Week 4: Collaboration readings

Bertram, B., Bishop, A., Heidorn, P., Lunsford, K., Poulakos, S., & Won, M. (2003). The inquiry page: Bridging digital libraries to learners. Knowledge Quest 31(3), 15-17.

"Educational resources must make sense in terms of the interests, backgrounds, and abilities of the users."

In order for the collaborative process to be fully successful, there must be a sense of buy-in - a personal efficacy - from all involved. The authors of this paper detail the various aspects of "The Inquiry Page," which is a website that encourages collaboration among educators. Specifically "The Inquiry Page" relies on questions and the inquiry cycle to involve all partners in the collaborative process. This serves to increase the buy-in from the users and aids in the effectiveness of the collaboration process.

The inquiry cycle relies on questions to guide the collaborative process. The various stages include: ask, investigate, create, discuss, and reflect. Users enter into the process at any step and can customize the ways in which their work is displayed, granting the user a large degree of control over the collaborative process. This is especially useful when students are using the collaborative tools, as each is allowed to maintain his or her unique voice throughout the process.

When teachers and media specialists use the site, they find most useful the vast, searchable archive of existing inquiry projects. These can be modified for use in day-to-day classroom activities, and often offer diverse perspectives on unique ways to incorporate the media specialist into the instructional process. Perhaps most useful is the degree to which this resource allows teachers to collaborate with media specialists. The inquiry cycle can allow diverse voices to be heard throughout the collaborative process and helps to highlight the ways that a classroom teacher can benefit from the knowledge and resources in the media center.


Abilock, D. (2002). Ten attributes of collaborative leaders. Knowledge Quest, 31(2), 8-10.

"Questions are the first steps in learning."

Like the authors of the previous reading, Abilock looks at successful collaborations and finds questions and inquiry at their hearts. In this brief article, she points out the 10 most significant factors that determine successful collaborations. The emphasis is not on the collaborative process nor is it on the actual results of the collaboration. Rather, the author looks into the traits that make up a strong collaborative leader.

On one level, the author indicates that collaborative leaders need to practice what they preach and need to be passionate about their practice. However, this passion must be tempered by reasoned, measured steps that are the result of careful listening and thoughtful dialog.

Secondly, the leaders actions must foster a collaborative environment. They must be mindful of the language they use, monitor the pre-conceived notions of their group, bring new and pertinent information to the discussion, and ask guiding and thoughtful questions.

Finally, leaders must have a belief in the collaboration as a process. They must truly trust that students will learn better if and when teachers and media specialists combine information and strategies to build a richer learning environment.