How teachers can use tools to support collaborative reading?

The capacity to collaborate to solve problems is said to be even more important for tomorrow’s workers than content knowledge. Two or more people working together have a better chance of solving a problem than one person working alone. Collaboration is increasingly important in the modern world, as we become more connected around the globe. The rise of cloud computing and faster internet connections have enabled collaboration like never before. Technology adds extra dimensions to regular collaborative reading. Let us consider 5 tech tools at our disposal and how teachers can use them effectively to implement collaborative reading in the classroom.

1.Google Documents: Google documents were built with collaboration in mind. All you need is an Internet connection, web browser and a Gmail account. Books that are stored as documents can be commented on publicly and notes/comments can be added at appropriate locations. In addition, the program supports live chat where further discussion can take place. The visibility of the notes, comments and document itself, can be controlled by specifying sharing permissions by the owner of the document. Apps for Google documents are now available for smart phones and tablets.

2. Mind 42: Mind 42 is a mind mapping software.We covered how mind maps can be used in the last lesson. In the context of collaborative reading,mind maps can be shared with other users for the purpose of collaboration. The structure of a book can be broken down into sections for easier understanding and students can learn from each other by adding their own observations and learnings to the map then view what others have contributed.

 3.Etherpad: Etherpad is a great collaboration tool for schools with a limited budget because it is completely free. Etherpad allows you to read, edit and annotate documents collaboratively in real-time.Software that runs on Linux, Mac and Windows is available for download and offers a good alternative for use on Laptops and desktops. It also has a web front end so that users can use it from any web browser. Additionally, it supports audio and video chat as well as line numbers in the text, to enhance collaboration.

4. Edmodo: Edmodo is a free private social platform for education. Teachers can create groups. Each group is assigned a unique code. Students can then join the group using this code. When students join a group, the software further generates another code which parents can use to log in on the Edmodo website and view the progress and grades of their children. Discussions, reflections, critiques, insights, etc. can be provided by Edmodo to facilitate collaborative reading.

 5.Tablets & eBook Readers: When used collaboratively, eBook readers such as the Kindle, allow students to share notable passages from books on social media, leave public notes at specific points in the book, and display what other readers have highlighted in the book you are reading. If a reader or tablet does not have such functionality, such interaction can take place at virtual book clubs or wikis which were covered in the last lesson.

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