Reflection #6-Tele Collaborative Lessons

Tele Collaborative learning is a new and fresh way of teaching. It is the use of technology and computers in a classroom in order to expand creative learning and thinking. The use of computers in a classroom is an open door to millions of learning possibilities. Access to the world wide web is a great learning tool for students and an awesome teaching one for professionals. Besides all of the available websites with educational information for students, the internet gives access to many communication possibilities such as email and chat. Students can communicate with other students and professionals from any place across the world and exchange information and ideas. Students can also work with a number of different programs and online activities to further their studies. In the article of tele collaboration, middle school teacher, Brenda Dyck shares her experience of her tele collaborative lesson. She worked with two classrooms from complete opposite sides of the globe. Her students from the United States had online communication with students from Israel. They discussed the theme “the right to safety”. The students emailed back and forth and discussed their individual lifestyles in their native countries. The students didn’t seem to mention their environment until they were asked to write their papers discussing the safety level in their countries. The american students seemed to be perplexed and shocked with the responses submitted by the israeli students. They gained a better understanding and appreciation of what it exactly it meant to be an american and it’s great benefits. The teacher also used computers to show the students images from CNN of the terrorism in Israel. It wasn’t until this activity that the students really opened their eyes and minds to terrorism and the Israeli community. Through their recent online communication, students viewed the Israeli students as any other thirteen or fourteen year olds. It wasn’t until this conversation came up that students began to appreciate their country. Tele collaborative activities and lessons like these are great to open up and spark any students curiosity. They gain their attention because they are fun and consuming activities. Grabbing a middle school students attention can be a very difficult task at times seeing as they are going through a difficult age where nothing seems to be interesting. Technology, especially computers are a great and fun way to implement education. This lesson provided by Brenda Dyck was a very informative and valuable lesson. Definitely a life changing and eye opening experience for those students. It is an experience they will be able to share with their children when they grow older. It made students have a greater appreciation of the United States and our great safe environment.