Education Innovation

The Ten Cultural Elements Of Collaboration In The Professional Networked Learning Collaborative

In a previous post, I introduced my concept of the Professional Networked Learning Collaborative and my belief that this is the model of the future for collaboration among professionals in education. In his excellent book The Culture of Collaboration: Maximizing Time, Talent and Tools To Create Value In The Global Economy, author Evan Rosen describes what he calls the Ten Cultural Elements of Collaboration. 

These Ten Cultural Elements provide an excellent framework from which to view collaboration within the context of the Professional Networked Learning Collaborative. 

1. Trust

To be able to give ideas up to the group for discussion, analysis, re-mix, contribution, and development is a sign of trust. Once an idea has been put forth, it ceases to becomes the “owners” and becomes the groups. Professional Networked Learning Collaboratives benefit when they trust the network with their ideas knowing that the network can improve and strengthen the idea collaboratively.

2. Sharing

Sharing what we know with the Professional Learning Network Collaborative makes everyone more valuable because they have more ideas to improve, re-mix, repurpose, challenge, examine, build upon etc. The strength of the Collaborative builds exponentially as the idea is shared with the network.

3. Goals

Developing common goals at the outset is an important step for PNLC to take. Common goals provide clear direction and target on which to focus the ICE³ values of

Imagination, Innovation, Inquiry, Collaboration, Creativity, Curiosity, Exploration, Experimentation, and Entrepreneurship. Goals allow us to understand when we have reached success.

4. Innovation

The best Professional Networked Learning Collaboratives will use ICE³ values to find new ways to do things that add value and increase student achievement.

5. Environment

How you ever looked at your physical environment (architecture, design, room layout, etc.) and asked yourself what the environment says about your organization? Is there a disconnect between the stated goal of networking and the physical environment to accomplish it? Is there a disconnect between the stated goal of collaboration and the physical environment?

This applies to not only the physical environment, but to the virtual environment as well. Technology tools and web environments that are difficult to use or interface with impact the PNLCs ability to accomplish its goals.

Physical and virtual environments must enhance and encourage collaboration, not hinder it.

6. Collaborative Chaos

Evan Rosen describes “collaborative chaos” as the, “…unstructured exchange of ideas to create value. While order encourages predictable results, collaborative chaos allows the unexpected to happen and generate rich returns.”

The nature of the Professional Networked Learning Collaborative is that the team can learn, improve, create, and innovate because they are networked. The network provides access to many more minds and the cognitive diversity of the network can create unexpected results and unexpected value for the PNLC.

7. Constructive Confrontation

Constructive confrontation is simply challenging, respond, exploring differences, disagreeing, or even attacking the idea. Not the person.

8. Communication

The PNLC must have good communication is both the physical and virtual realms. The “networked” aspect allows for collaboration to occur regardless of geography through the use of various technology collaboration platforms.

Professionals must use their best listening and understanding skills when face-to-face. Professionals must also understand that the technology collaboration platforms may not allow for non-verbal cues. PNLC members must anticipate this and be prepared to clear up miscommunications.

9. Community

Community is the shared interest in seeing goals accomplished and the trust in each other as professionals. The new community of the PNLC is the collaborative, which brings many more people and personalities to the table. It is important that all involved understand the goal of improving knowledge and increasing effectiveness.

10. Value

The value of the PNLC is accomplishing common goals. When common goals are achieved there is a value to the educational organization. When the educational organization achieves value from the PNLC the organization is able convert this value into increasing student achievement. The ultimate value of the PNLC and the 10 elements of collaboration is the benefit to students. 

Because value is what the Professional Networked Learning Collaborative (PNLC) is all about...

“Educators working together in the ongoing purpose of increasing student learning while sharing physical space, virtual space, or both simultaneously. The Professional Networked Learning Collaborative operates according to the values of ICE³: Imagination, Innovation, Inquiry, Collaboration, Creativity, Curiosity, Exploration, Experimentation, and Entrepreneurship.” 

Education's Paper-and-Pencil Penitentiary: Life Behind The Walls

How goes the working conditions of teachers, so goes the education our students receive.

Students and teachers are working in a paper-and-pencil penitentiary.

_{The Adelaide Gaol | A-Wing Prison Cell - HDR Originally uploaded by Artie | Photography}

“ ‘We’re here for the kids.’ ‘We do what’s best for kids.’ Often have these words been proclaimed from atop school district offices. However, has anyone thought that by doing what’s best for teachers you are doing what’s best for kids?”  Brian Crosby, Smart Kids, Bad Schools

“Teacher working conditions are student learning conditions.”  North Carolina governor Michael F. Easley

Death to All Sacred Cows authors David Bernstein, Beau Frasier, and Bill Schwab point out that focusing exclusively on the wonderfulness of your customers can alienate and demoralize your employees. Without a happy and motivated workforce, your business will wither and die.”

And if your business is educating students, then spending all your time focusing on the needs of the students while ignoring the needs of the teachers is a recipe for poor morale, poor teaching, and eventually poor results.

Ken Futernick, writing in the Los Angeles Times said, “We have a high-school dropout problem in large part because we have a teacher dropout program.”

Teachers dropping out of the teaching profession is a serious problem. According to a 2007 California State University study, nearly one-quarter of new California teacher leave the profession in four years or less. Think of that, one out of every four teachers is leaving education after just a few years, even after all the training, education, and time they spend to get into the profession.

Teachers are expected to prepare students for success in the 21st Century, while working and teaching in 19th Century conditions. Compare how the conditions are for teachers, students, and prisoners.

Wouldn’t students and parents both benefit from a system treated teachers like professionals and put their long-term needs first ahead of the changing needs of students and parents. Students would get the education they deserve because they would be receiving instruction from teachers who are getting the treatment they deserve.

Fine dinning in New York City is not a place where you would think the customer comes second. But that is exactly the philosophy of restaurant owner and operator Danny Meyer. Death to All Sacred Cows puts it, “Danny Meyer certainly believes in treating the customer well….He just happens to think that the customer second and that his employees are the most important part of his business.” 

Meyer once said in the in an article in Time Magazine, “If you are devoted to your staff and can promise them much more than a paycheck, something to believe in, you will get the best service for your customers.”

Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia clothing company, titled his book, Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman, If I were to write a book it might be titled Let My People Go To The Bathroom.

Give your teachers the best and they will give your students the best.

Give your students the best and they will change the world.

Education Innovation

What Do Schools And Prisons Have In Common?

From the founder of the American Education Association and author of Smart Kids, Dumb Schools: 38 Ways to Save America's Future, Brian Crosby come this question...

"What building is drab looking, has gates all around it, with bells ringing all the time?" Thus begins his first of 38 ways to improve, restructure, change, fund, and treat education.

Here is a comparison he makes in the book.

I am fortunate that I went to schools and have worked at schools that don't share all these characteristics. Taken on a whole, it does make an interesting comparison and should create some interesting question and dialogue. The point is not that schools are prisons, but forced comparisons such as this are an excellent way to develop new and creative ideas.

Influence Strategy: Have a Seat!

In the book Influencer: The Power to Change Anything, the authors discuss the idea of the power of the environment to influence behavior. In chapter titled Change the Environment, the authors share the power of “things” on the environment and behavior, and how often we miss their powerful influence because of two reasons.

First, often the most powerful elements in our environment remain invisible to us.
“Work procedures, job layouts, reporting structures, etc., don’t exactly walk up and whisper in our ear.” The environment affects much of what we do, but we often fail to notice its impact.

Second, even when we do think about it, we aren’t sure we know how it is impacting us or we may not know what to do about it.

Students spend much of their waking youth in school. 12-13 years, 180 days a day, 6 hours a day in school. More specifically, in their classrooms, at their desks, sitting in a chair. 12-13 years sitting in a chair. Do you think the type of chair students spend the majority of their youth influences behavior? It is possible that the type of chair might impact the approximately 13,000 to 14,000 hours spent sitting in it?

Which would you rather sit in?

Or this?

Which would make the most positive influence on behaviors in the classroom? Which one do our students deserve to spend the majority of their waking hours as a child? What is our school environment saying about our priorities? Which would you rather spend your time in learning?

Recommended Reading:

Thinking outside the box