What Matters

Build collaborative problem–solving skills with technology.

For 21st-Century learners, what matters most is the ability to think critically and communicate effectively within a team environment. Practicing higher-level cognitive skills is fun for students using a “Web Quest” model and Tech4Learning’s ImageBlender and WebBlender software, as demonstrated by gifted and talented fifth grade students at Western Hills Elementary in Temple, Texas.

Mixing science curriculum with technology, these students participated in a pilot project that creatively integrated online research with digital cameras, image editing, and Internet publication. The steps for this collaborative learning unit could be applied to any area of study and completed in a period of just a few days.

Step 1: The Task

With the help of Western Hills Gifted and Talented Teacher Lanelle Holbrook and Computer Lab Assistant Rika Talasek, students are introduced to the project from an instructional web site where they are directed to form crews of three or four members for an imaginary space mission.

Each crew is tasked with the exploration of a make-believe planet where they must find and catalog objects representing each state of matter. Members determine who will be assigned the roles of team leader, recorder, and photographer. With school staff supervision, crews embark on walking expeditions.

Students are instantly engaged shooting photographs, collecting information, and recording data. Following this discovery activity, each crew returns to a computer lab where members work together to expand their knowledge of solids, liquids, and gases by conducting research, synthesizing information, and organizing their collection of pictures into shared networked folders.

Step 2: The Process

After a brief software demonstration, crew members learn to use ImageBlender to resize, embellish, and label each picture. Sharing their edited images, they use WebBlender to develop individual web pages that illustrate the states of matter and chronicle their explorations. Cooperation is the key element as teams assemble web pages into an interesting and informative web site that they publish online.

Step 3: The Conclusion

Following the completion of each web site and a self-evaluation rubric, crew members practice communication and presentation skills through the use of a classroom video projector. Students critique the effectiveness of the publications and reflect on the efforts of their teams. Discussion centers on how crews resolved conflicts and managed time constraints to successfully meet goals.

by Terry Gibbons

Terry Gibbons is an instructional technologist for Temple Independent School District. Terry enjoys all kinds of creative endeavors and specializes in graphic design and multimedia publication.

and Paula Yezak

Paula Yezak enjoys developing, implementing, and supporting innovative technology programs for Temple Independent School District. She motivates educators with new ideas for teaching and learning with technology each year.