Collaboration is Key!

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In order to for me to continue to develop my skills, pedagogy, and professional development I need to be collaborating. Whether it is learning a new tech skill, teaching a new unit or embarking on a renovation of space, I need to be working with others. In this post I will outline a few collaborative relationships that have been instrumental in developing my knowledge, experience and skills, relationships I plan to continue using for collaboration.

Teachers

Collaborating with my fellow teachers has been and continues to be one of the most powerful learning environments. It was not until I became a TL that I really experienced the power of collaboration. Working together and sharing ideas really helped me to see that everyone has unique ideas and ways of doing things, and when you come together the knowledge is just so much greater. One thing that I have learned when collaborating with fellow teachers is the importance of not just planning together but also teaching, assessing and reflecting together. A big part of becoming a successful TL includes going through the process from start to finish, reviewing what went well and what didn’t and having someone to share your thoughts and next steps with.

When collaborating I always try to incorporate ICT into the units that I plan with teachers. I ask them what they would like their students to learn or what skills they would like their students to develop, and we try to figure out which tech tools will best meet their needs. I am currently working with a teacher on a short story unit and she wanted her students to use technology to collaborate with each other. We both use GAFE, but we were not very familiar with using Google classroom. I was able to arrange for a district technology person to come for a lunchtime session and help teachers set up their Google classrooms. We also  attended a workshop during our implementation day that was a little more advanced that allows us to experiment with more advanced features in Google classroom. This collaborative learning experience has not only allowed me to learn how to set up and run Google classroom, but it also allowed others who were interested to participate in this learning opportunity. I feel that I can now better help and support others if they are wanting to use GAFE. I would not have pursued this learning if I had not collaborated with this teacher.

District Technology Experts

As part of my role as TL I am responsible for the technology at the school. I work with a school based technician and district staff to help troubleshoot technology problems, help implement and organize how technology is allocated, and help with school based professional development and in-service sessions. Our collaborative relationship is such that I am able to run ideas by them, they give me suggestions, and we make big decisions together so that our school's technology needs are met. This is a little bit humorous because prior to being a TL I was not known for being tech savvy. This is definitely something that I have had to learn quickly, but this has been a very rewarding part of my job because I am able to assist staff and students in obtaining the skills and knowledge to help them learn. Collaborating with school level and district staff is the only reason I am able to be effective in my role.

Teacher Librarians

There is a great network of TLs in my district. Many get together once a month to share information, ideas and anything that is important. This is a wonderful group of who are willing to work together and help each other. Some of us have embraced the LLC and others are still working in a very traditional setting. What is really great is that we are all willing to help each other out. An example of this was in my first year as a TL I knew that I needed to get an new website up and running, but I had never created a website before. Two TLs in particular helped by giving suggestions, tips and supported me throughout this process. To this day we still work closely and I know that if I need help all I need to do is ask.

Instructional Leadership Team

The Instructional Leadership Team is a “team of educators from the Central Okanagan Public Schools in Kelowna, B.C who collaborate with groups of educators from all of the district’s 43 schools in iterative cycles of co-planning, co-teaching, and co-learning.” This is a collaborative resource that I use in many different ways to help continue my professional growth. There are members who are assigned to my school who are currently helping myself and another teacher to co-plan and co-teach an inquiry unit. There are also many resources on their website and on our school drive that I can access. Like I have stated before I have a network of people that I feel comfortable asking for help and support, and they are willing to help in any way they can to support us at our school. It is through this collaborative relationship that I feel I can take risks to learn new things. In fact I feel so supported that I often bring others with me so we can learn together.

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For now I feel that I have a great collaborative network that is not only pushing and challenging me to grow, but also providing support and resources for that growth. As I am learning, whether it is how to use a tech tool or planning an inquiry unit, I am connecting with others to share that knowledge and it is through this process that I am to learn so much more.