"Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much." - Helen Keller
Collaboration is a deeply human activity. When humans come together with a shared goal of solving a problem or creating some new innovation to make life better, it doesn't matter how alike or different their points of view might be; in fact, in true, intentional, sincerely meaningful collaboration, the more varied the viewpoints, THE BETTER!
We live in a divisive world right now where, unfortunately, groups of people often refuse to speak, listen, or even acknowledge each other. That is truly one of the greatest tragedies of our current time, and one that, if not addressed, can, in a best case scenario, keep us stuck where we are. In the worst case? It can destroy us from within.
Let's for the sake of clarity, deconstruct the term "collaboration." The prefix "col" (or com in some word constructions) comes from Latin and means "with, together, or jointly." When paired with "laborare," (to labor) it means "to labor with, together, or jointly." I personally like the idea of the meaning "labor together." Collaboration takes hard work--whether physical or intellectual--and those who have worked in collaborative groups know of what I am speaking here! It requires us to get over ourselves and be willing to open our minds to ideas that are not our own - ideas that maybe we never even thought of - to humble ourselves and be willing to free fall a little.
The modern business definition of collaboration is "two or more people working together towards shared goals or purpose." If there are just people working together with no ultimate purpose, they are cooperating, not collaborating. Cooperation is usually more "lightweight" than collaboration and has less focused goals. According to Barbara Leigh Smith and Jean T MacGregor, Collaborative learning is "an umbrella term for a variety of educational approaches involving joint intellectual effort by students or students and teachers together" towards "mutual understanding, solutions, or meanings, or creating a product."
Okay, so we get what it is. Why is it so important? Learning, itself, is an active, constructive, and very social process. In order to really learn new information so it becomes part of us -- so that we cannot just "know" it, but apply it in new and thoughtful ways--we must work actively with ideas in purpose driven ways. Collaboration forces us to immerse ourselves in challenging tasks or questions with others who bring different perspectives, learning styles, experiences and aspirations, to the common table. When we get together and process information, we are not just learning, but our perspectives are growing wider; our minds become open to new possibilities. Students need to talk to one another! It is in this "talking through" process that thoughts, ideas, and solutions expand and new understanding is created for ALL of us in the group!
Therein lies the biggest benefit of collaboration. Ultimately, collaboration becomes a skill that helps us work together efficiently towards potential solutions that we may not have ever been able to arrive to ourselves. It helps us each identify our strengths and weaknesses; we learn to seek out those with complementary skills that counterbalance our weaknesses and as a result, we appreciate each other more fully. We work together until we solve the problem. Collaboration shouldn't be our last resort! It should be something we practice daily in the classroom.
Now, it's time to do a little more reading about collaboration - just in case I have not yet convinced you rugged individualists (or fellow introverts!) that collaboration is not just enriching but empowering. Click this LINK to read the article. Then respond below by addressing the following:
1. What ONE thing stood out to you most in the article? WHY?
2. Describe a moment when you felt part of a truly successful collaborative group/endeavor.
Finally, I will leave you with this lovely quote from Mother Theresa:
"None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together, we can do something wonderful!"
Here is to bringing collaborative "wonderfulness" (with great love) to our classroom!
