Collaborative Learning

Work to build community and a sense of mutual responsibility through reflective practice in learning with and from others. Value collaboration in teaching and learning. (Collaborative Learning).

Students enrolled in the Education Studies Program engage in multiple opportunities to explore learning with and from others as they examine what it means to be educators. Though many enter the program with the perception that teachers feed information to learners via what Paolo Freire has termed the "banking approach," they usually complete the program with an understanding that teachers are not the "sole disseminators of knowledge,…in fact everyone can teach and learn from each other" (cite). Participants in the program, including the Ed. Studies faculty, refer to themselves as "teacher/learners" in order to emphasize a critical component of our beliefs as educators: that classroom teachers continue to learn not only from reflection and study but also from their peers and students as they teach. By practicing many collaborative methodologies in their early coursework that continue throughout their advanced fieldwork, preservice teachers adopt and operationalize this Habit of Mind.

1. Discovery

2. Guided Exploration

3. Independent Application

Teacher/learners sometimes engage in collaborative activity and show limited skills in listening actively to others. They occasionally offer suggestions or integrate the suggestions of others in discussions and group work. Though they can recognize that there are expectations and roles for each member of a group, they seldom share responsibility equitably with others. Their perception of the teacher's role is to deliver knowledge and skills to students. They have yet to determine that students can learn from each other or that there may be value in creating a community of learners in the classroom.

Teacher/learners often listen to and engage with others in discussions and group work. They offer opinions and integrate others' ideas in collaborative activities occasionally or when urged to do so by group members or faculty. They usually share responsibility fairly within a group and are aware of the need for an equitable distribution of work within a group, though they may need assistance in determining how to reach that balance. They promote interaction among students and acknowledge that building community in the classroom is helpful.

Teacher/learners listen actively to others, paraphrasing and reflecting upon others' thoughts for clarity before offering suggestions and ideas to discussions and group work. They remain open to working and consulting with others in educational settings, integrating the opinions and suggestions of those with whom they collaborate. They follow through with the expectations inherent in their roles within a group and strive to achieve balance in the distribution of responsibilities among group members. Teacher/learners build community in the classroom, facilitating their students' ability to learn from each other.