About Me as a Collaborator

To be a collaborator means to work with one another on an activity or project and to cooperate willingly. In my years of teaching, it has become more and more evident that collaboration is becoming a major focus in terms of what students need to learn in order to be successful in their future. Typically, I spend a large portion of the beginning of the school year working with students, teaching them ‘the norms of collaboration’ as a foundation for what we will attempt to accomplish throughout the year. To be a successful collaborator, it is necessary to be open and flexible to the ideas of others, to actively listen to varying suggestions, to be generous and egoless and show appreciation for the input of others.

As a teacher, it is equally important for me to be an effective collaborator. I enjoy working with others and collaborating on projects, units of study and methods of teaching, however, I can appreciate the need for sensitivity and openness to receive suggestions from others as well as being aware of the delivery of my opinions and ideas. I have learned that collaboration is multi-sided. It works best if all parties involved are equally as invested in the project as well as open and generous with their own expertise. I have found collaboration to be most successful with colleagues that share similar interests and complimentary personalities.

I am optimistic for the future that we are developing effective collaborators in our schools and hopeful that educators can be open and willing to see that value in working together with openness and positivity. I look forward to learning how to be more effective myself as a collaborator.

Concept Map for Collaborative Inquiry

A work in progress: a mind map that organizes and connects the ideas about collaborative inquiry from the course readings.

https://www.mindomo.com/mindmap/collaborative-inquiry-1d38681060bbda923a5a0b520edbe494

Technology Tools that Support Collaborative Inquiry

Click on the link below to see my Technology Tools montage created on Powtoon, featuring Kahoot! and Mindcraft:Education Edition.

https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/eyWLHWS2StT/?mode=movie

Professional Learning Communities: Problems and Solutions when Facing Collaborative Inquiry within the Context of a School

Adrien Poudrier, Erika Stanischewski, Michelle Pruefer & Janet Kuyvenhoven

As a collaborative assignment, we created a manual for schools to use, when creating a professsional learning community with the goal to improve teacher collaboration in order to increase student achievement.

Stay tuned for a link to view the document.

My Professional Community: Making Connections

Over the course of the last couple of weeks, I have connected, interacted and contributed to TeachOntario, a professional community that I have recently become a member of in hopes to grow, share and offer leadership in my professional life. Please find my electronic journal, documenting my thoughts, interactions and reflections, below.