multiplechoice,scale,text,and
checkbox.Therearealsoavarietyofdesigntemplatestoprovidetoneforthesurvey.
Researcherscankeepwatchassurveysarecompleted.Googlemovesthisdatainto
GoogleSheets(aspreadsheetdocument)foreasiermanipulationofdata.

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GoogleFormwaschosenasthefeedbacktoolforthefollowingreasons:

datacollectioninonelocationeasesmonitoringandcoordinationbetween
researchers

datacanbesharedimmediatelywiththecommunitybyallowingrespondentsto
linkdirectlytotheGoogleSheetafterresponding

thetoolaffordscollaborationontheprojectdevelopmentandmanagement

C.4 Description of Learning Content - Our Three Collaborative Tools

Thelearningcontentitselfconsistsofintroducingteacherstothreeonlinetools
specificallydesignedtoaffordqualitycollaborationbothlocallyandglobally.
C.4.1 Kidblog
Kidblog
isoneofthelargeststudentbloggingplatformsintheworld.Itisspecifically
designedtoprovideeducatorswiththeabilitytocreatesafeandfreeonlinecommunitiesfor
theirstudents.Educatorscandesigntheirplatformstosuitetheirclassspersonalityusingover
100differentlayoutformats.Educatorscanthencreateclasses,addstudents,andadjust
privacyandmoderationsettings.Educatorscanmonitoralloftheactivitytakingplaceontheir
blog.Teacherscanalsochoosetomoderate(ornot)allorsomepostsandcommentsbeing
madeontheclassblogpriortothembeingpublished.Similarly,theyareprovidedwiththe
optionofhavingaclosedblog,onlyopentothosewithintheclass,orapublicblog,visibleto
theworld.Inthemiddle,teacherscancollaboratewithotherteachersandaddeachothers
classestoablogrolltoexpandtheaudiencebeyondthefourwallsoftheirclassroomwhile
stillkeepingstudentsinsulatedfromtherestoftheonlineworld.
Kidbloghascreatedopportunitiesforlearningtobecomemoreauthenticwherethe
mainaudienceisnotonlytheteacherbutotherlearners,peers,andtheoutsideworld.
Studentsaregiventheirownbloggingspacewheretheycanpostimages,text,videos,and
links,allwhilebeinggiventheopportunitytoaccessandreadpostsmadebyotherstudents.

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Bestofall,Kidblogprovidesaviablemobileversionwhichworksonmostsmartdevicesso
BYOD(BringYourOwnDevice)schools,orthosewithhybridhardwarepoliciescanalleasily
accesstheirblogsonanything,fromanywhere.
Alloftheseoptionscreateapersonalized,safespaceforstudentcollaborationthat
carriesthepotentialtoteachpositivedigitalcitizenship.Bycreatingdigitalworks,studentsare
alsocreatingpositivedigitalfootprintsthatcanbenefitthemintheirfutureswithregardsto
incomeandjobopportunities.
C.4.2 Skype
Skype
isafreeaudioandvideointernetbasedcallingservicethathasadedicated
educationdivisionknownas
SkypeintheClassroom
.Agrowingcommunityofteachersand
classesattestthat
@
SkypeClassroom
iswelldesignedforconnectedcommunication,whether
withtheclassdownthehall,downtheroad,oracrosstheglobe.
TouseSkypeintheClassroom,teacherssignupforanaccount(additionaltopersonal
Skypeaccountsbutlinkable)andthenconnectwithotherteacherswhoalsohaveaccounts.
Emailcorrespondenceisgenerallyutilizedtoconfirmcontentdetailsandtiming.Then,inthe
caseofawholeclasscall,classesarerearrangedtoallowawebcamtocaptureoneormore
studentsintheclassand,ifpossible,projecttheircallersimagesfortherestoftheclassto
see.Speakersarehookedupandliveaudioandvideoshouldresult.
WechosetoshowcaseSkypeasoneofourcollaborativetechnologytoolsbecause
studentscancollaboratewithandlearnfromsomanymoreindividualsthanjustthosewithin
thewallsoftheirclassroom.Anotherreasonwechoseitisbecauseofitsversatilityasa
collaborativetool.ManypeopleinitiallyassumethattheirstudentscanonlySkypefor
realtime/synchronouscommunication

andcollaboration(madeevenmorepowerfulwith
builtinchatandfilesharingfeatures)butwhencoupledwithtimezonesthiscanbecomea

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constraint.However,teachersandorganizationsofferingeducationalSkypeexperienceshave
overcomethisconstraintbyembeddingvideoseitherdirectlyontheirSkypelessonpages,
sharingthemviathechatfeature,orsimplyagreeingtosharethemonYouTubeandrecord
theirresponsestobeviewedatamoreconvenienttimefortheothercallers.
C.4.3 VoiceThread
VoiceThread
isanonlineapplicationthatallowsforparticipantstosharepictures,
documents,andvideos.Thesharedmaterialsareenteredasobjectsinaslideshow.Every
slideprovidestheopportunityforviewerstoattachcommentsviaaudio,text,orvideoasmore
learnerscontributeitenrichestheoriginalsharedobject.VoiceThreadrequirescreatingafree
useraccount(therearepaidaccountstomanageclassesorschools)thereisalsoamobile
versionofVoiceThread.
VoiceThreadmaintainsablogforeducatorexamples,youcanalsobrowsepublic
VoiceThreads.ThereisalargeVoiceThreadeducatorcommunitywhocontributeideasand
tipsonVoiceThread,andonotherblogsandwikis(visitthe
Resources
pageofoursiteto
explorethese).Outsideofthecompany'sblog,therearealsomanyeducatorswhohave
createdtipsandideasforcurriculumintegration.
VoiceThreadaffordsconstructivist,collaborativeengagementforactive,sociallearning.
Theasynchronousfeatureofthistoolprovideslearnerswithtimetoreflectandprepare
answersratherthanbeingrequiredtorespondimmediately.Thisslowerconversationalpace
willundoubtedlysuitsomestudentspreferedcollaborationstyle.

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SECTION D: WEBSITE NAVIGATION

D.1 Professional Development Environment
TheinformationinthisSectioncontainsanoverviewoftheclickthroughofthewebsite
contentbutdoesnotspecificallyreiterateit.Likewise,considerationhasbeengiventobriefly
describingtherationalefortheInterActivitiesandtheinstructionsingeneraltermsbutthe
actualquestionshavenotbeenreproducednorhasananswerguidebeenfeaturedbecause
thelearningoccursprimarilythroughtheselfreflectionsandpeerinteractionamongteachers,
ratherthanmediatedfeedbackbythedesigners.
OuronlinelearningenvironmenthasbeendividedintothefollowingfourModules,which
arerepresentedasnavigationtabsonthemainmenubarpinnedtothelefthandsideofevery
screen:
1. Introduction
2. CollaborativeedTechUnits
3. BuildingaCommunityofPractice
4. Butwait,theresmore!

D.2 Click Through the Website

InthisSectionofourCurriculumGuide,youwillfinddescriptionsandbriefexplanations
forthepurposeandcontentwithinthematchingnamedsitepagesforeachofthefoursite
Modules.
Detailshavebeenorganizedasfollows:
briefdescriptionofthepagesfoundwithineachofthesitesModules
generalexplanationoftheoverallpurposeofincludingeachModulewithinthe
designofthislearningexperience
furtherdescriptionofeachpage

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textlinkandQRcodetothepageforeaseofaccessregardlessoftheviewers
chosenmethodofconsumptionforthisGuide(onlineorprint)
brieflistofthepurposeofthepage
roughlysequentiallistofthemultimediaelementslearnerscanexpectto
encounter
identificationandbriefexplanationofspecialdesignfeaturesie.InterActivities,
BigIdeas,specificformattingelements,etc.
briefrationalefordesignchoicesie.pedagogicaloraesthetic,etc.
explanationofhowandwherethelearnerwillbelednext

D.3 Website Modules

Module 1: Introduction
InthisModule,learnersarepresentedwitha
basicdescription/rationaleforthislearning
experience,informedaboutbasicconceptsand
definitionsrelatedtothetopicofcollaboration
andcollaborativetechnologytools,and
introducedtothemaindesignfeatures(ie.conceptualandiconicsignposts)whichwillbeused
throughoutthelearningexperience.TheseincludethespotlightingofBigIdeaswithinapages
content,andtheopportunitytodeepenunderstandingoftheconceptsandactivelycollaborate
withpeersthroughInterActivitieswhichareexpressedviaacollectionofForumsinwhichto
posttheirreflections.

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a - Introduction: Landing Page

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthefollowing
goals:
understandwhatthewebsiteisabout
introducethewebsiteauthorsasUBCMETstudents
defineandencourageparticipationinInterActivities
explainInterActiveSessioniconandwaystointeract

Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhennavigatingthe
learningcontentfoundonthispage:
writtencontentexplanationsincludinghotlinkedtextto:
outsidesourcesandexplanations,whereuseful
internalpagesoronlinedefinitions,whereunderlined
explanatorytextaboutInterActiveSessions
images(creditedundertheReferencestab)
theliveTwitterfeedfor
#etec510
instructionsfornavigatingthewebsite
redmetainstructionsbesidetwobuttonlinksdirectingthelearneraboutwheretobegin
thefirststagesofthisPDexperience
The
InterActivity
forthispageaskslearnerstointroducethemselvestotheirpeers
usingtheIntroductionsthreadontheForums.Thisisdesignedtofamiliarizelearnerswiththe
organizationalsetupoftheForumsinpreparationformoredetailedresponsestocomeandto
provideanopportunityforrelationshipbuildingandcollegialcollaborationasearlyinthe
learningprocessaspossible.
Therearenospecific
Forumquestions
forthispage.Thiswasadesigndecisionas
therewillbeopportunityforlearnerstoengageinthereflectiveinteractivesonotherpages.
Learnersarethenpresentedwithtwobuttonslinkingtothenextpage,wheretheycandecide
wheretogotonextbasedontheirinterestsTheWhat,orTheWhy.

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b - The What

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthefollowing
goals:
demonstrateanunderstandingofthedefinitionofcollaborative
learning
differentiatebetweencollaborativeandcooperativelearning
strategies
recognizeandidentifycollaborativetechnologytools
reflectandconnectontheForumsviaanInterActiveSession

Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhennavigatingthelearningcontent
foundonthispage:
twoembeddedvideosexpoundingaBigIdea
writtencontentexplanationsincludinghotlinkedtextto:
internalpages,whereunderlined
externalDesignWikipage
hotlinkedimages
athreequestionInterActiveSessionwithicon,questions,&buttontotheForums
asampleanswerforthebrainstormquestion
alinktoabrainstormtooltoexploreonyourown
redmetainstructionsbesideabuttonlinkguidingthelearnertothenextstageintheir
PDexperience
The
InterActivity
questionsforthispageasklearnerstoreflectonthedifferencesbetween
collaborativeandcooperativelearningandcreateamindmaptosharetheirbrainstormingfora
listofgeneralcollaborativetechnologytools.
Forumquestions
aredesignedtoincrease
teachersunderstandingofcollaborativelearningapproachesasjuxtaposedtocooperative
approaches.

Learnersarethenpresentedwithred,italicizedinstructionsandabuttonlinkingto
thenextpage,wheretheycanexplorewhycollaborativeedTechtoolsarenecessary.

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c - The Why

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthefollowing
goals:
beingabletopositivelyanswerthequestion,Whyshould
collaborativetechnologytoolsbearegularpartofmystudents
learningexperience?
becomingfamiliarwiththeInternationalSocietyforTechnologyin
Educationanditsstandardsforstudentsandteachers,particularly
wherecollaborationisconcerned
discoveringthecollaborativestandardswithintheregionwherethey
teach
reflectingupontheaffordancesandconstraintsofdifferentstylesofcollaboration

Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhennavigatingthelearningcontent
foundonthispage:
titleintheformofaguidingquestion
explanatoryorencouragingquotes
writtencontentexplanationsincludinghotlinkedtextto:
outsidesourcesandexplanations,whereuseful
internalpagesoronlinedefinitions,whereunderlined
theliveTwitterfeedfor@ISTEconnects
hotlinkedphotographs,screenshots,andquotesfromISTE
embedded,scrollableframesofonlinedocumentsforISTEStandards(students&
teachers)withinstructionstoviewand/orhighlightcollaborationexpectationsforquick
reference
hotlinkedscreenshotofaprovincialexpectationrelatedtocollaborationforstudents
aBigIdeaiconwithdescriptivecaption
athreequestionInterActiveSessionwithicon,globalcollaborativelearning
Wordle
,
questions,&buttontotheForums
red,italicizedmetainstructionsbesideabuttonlinkguidingthelearnertothenextstage
intheirPDexperience

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The
InterActivity
questionsforthispageasklearnerstoconsidertheglobalcollaborativeword
cloudrelatedtothispagesBigIdeaandtheISTEstandardsfromthispagesmaincontentand
facilitaterelateddiscussionsabouttheseideasontheForums.
Forumquestions
are
designedtofacilitateteachersinteractionwiththe21stCenturyskillssemanticdomainof
collaborativelearningbyaskingthemtoengagewiththeirregionsuniquemandated
standardsinrelationtothisdomain.Teachersarealsogivenopportunitiestomaketexttotext,
texttoworld,andtexttoselfconnectionsastheyconsiderif/whethertheirregionsstandards
canbeadaptedtoreflecttheISTEstandards,andif/howthedifferentstylesofcollaboration
referencedonthispage(facetofacevs.globalcollaboration)canincorporatetechnologyand
achieveabalancewithintheirownclassroom.Learnersarethenpresentedwithabutton
linkingtothenextpage,where

theyareledtothenextstageofthelearningexperience,the
Units.

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Module 2: Collaborative edTech Units

a - Collaborative edTech Units: Landing Page

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthe
followinggoals:
learnaboutthebenefitsoftheeducationaltoolgivenandhow
thattoolaffordscollaboration
learnandexperiencehowtousethetoolthroughonline
engagement
seeasamplelessonplanforintegratingthespecifictoolintothe
classroom
preppedtobelookingfortheBigIdea&InterActiveSessionicons
assignpostsforregularopportunitiestoreflect,connect,and
collaborateintheupcomingpages
Learnersarethenpresentedwithatriplecolumn,toppedbythreebuttonslinkingtothethree
UnitpagesandabriefdescriptionofthetoolandeachUnitslearninggoals.Althoughtherest
ofthepagesarestructuredinasequentialformat,leadingfromKidblogtoSkypeto
VoiceThread,werecognizetheautonomyofthelearnerasaprofessionalwithdiverse
experiencesandlearningneeds,thustheyaregiventheopportunitytoskipdirectlytothetool
oftheirchoice,aswellasclickinglinksstraighttoeachIdeasorLessonpagesforeachtool.

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b - KIDBLOG Unit Main Page

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthefollowing
goals:
createabasicunderstandingaboutwhatKidblog
isandhowitisused
understandwhyKidblogisavaluabletooltouse
intheclassroombyexploringthepositiveeffect
thattheuseofKidbloghasonstudents
buildanunderstandingforwhatanupandrunning
kidblogsitelooksandfunctionslike
learnhowtocreateanduseaKidblogsite

Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhennavigatingthelearningcontent
foundonthispage:
embeddedvideos
hotlinkstextto:
outsidesourcesandexplanations,whereuseful
internalpagesoronlinedefinitions,whereunderlined
explanatoryorencouragingquotes
photographs,images,infographics
theliveTwitterfeedsfor#kidblogand@kidblogdotorg
howtovideoserieshostedonyoutube.com
athreequestionInterActiveSessionwithicon,questions,&buttontotheForums
redmetainstructionsbesideabuttonlinkguidingthelearnertothenextstageintheir
PDexperience
The
Forumquestions
forthispageasklearnersto

reflectontheexpressedpotentialforthe
useofKidblogwhilealsoencouragingthemtobeginthinkingaboutKidbloguseintheir
personalclassrooms.Learnersarethenpresentedwithabuttonlinkingtothenextpage,
wherecollaborativeideasforusingKidblogintheclassroomwillbepresented.

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i. Collaborative Ideas

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthe
followinggoals:
developanunderstandingforthepotentialwaysthatKidblog
canbeusedintheclassroom
exploresamplesexpressinghowKidblogis
currentlybeingusedinclassrooms
learnhowtheycanmaketheirblogsmore
effectivebyincreasingengagementwithother
educatorsandstudentsthroughouttheworld
exploreasampleofhowtheycan
encourage/teachstudentstoeffectivelyand
appropriatelyusetheirblogs

Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhennavigatingthelearningcontent
foundonthispage:
explanatoryorencouragingquotes
Kidblogimages,logos,andinfographics
realexamplesofstudentworkonKidblog
theliveTwitterfeedfor#comments4kids
asamplelessonplanforPaperBlogging
athreequestionInterActiveSessionwithicon,questions,&buttontotheForums
redmetainstructionsbesideabuttonlinkguidingthelearnertothenextstageintheir
PDexperience
The
Forumquestions
forthispageasklearnersto

thinkofadditionalbenefitstousingKidblog
withintheclassroom,withemphasisontheirspecificstudentsandclassrooms.
Learnersarethenledfromthispagetothenextviaabuttonandmetainstructions,wherea
collaborativelessonplanforusingKidbloginaGrade7SocialStudiesclassroomisprovided.
Theyarealsogiventheoptionofskippingthispageandprovidedwithanunderlinedtextlink
toUnit3slandingpage.

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ii. Lesson Plan

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthe
followinggoals:
implementaKidbloglessonintheirownclassrooms
ifateacherofGrade7SocialStudiesuse,oradaptforuse,the
providedlessonplan

Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhen
navigatingthelearningcontentfoundonthispage:
anembeddeddocumentcontainingtheADayin
theLifeof____Grade7SocialStudieslesson
plan
anInterActiveSessionwithicon&buttontothe
Forums
TheInterActivityForumquestionsforthispagearenotincluded
.
Thispageisintendedasthe
exitpagetotheKidblogUnit.

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c. SKYPE Unit Main Page

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthefollowing
goals:
developingabasicunderstandingofwhatSkypeis
differentiatingSkypeintheClassroomasa
separateanddedicatededucationaltechnology
toolforteachersandstudents
beabletopositivelyanswerthequestionWhy
shouldisuseSkypewithmyclasses?through
beingintroducedto:
thebenefitsforstudents,
skillsthatvideoconferencingdevelops,and
pedagogicallysoundmethodstoensurethataSkypeisalearningcall.
deepentheirlearningbyengaginginreflectionandsharingontheForumsviaan
InterActiveSession

Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhennavigatingthelearningcontent
foundonthispage:
embeddedvideos
explanatoryorencouragingquotes
writtencontentexplanationsincludinghotlinkedtextto:
outsidesourcesandexplanations,whereuseful
internalpagesoronlinedefinitions,whereunderlined
photographs,images,infographics,&slideshows
theliveTwitterfeedfor@SkypeClassroom
athreequestionInterActiveSessionwithicon,questions,&buttontotheForums
redmetainstructionsbesideabuttonlinkguidingthelearnertothenextstageintheir
PDexperience
The
InterActivity
questionsforthispageasklearnerstoreflectonthepedagogicalactivities
forbefore,during,andafteracall,aswellasthelistofstudentskillsdevelopedbyusing
videoconferencing.
Forumquestions
aredesignedtoactivateteachersschemaby

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connectingtheseactivitiesandskillstowhattheyarealreadydoingintheirclassroomsand
guidingthemtomakeconnectionsbetweenhowtheycantransfertheseanaloguelearning
techniquesforusewithintheexperienceofusingthisdigitaltoolwithinavarietyofsubjects.
Learnersarethenpresentedwithabuttonlinkingtothenextpage,wherecollaborativeideas
forusingSkypeintheClassroomwillbepresented.
i - Collaborative Ideas

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthefollowing
goals:
developanappreciationoftheuniqueaffordancesSkypeinthe
Classroomoffersforcollaborativelearningwhichdismantles
classroomwallsandauthenticallyopenstheworld
tostudents
understandthattherearefourbroadcategories,
orstyles,ofSkypeClassroomcallsforteachersto
considerinvolvingtheirclassin,eachwithitsown
purposeandbenefits
exploretheexamplesandexplanationsoneachof
thefourlinkedcallstylepagesinordertoengage
intheInterActiveSessionreflection

Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhennavigatingthelearningcontent
foundonthispage:
explanatoryorencouragingquotes
writtencontentexplanations
SkypeClassroomimagesorlogos
fouritemlistprovidingunderlinedtextlinkstocallstyleminipages
athreequestionInterActiveSessionwithicon,questions,&buttontotheForums
redmetainstructionsbesideabuttonlinkguidingthelearnertothenextstageintheir
PDexperience

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TheInterActivityquestionsforthispageasklearnerstoreflectonthreeofthefourBigIdeas
presentedinthesubsequentcallstylepageswhichtheyaccessthroughnumberedandtitled
links.TheseBigIdeasarelinkedtoreflectionquestionswhichaskteachersto:
troubleshootpotentialchallenges,
identifyspecificbenefitsforteachersratherthanjuststudents,and
activelyconsiderandadaptcurriculumexpectationsfortheirrespectiveprovincesor
countriestobecomedirectlyalignedwiththeexperienceofthreetopiccallswithin
scienceandsocialstudiesorhistoryofferedbyU.S.basedBuffaloBillCenterofthe
West.
Forumquestions
aredesignedtocauseteacherstoovercomethetendencytodismissnew
activitiesassoonasanobstacleisperceived,expandtheirappreciationofthevalueof
collaboratingwithSkypetoincludeprofessionallearningobjectives,andactivelypractice
transferringlocationspecificcurriculumexpectations/prescribedlearningobjectives(PLOs)to
Skypecallcontent,regardlessofwhetherthePLOsofthegeographicallocationofthe
callproviderdiffersfromtheirown.Whenallfourcallstylepageshavebeenvisitedandthe
InterActivitycompleted,learnersarethenledfromthispagetothenextviaabuttonand
metainstructions,whereacollaborativelessonplanforusingSkypeintheClassroomis
provided.Theyarealsogiventheoptionofskippingthispageandprovidedwithaan
underlinedtextlinktoUnit3slandingpage.
i.i - Four Styles of Skype Classroom Calls

ThefourcallstylepagescanbeaccessedviatheSkype
CollaborationIdeaslinkorQRcodeintheprevious
section.SinceSkypeissuchacomprehensive,
collaborativetechnologytoolwithavastrangeof
possibilities,options,andpotentialforclassroom
integrationthecontentinthisUnitrequiresgreaterdetailthanthatoftheothertwotools.

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Theseminipageshavebeendesignedtoprovideaseriesofdetailedsnapshotsofthevarious
usestowhichteachersmightputthistool.
Thepurposeofthesepagesistoguidelearnerstowardsthefollowinggoals:
developunderstandingofthefourstylesofSkypeClassroomcalls,specifically
Peertopeercalls
Classtoclassorwholeclassexperiences
Expertcollaboratorsand/orguestspeakers
Virtualfieldtrips
gainappreciationofthediversityandscopewithineachstyleofcallbyreadingand
viewingsuccinctexamplesofpastorcurrentcallswithinaneducationalcontext
connecttoaBigIdeahighlightingtheuniquevalueofeachstyleofcallandbeableto
reflectontheseideasintheInterActiveSessionhousedontheCollaborativeIdeas
page

Callstyleshavebeenorganizedintodiscretepagesinordertotakeadvantageofthe
pedagogicalusefulnessofchunkingideasintomanageablesizes.Eachpagehasbeen
designedusingacongruentformatinordertoaidinthecontinuityofthelearningexperience.
Formatfeaturesinclude:
1. Descriptivetitle
2. Briefintroductionofcallstyle
3. SeeitinActionthreecolumntableincluding:
a. imageorvideohook
b. explanatorytitle
c. expositoryquoteortext
d. buttonlinktorelevantexternalsource(websiteorvideo)
4. BigIdeahighlightedwithtitle,image,andexplanation,followedbyadditionaldetailsto
aidinthecompletionofInterActivitiesfoundontheCollaborativeIdeasparentpage(ie.
videos,twitterfeed,documents,orinfographicsrelatedtotheBigIdea)
5. ButtonlinkleadingbacktoCollaborativeIdeasparentpage

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Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhennavigatingthelearningcontent
foundonthesepages:
SkypeClassroomlogo
writtencontentexplanations
explanatoryorencouragingquotes
photographsandimages
embeddedvideos
BigIdeaicon,withcaptionandexplanatorycontentincluding:
embeddeddocuments
embeddedvideos
additionalimagesorphotographs
quotesortestimonials
ButtonlinkguidingthelearnerbacktotheCollaborativeIdeasparentpage
ii - Lesson Plan

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthefollowing
goals:
implementaSkypeintheClassroomlessonintheirownclassroom,
assoonaspossibleaftercompletingthisprofessionallearning
experience
ifateacherofGrade7Science,useoradaptfor
usetheprovidedlessonplan
begintopurposefullyincludewaystointegrate
SkypeClassroomcallsintheirregularplanning
andstudentprograms

Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhen
navigatingthelearningcontentfoundonthispage:
explanatoryorencouragingquotes
writtencontentexplanations
anembeddeddocumentcontainingtheBridgingtheGapforGreatMarbleRun
Challengeculminatingtaskplan

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anembedded.pdfscanofthetextbookpagesthatsupplementthelessonplan
alinktodownloadthe.pdf
analternativetousingtheSciencelessonplan,presentedasanopportunitytocreate
theirownlessonplanontheSkypeClassroomsite
embeddedbloginstructionsandvideoonhowtoconnectwithothereducatorsonSkype
andcreatetheirownSkypeintheClassroomlesson
anInterActiveSessionwithicon&buttontotheForums
The
InterActivity
questionsforthispageinvitelearnerstosharetheirquestionsand/or
experienceswiththeselessonsaftertheycompletethem.Therearenospecific
Forum
questions
forthispageasitisintendedastheexitpagetotheSkypeUnitslearning,tobe
enactedintheclassroom.

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d. VOICETHREAD Unit Main Page

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthefollowing
goals:
introduceVoiceThreadasacollaborativeeducationaltool
identifycollaborativeaffordancesofVoiceThread
demonstratethesimplicityofhowtocreatea
VoiceThread
applydigitalskillstoteachingcontextbyexploring
functionsavailableinVoiceThread
brainstormwithcolleaguesaboutintegratingtool
intoteachingcontext
deepenlearningbyengaginginreflectionand
sharingontheForumsviaanInterActiveSession

Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhennavigatingthelearningcontent
foundonthispage:
embeddedvideos
explanatoryandencouragingquote
writtencontent
photographs,image
embeddedVoiceThread
theliveTwitterfeedfor#voicethread
athreequestionInterActiveSessionwithicon,questions,&buttontotheForums
redmetainstructionsbesideabuttonlinkguidingthelearnertothenextstageintheir
PDexperience
The
InterActivityquestion
forthispageaskslearnerstodemonstratetheiruseofthe
VoiceThreadapplicationbyaddingacommenttothesampleslideshowthistaskalsoallows
participantstoexploretheuserinterfaceandmediaoptions.
Forumquestions
aredesigned
toencouragelearnerstoidentifytrainingneedsorskillbuildingthatwouldberequiredbefore
theyusedVoiceThread.Anotherquestionaskslearnerstoreflectiononanotherslideshow

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application,PowerPointinordertoconsiderthevariouscollaborativeaffordancesofthese
comparativetools.Participantsareaskedtojoinfellowpractitionersinacommunityforumto
furtherdiscusstheVoiceThreadtoolandtheintegrationintotheirpractices.Learnersarethen
presentedwithabuttonlinkingtothenextpage,toexploreVoiceThreadCollaborationIdeas.

i. Collaborative Ideas

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthefollowing
goals:
evaluatetherelevanceofVoiceThreadapproachestoown
teachingpractice
analyzesampleVoiceThreadsforevidenceof
collaborativelearning
considertheirapproachtoprivacysettingsin
VoiceThreadwiththeirlearners
planforscaffoldingactivitiesandsupportsfor
studentsintheirteachingcontext
identifydifferentusescontentsandgroupingsthat
VoiceThreadaffordsforcollaboration

Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhennavigatingthelearningcontent
foundonthispage:
embeddedVoiceThreads
hotlinkedimageandunderlineddefintionlink
contentintroducingthedifferentcontextofthevideos
threequestionInterActiveSessionwithicon,questions,&buttontotheForums
redmetainstructionsbesideabuttonlinkguidingthelearnertothenextstageintheir
PDexperience
Forumquestions
aredesignedtoencourageteacherstoreflectontheirownteaching
contextsandhowtheVoiceThreadapplicationmightbeappliedintheireducationalcontext.

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SpecificallylearnersareaskedtoconsiderhowVoiceThreadsupportscollaborativelearning,
whatprivacyapproachestheywouldimplement,andwhatpreparation/knowledgewould
learnersrequirebeforeintroducingVoiceThread.
ii. Lesson Plan

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthe
followinggoals:
considerhowthislessonmighttransfertotheirowneducational
contexts,through
recognizingcomponents/patternsofatypical
ELA8lessonthatintegratesVoiceThread
consideringVoiceThreaddebatesample

Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhen
navigatingthelearningcontentfoundonthispage:
embeddedlessonplanandlinkstoshareddocumentfor
copyingandediting
embeddedVoiceThreadasatemplatefordebatestructure
additionalresourcestosampleVoiceThreads
threequestionInterActiveSessionwithicon,questions,&buttontotheForums
redmetainstructionsbesideabuttonlinkguidingthelearnertothenextstageintheir
PDexperience

InterActivityForum
questionsaredesignedtoencourageteacherstoreflectontheirown
teachingcontextsandhowtheapplicationoftheVoiceThreadtoolmightmakesenseintheir
educationalcontext.

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e. Subject Snapshots - Tools Across the Curriculum (ThingLink)

Thepurposeofthispageistoguidelearnerstowardsthe
followinggoals:
exploreaninteractiveimageintheformofaThingLink
sharingmanymoreexamplesofhowKidblog,Skype,and
VoiceThreadarebeingandhavebeenintegrated
intocontentspecificclassrooms
transferunderstandingofcollaborativeaffordances
ofthesethreetoolsintheparticularsubjectsthey
havepreviouslybeenhighlightedinduringthe
previouscontentunitsovertoevenmoresubjects
typicallyfoundinamiddleschoolcurriculum
providemicrosnapshotsoftoolusageforthose
learnerswhochosenottotakethetimetogoindepthinoneormoreoftheUnitpages
shareinformal,summativefeedbackaboutthekindsoflearnersvisitingoursiteand
theirmindsetstowardsintegratingthesethreetechnologytoolsforcollaborativelearning

Learnerswillencounterthefollowingelementswhennavigatingthelearningcontent
foundonthispage:
teachertodesignerquestion(astitle)
image&writtencontentexplanationsincludinghotlinkedtextto:
outsidesourcesandexplanations,whereuseful
internalpagesoronlinedefinitions,whereunderlined
iconicandtextlegendexplaininghowtointeractwiththeThingLinkimage
embeddedThingLinkimagewhichincludesrichmediatagiconsleading,whentouched,
toexamplesintheformof:
textexplanationsininternal,embeddedboxes
internal,embeddedvideos
internal,boxesincludingbriefdescriptorsandlinkstooutsidesourceswhich
openinanothertabifclicked

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athreequestionInterActiveSessionwithicon,questions,images,&buttontothe
Forums
atwoquestionsurveywhichsendresultstooneofouremails
threeradiobuttonpollswhichshowresultsasacurrentpercentageofallvoters
redmetainstructionsindicatingtheconclusionofthelearningexperiencebesidea
buttonlinkguidingthelearnertosharetheirownsuccessstorieswithcollaborativetech
ofallkindsonourBuildingaCommunityofPracticesectionsPadletwall.

The
InterActivity
questionsforthispageasklearnerstoranktheusefulnessofthe
ThingLinkforprovidingideaprovokingcontentandrankingtheirpersonallikelihoodof
incorporatingeachofthetoolsintotheircurriculumsinthefuture.Theyaregiventhe
opportunitytosubmitadditionalwrittenresponsesdirectlyonthesurveyelement.Thepollsask
learnerstoidentifythesubjectareastheycurrentlyteach,whichareastheyfeelthetoolscould
bemostusefulinforthempersonally,andtheirpreviouslevelofexposureandexperiencewith
thesetoolsorthoselikethem(ie.GAFE).
Forumquestions
aredesignedtoencourageteacherstoelaborateontheirsurvey
andpollresponsesbypostingtotheForumaswellastoreflectonwhichtoolappealstothem
themostandwhy,aswellasevaluatinganypastexperienceswithinparticularsubjectareas
andconsideringhowtoimproveanyexperience.Learnersarethenpresentedwithabutton
linkingtothenextsectionofourwebpage,where

theycansharetheirfavouritelinks,images,
ordescriptionsofcollaborativetechtoolsofanykind.

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Module 3.0: Building a Community of Practice

a. Building a Community of Practice: Landing Page

Thepurposeofthesepagesistoguidelearnerstowardsthe
followinggoals:
linktotheonlinespacesthathavebeencreatedfor
learnerdesigner,learnerlearner,andgroupgroupinteractions
taketheopportunityforlearnerstoengagewithalarger
communityofeducatorsinordertodeveloptheirpersonallearningandexpandtheir
personallearningnetwork.
interactvialearnerdesignerusingthefeedbackform
b. The Forums

Throughoutthewebsiteparticipantswillencounterreflectivequestions
basedonspecificpageswithbuttonsthatwilllinkthemtoour
Forums
Section
.Itisourhopethatparticipantsbuildonandshareexpertiseby
respondingtothequestions,addingnewthoughts,oraskingadditional
questions.

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c. Success Stories (Padlet)

Onour
SuccessPage
participantswillencounterourPadletwallwhere
theycancollaborateandsharewithotherparticipants.Withasimple
doubleclickonthewallparticipantsaregiventheabilitytopostimages,
videos,documents,andlinks,creatingcollaborativeinteractivespaces.
Similarly,byclickingonanypreviouspostonthewall,participantsareabletointeractwiththe
posts,viewingthecontentupcloseandlinkingtoanyadditionalcontentinthepopupwindow.
d. About Us

TheAboutUspageprovideslearnerswithcontextastowhoweare.It
alsoprovidesthemwithanyrelevantcontactinformationwheretheycan
reachusforfurthercollaboration.Inadditiontothis,participantscanalso
followotherfellowUBCMETstudentsandongoingconversationsfrom
theliveTwitterfeedfor#UBCMET.
e. Feedback Survey (Google Form)

Inorderforustogrowaslearningdesignerswehaveaskedlearnersto
providefeedbackontheirexperiencewiththewebsite.Thereisan
embeddedsurveythatasksforspecificfeedbackondifferentareasofthe
website.Thereareonlyfourquestionssomorelearnerswilltakethetime
tocomplete.Wehopetoreceivethoughtfulsuggestionsonwhatcanbeimproved.TheDesign
Teamwillconsidercommunityinputforfuturechanges.

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Module 4.0 But Wait, Theres More!

Thepurposeofthesepagesistoguidelearnerstowardsthe
followinggoals:
accessadditionallinkstoresourcesforthethreeCollaborative
EdTechtoolspresentedinModule2
accessextracollaborativeresources
beguidedtotheonlinecopyofthisCurriculumGuide
refertoimagecreditsandtheacademicreferences
a. But Wait, Theres More: Landing Page

Thepurposeofthispageistoprovideanavigationtopagesinthismodule
withacollectionofdescriptivebuttonslinkingtothepages.

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b. Resources

Thepurposeofthispageistoextendthelearningbeyondthescopeofthis
designproject.Wehavecuratedsupplementarymaterialsandresourcesfor
teachersthatneedfurtherexamples.

b.i - Collaborative Technology Tools Site Official Curriculum Guide

ThepurposeofthispageistoprovideaccesstotheaccompanyingCurriculum
Guide.

c. Site References & Image Credits

Thepurposeofthispageistoreferencesourcesofinformationand
acknowledgethesourcesoftheimagesandquotes.

SECTION E: CONCLUSION
TheCollaborativeTechnologyToolsprojectaimstoprovideanintroductorysampling
ofthemanypracticalapplicationsandedTechresourcesavailabletoeducatorsinterestedin
collaborativeelearning.Itisourhopethatparticipantswillbeabletoseethepowerof
collaborativeedTechtoolswithintheirclassrooms,regardlessofthespecificdifferenceswithin
theirindividualjurisdictionswhileatthesametimebuildingadeeperappreciationofthe
possibilitiesasaresultofrecognizingthosedifferences.
Thedesignteamsowncollaborativeexperiencesthusfarprovideencouragementthat
thisispossible.Despitenegotiatingideasacrosscareers,studentagelevels,andprovinces,
ourdifferentperspectivesandoursharedprofessionalismincludingcommitmenttolearners,

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applicationofprofessionalknowledge,andtheneedtoengageincontinuousprofessional
learning,combinedtoprovideawellroundeddesign.
Beyondsimplycreatingawebsite,wehopetodesignaninteractiveelearning
environmentthatteacherswillcontinuetofindtimely,applicable,andengaging.

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http://collaborativetechtools.weebly.com/

Thisguideandaccompanyingwebsiteweredevelopedasastudentprojectforthe
UniversityofBritishColumbia,MastersofEducationalTechnologycourseofDesignof
LearningEnvironments(ETEC510),August2,2015.