I am just finishing a class on Online Collaborative projects.  It was an eye opening experience.  I was able to create a project where students were put into a mock trial situation.  In this lesson students were given scenarios where native environments were threatened by progress such as developers building a resort in native beach community.  It has technology requirements such as holding team meetings online, using Google docs to prepare exhibits and arguments. Students were required to do online research as well as traditional research.  Two teams were set up on each scenario.  The teams consisted of an attorney and two expert witnesses.  Each had to prepare testimony based on their research.  The class acted as the jury and the teacher is the judge.  The students were given 2 computer lab research days, one library day, and 2 in-class work days.  Because we are on block scheduling, the students were expected to blog on their non-class days.  This addresses standards that are neglected or skimmed due to time restraints and testing schedules.  This was the best idea that I could up with would address these objectives.  The project addresses standards for ecosystems, biodiversity, interrelationships between organisms and environment, and biomes.  These topis are dry and hard to cover at the end of the school year. Students have embraced the idea and I look forward to the implication of the lesson.

I think Special Classes (Extra hours) would take an important role in completing such kind of in complete projects ! 

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