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Collaboration plays a vital role in teacher professional development, PLCs, parent/student communications, planning, project implementations, evaluations, and coaching techniques. Here are some tools to help keep you current and actively learning, improving, and sharing with peers, parents, administrators, and others. Collaboration must be "tailor-made for the needs, problems, and opportunities, that manifest novelty, complexity, uncertainty, and interdependent relationships." (Journal of Interprofessional Care, Hal A Lawson, Volume 18, 2004, Issue 3, p 225)
In other words, collaboration tools need to be flexible, make sense, and allow teams to interpret initiatives for continuous interaction and improvement. New digital media (Web 2.0 tools) have the ability to build remotely connected PLCs, those without proximity, to gain support in the learning process. As life-long learners, educators are able to benefit from global collaboration to gain perspective and evolve the teaching process as the nature of the student body evolves. Knowing how to build collaboration in an online environment will transform the teacher/student/parent/administrator/peer/global partner communication and critical thinking processes.
Knowing how to approach challenges with effective interactions and multiple points of view, creates a synergy that has the overwhelming potential of providing innovative solutions.
The term "collaboration" has been used in educational research for years. ( Hafernik, Messerschmitt, & Vandrick, 1997; Lieberman, 1986, 1992; Miller, 1990; Skau, 1987; Tikunoff & Ward, 1983). However, success has varied when collaboration has been the mainstay of various projects. Here is a maxim to assist successful collaboration efforts.
Maxim: Know your Role! Each collaborative effort should be considered a team for which various roles are assigned to each member. Although all persons in the team may contribute, each person should be assigned a standard role. Here are some standard roles:
Scribe: The Scribe takes meticulous and exact notes without interpreting the ideas. They may ask questions of the group for clarification. They distribute their notes to all team members.
Researcher: The Researcher is given the task to find the data. The data is not interpreted by the researcher but reported as found. The team will interpret the data.
Resource Person: The Resource Person makes sure everyone has available to them all the resources needed for the collaboration effort. This may include software, Apps, usernames, passwords, devices, pencils, paper, glue, etc. The Resource Person is the only person who is to contact "the teacher" or "sponsor" with questions or concerns from the group. The Resource Person monitors the progress of the entire team and keeps everyone on the appropriate Time Line.
Producer: The Producer creates the final report, powerpoint, website, video, etc. which will accurately and effectively communicate the project with those outside the "team". The team evaluates the final product and gives edit recommendations along the way.
Presenter: The Presenter is the person who will speak for the team during a presentation using the research and product of the team. They will be required to answer all higher-order questions asked about the team's findings or product.
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