QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What is collaboration?
Collaboration is based on shared goals, a shared vision, and a climate of trust and respect (Muronago & Harada, 1999). Within the collaboration process, each partner fulfills a carefully defined role; comprehensive planning is required; leadership, resources, risk, and control are shared; and the working relationship extends over a relatively long period of time (Callison, 1999). The Art of Collaboration. Karen Muronaga, Violet Harada. Teacher Librarian (ISSN: 1481-1782) Sept 1999 v27 i1 p9
It is often difficult to find the time to meet and plan collaboratively with other educators. Here is a one-page form that you can use to jumpstart the process. It is an efficient way to communicate your instructional needs and preferences with the media/technology specialists in your school. Feel free to use it to create opportunities within the content curriculum with which to build partnerships.
What role does the library media coordinator play in the collaboration process?
Library media coordinators add a thorough understanding of information skills and methods to integrate them, helping the teacher to develop resource-based units that broaden the use of resources and promote information literacy.
What role does the technology facilitator play in the collaboration process?
The technology facilitator supports classroom teachers in their use of technology and fosters student achievement through the implementation of technology in collaborative, student-centered classroom environments. Their role also includes assisting teachers in identifying and evaluating technology resources for their classroom that address curricular needs and learning goals of students and teachers and in infusing technology in their lessons results in better and longer lasting learning for their students.
What role does the teacher play in the collaboration process?
The teacher brings to the partnership knowledge of the strengths, weaknesses, attitudes and interests of the students and of the content to be taught.
What are some additional benefits that can occur in the collaboration process?
Some additional benefits include more effective use of both resources and teaching time, integration of educational technologies, and a reduced teacher/student ratio (Doiron & Davies, 1998).
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