Communication And Collaboration In Education Education Essay

Communication is the process of passing on information through the interchange of opinions, messages, or information, by means of speech, signals, visuals, writing, or conduct. Communication necessitates a source, a message, and a receiver, even though the receiver must not be existing or aware of the sender’s intent to converse at the spell of communication; therefore, communication can happen across huge distances in space and time. Communication necessitates that the communicating parties share a region of communicative harmony. The communication procedure is complete as soon as the receiver has apprehended the meaning of the sender

Communication goes hand in hand with collaboration in education especially in teaching and learning. There is therefore a need for upgraded collaboration among instructors in the schools especially in focusing on ways of encouraging collaborative planning timeline adherence and a combined collaborative focus on differentiated learning for students with special needs (Cook & Friend, 1991). This paper will describe communication and collaboration processes and skills that would be utilized by a year level coordinator to encourage collaborative planning timeline adherence and a combined collaborative focus on differentiated learning for students with special needs. The character of educational collaboration as one essential key to professional sharing of finest practices in the streamlining of schools in order to take care of distinguished learning for learners with special needs will be discussed. Issues of Collaboration Processes, Collaboration skills, Communication Processes and Communication Skills will be described.

Having seen the meaning of Communication and collaboration in education, the following is the description of communication and collaboration processes and skills that would be utilized by a year level coordinator to boost collaborative planning timeline loyalty and a combined collaborative focus on differentiated learning for learners with special needs (Friend, 2010). The description will be in stages. The following are therefore the stages of description which will show various communication and collaboration processes and skills that would be utilized by a year level coordinator to encourage collaborative planning timeline adherence and a combined collaborative focus on differentiated learning for students with special needs: Setting up the planning meeting; Support for a effective meeting; Conducting the meeting with a emphasis on collaborative debate and decision making. The will be also the discussion about the Professional Values for Teachers and the reflecting upon the consultation representing first stage to the fourth stage of meeting respectively.

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Collaboration Processes

Collaboration may different definition depending on the context in whit it is being used. Therefore, collaboration may mean different things according to the perspective in reference. Sometimes collaboration may be mean working together in a classroom to educate a group of students that includes learners with disabilities. In different times collaboration may be describing meetings whose attention is to discuss learners who are newcomers to the school (White, 1992). Also, collaboration may be used in pressing on the determinations of the school’s staff improvement committee or any circumstances in which they work strictly with other teachers. In this paper’s perspective collaboration will be used in the context of cooperative focus on differentiated learning for students with special needs.

Communication Processes

Communication process takes different forms depending on the parties involved in communication. There is verbal communication in which words are used to exchange message and non-verbal communication which uses sign, body movement, and facial expression to convey message. There is another form called interpersonal communication that occurs between individuals who have a connection or affiliation. Interpersonal communication happens when one sends or obtains messages and when an individual allocate meaning to such messages (Bauwens, 1989).

In describing the communication and collaboration processes, and skills that one would utilize as a year level coordinator to encourage collaborative planning timeline adherence and a combined collaborative focus on differentiated learning for students with special needs, the following are the stages together with the communication and collaboration skills that would be very helpful in this scenario:

Stage 1: Setting up the planning meeting

Planning meeting will be a meeting that will bring all the stakeholders in school in order to discuss this cooperative planning timeline devotion and a collective collaborative focus on segregated learning for students with special needs. The meeting will accept all the views from all the teachers with all the view being considered. All the teachers being aware of the current curriculum, suggestions will be welcomed from them on the amendments that should be done in order to improve it. These views on curriculum amendment will be centered on helping the students with special needs. The communication process to be used will include verbal and non-verbal communication. This will ensure that members who experience language barrier will able to use non-verbal communication to contribute their views. This is in particular the head of curriculum department who is Japanese.

Stage 2: Scaffolding for a successful meeting

For a successful meeting in this educational scenario, there will be an inclusion of the concept of adjusting the procedure to the time program of personnel concerned, creating an agenda of matters to be discussed, sharing accurate information, providing a appropriate setting with satisfactory facilities for the discussing participants, exploiting operative communications, and offering an escape hatch for solving stalemates.

In this meeting, there will be a well outlined program which will strictly be followed. To ensure satisfactory facilities for the discussing participants, the meeting will be held indoor in a well arranged room with chairs and tables within the school environment. The participant will be given factual information at the begging of the meeting which will act as a guide in what will be discussed. Each and every item of discussion will be allocated a certain time in which all the issue concerning that item will be discussed will all the participant airing their views. It is through communication that participants will be able to take part in the discussion activities. Therefore, exploiting operative communications will be essential for success of this meeting. The form of communication that will be used will ensure the flow of discussion with all the members participating. Both verbal and non-verbal forms of communication will be used. Due to the fact that the Head of Curriculum is Japanese, this will be an impasses which will be given an escape hatch of ensuring that all participant will be able to use both verbal and non-verbal forms of communication. This therefore will have solved this stalemate. Ensuring all this, the planning meeting will be expected to be successful.

Stage 3: Conducting the meeting with a focus on collaborative discussion and decision making.

The main purpose of this meeting is discussion of year level coordinator on issues that would encourage collaborative planning timeline adherence and a mutual collaborative emphasis on differentiated learning for learners with special needs.

On collaborative discussion, various aspects of collaboration on issues to be negotiated by teachers will be discussed. Teachers who are the participants will have ample chances to take part in the discussion. For the discussion to be effective, each and every participant will have ample time to raise and support their views. Queries will be encouraged from other participants concerning an issue raised by a certain participant. This will ensure no any void will emerge during the discussion process

There will be controlled conversations- as part of an entire group, in tiny groups, and with participants. Being productive participant of these conversations in the discussion require that participants contribute exact significant information and react to and improve what others have alleged. Discussion will also involve making comparisons and contrasts; and evaluate and fuse a mass of ideas in different domains.

On the decision making, teacher will be made to understand that collaboration is deliberate. Through discussion, instructors will be required to work in close vicinity and collaborate with colleagues. There will be an encouragement to make a personal choice by teachers to work collaboratively in such situations that require collaborative planning timeline adherence and a mutual collaborative emphasis on differentiated learning for learners with special needs.

It is also through discussion that participants will learn that teachers who collaborate need to believe that all persons’ contributions are appreciated equally (Morsink, 1991). This will help teachers to accept the suggestions raised by the students with special needs. This will in turn lead to collective stress on segregated learning for learners with special needs especially when their views are taken into considerations.

Through discussion in this meeting Professional Standards for Teachers, outline the educational and other proficient knowledge and expertise obligatory of all teachers will be discussed and consideration put forward on how communication and collaboration is entrenched in those professional standards. This is particularly important

Stage 4: Reflecting upon the meeting

The planning meeting has a lot to contribute in encouraging collaborative planning timeline adherence and a mutual collaborative emphasis on differentiated learning for learners with special needs.

In this meeting, different aspect emerges. Most of the discussion process during this meeting takes place through verbal communication. Participants use words to express their view and ideas concerning the matter being discussed. Also, queries and responses from other members are through verbal communication. This shows the importance of verbal communication and how it can be used in contributing to teaching and learning process and in encouraging collaborative planning timeline adherence and a mutual collaborative emphasis on differentiated learning for learners with special needs.

As earlier mentioned, the head of curriculum is Japanese. This in itself has an impact on the way the meeting takes place. From this, the aspect of non-verbal communication emerges. Owing to the importance of the head of curriculum, Japanese, non-verbal communication comes into effect in order to maintain a free flow of discussion process during the meeting. Use of non-verbal communication during the meeting makes the participants; teachers understand its importance in the learning process especially to students with special needs (Phillips, 1990). This therefore contributes in encouraging collaborative planning timeline adherence and a mutual collaborative emphasis on differentiated learning for learners with special needs. This therefore indicates the importance of non-verbal communication in various aspects especially to the differentiated individual who are different from the majority.

In the meeting, discussion takes center stage. There are aspects of exchange of ideas, views and opinions. There is also agreement and disagreements. All this aspects lead to the emergence of emotional communication in which anger, content and happiness is expressed. All this therefore, transfer messages to the other parties in the meeting. Emotional communication therefore is important in various situations including in teaching and learning to students with special needs.

Interpersonal conflict emerges during meeting especially due to different motivations and expectations of participants. This can be solved through conflict management strategies. This is very important in order to ensure that the aim of planning meeting is realized. The issue of interpersonal conflict and conflict management strategies is very important not only in the meeting and in encouraging collaborative planning timeline adherence and a mutual collaborative emphasis on differentiated learning for learners with special needs particularly in mainstream school with students with special needs (Laycock, 1991).

In summary, collaboration processes, collaboration skill, communication process and communication skills are key ingredient one can use to inspire collaborative planning timeline adherence and a collective collaborative emphasis on differentiated learning for learners with special needs.