2-References

**Our Learning Team's Annotated References and Literature Reviews** Barron, B., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2008). //Powerful learning: Studies show deep understanding derives from collaborative methods ////.// Retrieved July 10, 2010, from []

Barron and Darling-Hammond provide a summary of the key research findings for both inquiry-based and cooperative learning. Inquiry-based approaches include project-based or project learning, problem-based learning, and design-based instruction. The research shows that inquiry-based, collaborative approaches help provide students with 21st century skills such as the ability to work in teams to solve complex problems, and transfer new knowledge to novel situations. The authors also note such approaches can be challenging to implement as they require modifiying curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices. This article is relevant to our learning team's collaborative project because it addresses the very type of approach to instruction and learning we will be implementing: project-based learning. Barron and Darling-Hammond help support our team's belief that our students will learn more deeply when they engage in authentic learning projects that require sustained engagement and collaboration. Also, we've learned that active-learning practices are more significant to student performance than any other factor and our students will be more successful when we teach them "how to learn" as well as "what to learn." Bell, S. (2010). Project-Based Learning for the 21st Century: Skills for the Future. //Clearing House, 83(2),// 39-43. Doi: 10.1080/00098650903505415. The article is about the use of problem-based learning to develop skills by the learner that can not be measured by standardized test. A question answered by the learner guided and supervised to ensure the process of finding the solution. Standardized testing does not measure critical skills needed in the 21st Century. The authentic question is a motivating factor to the learners, because it is applicable to the real-world. Learning responsibility, independence, and discipline are three outcomes of PBL (Bell, 2010). PBL promotes social learning as children practice and become proficient with the twenty-first-century skills of communication, negotiation, and collaboration.

This is relevant to the project to answer the question; why is our town a great place to live? The project will allow learners to use some of the skills needed to be successful in the 21st Century. The educator will guide the learners through the process of communication and collaboration while using digital technology to answer a real-world applicable question that pique the interest of the learners.

Bennett, P. Effective Strategies for Sustaining Professional Learning Communities. Diss. Walden University, 2009. Minneapolis: MN, 2009. AAT 3397338. Print.

This research study was conducted to find out elementary teachers’ perceptions and strategies of maintaining Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Data was collected from three teacher coaches and thirty-seven elementary classroom teachers from three rural public schools in one school district. The results of the study showed that PLCs are necessary for social change and can increase teacher expertise. The following five areas were found to be common among the research results:

Our project focuses on students collaborating to create a VoiceThread about their community and then sharing and commenting on VoiceThreads from other parts of the country. We are providing an experience for our students that defies distance and time while creating learning to occur through collaboration and relationships. A learning community is being created among the students. This project also allows teachers to create a community with each other to become stronger teachers by building relationships. It is an opportunity to have a PLC on a global scale and not just in your building. We are encouraging our students to do this so we should be doing the same. Collaboration among the teachers is necessary to partake successfully in this type of project. Boss, S. (2009, March). //High tech reflection strategies make learning stick.// Retrieved July 10, 2010, from [] This article highlights several students, teachers and administrators who recognize the importance of reflection as a means of making connections critical to understanding. Students must be given the opportunities to stop and think about what they're learning and to discover why the new knowledge is relevant to their lives. They should also be provided the means for sharing that knowledge with others in authentic ways. Boss indicates several ways in which teachers can foster reflective learning using technological media and special projects -- blogs, wikis, audio intervies, Project Exhange, Flat Classroom projects, VoiceThread, and Classroom Displays. Boss concludes by noting that another benefit of promoting reflection on learning is the teacher's ability to digitally archive student work, thereby, possibly extending the reflection activity beyond a single project or up through the grade levels. Once again, this article supports our learning team's effort to provide our respective grade level of students with dynamic opportunites to acquire and share learning. We plan to utilize two of the technology tools mentioned in the article -- classroom wikis and VoiceThread -- as powerful tools for learning, project managment, and authentic assessment. An additional goal of ours is to encourage our students to begin reflecting on their learning more frequently and naturally in their daily lives. Dalton, M. (2010). Teachers learn to master 'tribes': Process that promotes community, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">collaboration and independent problem-solving taught during summer session. Waterloo Region Record, B-3.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This newspaper article explains the basics behind creating “Tribes” in a classroom. Tribes are collaborative learning groups. These Tribes have four basic rules: attentive listening, appreciation, mutual respect, and participation with right to pass. This method originated in California and decreases behavioral problems while motivating students in a classroom community environment.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">For students to collaborate as a “tribe” or a team, they must understand how to communicate with each other. This article provides the basic rules of collaboration. These rules foster an environment where students will feel safe and a part of a community so they will share their opinions and feelings with each other. During this process, respect will be expected among the students. Establishing the rules of collaboration will begin this process on a firm foundation.

D<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">ede, C. (2009). Technologies that facilitate generating knowledge and possibly wisdom. Educational Researcher, (38)4.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Chris Dede researched how Web 2.0 tools can enhance the generating and sharing of knowledge in the education research community. He believes that using these tools together can increase the quality and pace of educational scholarship. He found that using Web 2.0 tools for research would provide a virtual setting for dialogue about sharing, thinking, a co-creating projects.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Through this research it is shown how Web 2.0 tools should be used together and not just as stand alone tools for the enhancement of research projects. Our project utilizes a wiki, VoiceThread, and the Internet for research and presentation of the findings. I strive to implement lessons in my classroom that are cross-curricular. This is similar to our project, because we are using several Web 2.0 tools while incorporating social studies, speaking skills, reading, and writing. Using all of the aforementioned elements creates a beneficial learning experience for the students.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Epstein, A. S. (2007). //The intentional teacher: Choosing the best strategies for young children's learning.// Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In a study of preschool practices, Epstein found that children achieved much stronger learning outcomes when teachers intentionally connected hands-on and other meaningful activities to specific instructional targets. In other words, those teachers designed supportive learning environments and instruction with the end goal in mind. Epstein's book guides teachers with strategies for determining how and when each type of learning (self-directed, adult-guided, or a combination of both) proves to be most effective. Epstein also offers the reader suggestions regarding the means and methods for supporting that learning.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This book is a very useful resource for the early childhood teacher. It was published by the leading authority on the education of young children. As our learning team plans for the implementation of our collaborative project, we are mindful of the fact that our students span several grade levels, from K-12. So, we must establish a very supportive collaborative learning environment for our youngest students, many of whom will be newly acquiring the basic and foundational skills needed for succesful participation. __The Intentional Teacher__ will provide our team with the guidance we need to accommodate our youngest collaborators.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Hancock, T. (2010). Web 2.0 opens worldwide possibilities in education. Momentum, 41(1), 14- 15.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This article explains the Web 2.0 tools of social networking sites, Google Earth, podcasting, wikis, YouTube, VoiceThread, and several others. Each tool is described along with ideas of how to use each in an elementary classroom to a high school classroom. For VoiceThread, examples are given of elementary students giving a book talk or for showing and telling about a missions trip. Hancock tells that VoiceThread.com is user friendly, easy to learn, and contains helpful tutorials.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This article relates to this project, because it explains the benefits of using VoiceThread for student learning. It also describes other alternatives for creating a final product. This would be a good article to share with parents so they can understand that VoiceThread is one of many Web 2.0 tools that elementary students can use to show their understanding of the state standards.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Kim, D., Kwok-Bun, Y., Hall, S., & Gates, T. (2009). Global Diffusion of the Internet XV: Web 2.0 Technologies, Principles, and Applications: A Conceptual Framework from Technology Push and Demand Pull Perspective. //Communications of AIS, 2009(24)//, 657-672. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. ISSN: 1529-3181 Accession number: 45267836.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This article discusses web 2.0 technologies and their implications for education and business. Web 2.0 technologies allow participation, collaboration, rich user experiences, social networking, semantics and interactivity responsiveness (Kim, Kwok-Bun, Hall & Gates 2009). Web 2.0 features have improved the ability of users to create, distribute, and use content. Web 2.0 technologies have increased availability of materials that learners use for the educational community.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">For our team’s collaborative project, we are using the web 2.0 tool known as VoiceThread. VoiceThread has all of the features mentioned above of a web 2.0 tool. The learners use skills needed in the 21st Century workplace such as; critical thinking, collaboration and using digital technology communication tools.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">King, M., Newmann, F., & Carmichael, D.. (2009). Authentic intellectual work: common standards for teaching social studies. Social Education, 73(1), 43.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The authors of this article explain that authentic intellectual work in social studies should be complex with personal and social meaning. Authentic learning experiences will motivate students while increasing their content knowledge. These types of experiences involve careful study and end with a finished presentation or product.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This project is based on a meaningful topic, the students’ own community. Allowing the students to collaborate and choose the most important parts of their community makes the project personal to them. They will be motivated to learn more about their community and share what they have learned with others. Creating a VoiceThread about their community is an authentic learning experience that challenges the students to present information in a new way to a new audience.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Kutnick, P., Ota, C., & Berdondini, L. (2008). Improving the effects of group working in classrooms with young school-age children: Facilitating attainment, interaction and classroom activity. //Learning and Instruction, 19(1),// 83-95.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This particular study focused on children ages 5-7 years old. Kutnick et al noted recent reseach shows that, although children in primary school classrooms are often seated in groups, those same children aren't collaborating or learning effectively within these groups. Therefore, this study's aim was to assess and compare experimental and control primary-level classes for attainment (reading and math), motivation for collaborative work, and, behavioral and communicative actions. Upon conclusion of the study, it was found that the children in experimental classes -- where more dynamic, multimedia technologies were infused into the curriculum -- demonstrated more improvement that those in control classes. The critical factors were attainment of learned concepts, motivation for working with others, group and on-task behaviors and high levels of communicative interaction with group peers. Kutnick et al concluded that young children are indeed capable of participating in stimulating and collaborative group work.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This study was a good follow-up to the book by Epstein mentioned above, __The Intentional Teacher__. It helps reinforce the best practices our learning team plans to use for engaging our youngest learners in the collaborative learning process. They will be provided with various developmentally appropriate scaffolds and pre-training, thereby, giving the children the means to use digital technologies to communicate effectively with their groups, to attain a sense of self-direction and control over their learning environment, and confidently share their learning with older peers in cooperating classes.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Lombardi, M. (2008, January). //Making the grade: The role of assessment in authentic learning.// Retrieved July 2, 2010, from []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Lombardi begins this article by addressing how assessment is essential to successful teaching and learning. Research shows that, as students develop more capable learning skills, the level at which they engage with content depends largely on their expectations of how their achievement will be measured. The author reminds those educators who intend to engage their students in authentic learning experiences (enhanced with technology) to also be mindful of appropriate and meaningful methods of assessing student learning in such a learning environment. Although the article is geared for learning environments in higher education venues, the information it provides can be applied just as well to K-12 classrooms.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Our learning team's collaborative project entails engaging our students in authentic learning experiences. Hence, we have to be cognizant of the types of assessment tools and methods we will utilize to appropriately evaluate our students' learning and diverse mastery levels. This will be especially important for us because the majority of our students are primary and intermediate level learners. For them, many new learning skills and strategies are being introduced, molded, and reinforced daily. Therefore, the methods used to assess Kindergarten students will most likely differ from those in the higher grades and vice versa, possibly, in both kind and intensity.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Mayer, R., E. (2009). //Multi-Media Learning (2nd ed.).// New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In this book, the author feels the research base and theoretical base of multi-media continues to grow. The book describes some of the principles of multi-media learning and the implications it has on cognitive processing. One of the principles is the modality principle which is, people learn more deeply from pictures and spoken words than from pictures and written text (Mayer 2009, ch.11, pg, 200). This is one of the assumptions of the modality approach, but there is a rationale that claims the modality approach does not matter. The information-delivery hypothesis is the idea that multi-media learning is presenting the information to learners via as many routes as possible (Mayer 2009, ch.11, pg, 2004, p.3). Part of the hypothesis is that learning is deeper when narration presented with pictures either by spoken words or written text to prevent cognitive overload, because in either case; there are only two paths of delivery to the learner.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The book is relevant to the project because we are presenting information by narration and pictures and printed text and pictures. Each picture presented will have one form of narration to explain the picture to prevent information overload.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Mayer, R. (2009). //Multimedia learning: second edition.// Cambridge University Press, New York:NY.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This book is focused on the use of multimedia in the classroom. The first section explains what works in multimedia learning and how to determine that multimedia learning works. It continues on to principles for reducing extraneous processing, managing essential processing, and fostering generative processes in multimedia learning. This book explains to teachers and parents that multimedia, if used and created wisely, can be a tool for increasing student achievement in the classroom.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The first section about determining the what and how of multimedia learning supports the purpose of this project. It is an opportunity for students to use multimedia to create a final product that has meaning to them. As they go through the collaboration process, they will begin to make wise choices about how to present their information, what is important, and what is visually pleasing.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">McCall, A., Janssen, B., & Riederer, K.. (2008). More time for powerful social studies: when university social studies methods faculty and classroom teachers collaborate. The Social Studies,99(3), 135-141.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This is a study about collaborations between university professors and classroom teachers on effective social studies teaching strategies. They collaborated to improve the powerfulness of social studies lessons despite NCLB constraints and lack of time. This involved integrating social studies with literacy and math. It involved the methods of using teachable moments and incorporating technology and media skills in social studies research.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The basis of our project is for the students to research their community. The students will be using technology to find more information about places in their community and for creating their VoiceThread and sharing it with other students. This use of technology will sharpen the media skills of my elementary age students so they are better prepared for their future educational experiences in middle school, high school, and college. Collaboration among the teachers and students is vital to the success of the project. This project is a way to teach valuable social study standards about geography and community in a meaningful way.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Pollalis, Y., & Mavrommatis, G. (2009). Using similarity measures for collaborating groups formation: A model for distance learning environments. //European Journal of Operational Research, 193(2),// 626. Retrieved July 29, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1591906401).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The article makes the case that learning environments should be streamlined to prevent the possibility of multiple solutions to the problem presented. When the learning objectives known, the next step is finding accepted tools: learning theories, instructional design, information retrieval, and taxonomy in online environments. In the article, there is a method used to select appropriate learning objects to form educational packages. The authors believe that because distance learners hardly get into physical contact, characteristics like gender, nationality, age, shyness, religion and color are of less importance than they are in the case of traditional classroom collaboration (Pollalis & Mavrommatis, 2009).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This article is relevant to our project in that a plethora of learners will be collaborating using a tool accepted in k-12 online learning environment. The learning objective is clearly defined with only one solution to the problem.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Ravitz, J. (2008). //Project-based learning as a catalyst in reforming high schools.// Paper presented at Annual Meetings of the American Educational Research Association, New York: NY.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Ravitz presents initial results from a survey of project-based learning implemented in several high schools, including those involved in major reform efforts. This study offers a description of the type, duration, and quality of student learning experiences critical to school reform, focusing primarily on project-based learning as a critical factor of that reform. Also, this research focused on teachers who were intent on transforming their school environments through project-based learning. Ravitz found that correlations between reforms and various learning and instructional conditions such as an integrated curriculum, student ownership of learning, and community involvement. Also, researchers found teachers who engaged in professional development and instructional enhancement were more likely to engage in project-based learning and related best practices. Future study will analyze the relationships between school reform and various curricular areas, and provide insight into project-based learning best practices within the context of today's high school reform efforts.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Our collaborative project involves students in Grades K-12. Hence, this research study highlighted the importance of our learning team members being active in learning all we can about the best practices and technological factors associated with project-based learning. Also, our high school level learning team member demonstrated concern with making this collaborative learning activity meaningful and relevant for his older students. This study offers that team member options and suggestions that can help him create an engaging learning environment throughout our collaborative project.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Sprankle, B. (2009). VoiceThread. School Talk, 15(1), 4-6.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This article explains the Web 2.0 tool, VoiceThread. Sprankle described that VoiceThread provides a learning opportunity that includes collaboration, communication, creativity, and innovation. VoiceThread is compared to an online interactive bulletin board for students to share their work. It creates an opportunity for students and teachers to open up to the global community.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This is another article that could be shared with parents so they have a firm understanding of what VoiceThread is and how it will benefit their child’s learning experiences. This article will answer any questions that parents may have so they will be eager to sign a permission slip for their child to access the Internet and create a project that will be shared with students in other states.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Tivadar, M. (2010). //Is it better to live in a US or European city?// Retrieved July 13, 2010 from []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Location to a workplace is one of the motivations when choosing a good place to live (Tivadar, 2010). The author maintains that accessibility to the workplace is very important when making this decision. Households with workplaces in different locations may opt to live in an area equal distances from workplaces. The author contends that housing in this area is cheaper.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">My learners are alternative high school and few are going on to higher education. A good part of the learners will enter the work force. This will stimulate their thinking in hopes they will apply locations to a workplace as a factor when they move. This has real-world implications to help the learners make good a decision that affects their lives.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Valentine, B., & Bernhisel, S. (2008). Teens and Their Technologies in High School and College: Implications for Teaching and Learning. //Journal of Academic Librarianship, 34(6),// 502-512. Retrieved from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts database.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This article is a study on digital technology and the implications of popular digital technologies used by high school students. The technologies have the potential to be transferred for use by educators at the college level to engage students in online environments. The survey also compared the use and frequency of various digital and communication technologies by high school and college students. The survey found that many of the popular technologies used by high school students in the past are helpful when college educators create effective curriculum in online environments.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The article is relevant to the project because my section of the project created by high school students and many of the devices are new. The students will use any of their popular digital devices that interface with VoiceThread to present their information.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Williams, S. M. (2009). //The impact of collaborative, scaffolded learning in K-12 schools: A meta-analysis.// Retrieved July 10, 2010, from []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This meta-analysis of research literature from 1999-2009 examines the effect of student collaborative learning and engagement at elementary and secondary levels. Williams analyzed two areas: comparative studies of learning outcomes where some students were placed in collaborative groups and some were not; and, comparative studies where some collaborative groups of students were provided with scaffolds and similar groups were not given such support. The analysis revealed the following: students learning in collaborative groups learned more than students learning individually in traditional, teacher-directed environments; students' attitudes toward learning were more positive when engaged in collaborative learning; scaffolds -- some of which include technology tools for learning -- can improve student learning during collaborative activities, on both simple and complex tasks. Williams concludes with a recommendation that future research focus on the factors of student diversity and varied content when considering appropriate collaborative activities and tasks.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This particular meta-analysis supports our learning community's belief that providing collaborative learning experiences for our diverse group of students is more effective than relying heavily on traditional, teacher-directed methods of content delivery. Doing so requires us to relinquish some control over the learning environment, as we create and utilize developmentally appropriate scaffolds to help our students become more self-directed learners. Also, due to our current coursework regarding diversity in learning, our learning team is very familiar with the idea of considering student diversity and varied content when designing engaging, collaborative activities for our students. For example, we will be utilizing the three principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) -- representation, expression and engagement -- to design the learning activities for our collaborative project.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**Our learning team's best sources of research for making decisions regarding educational technology:**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//**Leasa's Best Resources**// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">I've always believed that one who's in a position to make decisions about securing educational technology in a school setting has to have a strong knowledge of the new technology in its historical context, particularly in relation to its predecessors. How did those preceding technologies fare in their time, and, could what happened to them influence what will happen with the current technology under consideration? That's why I have found McLuhan's tetrad model to be a very useful resource. During the decision-making process, the tetrad helps me "look ahead" toward the possible consequences of my actions -- Will the new technology fit well into the current societal context? Will it enhance learning for our students who are digital natives? Will it sufficiently support our teachers, most of whom are digital immigrants?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">As a member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), I also have access to two excellent publications that help me identify effective instructional uses of technology -- the //Journal of Research on Technology in Education (JRTE)// and //Learning & Leading with Technology (L&L)//. ISTE's //Journal of Research on Technology in Education (JRTE)// provides me with peer-reviewed articles that report on original research, project descriptions and evaluations, syntheses of the literature in the field of educational technology, assessments of the latest technologies, and theoretical or conceptual positions relating to instructional uses of educational technology. //Learning & Leading with Technology (L&L)// is ISTE's magazine featuring practical ideas for utilizing the latest technology tools to improve instruction and learning, and for integrating technology effectively into the classroom and curriculum. Together these sources have provided me with practical information and research-based solutions needed to make important decisions regarding professional development and best practices in educational technology integration at my school.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**//Alison's Best Resources//** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">When researching decisions that I make regarding educational technology, I primarily use ProQuest. It is user friendly and allows me to narrow the search results. If I am looking for a quick answer to a question I have used Google. For this program, I have primarily used the research databases found at the Walden Library. I have used the ERIC database along with the ProQuest database. Honestly, outside of this program and in my classroom I have not done research to support my use of technology in the classroom. It is an area of needed improvement so that I can better explain to parents the “why” of technology tools and their child’s learning experiences.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**//Henry's Best Resources//** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Currently the data bases I have used for information on educational technology are Walden University EBSCO and Google search. I have not subscribed to any publications at this time; however, I read articles found in newspapers and magazines whenever located. The books in this program are also a great source for information on educational technology. I also have access to Yale University Library for research on technology.