For this week's collaborative team meeting, we were able to complete a few prototypes and start thinking about how we would implement those plans. Nothing is definitive yet, but definitely a starting point from which we would build a finalized idea was established. During our meeting we bounced around various different ideas and how we could implement each before deciding on the 3 possibilities. There also exists a potential for incorporating different plans into one main idea (integration), especially if there were a school wide campaign. The main concern with feedback was with regards to who the end users were. The reality is that with our goals and prototypes, the beneficiaries of a successful campaign are not just the students, but rather the community as a whole as well as the nation.
The main challenge this week was finding a collaborative platform that we could all participate in and demonstrate our different ways of thinking as well as show our prototypes. We initially attempted mural.ly, and were somewhat successful in getting our ideas on that blank canvas. We were able to outline, detail, and show our work. Unfortunately, it was fairly counter-intuitive and required more effort than we initially anticipated. We attempted to collaborate on the platform but things kept disappearing, or random things began appearing, and overall the experience was not that great. I am sure that it useful to some people, but the platform felt as though it were still in beta. Were we to do this again, I think we would all steer clear from mura.ly and attempt to use something different. Or we could just use Prezi since the beginning.
If implemented with actual users, this step in the process would be the tricky to not only keep track of, but it also to make sure that things were being implemented correctly (if using the mural.ly platform like we used). There would have to be some training on the platform as well as some activities that to help acclimate them with it as well. Once they are comfortable with the platform, then they would be able to begin the collaborative work with each other. But, if this were to be done within a school (for a staff meeting), then small groups working with poster boards may be the more effective way to accomplish collaborative work, then none of them would be too preoccupied with making the technology work. I know of many teachers that give up easily on new technology due to initial frustration and refuse to work with it.
Collaboration in the 21st century though does not have to be how it played out for us in the microcosm of our group. On the global scale of our internet connected world, the collaboration process can involve many unique individuals from many different places. Twitter conversations can be used to spark a dialogue and discuss certain themes instantaneously. Blogs and other similar methods can be used to have an open dialogue on larger more detailed ideas and plans. Collaborative platforms can then be used to create something together, it could even be Google Docs.
The main challenge this week was finding a collaborative platform that we could all participate in and demonstrate our different ways of thinking as well as show our prototypes. We initially attempted mural.ly, and were somewhat successful in getting our ideas on that blank canvas. We were able to outline, detail, and show our work. Unfortunately, it was fairly counter-intuitive and required more effort than we initially anticipated. We attempted to collaborate on the platform but things kept disappearing, or random things began appearing, and overall the experience was not that great. I am sure that it useful to some people, but the platform felt as though it were still in beta. Were we to do this again, I think we would all steer clear from mura.ly and attempt to use something different. Or we could just use Prezi since the beginning.
If implemented with actual users, this step in the process would be the tricky to not only keep track of, but it also to make sure that things were being implemented correctly (if using the mural.ly platform like we used). There would have to be some training on the platform as well as some activities that to help acclimate them with it as well. Once they are comfortable with the platform, then they would be able to begin the collaborative work with each other. But, if this were to be done within a school (for a staff meeting), then small groups working with poster boards may be the more effective way to accomplish collaborative work, then none of them would be too preoccupied with making the technology work. I know of many teachers that give up easily on new technology due to initial frustration and refuse to work with it.
Collaboration in the 21st century though does not have to be how it played out for us in the microcosm of our group. On the global scale of our internet connected world, the collaboration process can involve many unique individuals from many different places. Twitter conversations can be used to spark a dialogue and discuss certain themes instantaneously. Blogs and other similar methods can be used to have an open dialogue on larger more detailed ideas and plans. Collaborative platforms can then be used to create something together, it could even be Google Docs.