Create a tool for classwide use in a shared document

Author:
What: Learners collaborate in a shared document to develop a tool that can be used by the entire class to evaluate sources
Learners collaborate on a class-wide shared Google Doc to create and make notes on a communal tool. They’ll need practice in how to navigate to the shared document, make comments in the appropriate space according to the task, marking their text in a signature color and/or font to differentiate their input from their classmates’, then make use of the Google Docs’ function of commenting or suggesting changes on each others’ additions to the document. They can also make edits to the doc in response to their collaborative decisions as they work together to finalize and proofread the tool.

Why: Develop workforce skills and information literacy

Classroom, workplace and community team projects typically call for the presentation of evidence, some group contributions and consensus-building, and respectful collaboration toward results or products designed for use by a certain audience. Google Docs is a great engine for sharing and building upon ideas as a team, and for communal editing. It can be easily accessed and shared by learners, worked on live in class (whether virtually or in person, as long as devices are available) or as homework. This routine can be transferred across almost any content area for a variety of group projects, and is useful in students’ professional and personal lives, as well. In the context of a civics education course, for example, learners collaborate on a Google Doc to make a checklist or rubric to help vet online media sources for credibility, evaluating whether they display features of a trustworthy source for research, sharing, etc. This tool will help learners consider the hallmarks of trustworthy sources of information as they navigate communities and workplaces. The routine creates conditions for students to be effective through: Inquiry-based learning: students are encouraged to collect, research and share information around a shared inquiry, give evidence as needed for their findings, and refine their shared digital product in response to its organization and purpose. Their tool will be for shared application in future classes, or in their communities, motivating the team to consider how to shape it not just for each learner’s individual use, but for a varied audience. Ultimate decisions about designing the tool are made by the team, not the instructor, with the mutual expectation that the team supports its choices with evidence. Peer Feedback/Peer Review: when learners are called upon to comment upon each other’s contributions to a project, they’re asked to analyze their own and one another’s thought processes, support their thinking with evidence and keep the project’s purpose in mind. Comments reviewing classmates’ work in a Google Doc can help build skills in civil dialogue and respectful disagreement, and makes space for team-building through encouraging comments and compliments, too.

Evidence-Based Strategies

This routine is supported by the following strategies:

Inquiry-based learning: Peer Feedback/Peer Review Annotating Creating Visual Representations

How: Word Processor

This routine would be integrated into a lesson in which learners will be collaborating on a shared tool or presentation. They can work as a whole group or in smaller groups if desired. This routine calls for learners to have their own devices to work on, whether attending class in person or virtually, and access to the Internet, email or an LMS, and Google Docs. 1. The instructor shares a link to a shared classwide Google Doc in the class LMS or via email to each learner. In the shared Google Doc the instructor has created a table to help organize the information. 2. Each learner accesses the Google Doc. As a class, the instructor and students go over the format of the table, which serves as a graphic organizer. The instructor makes note of any words that seem unclear to the learners and adds those words to the class vocabulary list for study. 3. In the graphic organizer the learners describe which information they’re being asked to share in each different area of the organizer (i.e. “in this box, I’m writing one or two features of a credible source”; etc.). Learners should be clear on what prior knowledge or notes from earlier in the lesson can be added to the graphic organizer, and what additional information may need to be researched before they can enter it into the tool. 4. Once expectations are clear, learners can work individually or in pairs/small groups to populate the graphic organizer with ideas. Encourage them to type in their ideas using a distinct font and/or color from the ones used by other students in the class to show how many contributors are working on the text (unless it’s important to your students to keep work totally anonymous!). 5. The instructor can congratulate this group on completing the first draft of their tool! As a whole group, go over the ideas added throughout the graphic organizer; students can begin thinking about suggested changes. 6. During the next step, the students read each other’s contributions to the tool and use the comment feature in Google Docs to respond to each other’s ideas. They can leave encouraging comments (“great idea!” “I like this because __________!”) or constructive criticism. It may help to provide students with a list of questions specific to the project or tool being created to guide their remarks, for example: -Does this idea show whether a source is credible or not? -Is this idea clear and specific? -Is this idea easy to identify when looking at a source? -Are any of these ideas repeated? Can they be combined? etc. 7. Learners respond as needed to comments on their ideas using the reply feature under each comment box. 8. If learners decide to make changes to their ideas, they can use the “track changes” feature in Google Docs to reflect the second draft updates. 9. As a whole class, go over comments, changes and updates to the second draft. Through a class discussion, build consensus around ideas and how they’re expressed in the graphic organizer. Combine repeated ideas into one, clarify and omit unclear information and seek sources to support ideas as needed. 10. Invite learners to make copy editing suggestions and go over these together as well. If needed, provide a list of copy editing targets, such as particular punctuation or spelling errors. 11. Reflect as a class on the final product–what do they like about this tool? When can it be used, in class and in their lives outside of class? 12. Congratulations to these students on finalizing their class-generated tool! Make sure the tool is available in the LMS and posted in the classroom. Use it regularly in class in a variety of contexts, and try assigning homework using the tool in a context outside of school.

EdTech Tool Types: Productivity: Documents

WO.3 Manage Projects Online

How to manage a project using computer/online tools - What did you learn from reading your classmates’ ideas on the shared document? Did you leave any suggestions for them? - Did you receive useful suggestions on your work from other students? How did it help you? - How was your experience using the “comment” feature in Google Docs? What did you like about it? - What are some other situations in your life where it might be helpful to use Google Docs to collaborate with other people How might you use the “comments” feature?

PS.6 Recognize Online Threats

Recognize and avoid suspicious links and downloads (phishing, online scams - What are some quick and easy ways to notice that a website or online source probably ISN’T credible? - What are some examples of credible types of online sources? - How will learning about credible sources change the way you search the Internet in the future? - Will you share what you’ve learned with your family and friends? How and when?