C4Ta #2 Post

Getting to the Heart of Collaboration

Angela Maiers explains in the post “Getting to the Heart of Collaboration,” why collaboration is so important. People sometimes twist the meaning of collaboration to mean strictly cooperation, coordination, and communication. However the three parts of collaboration are: team, process, and purpose. She describes team as two or more people. Processes are those team members working together. Their purpose is working together toward shared goals. Just being able to come together and use technology does not fit the standards of a good collaboration. Everyone must work together toward the same goal. They must also know how to use this technology correctly. But they must also know how exactly they will work together. When you come together and work as a group you must share your ideas. People do much better collaborating than they do alone. Why? Because together, they are smarter. You can come up with innovative ways to solve problems and collectively solve the problem. I think back to my time in high school band. We would not have been a success if we did not all come together and work towards the same goals. Was it always easy? No, but it was always worth it.

Reflection on #Choose 2 Matter: Each student is a Masterpiece

    In Angela Maiers post “Reflection on #Choose 2 Matter: Each student is a Masterpiece,” she discussed a meeting at Esthervile Central High School in Northwest Iowa. There were over 1500 students, staff, and members of the community present. The speaker had everyone look at the person sitting next to them and tell them, “You are a masterpiece.” I love that! I can remember when I began Pascagoula High School Band my sophmore year,  my band director, Mr. Jerry Ball, had us all say “I am the most important person here.”  He wanted us all to believe we mattered; we were important. Many children do not believe they matter. When things go bad, they tend to give up and stop believing. Angela Maiers discussed some things we should tell ‘our children’:

1. Be brave.

2. You matter and can make a difference.

3. Your contributions to this world make it better.

4. You have the power to change the world.

5. Together we can make a difference.

    You never know what a student is going through. You may be the only one that shows the student that you care. As teachers, we need to keep that fire in each student burning. We need to help bring out the best in each student and show them we believe in them. We may be the torch that keeps their fires burning.

Angela Maiers