Week Eleven

This week, while studying the strand of “space”, I was particularly interested by the way I can use collaboration as a tool to help students learn. The first Australian professional standard for teaching is to “know students and how they learn” (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), 2014). This week, in response to the task cards, my group preposed that our hypothetical stage 3 students must work together to explore and learn about space in dance.  My group and I decided to use our task cards in a way that would encourage students to develop collaboration skills. Fostering collaboration skills is an important practice within my pedagogy. Studies show that collaboration, when compared with “competitive and individualistic efforts, has numerous benefits and typically results in higher achievement and greater productivity, more caring, supportive, and committed relationships; and greater psychological health, social competence, and self esteem” (Laal & Ghodsi, 2012, p. 489). Furthermore, as teachers we must best prepare our students for their adult life. According to Linked In data, the top three skills employers need most in 2019 are creativity, persuasion, and the ability to collaborate (Petrone, 2019).

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2014). Australian          professional standards for teachers. Retrieved from http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professionalstandards-for-teachers

Laal, M., & Ghodsi, S. M. (2012). Benefits of collaborative learning. Procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 31, 486-490.

Petrone, P. (2019, January 1).  The skills companies need most in 2019- and how to learn them. Retrieved from https://learning.linkedin.com/blog/top-skills/the-skills-companies-need-most-in-2019–and-how-to-learn-them