Setting the Foundation for Collaboration
Pathway Overview
Along this pathway we will look at defining effective collaboration and understanding the important role that collaboration plays in student learning. Collaboration can take many forms, from working on completing a task with a partner or in a small group, to discussing ideas, solution strategies and so forth, as a whole class or in small groups. The goal of collaboration is to gain a deeper understanding of the content by hearing, considering, questioning, and learning from different ideas. The more students are exposed and required to think about other ideas the better they are able to frame and internalize their own understanding.
Learning Objectives
Objective 1: Participants will be able to explain the importance of and methods for effectively using collaborative learning to engage students with both the content and with each other.
Objective 2: Participants will be able to examine and evaluate their own instructional practices to determine how personal knowledge and beliefs regarding collaboration have driven practices in the past, the impact of those practices on student learning, and make determinations on what practices they want to put in place to make changes regarding collaboration in the future.
Objective 3: Participants will be able to identify reasons why their students may resist working in groups and be able to employ strategies to help students overcome challenges of working with others.
Objective 4: Participants will better understand the experience of working in collaborative groups from the perspective of historically marginalized students including English Language Learners, students of color, students from diverse cultures, and students with disabilities in order to create collaborative learning experiences that support and value the assets of all students.
Impact on Classroom Practice and Student Learning
Participants will be able to create a classroom environment that is conducive for student collaboration and will be able to put tools and systems in place that will support students as they learn to work collaboratively.
