Like food, we all consume information. If we treated information like food then we may realize that…
1. Some of us need to go on a diet. We are consuming too much information.
2. Some of us need to add more variety. We are consuming too much from the same.
3. Some of us need to get off the junk food. We are consuming way to much junk.
4. All of us need to ensure we are getting the essential information we need each day.
Thoughts:
Technology is like oxygen.
Wow. Doing interesting things. Feeling of independence.
Real World Skills
If students are getting the work done, they will be doing so while the are IMing, gaming, etc.
Rigorous, challenging, interesting.
Creating original content and adding to the Internet.
Teaching students to muli-task
I don’t think I as an adult can sit and do work for an hour, so I don’t know why I would says it is a drawback that my students can’t?
Focuses them.
For every grade level team, for every Professional Learning Community, and for every Professional Networked Learning Collaborative in the future, there is or will be a tipping point in which people stop hoarding information and ideas and begin sharing. When this threshold is reached, the Collaboration Cascade begins. (Not be confused with an Information Cascade which I posted about in Information Cascades in Professional Learning Communities)
I choose the term Collaboration Cascade to describe the point at which subject/grade level teams (PLCs or PNLCs) reach a tipping point or threshold when the collaboration of some can cause a cascade of collaboration and cooperation from those who have not been participating or who have been hoarding their information, knowledge, and insight. This is the point of the Collaboration Cascade, a “cascade” of collaboration as more members begin to move from non-participation to participation, from hoarding to sharing, from non-cooperation to cooperation.
The tipping point or threshold at which teams reach the collaboration cascade will be different and unique for each group, governed by the unique group dynamics of that particular team, PLC, or PNLC.
The self-interest of the individual competes against the group dynamics that require members to collaborate, cooperate, share, and participate. For many members their collaboration is contingent on the collaboration of others. In other words, some members will in essence say, “You go first.” Their collaboration will require others to first demonstrate their willingness to collaborate. The question is what conditions must exist to create the tipping point or for members to reach their threshold to create a Collaboration Cascade?
I put the question, “What conditions must exist before you will step-out and share your ideas and collaborate with others? What makes you share?” to my Twitter PLN.
Here are some of the responses.
@maverickwoman I was born to share- I don't think about it- its like
an internal software driving my behaviour- a natural connector
@JBrandon building off the ideas of others, and not being afraid of people telling me my ideas are too "out of the box."
@nashworld trust and familiarity period. experience & expertise pale in comparison in the PLC model.
@tjacobucci To share ideas, I have to know that they will be of value
to others, that it's not the same old thing they've already tried.
How would you answer? What would create a Collaboration Cascade in your team, PLC, or PNLC?
Catalytic Questions:
1. What role does fear play in holding back collaboration, cooperation, sharing and participation?
2. The philosopher Epictetus said, “What concerns me is not the way things are, but rather the way people think things are.” What role is perception playing in preventing a Collaboration Cascade?
3. In what ways might you provide leadership or an example to influence a Collaboration Cascade?
4. What is the underlying principle at work in reaching the tipping point for a Collaboration Cascade?
5. In what ways could you demonstrate the benefit of the Collaboration Cascade? In what ways might you show that you are willing to, “Go first?”
Have you ever asked yourself or your students, "What is information?"
Information takes form as we write it, draw it, act it out, or verbalize it. But often our students confuse the form as the information. For example, a newspaper is not information, but the message it carries is. A hand gesture telling us to stop is not information, but the message it conveys is.
As the number of forms information takes continues to increase via technology, the question is and interesting one to ask and an important distinction that our students should know. The form is not the information. The message contained within the form is.
Take a look at this great video that explains the idea.
Creator and Developer of E.I--EducatationInnovation
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