Collaborativeness

I personally believe that collaboration and group work are very distinct concepts. A group most certainly does not have to be collaborative. In high school, I was in some horrible groups for projects. The group participation consisted of one or two people who worked hard and did most of the work and the rest that contributed next to (or actually) nothing. Collaboration, on the other hand means that all members of the group are putting forth a more or less equal effort. In a collaboration, the project would not and could not have been the same without the hard work and effort that everyone put forth into it.

Certainly, the ability to collaborate is essential to teachers. They must be able to work well with their colleges as well as with administration. Also, effective teachers should encourage students to step beyond the realm of group work into the realm of collaboration