# data[].attributes.body
One of the pots of gold for me has been sharing a space alongside a like-minded, passionate beginning teacher - deprivatising my practice after 21 years has been AWESOME

# data[].attributes.body
Another pot of gold ... learning from my co-teacher. For so long I have just done my own thing but I have learnt SO MUCH from watching and listening to Rochelle when she is talking to kids, working with kids, dealing with situations. Magic.

# data[].attributes.body
Having someone who support trying out new ideas and gives me courage to take risks.

# data[].attributes.body
Having someone to bounce ideas with and come up with better solutions

# data[].attributes.body
How nice it is to share the small everyday 'wins' of kids' progress.

# data[].attributes.body
Having to discuss everything so much

# data[].attributes.body
Not being afraid to speak up and being honest when I feel the collaborative wheels are falling off.

# data[].attributes.body
The same for us - TIME needed for reflection, discussion, planning has been HUGE.

# data[].attributes.body
Having clear ideas about what collaborations vs cooperation looks like and when we need to do one or the other. see this

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
John Spencer

Posted on June 22, 2016

Mike Kaechele offered some great pushback on my last post. Mike is a highly respected project-based learning teacher who often leads PBL trainings in his spare time. So, when he pushes back, I'm quick to listen. I wish I could play back the entire conversation, because there was so much depth and nuance to what he brought up. He mentioned his time working construction, when groups were rarely self-selected and you simply had to figure out how to work together.

So, it has me wondering, "Can you force collaboration in groups?"

Collaboration begins with trust and a shared vision for what you want to accomplish. Those are two things that you simply can't force on people. However, I've been a part of groups that were not self-selected and in the process of working together, we developed trust and eventually we shifted into a collaborative team. Yet, despite the group being "forced," the collaboration remained voluntary. We hit that place where we wanted to work together.

In most cases, we started out as a cooperative group and we shifted into a collaborative group over time. Cooperative groups are more like networks built on respect and shared norms. The work shifts between independence and dependence where the members remain autonomous but agree to share information, tasks, and ideas. By contrast, a collaborative group is interdependent, with a shared vision and values. The mutual respect evolves into trust and the transparency eventually leads to vulnerability.

I've seen leaders who want to push groups into that place of collaboration but if it moves too quickly, things fall apart. Fake trust is worse than respect. Vulnerability without trust just feels risky. Interdependence can't happen when members haven't had the chance to explore roles and shared tasks.

Both Are Necessary

It's easy to look at the chart and assume that collaboration is better than cooperation. Part of that is my fault. The word "versus" implies an opposition. However, cooperation and collaboration should compliment each other - along with truly independent, autonomous work time.

There are some flaws to collaborative grouping. These groups tend to grow insular and fall into groupthink. Well-functioning teams can be too slow to change because they are already working so well together that they miss the fact that they aren't innovating. This kind of work can also be emotionally draining. Even in a healthy, functioning collaborative team, conflict can arise and it feels more personal because people know one another at a deeper level.

This is why cooperative grouping is vital. When using design thinking, I encourage collaborative grouping on certain projects. However, in each of the phases, I encourage members to move to other cooperative groups to provide feedback and share ideas. Groups will often meet with one another to look at their work from another angle. This shorter, networked style of interaction helps keep things fresh. It provides a positive disruption that pushes collaborative groups to think differently.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Difference Between Cooperation and Collaboration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
John Spencer Posted on June 22, 2016 Mike Kaechele offered some great pushback on my last post. Mike is a highly respected project-based learning teacher who often leads PBL trainings in his spare time. So, when he pushes back, I'm quick to listen.

# data[].attributes.body
Differences in opinion about which way is best to teach curriculum e.g ability groups or not for maths.

# data[].attributes.body
Using Ts strengths to lead at times when cooperation is better in terms of learning

# data[].attributes.body
Collaboration takes so much time and energy, and sometimes it's just too much when there are so many pressures on both (e.g. reports/ assessment time)

# data[].attributes.body
Our team bring different skills to the space. The students get a good deal as we are all passionate and skilled in different areas.

# data[].attributes.body
Teachers who lhear you explain a lesson but claim that the a similar lesson would not work in their class as their students are too different. I always wonder whether it is the students who are difficult or the teacher

# data[].attributes.body
Wanting to work in the "grey" with someone who works in the "black and white"

# data[].attributes.body
Other teacher interpreting an idea or task completely differently

# data[].attributes.body
Rich, deep and actually faster sometimes when you utilise each other's strengths.

# data[].attributes.body
I don't know everything and I can't know everything so when you work with someone who has different strengths you can really learn from them.

# data[].attributes.body
Getting the 'That's the way we've always done it' for not spending time on innovating

# data[].attributes.body
Using research to clarify ideas or teaching beliefs

# data[].attributes.body
Not having the right physical environment.

# data[].attributes.body
Open and frank communication.

# data[].attributes.body
How hard it is to let go of the idea of 'my kid / your kids'.

# data[].attributes.body
More adult's eyes in the room.

# data[].attributes.body
Cross-Sector- some really exciting collaboration happening in our middle area- Yr 7-10. 280 kids, 12 teachers running a ocmpeltel collaborative programme- 6 primary trained, 6 secondary trained. Learning so much from each other