Library Media Specialist’s Toolbox

Collaboration

 

Collaboration requires two or more people working together to achieve a shared goal. Library media specialists collaborate with educators to create authentic learning experiences for students by integrating information and technology literacy skills with classroom curriculum. The collaboration process includes planning, implementing and assessing instruction.

 

 

Collaboration of Teachers/Library Media Specialists and Technology Specialists

http://www.indianalearns.org/collaborativespecial.asp

This image is from the publication INDIANA LEARNS: INCREASING INDIANA STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS

David V. Loertscher with Connie Champlin, 2002; ISBN: 0-931510-85-6

 

The terms cooperation, coordination and collaboration are often used interchangeably to describe collaborative relationships. An excerpt from the following article clarifies the differences between these three relationships.

 

From Collaboration: Lessons Learned by the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American Library Association. Copyright © 1996 American Library Association. Reprinted with permission of the American Library Association.

 

A Definition of “Collaboration”

 

Collaboration is essential for the successful integration of information skills instruction into curriculum subject areas. But collaboration is often used to mean cooperation or coordinating, and there’s a big difference among the three terms.

Cooperation is informal, with no commonly defined goals or planning effort; information is shared as needed (Mattessich and Monsey, 1992, p. 7). A library media specialist and teacher in a cooperative relationship work loosely together. Each works independently, but they come together briefly for mutual benefit.

Coordinating suggests a more formal working relationship and the understanding of missions. Some planning is required and more communication channels are established (Mattessich and Monsey, 1992, p. 7). In a library media program, the teacher and library media specialist make arrangements to plan and teach a lesson or unit, and a closer working relationship is required.

Collaboration is a much more prolonged and interdependent effort. As Winer and Ray (1994, p. 24) note, collaboration changes the way we work. Collaboration moves from:

n         Competing to building consensus.

n         Working alone to including others from different fields and backgrounds.

n         Thinking mostly about activities and programs to thinking about larger results and strategies.

n         Focusing on short-tem accomplishments to requiring long-term results.

 

The levels of collaboration, summarized by Winer and Ray (1994, p. 22), are found in the table below.

In summary, collaboration is a working relationship over a relarively long period of time. Collaboration requires shared goals, derived during the partnership. Roles are carefully defined, and more comprehensive planning is required. Communication is conducted at many levels to ensure success. Leadership, resources, risk, control and results are shared. As a result of collaboration, there is substantial benefit: “More is accomplished jointly than could have been individually.” (Mattessich and Monsey, 1992 p. 40).