Share
"Sharing was a lot of fun and was created from gaining knowledge
from my team's posts sparking an idea in my head."
T.W. - High School Student
"It was also nice being able to share my ideas freely
without the fear of being judged."
I.M. - High School Student
One way to improve knowledge or improve an idea is to share it with the world. Once shared, assume that someone will know something that you don't. This is when the improvement begins.
Efforts to share knowledge and ideas is cornerstone of Knowledge Building. By sharing knowledge and ideas, we invite others to examine these so that we learn what others can contribute to a shared problem. Students assume a ‘collective responsibility’ to share their knowledge and ideas so that advancements can be made that benefit the entire community. This is something not often experienced by students in classrooms – that each one depends upon the other for progress. This shared or collective responsibility can be summed up in a simple statement: “To give knowledge is to get knowledge”.
There are multiple methods in which to share knowledge and ideas publicly using online platforms. Here we look at a technical and non-technical methods for sharing knowledge and ideas.
What to Do
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With available technologies, students can share knowledge and ideas asynchronously – where real-time interactions are not expected. This gives students a chance to research knowledge at their own pace or take the time needed to play with an idea or understand new knowledge prior to making it public. One piece of free software, called Knowledge Forum, is designed specifically for Knowledge Building communities to help grow knowledge and play with ideas.
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Watch and listen below where students describe their experience with Knowledge Forum as they share knowledge and ideas Note the sense of shared responsibility the students have developed toward each other in helping each reach increasingly advanced levels of learning.
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Below are four screenshots within Knowledge Forum showing four maturing views of student work in three fields of study - Evolution, Climate Change and Astronomy. These views were from three separate classrooms with three different teachers all using the Four Actions for Knowledge Builders. Note the evidence of advanced sharing as students build upon the notes of others surrounding their problem.
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Below are two elementary teachers using non-technological methods of knowledge and idea sharing in their classrooms (find their work here). Using large cork boards in their classrooms, this method of sharing is useful for those with limited technology or those with young students not ready for online work.
Questions for Moving Forward
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Do you have access to technology (e.g. Chromebooks, iPads) that might use Knowledge Forum as the platform to share knowledge and ideas? If not, do you have an alternative space for posting during Knowledge Building?
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What methods of instruction might you be using in classroom lessons prior to Knowledge Building that encourages students to share their knowledge, questions, or ideas (e.g. Think-Pair-Share, Co-operative Groups)?