Description


In 1989, Dr. Stephen R. Covey came out with his revolutionary book entitled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (copyright 2004), where he shared strategies designed to help improve the efficiency of individuals and teams of people. One of the habits popularized by his book is the concept of “synergy”. To put it simply, synergy means that two heads are better than one, that the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts. It describes the benefits of creative cooperation where teams of people work together to discover new solutions to old problems. But this doesn’t just happen by itself. Just because people come together to meet doesn’t necessarily mean that they are working collaboratively. Effective collaboration is a process and through this process, people bring all of their experience and expertise to the table to achieve common goals and objectives. This course is designed to assist teams in establishing collaborative structures which will help improve efficiency and productivity as a collaborative unit.


Learner Outcomes


By the end of this module, you will:

  • Discover the “why” of collaboration. Why is it important for teams to work together in collaborative units?
  • Consider the “how” of collaboration. What are the teaming structures which make collaboration more focused and effective?
  • Consider the “what” of collaboration. What should collaborative teams focus upon?

Develop and Consistently Implement Collaborative Team Structures


  • Building Leadership Team and Collaborative Data Team structures are in place.
  • Collaborative Teams involve all staff.
  • Collaborative Team meetings use and follow agreed upon norms and protocols.
  • Collaborative Teams perform the specified functions as prescribed by the type of team.
  • Collaborative teams address each of the following at least twice monthly, as evidenced by agendas and minutes.
  • Include both academic and behavioral data in each activity.
    • Align instructional practices to academic standards and behavior expectations.
    • Discuss data and monitor student progress.
    • Identify instructional practices that result in student learning.
    • Identify students needing re-teaching.

linkCheck out the Collaborative Data Teams Learning Package (or Online Course?) for more information on Collaborative Team Structures.