The Seven Not-so normal Norms of Collaborative Work

While I’m not totally certain I should be looking at these from the point of view of an educator or student, I’m working on the premise that it may not matter.

  1. Pausing is a problem for many. Often, folks don’t care for the quiet-preferring to fill it with noise. I find myself working very hard to teach my students about wait time. I’ll provide a prompt, and require a quiet period for thought. Some find this almost painful, as they’re so used to being among the first to provide a response. I encourage them to wait a bit to allow everyone time to process and form a response. Instead of calling on one student, I’ll have them speak in small groups, allowing for each student to share.

  2. What’s missing? I’ll mention an agenda-only to set time limits. Just like with kids, adults will get off task and waste time if an agenda or plan isn’t offered and agreed too from the beginning.

  3. Responding to others. I cannot figure out how to see the responses of my peers. I’m hoping someone will be able to point me in the right direction, so. I can contribute.