Flexibility and Support. When I think of the effective use of digital resources in the educational environment, these are two of the first words that come to mind. In our current 21st century learning environment, collaboration is one of the main skills emphasized for students to learn. Many of today’s classrooms attempt to meet this demand by completely physical means. Teachers have students work together with their pencils and paper while at school but the collaboration stops once students leave for the day. Due to the limited time students have together in the physical space of a classroom, operating in this manner does not allow for them to potentially gain a deeper understanding of topics through conversation and idea sharing with group members outside of the classroom. This is why the use of digital resources, particularly Web 2.0 and Cloud computing, is very valuable for classroom collaboration. Unlike the traditional, physical group collaboration model, the digital resources allow for increased flexibility and convenient support in the collaboration process. For example, when writing, utilizing Web 2.0 platforms such as blogs, wikis, and social networks allows groups to immerse themselves in a shared workspace in which each group member can create, edit, share documents, ask questions, provide feedback, and reflect on learning via real-time interactions without limitation of time and space (Charles & Dickens, 2012). These platforms allow learners to work together and receive the support they need anywhere and at any time. In Cloud computing environments such as the well-established Google Docs, learners are able to utilize a single platform to share data over the Internet and simultaneously respond as they see the thoughts of their peers being typed. This increased ability to share information with group members and provide them with assistance and feedback almost immediately further promotes teamwork as learners have more opportunities for open communication and increased interaction as well as the ability to provide mutual help and exchange of resources as needed (Denton, 2012). Therefore, with the use of a Cloud computing digital resource environment, we are once again able to see how the group collaboration experience can remain flexible and supportive even when students are not occupying the same physical space and time.
Learning and understanding the value of these digital collaboration tools and how to utilize them effectively. Having chosen to implement the flipped classroom model with project-based learning as my innovation plan, the use of collaboration and technology will be a huge part of the learning process both inside and outside of the classroom. Therefore, it will be imperative for me as a campus technology leader to cultivate the same understanding and appreciation of technology for learning in my fellow colleagues. I think this experience with COVID-19 has shown me the best way to successfully move from theory to practice in accomplishing this: by placing my colleagues in situations where they are required to engage with technology directly in order to accomplish a particular goal. Whether it be asking administrators to conduct staff meetings in a flipped format, having SLCs create social networking groups to collaborate on ideas for campus improvement, or utilizing Google Docs or Sheets as a central location for the staff to edit and revise general student information, engulfing staff members in these types of digital experiences will allow them to gain familiarity with how to use various technologies with a purpose. By experiencing technology in this way rather than just for entertainment, I believe they will begin to see how it can be valuable for their students to use as well. This is why, in addition to having my staff experience technology in this way, I would also like to write about how to use and teach others to use technology with intention and purpose. I believe much of the disinterest teachers have towards using technology in the learning environment comes from not knowing how to use it as a tool to create active learning experiences for students. By providing educators with a few ideas for programs to use and how to teach students to use them with the intention to learn, I think this can begin to positively change some opinions on the value of technology in the learning environment.
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