Metacognitive+Process


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=**Metacognitive Process **=

**Journal:**
Monday, February 15, 2010 //**Jackie**// - Dawn, Cynthia and I just finished a Skype conference about our wiki article and how we're going to approach our wiki site and class discussion. After talking with my group and getting the initial layout of pages created during our discussion, I feel very excited and positive about this project. I feel that it was necessary to talk 'in person' initially to make sure we were on the 'same page' (so to speak). It felt like our hour long discussion was very productive. We have decided not to assign particular pages to each person, but try to work collaboratively on all pages, since this was one of the reasons cited in our article that the wiki was not effective in the classroom. We would like to illustrate that this can be done effectively, and I think I have the best group group members to make that happen! //**Cynthia**// - It's been a while since I've worked on a group project, and it was really important for me to connect and chat with Dawn and Jackie. We "struck sparks" off each other, and got very excited as we discussed how we'd proceed. It's interesting that the project got bigger and bigger as we talked and each added ideas to what we need to cover. It was a little difficult figuring out initially how the wiki would be organized, and that may change as time goes on. This is certainly something I would talk to students about -- they would need guidance on organizing their material. I'd want to show them some exemplars, I think. As I analysed and reflected on our first conversation many thoughts struck me. First, working with these women provided "proof in the pudding" toward the benefits of collaboration. Through our collaborative efforts thoughts were confirmed and stretched toward a pleasing but flexible vision. It felt good to talk to each other to "fine tune" the project as we built on each others ideas. Next, I was struck in "awe" as I remembered the actual physical numbers of K.M’s between us and how that fact really was not an obstacle. They gave me a sense of clarity due to our Skype call. (It did not take long for that hour to fly by.) Technologies allow this to happen. cool. Also, The wisdom and experience of the group added so much strength to my learning. Lastly, I enjoyed the part of the conversation about keeping this project practical and the reassurance that we would support each other.
 * //Dawn//**

Cynthia** We have been working independently on the wiki, refining ideas, moving items around, adding clarifications. Looking at the History page is exciting as I see when my partners have been editing. It's great to see a new trend (one of them started developing discussion questions for readings I posted on the site) and then build on to that. It was a good idea to add new readings and links to one page and then use them from there.
 * Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010

Jackie**- I have been working on this wiki and another group wiki project simultaneously and have found the process to be completely different with both groups, so I thought I'd take a minute to share what I've learned so far in the process. I have been incredibly frustrated with my other group wiki because, in my humble opinion, we did ALL the mistakes listed in our article for this class!! There were four group members in the other wiki and the very first decision that the other members made was to split the pages of the wiki by person. Everyone chose "their" pages before I could even suggest that we make it a completely collaborative effort! The only collaboration that I felt really occurred was when the final formatting changes were being made. Also, the wiki itself wasn't used to help aid communication with the group members. Everyone continued to send emails back and forth...I got 34 in the final 3 days of the project! (They were also CC'd to my other email account so I had a lot of emails to clear out at the end. sigh.) I am hoping that we avoid some of those mistakes in this project - and it seems as though we already have! I think as teachers, we need to ensure that when students are beginning to use wikis, we need to help set up the format, so that collaboration is an expectation, not a byproduct!
 * Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010.

Dawn**- While working in this wiki together I began to reflect on my relationship with my partners. I feel I know (although only virtually) these two individuals well and I trust and admire their academic ability. Perhaps a wiki works best if there is a sense of congeniality between the partners as in any working environment. This would be especially important if we were to actually alter each others work as one is able to do in a wiki environment. Teachers would want their students to be working in groups that knew how to be respectful to each other. Actually, niceness on line is probably going to be a 21st century skill.
 * Saturday, March 13, 2010

I think we are still at the gathering stage so not much altering and changing has been happening. I do agree with the author of our article, we are joined in a “collective cognition.”


 * Jackie -** I have had an incredibly busy week, and have been feeling overwhelmed not only with school, but most other aspects of life too. I was feeling like I just became "that group partner" that was the "slacker" in not posting my thoughts and ideas as they were circulating through my head this week. I have found both my partners on this wiki project to not only be completely understanding, but supportive and reassuring that //it will get done!// In the past, I haven't been a huge fan of group projects (especially at the university level) as I have found that the work has never been evenly divided. However, for this project, with the ability to collaborate, communicate and edit online, I finally feel like this is what efficient and productive group work is all about. I'm still feeling very positive despite the looming deadline :)

Another skype call and some I.M. also helped. I had worried about the distance between us but other tools let us have another way of collaborating. Very much needed indeed. Our changes made the project better and created work for the glogster. I really like the visiuals of the glogster and the new blue headings in the wiki.
 * Dawn** We had a busy day today. Often technology never goes smoothly and today was one of those days. This is a time when having partners sure does help. I wish I had the PLN support last summer, as I was taking 501, that I have now. Life is easier, for sure. So Cynthia and Jackie saved me today as Jackie posted my work and Cynthis got me "re-added" to wiki. I had been busy writing but couldn't post anything.


 * Cynthia** I had to laugh when I read Jackie's comment about being the slacker -- as if she even knew how! It was great Skyping and messaging with Dawn and emailing with Jackie. We are at the point where we all see what needs to be done and are all trying to do it at once. I feel like Dawn, that we are still at the gathering stage. We have to move on -- as my engineer nephew says, "Time to freeze the design!"


 * Sunday, March 14th, 2010**
 * Dawn** -I think we are polishing with depth now.


 * Cynthia -** Jackie pointed out that we had nothing on assessment, so I went on a hunt for assessment materials including rubrics. Found some wonderful material, including an article about the value and pitfalls of looking at the history page, something I hadn't thought too much about. Dawn and I have been bouncing ideas back and forth via instant messaging, which was really helpful.


 * Monday, March 15th 2010**
 * Cynthia -** Can't believe the amount of frustration caused by formatting -- the reason for most of my dozens of edits. If only I had done some review of HTML code and wiki text, as opposed to learning on the fly. Makes me wonder how students would deal with this -- how many of them know code? I love the fact that we added this metacognitive component -- really has made me focus on how students would feel going through this! Great to talk to both Dawn and Jackie today and nail down the final changes that need to be done. I have an awesome group.


 * Jackie-** It has been amazing to see how quickly the wiki has progressed when we are all working on it simultaneously. Just by happenstance we were all on the site together several times over the past weekend. We have also used skype and email to discuss formatting changes in addition to leaving specific notes on pages. The skype talk and messaging has definitely sped up the process and it made me think about our original article again. The students were given the opportunity to meet fact to face during class time, in addition to using the wiki site and as a result, they did very little discussion on the wiki itself. (Two questions were posed on the site, but not answered) On the other hand, Cynthia, Dawn and I have had no opportunity to physically meet, but we chose the next best thing - skype! I feel that we worked as collaboratively as possible on our wiki site, but find it interesting that we still wanted to make the 'personal' connection both initially when setting up the formatting and again as we worked on the site at the same time. By building our relationship during informal conversations, I think it definitely contributed to our community of practice and our 'collective cognition'. It also encouraged all of us to edit each others work.

This has been a great reminder that working together does take a project to a deeper level of internalisation than doing a project on your own.
 * Dawn**- If anyone thought Skype was just about talking, they sure are wrong. Skyping through I.M. sure added a dimension of FUN to the project. Also, the joy of laughing a a few typing errors. I felt like a teenager! I really appreciated both of my classmates through the process. Thank you to both for sharing professonalism and academic strength.


 * Cynthia -** Thank goodness for Skype and Instant Messaging which I have rarely used before. Quick and easy way to connect, share, copy+paste, chat, laugh, and support one another.