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How Collaboration is used to Engage At-Risk Students
Collaboration is the fundamental skill for any student to be successful in both school and their career. Using collaboration as the centerpiece to assist students who are not choosing to engage in school was the focus of my research and study. What started as a conversation between teachers during lunch has changed my perspective of who I am and what I do as a teacher. Analyzing data from only my classes, the number of students who are At-Risk was unanticipated. The total number of At-Risk students was 28% for all classes and in second period the number rose to 47%. I define an At-Risk student using the following criteria:
What can I do to reduce the numbers and engage an At-Risk student? The answer was elucidated after talking to and observing what these students were doing when they were not engaged in class. They wanted to have fun with other students. Collaboration allows students to work together and reduces the work load from 100% individual to however many are in the group. In addition, collaboration supports voice and choice for students
To engage my At-Risk students, collaboration was used together with TPACK and Inquiry Based Learning. Protect our Ocean Project was designed to allow student to work in teams to create a device that would reduce the amount of solids either entering or moving through the storm drain system. Each team had to design their final design ideas on tinkercad 3D software.
Students prior to embarking on Protect Our Ocean, completed a survey to self determine at what level of collaboration they were at. There were six components of collaboration the survey focused upon:
These components are from the Napa Valley Grade 7/8 Collaboration Rubric. After the project, the survey was retaken to determine any change in the students self-perception of collaboration.
Does Engaging At-Risk Students using Collaboration infused with TPACK and Inquiry Based Learning an effective tool? Yes. The 27% of students who were At-Risk no passing dropped to 10%. The same strategy using collaboration was implemented at the beginning of the 2105-2016 school year, and the number of At-Risk students who are not passing Fall semester is 6%.
To engage my At-Risk students, collaboration was used together with TPACK and Inquiry Based Learning. Protect our Ocean Project was designed to allow student to work in teams to create a device that would reduce the amount of solids either entering or moving through the storm drain system. Each team had to design their final design ideas on tinkercad 3D software.
Students prior to embarking on Protect Our Ocean, completed a survey to self determine at what level of collaboration they were at. There were six components of collaboration the survey focused upon:
- Leadership and Initiative
- Cooperation and Flexibility
- Responsibility and Productivity
- Use of Technology Tools
- Responsiveness
- Engaging in Conversations and Discussion
These components are from the Napa Valley Grade 7/8 Collaboration Rubric. After the project, the survey was retaken to determine any change in the students self-perception of collaboration.
Does Engaging At-Risk Students using Collaboration infused with TPACK and Inquiry Based Learning an effective tool? Yes. The 27% of students who were At-Risk no passing dropped to 10%. The same strategy using collaboration was implemented at the beginning of the 2105-2016 school year, and the number of At-Risk students who are not passing Fall semester is 6%.