Digital Collaboration by Jonathan Monkcom

This digital handout is aimed at my Pre-Kindergarten 3 (3 year-olds) students to address the learning outcome of Reading Standards: Foundational Skills – Phonics and Letter Recognition from the NYS: Curriculum Guidance: PreK Foundation for the Common Core (2012) Curriculum.

I decided to use the video format at the top of the digital handout as, especially during virtual learning, research has shown that a positive student-teacher relationship, one that fosters interpersonal connection, mutual trust and group cohesion, in kindergarten is related to later academic success and positive behavioural outcomes for students (Thapa et. al., 2013). In addition to this personal connection I want to create with my class, students are unable to read and would not be able to follow written directions at this age. With this in mind, my format was to give the students step-by-step instructions and an easy way to practice letter recognition by using the digital technologies of the matching game format. I then introduced the concept of collaboration by replaying the game during a Zoom class so that students could help each other with the letter matching by “phoning a friend” like in the gameshow “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”. This format requires direction and scaffolding by the teacher during the Zoom class due to the age of students. My hope is that allowing students to work together during a Zoom class to solve the matching game problems provides interpersonal connection between classmates, encourages peer teaching and promotes the development of social skills (Smith et. al., 1992).

References

Smith, B. L., MacGregor, J. T. (1992). What is collaborative learning? In A. Goodsell, M. Maher, V. Tinto, B. L. Smith & J. MacGregor. Collaborative Learning: A Sourcebook for Higher Education. National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, and Assessment at Pennsylvania State University. https://www.evergreen.edu/sites/default/files/facultydevelopment/docs/WhatisCollaborativeLearning.pdf

Thapa A., Cohen J., Guffey S., Higgins-D’Alessandro A. (2013). A Review of School Climate Research. Review of Educational Research, 83,(3), 357–385. https://k12engagement.unl.edu/REVIEW%20OF%20EDUCATIONAL%20RESEARCH-2013-Thapa-357-85.pdf