COLLABORATION IN EDUCATION

Have you heard about the benefits of collaboration in

education?

WHAT IS COLLABORATION IN EDUCATION?

Participants in education are students, parents,

teachers and principals.

Collaboration is the reciprocal partnerships between the participants who share mutual goals that benefits all students, the school and with each other.

Teachers collaborate with colleagues, students and their parents to plan and sustain a safe environment where students work together innovatively and effectively.

COLLABORATION AMONG STAKEHOLDERS IN EDUCATION,

PROMOTES STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Student-Teacher

Collaboration

Parent-Teacher

Partnership

Teacher-Teacher

Teamwork

School Administrator Support

STUDENT-TEACHER COLLABORATION

WHAT’S INVOLVED IN STUDENT-TEACHER COLLABORATION?

Teachers co-construct lessons and methods of assessments with their students.

Students are engaged in the planning process by sharing what they want to learn, how they want to learn and how their learning should be assessed.

When students are engaged in their learning process, they are aware of what is expected.

It also allows teachers to develop their professional knowledge about their students needs and abilities.

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"You don't change performance without changing the instructional core. The relationship of the teacher and the student in the presence of content must be at the center of efforts to improve performance."

Richard Elmore

(Usable Knowledge, Harvard Graduate School of Education)

1. Increase the knowledge and skill of teachers

2. Change the content

3. Alter the relationship of the student to the teacher and the content

PARENT-TEACHER PARTNERSHIP

BENEFITS OF PARENT-TEACHER

PARTNERSHIPS? Research has proven when

parents engage in their child’s education, it promotes higher student achievement (Henderson & Berla, 1995).

Parental involvement supports their child’s well being and helps them to value their learning.

Teachers interact with families to communicate their values, unique knowledge and skills, which makes them feel welcomed into the classroom.

WAYS TO PROMOTE PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Adapted from The Primary Program, p. 179

Home-SchoolCommunication

School Council

Committee

Classroom Conferences

School

Technological ResourcesPrint Media

Parent-teacher-child:at school, throughinteractive homeschoolReading programs and back-and-forth books

Parent-child:student-led atschool, student-ledat home withportfolio orquestionnaire

Questionnaires

Parent-teacher:at school,throughtelephone calls

Curriculum Night

School-wide celebration of theme workSchool

Council Committee

District/School sponsored parent workshops

Movie nights

Math/Reading nights

Classroom helper

Field trip volunteer

In-session open house

Evening celebrations ofchild’s learning (e.g., concerts, plays)

Informal conversations

Parent information bulletin board

Provide input into school-baseddecisions

Forum for discussion of education issues

Provincial and district updates

Children’s portfolios, work samples & photos

Classroom newsletters

 Class-made books

School newsletters

Articles, books, & magazines

Internet websites:- TDSB- http://www.literacycenter.net/

E-mail, fax, voice-mail

Video/audiotapes of classroom discussions, Singing and storytelling

Volunteer tea

TEACHER-TEACHER TEAMWORK

TEACHERS WORKING TOGETHER

When planning and implementing collaboratively, teachers:

1. Encounter new ides for grade team members and encourage differentiated teaching practices.

2. Create developmentally appropriate teaching that include the whole child through supportive learning environments and design and implement learning experiences that engages students.

3. Integrate curriculum to enhance student learning by making meaningful connections using a backward design approach and being mindful of students’ equity, diversity, and social and emotional development.

4. Make informed instructional decisions and design next steps in student learning.

CONTINUED…..

Educators work together to help students reach their full potential by inquiring about their learning, resulting in the teachers’ deepened understanding about how they learn.

WHY INQUIRE ABOUT STUDENT LEARNING?

Using documentation collected, teachers share evidence of student learning and thinking and collaboratively identify trends and patterns.

Using the evidence learned, teachers design and determine the learning opportunities that challenge and extend current understanding.

EFFECTIVE TEACHING PRACTICE

Teachers foster critical thinking by deepening student thinking, summarizing student thinking and allow student self-assessment.

They ignite learning with technology by using audio and video recordings, projectors, and SMART boards.

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Promotes team teaching

Teacher moderation

Teacher reflection and learning opportunities

Allows for review of student work and relevant data

Supports planning for student success

Focuses on strategies to help students who are not making progress

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR SUPPORT

HOW SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS SUPPORT

COLLABORATION IN SCHOOLS

Principals establish the platform that focuses on student learning.

They also promote a supportive environment, foster reflection and encourage risk taking experiences.

Principals “Spend energies on supporting environments focused on teaching and learning”.

(The Learning & Numeracy Secretariat – Capacity Building Series, p. 3)

WAYS SCHOOL LEADERS CAN STIMULATE SECURE LEARNING

ENVIRONMENTS Adopt strategic and

collaborative approaches that addresses the health and wellbeing of all students, support staff and in partnerships with community.

Focus on professional development for staff at knowledge and skills in areas concerning communication with students and parents, recognising the needs of students and accessing appropriate support for them.

COLLABORATION IN THE CLASSROOM & BEYOND