Collaboration

Collaboration is a word heard often in today's world of education.  You hear of teachers collaborating, administrators, school boards and communities collaborating.  I'm hearing more and more about student collaboration.  Collaborative learning to be exact.

According to Wikipedia, Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal.  It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, (this is more than the intersection of common goals seen in co-operative ventures, but a deep, collective, determination to reach an identical objective) — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature by sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus. 

Don't you think this is where our strength lies?   Working together to achieve a goal sounds simple, but often it is very challenging.  The people involved have to be willing to listen and contribute to the project.  Goals have to be identified and roles have to be assigned by the group.  Resources have to be assessed and maximized.  Teammates have to be accountable and dependable. 

There are a lot more things that could be included in this list I know, but one that has to be on the list is leadership.  In the case of collaborative learning, it simply will not work without it.  Our teachers, administrators and staff at Ozark School District are committed to providing great leadership to our students in this regard.  I'm thankful for your involvement and influence in our students' lives.  Thank you for being committed to equipping our students with the tools they need to be successful in the classroom and life. 

Collaboration:  Isn't this what many of us do every day as adults?  Working on projects together, identifying roles, organizing tasks, pulling resources together, being dependable, depending on your teammate to do their part, supporting one another in the task at hand, researching best practices, proposing solutions and being accountable to your work...  It only makes sense to continue to instill these skills into our students' daily lives and curriculum. 

This isn't a brand new idea, I'm thankful for the teachers in my life that taught these skills.  It is an idea that is receiving a lot more print and emphasis as our schools systems begin implementing Common Core State Standards and a whole new teacher evaluation system.   Push forward, collaborate and equip our 21st century learners with the skills to do so! 

Together, we are strong!