4Cs- Collaboration

Digging Into What Collaboration Means

As we continue on our PBL journey, we are expanding our focus on the 4 Cs- collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication. For the next four weeks, this blog will be devoted to defining each of the 4 Cs.

Project work often requires students to work together through a process, problem, or product design and creation, making collaboration commonplace in project-based classrooms. Effective collaboration is one of the highly-prized skills of deeper learning like PBL, leading to better communication and enhanced critical thinking and creativity.

When a student  and team demonstrate that they are collaborating with peers they do the following:

1. Take responsibility for oneself
2. Help the team
3. Respect others
4. Make and follow agreements
5. Organize work
6. Work as a  team

Taking responsibility for oneself includes:

• being prepared and ready to work
• consistently using technology tools
• self-directed on tasks
• completing task on time
• using feedback to improve

Helping the team means:

• solving and managing conflict
• having effective discussion
• giving useful feedback
• offering help to others

Respecting others is defined as:

• being polite and kind to teammates
• acknowledging and respecting other perspectives

A team must make and follow agreements which includes:

• making detailed agreements about how the team will work together
• following rules for interactions
• honestly and accurately discussing how well agreements are being followed
• taking appropriate action when norms are not being followed

A team organizes work by:

• creating a detailed task list
• setting a schedule and tracking progress
• assigning roles as needed
• using time and running meetings efficiently

And the team works as a whole by:

• recognizing and using special talents of each team member
• developing ideas and create a product with the involvement of the whole team

Collaboration goes beyond group work and projects by adding in the 21st century skills to work together toward a common purpose.  By teaching collaboration skills, we come closer to creating the ideal graduate who become a productive contributor to the businesses and industries in our communities as well as in an post-high school education.

NHHS staff is working on their own collaboration as they prepare for J-term courses.  As they meet 5 times this semester, they are practicing and modeling the standards of collaboration.