Cooperation and Collaboration Similarities and Differences By Judi Moreillon, Ph.D. With a great deal of help from: Dr. David Loertscher

Before you view this mini-lecture… think about preparing for an individual or shared meal. All images copyright-free from MorgueFile.comMorgueFile.com

What different considerations do you have if you are: –eating a meal at home alone? –bringing a dish to an unplanned potluck? –bringing veggies because someone decided all the people whose last names begins with A-D will bring veggies?

What different considerations do you have if you are: –bringing a tray of raw veggies because someone decided that all of the A-D people should coordinate their efforts and bring different kinds of veggies? –planning and cooking for a special birthday or other celebration that involves collaborating with others to determine a theme, location, sequence of events, means to document the party, and feedback from party-goers for the food, decorations, music, activities, and more?

Classroom-Library Collaboration is like… –planning and cooking for a special birthday or other celebration that involves collaborating with others to determine a theme (goals and objectives), date, time, and location (scheduling), sequence of events (lesson or unit plan), means to document the party (learning artifacts or exam), and feedback from party-goers (assessment) for the food, decorations, music, activities, and more? Collaboration requires communication, shared goals and objectives, assignment of responsibilities, negotiation, flexibility, and more…

With different members of your faculty at any given time, you will… Be involved in cooperative activities such as: –sharing resources for classroom use that you believe will benefit students and teachers; –responding to requests to locate, collect, or even create resources for others to use in their teaching; –being asked to contribute teaching ideas that others will use in their teaching; –connecting students or other educators with one another because you are aware of their shared needs or interests.

Do NOT expect… to collaborate with ALL members of the faculty ALL of the time. You will spread yourself too thin and will not be able to focus your efforts at any given moment where they will make the greatest impact.

Still producing and sharing results… in terms of student achievement is the BEST way for you to advocate for your school library program and the school librarian’s contribution as a vital member of the teaching faculty. How then should you spend MOST of your time and energy?

The effective school librarian.... Spends the majority of her/his time and energy in activities such as: –co-planning, co-teaching, and co-assessing lessons and units of instruction with classroom teachers and specialists; –collecting student outcomes data to show the impact of classroom-library collaboration on student achievement; –collaborating with administrators to help them achieve their instructional goals for the school; more on the next slide…

The effective school librarian.... Spends the majority of her/his time and energy in activities such as: –providing informal and formal individual, small group, and whole faculty mentoring and workshops related to library and technology resources, instructional strategies, and more; –serving on curriculum and other committees to ensure that the school library program is a vital part of the literacy team at the site and district level and beyond; –keeping current and updating his/her knowledge and practice in teaching and learning.

David Loertscher’s Taxonomies of the School Library Media Program No Involvement At the lowest ineffective level, students and teachers bypass the library all together. 2.Self-Help Warehouse At this level, the resources of the library and the facility itself are available for students and teachers who can use it on their own - without school librarian’s input or intervention. 3.Individual Reference Assistance This is the first level at which there is minimal cooperation. The school librarian provides materials and information upon request in the manner of many public library reference desk interactions. Loertscher, David. Taxonomies of the School Library Media Program. 2 nd ed. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Publishing, 2000.

David Loertscher’s Taxonomies of the School Library Media Program Spontaneous Interaction and Gathering The librarian provides resources, information, and minimal teaching support on the spur-of-the-moment. There is no preplanning or prior communication. 5.Cursory Planning At this level, the school librarian is just beginning to reach out. She/he participates in and seeks out informal and brief planning with teachers and students. This is likely to occur in the hall or faculty lounge or at the copy machine. The focus is usually on resources or “activities.” 6.Planned Gathering This level indicates a move toward greater cooperation. After a teacher request, the school librarian gathers materials and information in advance of the learning event. Loertscher, David. Taxonomies of the School Library Media Program. 2 nd ed. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Publishing, 2000.

David Loertscher’s Taxonomies of the School Library Media Program Evangelistic Outreach The librarian develops and executes a plan to promote the mission, goals, and objectives of a more integrated library program. 8.Scheduled Planning in the Support Role At this level, the school librarian responds to a group of students or individual or a team of teachers who have already planned a learning experience. She/he provides materials or activities to support the resource-based instructional plan created by someone else. 9.Instructional Design, Level I This is the first step in collaboration. The school librarian participates in planning, implementing, and assessing a resource-based lesson or unit of instruction. At this level, the classroom teacher thinks of the library component as “supplemental” or as “enrichment.” Loertscher, David. Taxonomies of the School Library Media Program. 2 nd ed. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Publishing, 2000.

David Loertscher’s Taxonomies of the School Library Media Program Instructional Design, Level II At this level, the school library and the resources of the library are central to the students and teachers achieving their objectives for the lesson or unit. This learning experience simply could not take place without the school librarian’s involvement, including planning, teaching, and assessing student work. 11.Curriculum Development At this level, the school librarian has a global reach. She/he works with other educators to plan curriculum, to decide what is taught and how it will be taught at the school or district level. Loertscher, David. Taxonomies of the School Library Media Program. 2 nd ed. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Publishing, 2000.

Cooperation These are some key ideas and phrases that describe cooperation: Dividing up the workDividing up the work Being flexibleBeing flexible Getting alongGetting along CommunicatingCommunicating Listening to othersListening to others Cooperation is an important part of effective school librarianship.

Collaboration These are some key ideas and phrases that describe collaboration: Standards-based curricular focusStandards-based curricular focus Joint planning and designing of learning experiencesJoint planning and designing of learning experiences Common goals and shared objectivesCommon goals and shared objectives Process and product equally importantProcess and product equally important Shared and negotiated responsibilities, including gathering and creating resources, teaching, and assessmentShared and negotiated responsibilities, including gathering and creating resources, teaching, and assessment Coteaching and co-evaluating (students’ learning processes and products, the collaborative process and the lessons or units themselves)Coteaching and co-evaluating (students’ learning processes and products, the collaborative process and the lessons or units themselves) Collaboration is an essential aspect of effective school librarianship.

Can you imagine working flexibly on a continuum between the two? What are your questions about cooperation and collaboration? What as been your experience cooperating or collaborating with a school librarian? Please bring your vision, questions, experiences, and concerns to the online discussion.

Work Cited Images as linked from MorgueFile. 17 Aug Loertscher, David. Taxonomies of the School Library Media Program. 2 nd ed. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Publishing, Moreillon, Judi. Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2007.