The Cs:
Coordination, Cooperation, Collaboration, and Creativity

Explore each of the following four areas: Coordination, Cooperation, Collaboration, and Creativity.

Coordination

To arrange or harmonize in a common action

First grade and four grade classes can work together with a little coordination. Go to Animal Tales for an example.

Herman (1994) in The Force of Ones suggests the Cs of Interaction: Contact, Contract, Concreteness, Check, Close. Here's how these ideas could be used in coordinating activities with all ages:

1. Contact. Smile and listen. Discuss the possibilities. Ask: Have we considered all the options?
   
2. Contract. Identify what needs done. Ask: Is everyone happy with the roles and responsibilities?
3. Concreteness. Make it simple and specific. Make statements that are sharp, simple, specific. Email everyone. Ask: Who, what, when, where, why & how?
4. Check. Confirm the direction. Ask: How are we doing? Do we need to make adjustments?
5. Close. Good endings make good beginnings. Ask: How did it go? Who needs to know how it went?

Go to Wikis and the Role of Collaboration for examples of classes working together.

Cooperation

To work with another or others toward a common end

What can you contribute to a cooperative effort? Consider how you can match your strengths with the needs and interests of your instructional team.

Curriculum Leader. Connect quality resources and activities to specific curriculum needs. Not just the resource itself, but quality activities.

• NYPL Digital Gallery
• Examine the history and economics of street vendors in New York City.

Information Scientist. Many of our students and teachers are technology literate, but are they information fluent?

• Identify the fact, opinion, argument in a "letter to the editor".
• Letters to the Editor from New York Times Learning Network

Resource Consultant. Many students and teachers prefer to "google" than carefully select the best resource for the job. Promote a variety of resources from books and videos to web resources and videos. Place emphasis on addressing different intelligences through a variety of materials. For example, audiobooks promote oral fluency. They're also a great tool for reluctant readers and those who spend time in the car or bus.

• Playaway Books - self-contained digital books

Technology Specialist. Encourage the use of a variety of communication tools from blogs for journaling to video information dissemination.

• SchoolTube - student-produced videos
• Schoolhouse Video - Promote alternative means of communication
• TeacherTube - like YouTube, but for schools

Literature Specialist. Contribute your knowledge of literature and reading.

• American Farming Technology: Science and Literature Unit

Digital Developer. Share your expertise as a website developer.

• A Different Place

Community Collaborator. Facilitate activities with community resources such as the public library, museums, nature centers, government resources, and online resources to build "real world" connections to subject areas. For example, the photo on the right shows one of many community members participating in a community development project that involved Indiana students sharing their work. The students, teachers, library media specialist, and community members collaborated to make the project a success.

"Big Picture" Thinker. You have a cross-curricular perspective unlike anyone else in your building. Help teachers see connections among standards across content areas. Build relationships between language arts and math/science/social studies and information skills.

• Use Biography Maker to create powerful projects that incorporate information skills as well as language arts and other subjects.

Are you perceived as a proactive member of the learning community or as a passive observer? Explore ways to actively build diverse partnerships.

Collaboration

To work together in a joint intellectual effort

Synergy occurs when two or more elements work together to produce an impact greater than the sum of their individual efforts. Consider all the possible communities that can help you promote synergy: school, local, regional, global.

• Authentic, Local Connections: Museums, Nature Parks, Service Organizations, Clubs, Non-profits, Chamber of Commerce, Public Library, Government Agencies
• Global Community Projects: TechnoSpuds, Kids-Learn, One Book One Community: Wells Elementary Library, Library of Congress
• Global Discussions: Library Thing Discussions, Book Pile Contest

Check out the Flat Stanley page. Rather than just posting photographs like most Flat Stanley projects, we published a Flat Stanley e-comicbook! Try using Comic Life.

Creativity

To produce something new or different; imaginative or original

Creativity: 3 Components

• Intellectual Aspects - power to generate ideas
• Motivational Aspects - willing to work at getting ideas
• Emotional Aspects - courage to be different; ability to resist conformity

For creative ideas, go to Escrapbooking Projects.

Creative Environment

• "Idea Traps" - folders of ideas, webs
  
• "Stimulators" - sounds, images, lists of resources
• "Warm Fuzzies" - smiles, relaxation, food, couches

Expand Creativity

• Form analogies - information highway, ocean of info
  
• Build chain of ideas/associations - themes, books, activities
  
• Redefine questions/problems - Why are kids not reading?
  
• Look at information in new ways - big picture of data; other types of data

Exercise Creativity

• Visualize problems
  
• Brainstorm alternatives
  
• List consequences
  
• Name things
  
• Finish sentences
  
• Ask questions

Creative Classroom Ideas

• Rearrange resources
• Collaborate with new people: art, music, library, cross grade level
• Mix resources - books, computers, real objects
• Old resources; new ways - picture books in upper grades
• Balance Critical Thinking and Creativity

The Keys

• Creative Swapping - share and share alike; visit classrooms and websites
• Think “Over the Edge”
• Reward Innovation

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