The document discusses the importance of collaborative learning, emphasizing the need for community, communication, and reflection to foster deeper understanding and critical thinking among students. It outlines the roles of group dynamics in achieving successful collaboration, including forming, norming, storming, and performing phases, while also contrasting positive and negative experiences in professional learning communities (PLCs). The text proposes strategies for effective collaboration, such as establishing clear guidelines, providing supportive environments, and allowing for self-organization and leadership within groups.

1. Gwendolyn Abraham Christopher Carroll Sylvia Miller Angela Speas

2. Promotes deeper levels of knowledge Promotes initiative, creativity and development of critical thinking skills Promotes Co-creation of knowledge Promotes Reflection

3. A sense of community must exist for collaboration to occur Avoid isolation: Promote social presence, communication, and interaction. Provides more satisfaction and generates new ideas. Sharing information: Helps build a community of shared experiences for students. Learning together: Is the process of getting students together to learn. Research has shown students learn more about the content by sharing experiences with others.

4. All the people involved Shared purpose Sharing information, experiences, interests, resources Guidelines Structure of the course, ground rules for participation and interaction Technology or Meeting Places Collaborative Learning Student-to-student interaction Reflection To reinforce and transform the learning

5. As individual learners, we have areas of proficiency. When grouped together, each person brings something unique to the group. By learning to work together, learners are able to discuss/debate their understanding and gain perspective from other students. When a group works toward a common goal, the end result is achieved quicker if each participant is on the same level of understanding and participation. Helps learners develop social skills needed to be successful in the workplace.

6. Positive Experience – School Based PLC Group Norms/Rules Set Meeting Time Established Open Forum for Brainstorming Informal Meetings as well through instant messenger and chance encounters in hallway Everything had to be positive in the meetings. We established together that there were no dumb ideas! This PLC works because of the respect we have for each other as colleagues and there is no jealousy in terms of test scores, etc. because we collaborate for the betterment of our department/subject area.

7. Negative Experience – Virtual PLC No Group Norms/Rules Set No Meeting Times Established No Opportunity for Brainstorming and Collaboration of Ideas, etc. No Agenda or Purpose Unfortunately, this PLC was doomed from the start due to the lack of focus and direction with the absence of group norms/rules.

8. Forming: Groups get to know one another. Norming: Groups figure out how to work together. Storming: Problem-solving where there will be disagreement and/or conflict. Roles must be negotiated in order to work together Conflict results from multiple viewpoints due to different perspectives and experiences Healthy conflict results in a higher quality product and greater success Performing: Groups work to complete the task. Adjourning: Groups end the work and disband or regroup for other tasks.

9. Set the Stage - Provide explanations of the importance of collaborative work as well as clear guidelines. Create the Environment – Provide a place for students to meet and include the parameters for how they should connect. Model the Process – Set the example of good collaboration by allowing students to negotiate some of the parameters within which they with work with others and with you. Guide the Process – Let students know in advance how the instructor plans to be involved in the process and guide the process gives students a sense of confidence to move forward. Evaluate the Process – Determine if specific learning objectives were met and give students a chance to debrief the activity

10. Promote a sense of community among learners. Set well defined goals. Allow teams to self-organize. Leadership and expertise will emerge from the group. Require a Group Learning Agreement. Require a Group Timeline. Provide timely feedback.