Norms for Online Collaboration

Two things are happening right now in my professional life. We are facing unprecedented times as teachers and we are now working almost exclusively online. I’ve also embarked on furthering my professional goals by enrolling in a mathematics additional qualifications course. Of course, these two events have converged somewhat and created an opportunity for me to share my learning and ideas with others online. As I begin the AQ course, and think about my role as teacher in these uncertain times, I think about how I might extend my classroom community to the digital world. Building community is one of my favourite aspects of teaching. It involves setting norms for learning in a way that honours all students in the classroom. A classroom community includes a group of people with a lot of ideas, and a willingness to share. Trust, in themselves as individuals, but also in each other. A community has some sort of boss -- someone in charge -- that students can count on to be the moral leader and the one person above all else who they can count on. Lastly, a community builds knowledge through teamwork.

These are the foundations for building a classroom community. I think these norms for learning are integral in online adult learning as well. Professional learning communities rely on others to share ideas -- there have to be a lot of them -- and the PLC must have trust in one another. The team must be willing to work together. They must understand that individual success is based on collective success. Sometimes it’s hard to have a leader in adult PLCs, but I do think they are necessary, to help delegate, assign roles, and mediate when conflict arises. I’m looking forward to the next little while working online. I think I will leave the era of self-isolation with a better understanding of the importance of establishing norms in learning communities: online, in-class, for adults, and for students.

Vertical Non-permanent Surfaces in Intermediate Math Classrooms