I.+Collaboration

== =**DEFINITION:** **COLLABORATION**= Pronunciation: \kə- ˈ la-bə- ˌ rāt\ Function: //intransitive verb//Inflected Form(s): **col·lab·o·rat·ed**; **col·lab·o·rat·ing** Etymology: Late Latin //collaboratus,// past participle of //collaborare// to labor together, from Latin //com-// + //laborare// to labor (1871) http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collaboration]] **KEY POINTS:**
 * 1** **:** to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor
 * 2** **:** to cooperate with or willingly assist an enemy of one's country and especially an occupying force
 * 3** **:** to cooperate with an agency or instrumentality with which one is not immediately connected
 * Effective collaboration = equal status between professionals
 * It assumes the joint problem solving and mutual efforts by professionals to meet the students’ needs
 * Collaborative interactions enable people with diverse expertise to generate creative solutions to mutually define problems
 * Need to understand that building collaborative relationships is a complex and evolving process
 * Important to know the demographics as well as staffing and support systems in place
 * Building collaborative relationships:
 * Climate of trust and mutual respect
 * Identifying and honoring different perspectives, strengths and weaknesses
 * Mutually agreed upon goals and shared visionEdit
 * Willingness to collaborate
 * Recognizing that teachers bring diverse classroom and personal experiences, background knowledge, abilities, & personalities to curriculum discussion sessions
 * Process should be flexible and participants must display a willingness to examine planning
 * Partnership is a crucial
 * Dramatic shift from a linear process with fixed learning goals and strategies to viewing assessments of student performance and needs

**BE AN ACTIVE TEAM MEMBER DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION AND NEED**

 * Muronaga, Karen & Harada, Violet. “Building Teaching Partnerships: The Art of Collaboration”. Pg 2-9.**

===Teacher librarians continually seek opportunities to collaborate with the classroom teacher. Brown points out similar goals as the previous article in defining the complexity of collaborative environments.===




 * Teacher Librarians need to be proactive leaders, with positive attitudes. Most wanted are teachers to collaborate.**


 * Brown, Carol. “America’s Most Wanted Teachers Who Want to Collaborate”. Pg10-17**