But as our curriculums change to keep pace, collaboration is a valued skill for students. In The Global Achievement Gap, Dr. Tony Wagner, co-director of Harvard's Change Leadership Group, identifies collaboration as one of seven survival skills critical to student success.
What can we do so that our libraries encourage student-to-student collaboration?
1. Arrange furniture so small groups of students can easily work together.
2. Allow productive noise.
3. Work with your tech folks to allow students to bring their own devices.
4. Establish relationships with students so they feel free to come to the library to work on projects as time allows.
5. Ensure that the library is open before and after school and during lunch.
6. Provide materials students may need. This may range from up-to-date online resources to basic supplies.
7. If space allows, set up a production lab so students may design and edit projects. This could be a small office or workroom converted for this purpose.
8. Collaborate with teachers to encourage projects that are process-based, inquiry-driven, and collaborative in nature.
Because students are social, collaboration is natural to them. As students work together in our libraries, we may be able to observe skills that will help us improve our collaboration with teachers!
What other suggestions do you have to encourage collaboration among students in your library?
I am happy to say that I already meet most of those points. We don't allow students to bring their own devices (sigh), but I do have a laptop cart that they can use in the library.
ReplyDeleteMy problem is that because of all the group activities, there is not anywhere for the students who need a quiet spot to work. I don't have a solution at this point, but I have to come up with something this year.
I may end up having to move some bookshelves which would not be my first choice.