Laserfiche WebLink
24 <br /> <br /> <br />Communication Skills For CollaborationCommunication Skills For CollaborationCommunication Skills For CollaborationCommunication Skills For Collaboration <br /> <br />1. Pausing <br />Pausing before responding or asking a question allows time for thinking and enhances dialogue, <br />discussion, and decision-making. <br /> <br />2. Paraphrasing <br />Using a paraphrase starter that is comfortable for you – “So…” or “As you are…” or “You’re <br />thinking…” – and following the starter with an efficient paraphrase assists members of the group in <br />hearing and understanding one another as they converse and make decisions. <br /> <br />3. Posing Questions <br />Two intentions of posing questions are to explore and to specify thinking. Questions may be posed to <br />explore perceptions, assumptions, and interpretations, and to invite others to inquire into their <br />thinking. For example, “What might be some conjectures you are exploring?” Use focusing questions <br />such as, “Which students, specifically?” or “What might be an example of that?” to increase the clarity <br />and precision of group members’ thinking. Inquire into others’ ideas before advocating one’s own. <br /> <br />4. Putting Ideas on the Table <br />Ideas are the heart of meaningful dialogue and discussion. Label the intention of your comments. For <br />example: “Here is one idea…” or “One thought I have is…” or “Here is a possible approach…” or <br />“Another consideration might be…”. <br /> <br />5. Providing Data <br />Providing data, both qualitative and quantitative, in a variety of forms supports group members in <br />constructing shared understanding from their work. Data have no meaning beyond that which we <br />make of them; shared meaning develops from collaboratively exploring, analyzing, and interpreting <br />data. <br /> <br />6. Paying Attention to Self and Others <br />Meaningful dialogue and discussion are facilitated when each group member is conscious of self and <br />of others, and is aware of what (s)he is saying and how it is said as well as how others are responding. <br />This includes paying attention to learning styles when planning, facilitating, and participating in group <br />meetings and conversations. <br /> <br />7. Presuming Positive Intentions <br />Assuming that others’ intentions are positive promotes and facilitates meaningful dialogue and <br />discussion, and prevents unintentional put-downs. Using positive intentions in speech is one <br />manifestation of this norm. <br /> <br /> <br /> Center for Adaptive Schools www.adaptiveschools.com <br />December 12, 2018, Work Session - Item 2