discussions

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cole: posting test

So on the colors thing, I claim BLUE for my editing color :) This way, you know who's doing the editing :)

Martha: posting in **maroon** :)

cole: what colors thing?

I had suggested that we choose a color and use it to do editing, so we can keep track of whos's editing :) instead of writting our names

it happened during the whole "20 discussion posting and I can't see a darn thing" fiasco. Anyway: so its decided If we color code all of our editing, maybe we can create a FINAL assignment page (all one color) after we decided which hodgepodge pieces work best. i kinda like this discussion page better: I can see everything we suggest by scrolling
 * by wednesday: we identify and prioritize our ideas and provide possible solutions
 * by thursday: choose the top 3 problems and solutions for group
 * by saturday: complete elaboration on all solutions.

I agree :)

cole: I'll be black. will we post our problems and solutions on the "assignment for week 4" page?

yup- lets go ahead and put evertyhting there. when we finalize we can make a new page to attach it to with a snazzy new title

was able to get most of old discussions before they disappeared again. Everything except Cole's frustrations :) Here they are:

[|**aggieminer010911**] Monday, 6:24 pm

So just to be clear: we decided to post the problems we identified by tuesday. read through and prioritize by wed along with possible solutions so that we can choose the top 3 problems and solutions by thursday.

**re: timeline **[|**aggieminer010911**] Monday, 6:25 pm

so the goal is completion by Saturday with minor, last minutes edits sunday?

**re: timeline **[|**lena711**] Monday, 6:27 pm

Sounds good. Where's Cole? I can't see him...

**re: timeline **[|**aggieminer010911**] Monday, 6:30 pm

he's a member

**re: timeline **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[|**lena711**] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11px;">Monday, 6:44 pm

<span style="color: #157515; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Got him :)

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[|aggieminer010911] Monday, 6:26 pm **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">to start: what if we just throw everything on here with our names. We should have our problems and solutions prioritized when we post them so we can better choose. **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">re: making edits[|lena711] Monday, 6:28 pm **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">That sounds good, or we can use different colors also to indicate our work :) **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">re: making edits[|aggieminer010911] Monday, 6:31 pm **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">oooooh- i am a fan of the color code... **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">re: making edits[|lena711] Monday, 6:44 pm **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">I claim BLUE :) **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[|aggieminer010911] Monday, 6:42 pm **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Ok- it seems the only time i can see all the discussion posts is when I actually post something **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">re: ugh- i hate this thing already ** **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[|lena711] Monday, 6:43 pm **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Me too... **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">[|lena711] Monday, 6:42 pm **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">why isi this not working? ** **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">__ **

Idea for improving lesson: all students required to conduct research on own questions. Then as a group, pool their knowledge to create a summarizing question and presentation answering that group question with information from each individual report. During discussions, each would have to explain why their information should be used. That way, all are involved and accountable for the group presentation.

1. Some of the issues that I found: 2. Prioritize the problems: 3. Possible solutions: 4. 5 Webpages: 5. We're working on it :)
 * "editing one another's work, challenging one another's thinking" - this may be visible on some of the sites while not others. It doesn't mean that the other groups didn't work together. They may have worked over the phone or face to face, rather than working online.
 * "only one student worked to write the essay" - just because the site shows that one person typed it, doesn't mean that no one else participated. I have worked on papers where I did all the typing because I enjoy it, and it gives me something to do, but all the group members had participated on writing the paper. The final editing was minor and done by others, as I was the one that had typed it and wanted their input on the final product.
 * "changed my page" - the page does not belong to only one person, it belongs to the group.
 * "his entry was deleted by his peer" - why was it deleted?
 * "students ended up writing their own paragraphs" - shows no team work or delegation.
 * "wiki look pretty, changing formats" - nothing wrong with it looking "pretty" as long as the content is also of high quality.
 * "some of them just copied from other websites" - reliability and copyright issues.
 * Who was it that did the work?
 * Copyrights
 * Editing
 * The teacher should have a rubric with clear expectations for grading the pages and what input she expects from each student.
 * What kind of information the teacher is looking for and what's unacceptable (sources) should be listed. A handout on copyrights should also be provided to the students and explained to them how the laws work.
 * Students should be encouraged to work as a team and know that the webpage belongs to all of them, not just one or two. They are should all be held responsible for the information provided.
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I guess I posted this on the wrong page

Synopsis: After reading this case study their appears to be only one true problem – the teacher did not provide sufficient direction/guidance for the students. This problem is demonstrated by the students’ behavior symptomatic of lack of guidance/direction.

It is important to realize that this project was the teacher’s first attempt to use a wiki as the medium for completing an assignment. Therefore, the students would have little experience collaborating in this way, at least for this class and would require constant, detailed guidance/direction.

Problem: Lack of clear direction/guidance

Symptoms: Students did not share work equally, students displayed poor “netiquette”, students were reluctant to collaborate, and students overlooked content

Solutions: (This is also what could be considered the “top 3 problems”) Proper planning

Clearly communicating expectations

Modeling appropriate group behavior

I think we are all in agreement that that major problem was a lack of clear direction and expectations in terms of what they students should have produces and how to work together to do it. so I think our top problems to elaborate solutions for are 1. Rubric- content expectations (we need to create a rubric for this lesson) 2. Student expectations as individual contributors 3. Student expectations as a group

Okay I synthesized all of our discussions below. What do you think?

After reading this case study there appears to be only one true problem – the teacher did not provide sufficient direction/guidance for the students. This problem is demonstrated by the students’ behavior symptomatic of lack of guidance/direction.

It is important to realize that this project was the teacher’s first attempt to use a wiki as the medium for completing an assignment. Therefore, the students would have little experience collaborating in this way, at least for this class and would require constant, detailed guidance/direction.

The main problem, lack of direction/guidance, has been divvied into three categories (see table 1) and discussed.

Table 1.
 * Category || Manifestation(s) || Proposal || Link(s) ||
 * Insufficient planning || Students did not share work equally; students were reluctant to collaborate
 * "only one student worked to write the essay"
 * "some of them just copied from other websites" || Student expectations as individual contributors
 * The teacher should create a timeline laying out milestones and due dates and provide it to students
 * Student roles should be created by the teacher which students will assign to each other in their groups
 * A handout on copyrights should also be provided to the students and explained to them how the laws work ||  ||
 * Poorly communicating expectations || Students overlooked content
 * "wiki look pretty, changing formats" || Rubric- content expectations (we need to create a rubric for this lesson).
 * The teacher should have a rubric with clear expectations for grading the pages and what input she expects from each student.
 * What kind of information the teacher is looking for and what's unacceptable (sources) should be listed.
 * "editing one another's work, challenging one another's thinking" - ||  ||
 * Insufficient modeling of appropriate group behavior || Students displayed poor “netiquette”
 * "changed my page"
 * "his entry was deleted by his peer"
 * "students ended up writing their own paragraphs" || Student expectations as a group.
 * Students should be encouraged to work as a team and know that the webpage belongs to all of them, not just one or two.
 * They should all be held responsible for the information provided. ||  ||

Idea for improving lesson: A ll students required to conduct research on own questions. Then as a group, pool their knowledge to create a summarizing question and presentation answering that group question with information from each individual report. During discussions, each would have to explain why their information should be used. That way, all are involved and accountable for the group presentation.


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Martha: I think it incorporates all of our thoughts pretty succinctly. Should we include the timeline? For example: instead of pairing the students immediately after slecting their questions, how about pairing them after they have done their individual research (inlcuding information, diagrams, etc). It would give the students something to take into the group and can be a good starting point for group discussions if they have to explain their questions and research to each other. It would also make it easier for them to find ways to pool and reorganize and clarify, rather than having the students try and find ways to create a group project individually.

I like the first idea of allowing the students do the research separately and then coming together into a group and defending their work. I am not sure how it would make it easier on them to reorganize after having done their own work, but that's not a major point. I actually think that it will be harder because if they all have done their own work at this point on the research and if they are anything like me, they'll already have ideas as to how they want to set it up, so it maybe better to have a format for everyone to follow? What do you think?