"Collaboration Practices" by Carolyn S. Brodie

“Collaboration Practices”

 By Carolyn S. Brodie

 Ph.D. Professor at Kent State University, School of Library and Information  

 Science

 October 2, 2007

 

In Carolyn Brodie’s article, “Collaboration Practices,” she discusses the elements of good collaboration and who makes a good collaborator.  Brodie focuses on collaboration between teacher-librarians and classroom teachers and introduces and explains how the Institute for Library and Information Literacy Education (ILILE) can enrich and support such collaboration.

 

The main goal of ILILE “has been to learn how to use library media centers and information resources (i.e., print, electronic, and Web-based) to more effectively enhance student learning.”  ILILE focuses on activities with PK-12 classroom teachers, teacher-librarians, and college students collaborating as peer-learner teaching teams. 

 

Brodie recognizes that the biggest challenge that faces teacher-librarians and classroom teacher who want to work collaboratively is finding the time to collaborate.  Finding this time is difficult but not impossible, as Brodie suggests that the school administrator can foster collaboration.  I have found in my own collaborative practices that supportive administrators make a huge positive impact on collaboration.  My current administrator had done many things to facilitate my collaboration with classroom teachers such as covering the classroom teacher’s class while we collaborate, covering my prep. classes while we collaborate and even taking all of the primary and then intermediate students into the gym once a month to allow those teachers to collaborate with myself and each other! 

 

Proactive behaviour by the teacher-librarian is another suggestions of Brodie’s to help facilitate collaboration.  I have had success with this method, as a simple recess conversation with a colleague on a theme that they are teaching is enough to steer me in the right direction to gather appropriate resources to support their theme and suggest ways in which we can collaborate on the theme.  A good understanding of the curriculum is helpful in such situations and I am constantly working to expand and improve on my knowledge of the curriculum. 

 

Brodie writes, “[a]nother quality that makes a good collaborator is a strong sense of professionalism and respect for one another. It involves a willingness to approach ideas in a new way. Certainly a mesh of personalities comes about as the collaboration grows, and it is almost essential to have a sense of humor.”  I have learned a great deal from each teacher that I have collaborated with.  The road to and during collaboration is not always smooth and it is nice to see Brodie recognize that fact.  I must call upon my professionalism every now and then when a collaboration hits a bump and opposing views and ideas emerge but sometimes, working through difference causes the greatest learning opportunities of all!

 

Brodie’s article lists some of the benefits that participants gained from learning from the ILILE:

 

• “Collaborating as a team.
  
•  Learning together about subject-specific resources in an instructional area.
  
• Gaining knowledge from other educators and teams working in the same subject area but from another part of the state.
  
•   Learning more about important links and resources such as the ODE Academic Content Standards and Ohio Guidelines for Effective School Library Media Programs
  
• Gaining skills together in using electronic resources to provide information for students and teachers.”
  

 

There is much that I can take from Brodie’s article to further my collaborative practices.  “Collaboration Practices” really spoke to my heart as I found reinforcement for some of my current practices and inspiration to carry these practices further.

Brodie, Carolyn S.  "Collaboration Practices."  School Library Media Activities Monthly.  Vol. XXIII, Oct. 2/07.