Students will create a definition for collaborative learning community and recognize the value of working within one. That was our learning outcome for day one. To reach this desired result we participated in a variety of activities. Starting with a continuum protocol the students had to take a stance on such statements as I learn more when I work alone vs. I learn more working in a group and a basketball team has a better chance winning with one all star versus an entire team working together. Getting their voice on the table it was great to listen to them open up and begin to share their ideas with one another. "I definitely learn more in a group, said Iesha, because I have a chance to share my ideas." "My education comes first," stated Jessica firmly. "I'll help other people, but not if it's getting in my way of learning." What if the roles were reversed I posed to my firmly grounded student? "I guess it would be nice to get some help," she quietly replied. As the continuum protocol came to an end with the basketball metaphor is was beautiful to watch the entire class move to the side of the room that represented "A basketball team has a better chance of winning as an entire team working together." I felt like Moses parting the Dead Sea (even though the wave only went one way). Everyone agreed...our chances for success increase exponentially when we all take responsibility for the greater good...when we all join a collaborative learning community.
Moving on from the continuum activity students were grouped at their tables and asked to read a variety of short texts that described everything from cooperative learning to community to collaboration. Co-constructing a definition of Collaborative Learning Community, the students read the documents, shared the main ideas and synthesized the information to create one, concise and simple definition. As they worked in teams Carlos, an inquisitive young man to say the least, called me over and said, "Mr. Singer, are you saying you want us to be like the army? Leave no man behind?" After pausing to think..."Yeah Carlos, I guess I am." Illustrating Carols' point even more, Aramando's group, made up of Jessica, Bennito and Angel created the stickiest definition I could have imagined. Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick, would have been proud of the simplicity in their words. "A Collaborative Learning Community" is interdependence, you sink or swim together."
That was it...the seed had been planted and we even did a little watering. I'm not saying you could see a branch, a leaf, or even a weed...but the seed was in the dirt and I'm confident that it will grow with time.
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