Connecting Collaborative Learning to the Standards

Video Transcription

Hello, and thank you for joining me for Connecting Collaborative Learning to the Standards. By the end of today's tutorial, we will be able to answer the following essential questions. How can I connect ISTE standards to collaborative learning? And how can I connect the four Cs to collaborative learning?

Let's start off by reviewing what ISTE standards are. The first standard is creativity and innovation. And the four aspects of this include applying your existing knowledge to the content you're currently studying, creating original works to show mastery, using models and simulations for complex learning ideas, and identifying trends so that we can forecast to the future.

Standard two is communication and collaboration. And in a nutshell, this is where students would use digital media, as well as the classroom environment, so that they can communicate and work collaboratively. And this would include a distance learning option so that we're able to support individual learners and so that they are able to contribute to the learning of others.

A couple aspects of this are that students are able to interact, collaborate, and publish with their peers, experts in the field, and other stakeholders using a digital environment and media. It's also so that they communicate effectively both information and their ideas. And they're communicating these to many different audiences. And they would use a variety of media and formats to do this.

Then we have that students would develop a cultural understanding, as well as a global awareness. They would develop these by engaging with learners from other cultures and that students would contribute to project teams. These project teams would then produce original works. They would also work together to solve problems.

Standard three is research and information fluency. And in a nutshell, this just means that students would apply the digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. This is really important because we want the students to not only gather the information. But we want them to evaluate its effectiveness, as well as then use that information in presentations or in their learning.

A couple aspects of this include that students would plan for inquiry. They would strategize to guide this inquiry. So it's not just blindly searching the internet. Students would also use information from various sources. This just means that they would evaluate and select the information and ethically use the information. And they wouldn't just use one source. They would use various sources or a variety of sources so that they make sure they're researching every aspect of the problem.

Then students would evaluate and select appropriate information and sources, as well as appropriate digital tools for their specific tasks. And they would also process data. And then they would report those results, not only to the teacher, but to their peers and stakeholders.

Standard four is all about critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. This essentially means that students use those critical thinking skills so that they can plan and conduct their research, as well as manage their projects. This also includes using critical thinking skills to solve problems. And these skills help them make decisions that are informed and appropriate in terms of how to use digital tools and resources.

So one aspect of this is that students would identify and define real-world, authentic problems, as well as significant questions that they want to investigate. They would also find solutions to problems through planning and managing activities to help them develop a solution or complete the project.

They would also collect and analyze data. This is a way that they could identify possible solutions. And this data collection would also help them make informed decisions. And they would explore alternatives and use multiple processes to help with their problem solving.

Standard five is about digital citizenship. And this is just that students understand human, cultural, and society issues that are related to technology. This might include technology accessibility and the fact that not all people have accessibility and the fact that not all people have access to technology.

They would also practice legal and ethical behavior, which is really important with this generation. They're not taking someone's copywritten work and passing it off as their own. Or they're not downloading something, essentially participating in piracy, when they know that they need to pay for that service.

So this includes that the students would not only understand the safety aspects of technology and the legal aspects of technology, but that they would advocate for those as well. They would also exhibit a positive attitude towards using technology. And this would essentially really support collaborative learning, as well as productivity in the classroom.

The students would also have personal responsibility in their use of technology. And this would lead to lifelong learning and respect for the technology that they're using to assist in that learning. And they would also exhibit leadership for digital citizenship. So this is just doing the right thing when it comes to using technology.

And standard six is about technology operation and concepts. And this essentially is that students understand technology concepts, systems, and operations. And they know how to use them.

So a couple of subcategories of this include that students understand and use different technological systems. They also are able to select and use applications appropriately. So they understand the difference between using Photoshop and InDesign, for example. And they can choose which one is appropriate for their project.

They're also able to troubleshoot when they run into a problem, not only systems, but applications. And they're able to transfer their current knowledge to these new learning technologies.

This leads us to the four Cs, which are the 21st-century learning skills that we want our students to learn. The first of these is creativity. Are students looking at the problem from a creative or unusual point of view? Are they using creativity to solve the problem?

Collaboration includes in-class collaboration with your peers, collaboration with stakeholders, collaboration on a global level, using technology to have that collaboration. It includes critical thinking, which can go back to evaluating what sources are appropriate. Or what are some pressing questions that I want to answer with my project? And communication, which is effectively communicating their ideas to stakeholders, peers, the teacher, and more.

So there are a few key ideas that we want to walk away from this tutorial with. Hopefully, you can see that the four Cs are connected to the six ISTE student standards. Especially, communicating might include using technology. Understanding how technology works and which applications are the best to use goes back to critical thinking and more.

The four Cs and the ISTE standards are also integrated into PBL. And this is really important because we want to use technology, critical thinking skills, collaboration, and more when we are participating in problem-based learning opportunities.

And the four Cs also equates to success in college and career, which connects specifically to deeper learning. There's also research by John Hattie, Robert Marzano, and AIR on deeper learning that shows the positive impact that it can have on student learning, specifically through the use of collaboration and communication.

Let's reflect for a moment. Do you currently use any of the six standards in your classroom? If so, which ones? And do you currently use any of the four Cs in your classroom? If so, which ones?

So today we answer the essential questions of, how can I connect ISTE standards to collaborative learning? And how can I connect the four Cs to collaborative learning? To dive a little deeper and learn how to apply this information, be sure to check out the Additional Resources section associated with this video. This is where you'll find links targeted towards helping you discover more ways to apply this course material. Thank you for joining me, and happy teaching.