Collaboration?

In defining collaboration and what it is not, a good article is:Gibson-Langford, L (2007) Collaboration: Force or Forced, Scan, 26(4): 19-30.  There is a lot to think about here but the following will serve.  Gibson-Langford is here talking about a history of problems with teacher librarian attempts at collaboration with others in schools. 

In our zeal to engage more actively in teaching partnerships, did we really fully grasp this practice called collaboration?  Did we understand the complexities of human relationships that underpin collaboration?  Did we realistically establish its possibilities?  Did we invest time preparing the social environment in which to begin a collaborative process with our classroom teachers before we set out on such a significant professional agenda?  Did we ever weigh up the notion that collaboration may be something not possible in human relationships due to the complexity of human behaviour? Is it possible that collaboration is a concept that is misused, misunderstood and misguided, under the belief that teachers working in close proximity are enabled to be collaborative in their approach to learning and teaching?

These are not the only problems, there is a plethora of others, but one thing that I would highlight here is that teaching experience shows that group teaching and learning strategies, such as team teaching and group work, often do not work with all teachers and students.  Hence, it is unlikely that collaboration would work with all teacher librarians, teachers and students.

It is important to note that, in my opinion, the above does not mean that collaboration is impossible or not something that educators and learners should use to more effectively educate and learn.  On the contrary, it suggests that as with other group strategies this strategy (and it is just one teaching and learning strategy) needs to be taken more seriously.