It is essential that we show students how to properly collaborate early in their lives. If students are able to see how to listen, offer criticism, and respond to each other they will be more successful in their future. In an English classroom there is plenty of availability for collaboration and use of collaboration tools.
Peers and the teacher can revise and edit papers using Google Docs or Pirate Pad. This would allow students to freely offer their opinions in a manner that allows for everyone to participate without fearing ridicule.
Charts created on Inspiration will allow students to create pre-writing plans as they brainstorm about their topic. A valuable aspect about this would be the ability to see the students' thought process and how they came to the conclusion.
Skype, Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, and websites allow for parents, teachers, and students to all stay connected. There are endless possibilities for allowing students who are ill still actively participate by using collaboration technology. The classroom walls are also able to expand greatly by finding connections with authors, other students in different countries, and specific locations.
Students could also use each other as a collaboration tool. In my classroom I intend to have students personally select what they want to read instead of having a text as a class set. Therefore, students could create different products like movie trailers, advertisements, create QR codes, and record their own book talks to promote a book.
It would also be valuable to have students prepare for and participate in discussions using various technological resources. Using strategies like SOAPS for discussion will provide each student with a specific role and help prepare them for the business world. If students are familiar with using technology in the classroom lessons and actively engaging with it they will be more used to working with it and understand how to use it to their advantage. The most valuable lesson students can learn while using collaboration in the classroom
