PermalinkSubmitted by a-stellank on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 21:12
All projects should in my opinioon be divided in a so called "production" and a "dialog" part. All "production" parts leads to and ends with a "dialog" part. All project time schedule includes a dialog part that must take at least 50% of the project schedule. Some projects may have several production and dialog parts alternating each other. See eg DD, that first should have a dialog about the descriptions and in then a dialog about the drawings.
Here are some thoughts about the two parts:
About the "Production" information pages:
All existing Kidlink project have already a "Production" part where we suggest what the kids should do. Eg about descriptions or drawings in "DD" or about drawings in "Draw a Story". The WAI program have no clear/distinct production parts but several dialog issues are suggested.
All project info pages have a dialog topics page, suggesting topics for the dialog part. Like in effect WAI projects already have.
The production part must not take to long time.
All project pages links to the "Dialog" part/project.
The "Dialog" information pages give special information regarding:
instructions on how to use our services
generic information about classrom activities preparing messages to be sent
looking at talking about the "dialog topics" suggested by the "production" part.
talking about how to write good questions
talking about how to write good answers
About "Dialog" info pages, there are a lot of experiences about this among us. I am sure we can find a lot of good litterature about constructive "dialoguing" in the classroom or between people. Can can maybe help sharing sources.
PermalinkSubmitted by a-piaa on Fri, 06/01/2012 - 17:18
About the first trial to start a book about dialogue that Stellan started
I think that the important part to develop is that Stellan called "Classroom work" and then that one about Kidlink communication tools.
Our users are mainly teachers who are searching for interesting and useful cooperative projects. They need projects with easy and clear instructions, quick help then it needs, useful links and resources.
But also many of them need some support to understand and attend to a cooperative online project. As Stellan says, many teachers consider the production as the most important part of the students work. Moreover students like spend time for posting their texts and pictures in their pages. Comments should be ok if they get answers quickly from the partners. But if you need to wait for one or 2 weeks (when things go well) or more or never too, students become frustrated as they are used to chat very speedy.
Again we know that teachers more often than not, are able to take students in the lab one time a week. Younger kids or students without internet at home or special situations (like e.g. Uganda school ..) are not able to continue the project at home.
So we must find some ways to face these obstacle to get a good dialogue. Students can write their texts at home and send them to the teachers to gain time, they can prepare questions for the comments ecc... We have to add some suggestions in order to build a good dialogue as Stellan wrote in "Classroom work" part, but also give instructions about the useful times for keep alive the dialogue. We should write a sort of premise that teachers have to read and approve when they register to a project.
In this premise we will write part of that I wrote in Rules and that is important for the dialogue.... I like flessibility but flessibility doesn't means lack of responsability and respect to the partners who have a right to be always and quickly informed about any troubles or delay.
I' m sure that some teachers are not completely aware about what a cooperative online project may entail ... so better to be clear when they register to the project....
PermalinkSubmitted by a-stellank on Fri, 06/01/2012 - 22:05
Good points Pia. A thought that came our of reading your message is that, every production project should have a time schedule were the dialogue part has its clear position and space.
PermalinkSubmitted by a-piaa on Sat, 06/02/2012 - 14:42
Joyce: Pia when you first click on the link above in your quote if are not logged in it says " you have to log in to view." For me that's not a problem, but we are asking new teachers to create a drupal accounts. There is nothing named log in on that page anywhere. We could maybe use a space in the top frame that says log in. for the newbies.
Joyce Fisher: Reflecting on the dialog of my on-line e-Learning course - Many of my on-line courses make a requirement of one comment (surmising what what was learned) and two replies to other students elaborating on their thoughts for each step (phase or portion) of the course. This is all done in one forum. Is there anyway in kidspace to have a forum for each paired class within the project? My students and the other schools were having difficulty knowing where to post and or look for comments. One or two students posted project comments on the Kidlink main page, or on the main page of the school rather then to their partners. One forum for each paired class with the reqirement of one comment and two replies for each phase of the project would help eliminate confusion and encourage more dialog. Example for D/D make each student do this first when the school page is created: require every student comment on their paired school page once and reply to two comments as part of the grade. Also add the comment requirements to the specifications of the project. Move into a forum for the remainder of the project. Make each student comment on their partners description and two other desriptions within the forum ( the subject line would be crucial for indication who is commenting on whom). This could be specified within a rubric.~ a thought I had after my own class
As for this---Conversional writing - colloquial tone
The colloquial tone used by the students can not be used in a global dialogue, as it contains local slangs that may not be understandable by students in other citys or countries. -- Our students don't know what all in their vocabulary is slang yet, as they are stiill learning english. After we teach it they go home to family that still speaks in colloquial tone. We can say colloquial tone is forbidden, however, they will not have a clue that: " that there thingy doo" can't be used until they use it and we correct the misuse.
[04:19:14 CEST] Joyce Fisher: You welcome Bonnie. I have alot of catching up to do. Do you have the same problem with your students and colloquial tone. American culture is a set of sub cultures where the tree grows from it's roots. Unless it is transplanted to comprehend that "kitty corner" means "Caddy corner" and Yous" means "ya'll", "yinz",and "younz". American Sign language is the same way. I know four different siigns for birthday depending on which part of the country you live in.
PermalinkSubmitted by a-piaa on Sat, 06/02/2012 - 14:44
Theresa Allen: Joyce, those are good suggestions. My students had trouble finding the project but when I bookmarked the link on my webpage, it was easier. Some still created their pages on the wrong page. I like the idea of the students using the forum, though.
PermalinkSubmitted by a-theresaa on Sat, 06/02/2012 - 17:53
I, too, think that dialogue is an important part of collaboration. Creating a project is one thing, but creating dialogue within the project gives it more meaning. I tried to do that with D/D project by having students come before school to catch the students in Italy before they left from school in Kidchat. It happened a few times, but not enough to create a meaningful dialogue.
PermalinkSubmitted by a-piaa on Sat, 06/02/2012 - 20:53
I think that one reason can be the poor english of Italian students... even if they are good students English in Italian schools is still not enough ..
But if they can do it more often maybe dialogue becomes better
PermalinkSubmitted by a-JoyceF on Sun, 06/03/2012 - 03:41
: I am not saying we won't correct their comments. I am talking about the them using chat rooms when they are at home. I could see them using words like chillax and Peeps. Our students wanted to come in early to speak to the classrooms in Italy and Russia too. We couldn't make it happen this year. Maybe next year.
All projects should in my
All projects should in my opinioon be divided in a so called "production" and a "dialog" part. All "production" parts leads to and ends with a "dialog" part. All project time schedule includes a dialog part that must take at least 50% of the project schedule. Some projects may have several production and dialog parts alternating each other. See eg DD, that first should have a dialog about the descriptions and in then a dialog about the drawings.
Here are some thoughts about the two parts:
About "Dialog" info pages, there are a lot of experiences about this among us. I am sure we can find a lot of good litterature about constructive "dialoguing" in the classroom or between people. Can can maybe help sharing sources.
"The Kidlink Dialog" a new book
I created http://www.kidlink.org/drupal/dialogue.
It is a first trial to start a book about dialogue. Please discuss this here in the forum and we build this book together.
I would focus on a structure first of all, setting up a content three.
Content of Dialogue book
About the first trial to start a book about dialogue that Stellan started
I think that the important part to develop is that Stellan called "Classroom work" and then that one about Kidlink communication tools.
Our users are mainly teachers who are searching for interesting and useful cooperative projects. They need projects with easy and clear instructions, quick help then it needs, useful links and resources.
But also many of them need some support to understand and attend to a cooperative online project. As Stellan says, many teachers consider the production as the most important part of the students work. Moreover students like spend time for posting their texts and pictures in their pages. Comments should be ok if they get answers quickly from the partners. But if you need to wait for one or 2 weeks (when things go well) or more or never too, students become frustrated as they are used to chat very speedy.
Again we know that teachers more often than not, are able to take students in the lab one time a week. Younger kids or students without internet at home or special situations (like e.g. Uganda school ..) are not able to continue the project at home.
So we must find some ways to face these obstacle to get a good dialogue. Students can write their texts at home and send them to the teachers to gain time, they can prepare questions for the comments ecc... We have to add some suggestions in order to build a good dialogue as Stellan wrote in "Classroom work" part, but also give instructions about the useful times for keep alive the dialogue. We should write a sort of premise that teachers have to read and approve when they register to a project.
In this premise we will write part of that I wrote in Rules and that is important for the dialogue.... I like flessibility but flessibility doesn't means lack of responsability and respect to the partners who have a right to be always and quickly informed about any troubles or delay.
I' m sure that some teachers are not completely aware about what a cooperative online project may entail ... so better to be clear when they register to the project....
Project time schedule.
Good points Pia. A thought that came our of reading your message is that, every production project should have a time schedule were the dialogue part has its clear position and space.
Joyce thoughts....(from Skype)
Joyce: Pia when you first click on the link above in your quote if are not logged in it says " you have to log in to view." For me that's not a problem, but we are asking new teachers to create a drupal accounts. There is nothing named log in on that page anywhere. We could maybe use a space in the top frame that says log in. for the newbies.
Theresa's thoughts (from Skype)
Theresa Allen: Joyce, those are good suggestions. My students had trouble finding the project but when I bookmarked the link on my webpage, it was easier. Some still created their pages on the wrong page. I like the idea of the students using the forum, though.
Dialogue
I, too, think that dialogue is an important part of collaboration. Creating a project is one thing, but creating dialogue within the project gives it more meaning. I tried to do that with D/D project by having students come before school to catch the students in Italy before they left from school in Kidchat. It happened a few times, but not enough to create a meaningful dialogue.
meaningful dialogue
I think that one reason can be the poor english of Italian students... even if they are good students English in Italian schools is still not enough ..
But if they can do it more often maybe dialogue becomes better
Correcting comments vs chatroom
: I am not saying we won't correct their comments. I am talking about the them using chat rooms when they are at home. I could see them using words like chillax and Peeps. Our students wanted to come in early to speak to the classrooms in Italy and Russia too. We couldn't make it happen this year. Maybe next year.