I'm going to be honest, in my virtual school (Commonwealth Charter Academy), the opportunity for our children to collaborate--especially at a high school level, is very difficult. The curriculum is designed for students to be able to work independently and at their own pace. Though many of my students tend to stay "on track" (meaning they're working on the exact lesson assigned by Connexus for the day), a great number of them are always behind. If I assigned or implemented any type of collaborative activities in my virtual room, I would have to do some immense planning and prepping for the students well in advance.
Listening to Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis' (2014) audio piece tilted "Flattening Classrooms" based on their book Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds, in a sense, awakened this yearning tendency within myself to actually pursue more collaborative adventure with my kids. These tasks are so risky in my school because the chance of success is quite slim, but like Lindsay and Davis (2014) said about teachers needing hope, "they need to know that they can do this," I have to find that hope and desire to take more chances in the classroom--especially using digital media/technology. Our students complete Discussions Posts--generally one per unit, and the Discussion Posts are accessed and answered on a board for all students to view and respond. I have an idea of incorporating a Web.2.0 tool, something along the lines of a Wikispace, for students utilize for these assignments; a space the will allow collaborating. I'm thinking, those who share similar or opposing views, can work together and share ideas, notes from the text, and/or facts/history learned in other classes, and then present them (using another platform like Voicethread) to the class; I would later place their work (url) to the Section Message Board for all to access.
Howard Gardner (2007) believes "adolescents have potentials for leadership, or for enterprise, that can be marshaled for diverse ends.." and I agree; yet I too tend to believe the more they collaborate with each other and learn from one another, the greater the possibility of exuding respect in the learning environment--respect is essential to leadership. In order for students to develop a positive ethical mindset, they must first be put in the position where their morals and perspectives are tested and a strong role model--their educator, is there to model how to handle certain topics appropriately. One of the reasons I enjoy collaborative activities is because they test the skills of kids on so many level in life.
References:
Future of education.(2014). Julie lindsay and vicki davis on flattening classrooms. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVZuwIhjQvA
Gardner, H. (2007). 5 minds for the future [Kindle Fire version]. Retrieved from https://read.amazon.com/
Photos:
Cross collaborate.(2016). Collaborating group [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.crosscollaborate.com/2010/06/collaborative-leadership-eshift-the-burden-thinking/united-colors-38/
Pickering, M. & Plitt, R. (2013). Sixteen lessons learned about working in collaboration [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://tamarackcci.ca/blogs/community-animator/sixteen-lessons-learned-about-working-collaboration