Supporting Common Core Collaboration Online

From the Marshall Memo #452

In this Education Week article, California fifth-grade teacher Christine Newell says that having common curriculum standards in all but four states “provides an unprecedented opportunity for teachers to meaningfully collaborate with their peers around the nation.” Technology is the best way to share ideas, classroom strategies, and reflections in real time, she believes. Some possibilities:

• Synchronous collaboration – Instant messaging, chat rooms, videoconferencing, and Skype allow teachers hundreds of miles apart to communicate about implementing standards. 

• Message boards and online forums – Organized by subject area, content area, and specific common-core features, these allow conversations to be archived so teachers can access them at their convenience. 

• Blogs – “From administrators and legislators to teachers and parents, no one can predict the frustrations and successes that will accompany implementation,” says Newell. “In sharing their attitudes and emotions about the process through blogging, teachers can guide a larger policy-and-practice conversation and ensure that no educator is left feeling isolated in uncharted waters.” 

• Wikis – Common-core terms and definitions are being entered and edited in wikis, complete with links to useful resources.

• Social networking – “From elementary teachers and college professors to organizations and publications, the common core has everyone tweeting,” says Newell. Just type CCSS or Common Core State Standards into Twitter’s search field to monitor or join the conversation.

• Collaboration apps – Tools like Google Docs, Synch.in, and Zoho allow teachers at the same grade level or teaching the same course to collaborate in a smaller group than in a wiki.

• Learning-management systems – These software packages store and make online courses and training sessions available for credit or personal development. 

“How Online Communities Can Ease the Common-Core Transition” by Christine Newell in Education Week, Sept. 12, 2012 (Vol. 32, #3, p. 1, 26-27), http://bit.ly/QS4y3E