#Collaborative Language Learning
##Resources for teachers
<img src= "https://als150.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/puzzle.jpg" alt="Putting puzzle pieces together" style="width:600px;height:80%px;">
Research has shown that the best way for learners to acquire a second language is to collaborate with one another. Additionally, current studies also indicate that technology in the classroom has a positive effect on motivation.
<ul>
<li>Schmidt et al. (2014) found technology use in post-secondary classrooms from 1990-2010 resulted in (text-color: "red")[positive learning outcomes].
<li>Research on learner-generated web content such as wikis, blogs, and discussion boards has shown (text-color: "green")[positive effects for learner involvement, collaboration, and writing skills] (e.g. Cole et al., 2009; Gupta, 2014; Halic et al., 2010).
<li>A 2016 study by Orús et al. found that students who generated YouTube videos in a marketing course acquired (text-color: "teal")[higher levels of cross-curricular competencies] and performed better academically.
</ul>
Moreover, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042815006801" target="_blank">Maria de Lurdes Martins (2014)</a> showed that the incorporation of Web 2.0 tools in the language learning classroom had a positive impact on students solving authentic tasks, cultural awareness, and collaborative meta-competencies.
In each of the following pages, you'll find resources to help students in the language classroom use tech tools to collaborate and innovate together. There are three main categories of projects or skills that each tool can be used for.
<ol>
<li>[[Video-Making]]
<li>[[Story Writing]]
<li>[[Mind-Mapping]]
</ol>
Start at any category above, and continue. When you have finished perusing the last category, click [[Student Autonomy]] for another resource on differentiated instruction and assessment.
Sources:
<ul><li>Cole, M. (2009). Using Wiki technology to support student engagement: Lessons from the trenches. Computers & Education, 52, 141-146.
<li>Gupta, S. (2014). Choosing Web 2.0 tools for instruction: an extension of task-technology fit. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 10(2), 25-35.
<li>Halic, O., Lee, D., Paulus, T. y Spence, M. (2010). To blog or not to blog: Student perceptions of blog effectiveness for learning in a college-level course. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(4), 206-213.
<li>Orús, C., Barlés, M.J., Belanche, D., Casaló, L., Fraj, E., & Gurreea, R. (2016). The effects of learner-generated videos for YouTube on learning outcomes and satisfaction. Computers & Education, 95, 254-269.
<li>Schmid, R. F., Bernard, R. M., Borokhovski, E., Tamim, R. M., Abrami, P. C., Surkes, M. A., et al. (2014). The effects of technology use in postsecondary education: a meta-analysis of classroom applications. Computers & Education, 72, 271-291.
</ul>
#Video-Making
##Projects for presentations, skits, and slideshows
Video is a great way for students to write, rehearse, and present on a subject orally. Because students can re-record a video multiple times, these assignments can alleviate the stress of in-person presentations. Moreover, in a group project, students have the opportunity to individually or collectively do a recording, and edit those pieces together.
Here are some online tools students can use to make videos.
###Animoto
(<a href="https://animoto.com/" target="_blank">animoto.com</a>)
Animoto is a web-based program that allows students to create videos from a collection of images, then add sound to the slideshow.
<iframe src="https://animoto.com/" width="80%" height="400"></iframe>
Animoto could be used to narrate a trip, tell a story using a select set of vocabulary, or as an end-of-the-term project to recount what students learn. You can sign up for the free version of Animoto, and aside from a watermarked video, acheive a professional product that is customizable enough for learners.
###Screencast-o-matic
(<a href="http://screencast-o-matic.com" target="_blank">screencast-o-matic.com</a>)
Screencast-o-matic is probably one tool that many language teachers know about--it generates tutorials and lectures for listening tests quite well. But have you shown your students how to use it?
<iframe src="http://screencast-o-matic.com/home" width="80%" height="400"></iframe>
Students can download the free version and use it for making presentations. They'll have the ability to re-record their voice-overs, ensuring good practice, and hitting any length requirements you've set. You'll be able to play their presentations either in or out of class, for peer review or formative assessment.
###WeVideo for Chrome
(<a href="https://www.wevideo.com/" target="_blank">wevideo.com</a>)
For institutions using Chromebooks, you can add the extension WeVideo to your Google Apps. Here is a tutorial made to show you how to create and edit videos using WeVideo.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1xuw5WXSDSc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This is a great web-based option to iMovie from Mac. It gives your students more freedom and more options--which means that you might want to consider this app for students in Middle School or older grades.
####Read about other projects
[[Mind-Mapping]]
[[Story Writing]]
OR continue to [[Student Autonomy]].
#Story Writing
##Projects for long form, short stories, and poetry
While creative writing can be fulfilling for individuals, there are various tools, aside from blogs and wikis, that allow students to compose stories and poetry with one another.
<center><img src= "https://als150.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/creative.jpg" alt="creative writing on whiteboard" style="width:400px;height:80%px;"></center>
Here are some resources for story writing.
###Storybird
(<a href="https://storybird.com/" target="_blank">storybird.com</a>)
Storybird is an awesome tool for teachers to get their students to write. It comes with options for long chapters, short stories, or poetry, and provides artwork for inspiration. While teachers need to create free accounts, they have the option to create individual log-ins for their students, so that students don't need to enter an email account to sign up. Here is a tutorial on how to use Storybird as a teacher.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p_xBhEux9KY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
###Folding Story
(<a href="http://foldingstory.com/" target="_blank">foldingstory.com</a>)
FoldingStory is an interactive story-telling forum. You get 180 characters for each contribution, and then anyone else can take over your story.
<iframe src="http://foldingstory.com/" width="80%" height="400"></iframe>
Much like a social network, however, you can follow specific people, and contribute to their story. After 10 entries, the story ends. Unfortunately, there is no way to make a story private or only accessible to your followers--so this may not be the best tool to use in K-12 classrooms.
####Read about other projects.
[[Video-Making]]
[[Mind-Mapping]]
OR continue to [[Student Autonomy]].
#Mind-Mapping
##Online brainstorming and virtual white board resources
Sometimes, the classrooms we teach in can be unhelpful for student collaboration. Now, online tools give small groups the power to brainstorm and share ideas in real time.
Here are some resources for making collaborative mind maps.
###Mindmeister
(<a href="https://www.mindmeister.com/" target="_blank">mindmeister.com</a>)
Mindmeister is an interactive tool for creating 'mind maps,' or concept maps.
<iframe src="https://www.mindmeister.com/" width="80%" height="400"></iframe>
For each map, a user can invite collaborators to share the map, meaning that teachers can create a blank map or a template that small groups of students can contribute to.
###Twiddla
(<a href="http://www.twiddla.com/" target="_blank">twiddla.com</a>)
Twiddla is an interactive tool for writing on virtual whiteboards, with no sign-up or account needed.
<iframe src="http://www.twiddla.com/" width="80%" height="400"></iframe>
Using this tool is the easiest! You click start, then send the link for a "room" to the other people working on the project. In addition to adding hand-made drawings or text, you can add photos, websites, and documents--and then download and save your creation.
###Popplet
(<a href="http://popplet.com/" target="_blank">popplet.com</a>)
Popplet is like a combination of the previous two websites, but is available as an app for ipads or android tablets. Here is an online tutorial for using Popplet.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HdGbELqaIYk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
####Read about other projects
[[Video-Making]]
[[Story Writing]]
OR continue to [[Student Autonomy]].
#Student Autonomy in Learning
##Providing project options
<img src= "https://als150.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/wordcloud.jpg" alt="education word cloud" style="width:680px;height:320px;">
The most important thing to consider when implementing technology into the classroom (aside from the learning objectives, of course!) is that not all learners learn the same way. Here is where (text-color: "red")[differentiated instruction and assessment] can be supported through technology.
Concordia University provides a clear overview of differentiated instruction and assessment.
<iframe src="http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/teaching-strategies/examples-of-differentiated-instruction/" width="80%" height="400"></iframe>
In essence, this Twine has provided a few different kinds of options for projects that can take the place of tests or essays. Giving students a choice among several types of project options gives students a sense of autonomy over their learning and can cater to the kinds of learners students are.
Here is a recorded lecture from SxSWedu on shifting away from traditional forms of assessment and grades.
<iframe width="80%" height="400" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/252073759&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true"></iframe>
While this Twine isn't suggesting that language teachers do away with all grades, it has provided some potential options for differentiated assessments; for instance, a menu of options for students to complete in lieu of one giant midterm or final (see <a href= "http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol6/620-reeves.aspx" target="_blank">this article on differentiated assessment</a> for ideas and additional resources).
Continue to [[Troubleshooting]] to address possible problems
-OR- Go back to the start [[Collaborative Language Learning]]
#Troubleshooting
##Solving tech problems in the classroom
Here are a few ideas for troubleshooting various problems that can arise from using technology in the classroom.
<ul><li>(text-color: "red")[Your students learn fast. **Too** fast. They can be easily distracted, explore parts of a program you aren't talking about, or worse, go somewhere else.] All of these things should be expected. First, you can plan some exploration time in the beginning. Tell them where to go and get them going with a program, but before you give them a specific task, let them play. Second, use the students who have clearly figured out the tool as teachers for their peers. These pairings can come about organically, or you can anticipate them with the way you seat your students. Finally, have extra tasks to give to students who may finish before the others, so that they aren't distracting or distracted.
<li>(text-color: "green")[Neither you nor your students can figure out how to solve a problem.] The best source of help is the internet; various tutorials of these online tools exist (some are already embedded in this Twine) and other help forums will appear with a web search. The tricky part is to find what you need in a timely manner; sometimes you have to move on (if you can) and re-visit the puzzle in the next class after you've done research. Of course, it's always a good idea to test drive each tool yourself so that you're familiar with navigating it before presenting it in class.
<li>(text-color: "teal")[Some tools may not be appropriate for use in a K-12 setting, due to confidentiality or privacy rules.] Be sure that you know there is a way for students to make the work they create private. As noted, some tools are not meant for this kind of environment--while Storybird allows teachers to create individual accounts for their students in which work can be published privately, FoldingStory does not, and is probably not a good option for that setting.
</ul>
Continue to [[Additional Resources]]
-OR- Go back to the start [[Collaborative Language Learning]]
#Additonal Resources for Tech Tools in the Classroom
Here are a variety of other websites that suggest more tech tools that teachers can use in the classroom.
<ol><li><a href="http://www.docurated.com/101-free-free-try-online-collaborative-learning-tools-teachers-educators" target="_blank">102 Free Online Tools For Teachers & Educators</a>: The list is divided into sections for K-5 Teachers, Middle School, High School, Tutors, and Special Education.
<li><a href="https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/50-edtech-technology-tools" target="_blank">50 Education Technology Tools Every Teacher Shcould Know</a>: This site provides a list of some social learning tools, as well as individual learning tools and lesson planning tools for teachers.
<li><a href="https://www.noodle.com/articles/32-innovative-online-tools-to-use-in-2015" target="_blank">A 2015 List of 32 Online Tools</a>: This page contains a list of broader types of education-related resources, like Edmodo, a controlled social media platform for teachers, parents, and students.
</ol>
Go back to [[Student Autonomy]]
Go back to [[Troubleshooting]]
Go back to the start [[Collaborative Language Learning]]