Collaborationand

Communication

Whatis

Collaboration?

“Collaboration is…working together

towards ashared goal.”

Elements of Collaboration

Marzano, R., Pickering, Pollack, Classroom Instruction that Works, (ASCD, 2001), pp. 85-86.

1) Positive Interdependence2) Face-to-Face Interactions3) Individual & Group Accountability4) Social Skills (communication)5) Processing (reflecting)

Elements of Collaboration1) Positive Interdependence

Each member has a unique contribution whose efforts are required and indispensable for the group’s success.

Elements of Collaboration1) Positive Interdependence2) Face-to-Face Interactions

We each help the others succeed.

Elements of Collaboration1) Positive Interdependence2) Face-to-Face Interactions3) Individual & Group AccountabilityEach member has a

responsibility to fulfill.

Elements of Collaboration1) Positive Interdependence2) Face-to-Face Interactions3) Individual & Group Accountability4) Social Skills (communication)

We learn how to work together and communicate effectively.

Elements of Collaboration1) Positive Interdependence2) Face-to-Face Interactions3) Individual & Group Accountability4) Social Skills (communication)5) Processing (reflecting)

What’s working? What’s not?

wordsactions

attitudesproducts

Children need to learn how to collaborate:

Sharing ideasListening to others

Taking turnsAsking questionsHelping others

What doescollaboration look like?

When you are collaborating, what are you doing?

What does communication look

like?

We know that…There are words of kindness and words of crueltyWords can help settle conflicts

(instead of fighting)Actions can make words more

powerfulThe power of words depends on

who’s listening and his or her perception or interpretation 

The Power of WordsClass of 2010

Also, we have found out that…Words can hurt1 hurt = 5 - 10 kindnesses (or even

more!)Hearing “I’m sorry” may not be

truly meant by the speakerSaying “I’m sorry” doesn’t

guarantee being forgivenBeing kind usually brings a

kindness in response

 

The Power of WordsClass of 2010

Some advice would be…If you need to say, “I don’t mean to

hurt your feelings, but…” or “No offense, but…” it’s better NOT to say it.

If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say it. 

The Power of WordsClass of 2010

So we should…Choose our words carefullyThink before we speakSay what we mean and mean what

we say

The Power of WordsClass of 2010

Our Class’s Goals and Agreements

In what waysdo we

Communicate?

Cooperation Squares

Goals:1. To encourage cooperation

2. To help students become aware of their own behaviors that may help or hinder collaborative effort

3. To build inclusion and influence

Cooperation Squares

Directions:

1. For each group (of 5) divide up the puzzle pieces.

2. The task is accomplished when each team member has completed a perfect square made of 3 pieces.

3. There is to be no talking, but a member may give a piece to another if she or he thinks it might help that person complete his or her square.

Cooperation SquaresReflection Questions:

1. What did you learn about nonverbal cooperation?

2. What cooperation and communication skills did your team need be successful?

3. Why is “giving” a cooperative skill?

4. How did you feel when someone helped your team in a special way? When someone did not notice how to help?

5. In what ways did you help your team?

Cooperation Squares

Appreciations: “I liked it when…”

“I felt good when…”

“I’d like to thank… for…”

“I appreciate… for…”

Can weCollaborate

withoutCommunicating?

• Establish trust FIRST!• Determine goals• Establish agreements• Develop

responsibilities/jobs• Determine how the

responsibilities will be shared

• Develop criteria of success• Assess and reflect• Improve and/or continue

6th Grade Procedure for EncouragingCollaborative Group Work

Establish TRUST !Create a safe environmentGet to know each other“Ice-breakers”Paired InterviewRound TableThink-Pair-Share

What is our goal?Why are we here?

What is our purpose?What do we wantto accomplish?

Determine Goals

How will we work together?

What are our ground rules?

Establish Agreements

What kinds of tasks need to be done in order to reach our

goal?How much time do we have to achieve our

goal?

Develop Responsibilities/Jobs

Who will do what?How do we

determine who gets which job?

Do we share jobs?

Determine how the responsibilitieswill be shared

How will we know when we are successful?

How will we know if our end result is

“good?”How well will we do

each job?

Develop criteria of success

How well did our group do?

What can we do better?

How well did I participate in my

group?What can I do next time to improve?What did I learn?

What did we learn?

Assess and Reflect

Elements of Collaboration

Marzano, R., Pickering, Pollack, Classroom Instruction that Works, (ASCD, 2001), pp. 85-86.

1) Positive Interdependence2) Face-to-Face Interactions3) Individual & Group Accountability4) Social Skills (communication)5) Processing (reflecting)

Collaborative Groupscreate

Positive Interdependence

1. Mutual Goals2. Task is structured so we

can’t do it alone; everyone is needed; each has an important role.

Collaborative Groupscreate

Positive Interdependence

1. Mutual Goals

Collaborative Groupscreate

Positive Interdependence

1. Mutual Goals2. Task is structured so we

can’t do it alone; everyone is needed; each has an important role.

Roles – examples: encourager, timekeeper, recorder, materials manager, focuser.

Collaborative GroupsInvolve

Individual and Group Accountability

1. a feedback system for individual learners as well as the group

Self-assessmentIndividual assesses

group Group members

assess each other

Self and PeerEvaluation

Collaborative GroupsInvolve

Processing (Reflecting)

Reflection QuestionsWhat are 3 specific examples of your team working well together?

What was one very important surprising or new thing you learned about yourself and working with others? Explain why this is important.

What was one very important surprising or new thing you learned about yourself and working on this kind of project? Explain why this is important.

Describe at least one gift that another member of your polis gave to your team. Explain why this was a “gift.”

Describe at least one gift that you gave your team. Explain why this was a “gift.”

Children’s Reflections on Collaboration“We all had a talent that helped complete our part of

the class’s presentation.”

“We worked well together because we listened to each other.”

“Our group let each other speak so we were able to communicate and work together.”

“Each person helped in some way. Each person had a job.”

“Our group pieced together our subject and what we needed then we divided it up between ourselves.”

“My group checked in with each other every 15-20 minutes to share what we were doing.”

This is what has worked for me:Build trust FIRST !Start small (pairs, then triads, followed by foursomes)Simple tasks (brainstorming, sharing information or

ideas)Specific directions, short procedures/protocolsRemember reflection !As children gain confidence and abilities, increase

size of group, increase task complexity, increase their responsibilities for decision-making

These are purposes for which I use Collaborative Groups:

Sharing informationSharing ideas and thinking (compare/contrast, webbing)Deepening understandingSkill-building or masteryResearching, Experimenting, AnalyzingDecision-making, Prioritizing, Assessing/EvaluatingRememberingDesigning, planning and producing projects/presentations

Some examples of using Collaborative Groups in 6th

Grade:Literature CirclesSocial Studies Research

TeamsScience Lab Investigation

TeamsArchitecture/Engineering

TeamsMath Study GroupsHomework BuddiesPeer and group Editing

Light is the task where many share the toil.Homer

We must all hang together, or assuredly, we shall all hang separately.- Benjamin Franklin

Coming together is a beginning.Keeping together is progress.Working together is success.- Henry Ford

The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.Babe Ruth

A boat doesn’t go forward if each one is rowing their own way.Swahili proverb

ThankYou!