Session+7

=**Session 8: Student Conversations**= = =
 * Essential Questions:**


 * 1) Is communication essential to student learning?
 * 2) Does technology help students' communication skills?
 * 3) How do we change our schools to foster innovation?


 * TASKS**

__**8.1 Opener**__ Respond to the following question by going to the Wallwisher board below. media type="custom" key="7464843"
 * Select "post" to add your comment
 * Select "embed" to give you the code you will need to add this to your notebook
 * If the wall does not show up below try refreshing your browser or giving it a little more time to load


 * __8.2 Creating a page in your virtual notebook__**


 * On the home page of your virtual notebook there is a link that says **New Page** with an icon next to it (where it is will depend on the theme you have chosen for your wikispace). Please click on **New Page**, then title your new page **Conversations**.


 * __8.3 Teacher Conversations__**

Please go to link below and read the article by Sara Bernard on Edutopia.org Collaborative Crusader: Creating a Twenty-First-Century Learning Community for Teachers

Having read the article, answer the following questions in the **Conversation** page of your virtual notebook.
 * How does your school/district currently support and or encourage collaboration between teachers?
 * How much do you seek to collaborate with teachers and how do you accomplish this?
 * To what extent do you think collaboration is of growing importance for teachers seeking to implement a 21st century classroom?

__**8.4 Innovation in Education**__

Read the quote below then create a new post in the discussion tab of your **Conversation** page (virtual notebook) and respond to the following questions:

//"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew//." **Abraham Lincoln**


 * What is the meaning of this quote by Lincoln?
 * Does this quote apply to education? Explain your answer

View the video below:

media type="custom" key="6874109"

Having seen the video, go back to your post, and reflect on your initial post in a different color. Try to make specific references to Sir Ken Robinson's ideas. View and reply to a few of your classmates reflections.

__**8.5 Collaboration activity**__

Google offers a great range of tools for use in the classroom. Among our favorites are google docs. These applications are a great tool for collaboration. To use google docs you will need a gmail account. (A gmail account gives you access to all of google's range of products)
 * Sign up for a gmail account
 * next go to google docs
 * Take some time to browse and explore google docs and explore links and menus.

Click the google doc's presentation link below: https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AeHWLl2WYhCLZGZua3hoNmNfMTdyZDI2M2ZkNw&hl=en&authkey=CMXnnK8G

To create a collaborative presentation, each participant will add a new slide. On your slide. ..
 * identify a teaching strategy used in this session
 * explain the purpose of this strategy in this session
 * explain how it was used....before, during, or after reading
 * share how could you use this strategy in your class tomorrow
 * be creative -- use words and/or visuals

Once other classmates have added their slides, review the entire presentation and think about how you might use these strategies in your classroom and/or lesson.

1. Create new document/presentation 2. Name the document 3. Click where it says "private to me" 4. This will bring up a sharing settings window - Add the GMAIL address of your partner where it states "add people" 5. Make sure it says can edit then hit share 6. You are free to start to working together - you can both edit this document and changes will occur in real time
 * //Reference only// - to create your own google doc to share, follow the steps below:**

__**8.6 Forum Post**__

Based on your new understandings and the need to innovate our current educational system, how might we do this? In your response, consider changes to. ..
 * the school structure
 * your initial vision of a 21st Century classroom
 * your classroom practice