Jigsaw Collaboration

Implementing the Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Technique within a classroom of only five computers would prove to be a challenge (given that one of the proponents of the technique is that all students are actively engaged) but would not be impossible.  I would begin by organizing the students into groups of 5-6 depending on class size and assign each student within each group with one of the five or six topics to be addressed. 

Each student group would then have access to the computer, that day’s discussion leader will act as time moderator for each group (ensuring that each member of the group has an equal amount of time on the computer.  Every member of each group will have access to seven documents on GoogleDocs, one for each expert group and one collaborative document for each research group.  As the first member of each group takes their place at the computer- the other students will work individually on their own text-based research at their desks.  All students on the computers form one expert group, each working on the same collaborative document so that there is a significant amount of information instilled within each student.  The project will continue in this way until all students have had access to the computer to conduct research and collaborate with their expert group at least three times.  As each expert group completes their third computer usage- they will meet to complete their work (the time in which they would have normally been conducting textual research).  After each expert group has met, students will return to their individual groups and present their topic area.  Students will be able to be fully engaged utilizing both physical resources and those accessed online during their expert group research time.

One of the advantages of this method is that through the utilization of GoogleDocs, all students will have access to the same research conducted by each expert group and each individual group- no distraction with note-taking and no competition as all students are contributing their research in real time (more information and less time spent by each individual accessing it).

This method could obviously work even better in a situation in which all students had access to a computer throughout the class.  The disadvantage with this method is that there will be times when students must work with physical materials outside of their online research, perhaps, creating a sense of boredom or impatience as they wait for their opportunity to research in real time with their expert group.

Google for Educators

Google has an incredible variety of Rich Internet Application(s) (RIA) to assist not only faculty but also students. Below are three of the RIA’s offered by Google that I plan to incorporate into my classroom.

GoogleNews. An application that allows students to search not only the recent news but also an archive that goes back 200 years! Utilizing GoogleNews students can access first hand accounts of the news, rather than reading history in a text book- in other words, GoogleNews allows students to access the article written by a journalist about the Great Depression during the Great Depression. Buh-bye to boring text book accounts!

I will utilize GoogleNews within the Debate classroom to allow students to access pertinent information to build their cases, daily for the first ten minutes of class and for twenty minutes on Fridays. I will allow English students to access GoogleNews to formulate ideas and research for their exams, or to research the real context in which a literary text exists.

GoogleDocs. An application that allows students to create documents on any device with internet access, save it (it saves the document automatically), and access it on any device with internet access. No more saving documents to flash drives or CDs and uploading them to various points of access. Students are also able to collaborate in real time on the same document.

I will utilize GoogleDocs within the Debate classroom to create a space in which students can build their cases together- at home, in the classroom, in the lab etc. I will also require all student research to be pasted within GoogleDocs so that it is available to their group members (see GoogleGroups below) as well as to myself in order to discourage plagiarism. In the English classroom I will utilize GoogleDocs for the main manner in which students will complete work- I will also allow it to function as a means for peer editing and collaboration. This will allow me to understand who in the group is carrying the work load, and what contributions are being made by each group member.

GoogleGroups. An application that allows specific individuals (private group) or the public (public groups) to contribute and interact through discussion boards, pages, and shared files.
I will utilize GoogleGroups within both classrooms to set up specific groups for specific projects, in this way students will be able to openly discuss and collaborate with team members, store information accessed by each of them in an accessible and convenient place (pages), and share information with another. You can imagine what students would be able to create if they were able to access the same information as their group- at the same time- and collaborate.

The advantages of using Google RIA’s within the classroom are endless. Students can now collaborate in real time, there is never a worry of lost information (as it is all saved and accessed through GoogleDocs), and as an educator I can be fully aware of what is and is not taking place within my students’ work.

Cook ADA Parent Letter

Dear Parents,

     It is important to us to accommodate all of our students, their learning styles, and their disabilities.  In order to ensure equal access by all students to the same educational opportunities we abide by the requirements of the following: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Assistive Technology Act (ATA).  They are described as follows:

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits private employers, state and local governments, from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures. The ADA covers employers with 15 or more employees, including state and local governments. It also applies to employment agencies and to labor organizations. 

• The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities. 

• The Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (ATA) provides assistive technology to individuals and students with disabilities through access to federally allocated funding.  The act recognizes the great benefits provided to disabled persons through assistive technology and so has attempted to increase funding to states to support their distribution of such technology, to include persons with disabilities and their families in the provisions and legislation decision making process in relation to the ATA, and to increase the outreach of the ATA to rural and other areas.  The ATA also strives to increase awareness of the needs of persons with disabilities to have access to said technology, and to increase the funding available to private and public agencies which help pay for devices to assist persons with disabilities (AT1998) 

     Our school and administration fully support the ADA, the IDEA, and the ATA, as well as your views on the matter. It is crucial to us that all of our students are treated equally. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these acts, the way they are embodied within the school, or if your student could benefit from the provisions of these acts please do not hesitate to let me know, via email or phone call.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Cook

English and Debate Teacher

Campus School

Assistive Technology Act

The Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (ATA) provides assistive technology to individuals and students with disabilities through access to federally allocated funding. The act recognizes the great benefits provided to disabled persons through assistive technology and so has attempted to increase funding to states to support their distribution of such technology, to include persons with disabilities and their families in the provisions and legislation decision making process in relation to the ATA, and to increase the outreach of the ATA to rural and other areas. The ATA also strives to increase awareness of the needs of persons with disabilities to have access to said technology, and to increase the funding available to private and public agencies which help pay for devices to assist persons with disabilities (AT1998).


Within the classroom, students or teachers can identify students who could benefit from Assistive Technology through an AT Evaluation. “A special education evaluation includes eight areas: Health, Vision, Hearing, Social/Emotional, General Intelligence, Academic Performance, Communication and Motor. Assistive Technology can help in each of those eight areas. The evaluation assesses whether or not the Assistive Technology can help your child. They should be conducted in places that your child is familiar with such as a classroom, a playground and at home” (Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services, IPAS).

After the results of the evaluation are received the school can begin to administer such technology to aid your child through applying for a grant. If however AT is determined as unnecessary for your child, both you -the parent- or the teacher can apply for AT under the provision of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which states that schools must provide the assistive technology if: “the device or service is a needed aid. If the device or service allows your child to go to a regular classroom with other students who do not have disabilities. If the device or service allows your child to play with children without disabilities for sports and other activities outside the classroom” (IPAS). After receive monies to purchase assistive technology for your students, the teacher and school will modify the child’s IEP (Individual Education Program) to reflect the use of such devices in the following areas: “present levels of performance, goals and objectives, special education services and related-services, supplementary aids and services, modifications, and specialized equipment” (IPAS).

More information can be found at:

http://www.section508.gov/docs/AT1998.html (The actual legislative act text)

http://www.in.gov/ipas/2376.htm (A guide to making sure your child/students receives the AT they deserve as dictated by the ATA)