Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals (7e)

The most widely-used text on the topic of collaboration, Interactions is a guide for preprofessionals and professionals to help them understand and participate effectively in their interactions with other school professionals and parents, in an increasingly diverse world that is also now routinely electronically and globally connected. 

Interactions presents theory and conceptual principles heavily seasoned with examples, cases, and applied activities. Written specifically to enable readers to quickly use their skills in professional settings, the book will be a useful tool for pre-service educators and practitioners–whether they are engaged in formal instructional settings, a study group, or independent study.  The book recognizes that knowledge about instructional practices that can improve student outcomes are more important than ever before, and educators are scrambling to respond to the federal legislative mandates that require increasingly high standards and a clear trajectory of improving academic performance for all students, including those with disabilities and other special needs. 

1      The Fundamentals of Collaboration  

2      Interpersonal Communication  

3      Listening, Responding, and Giving Feedback  

4      Integrating Skills through Interviews  

5      Interpersonal Problem Solving  

6      Teams

7      Co-Teaching  

8      Consulting, Coaching, and Mentoring  

9      Difficult Interactions  

10    Paraeducators  

11    Families  

12    Interagency and Community Collaboration  

13    Perspectives and Issues  

References  

Name Index  

Subject Index  

• NEW CHAPTER — Chapter 12, Interagency and Community Collaboration, focuses on partnerships across organizations (e.g., school-university, school-agency). 
• NEW E-PARTNERSHIPS FEATURE:  Emphasizes using technology as a tool for professional partnerships.  Chapter 13 bolsters this coverage with additional resources for educators as they explore the power of the Internet as a vehicle for shared work.
• Many new examples and applications are provided for general education teachers, related services professionals, ESL teachers, and other specialists (e.g., literacy coaches).    
• Chapters 9, 10, and 11 in the sixth edition are now Chapters 2, 3, and 4, reflecting a new emphasis on the building blocks of collaboration — interpersonal communication skills.
• Emphasis in communication studies has moved toward highly integrated models, and the 7^th edition’s chapters reflect this notion, especially Chapter 4 that now uses interviewing as a vehicle for building skills for asking appropriate questions and making effective statements.
• With response to intervention now a common procedure in schools, the chapter on interpersonal problem solving (Chapter 5) has been changed to reflect the fact that the type of problem solving that occurs in RTI is somewhat different from the problem solving that typically has characterized collaboration. 
• Additional information on student collaboration was added.  Many of the features are updated or replaced, and over 250 new references help ensure the material is current.  

Orienting Graphic. At the opening of each chapter is a graphic that depicts five components of collaboration and their relationship to one another. The components consist of personal commitment, communication skills, interaction processes, programs or services, and context. These are components of the framework described in Chapter 1. The components most relevant to the content are shaded in the icons at the opening of each chapter.

Connections. Each chapter begins with a section titled Connections, which is designed to assist the reader in understanding how the specific chapter content relates to material in other chapters and to the overall organization of the book.

Learner Objectives. Each Connections section is followed by Learner Objectives, which inform the reader about the main purposes of the chapter. The objectives also help the reader to set expectations for what he or she will be able to do after studying the chapter.

A Case for Collaboration. Because instructors have shared with us that realistic cases in which professional candidates can apply what they are learning are particularly effective learning tools, we have added to each chapter in this edition a case designed to encourage this application.  The case is introduced at the beginning of the chapter, but it also is referred to several times as relevant concepts are introduced.  This strategy provides a mechanism for ongoing class discussion of the material.

Case Materials. Brief case descriptions and vignettes occur throughout the text to illustrate relevant concepts and principles. These often include descriptions of specific school situations and extended dialog between professionals or parents.  The goal is to bring the concepts and skills to life for professional candidates.

Putting Ideas into Practice. In each chapter, additional elaboration of concepts or skills practice is offered in Putting Ideas into Practice boxes. These boxes are another means of making written ideas come to life for application in real school settings.

A Basis in Research. A research base is developing in the area of collaboration and, increasingly, research-based practices are called for. Each chapter contains a feature titled A Basis in Research, which highlights pertinent research findings.

NEW - e-Partnerships. Given the rapidly growing use of technology across disciplines and across topics, it was inevitable that electronic collaboration should become part of this book. In nearly every chapter, you will find a feature that addresses a technology application. Most focus on the sue of technology to facilitate collaboration..

Collaborative Activities. Application items are found at the end of each chapter. In the seventh edition, at least one item refers to the introductory case, and consideration has been given to the very real need for candidates to be able to address them during a class session without accessing outside resources.  These exercises also may be used as out-of-class or independent assignments.