Running Head: WEEK EIGHT DISCUSSION REPLIES

Week Eight Discussion Replies

SPED 854: Family and Interprofessional Collaboration in Special Education

University of Kansas

Dr. Irma Brasseur-Hock & Naheed Abdulrahim

Brent Seager

June 30, 2017

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Week Eight Discussion Replies

Morgan Root:

Morgan,

I agree that many of my thoughts and perspectives have changed throughout this course, I

see how important culture, identity, and other factors can impact communication and

collaboration. I also did not consider the fact that ethnicity can only be determined by an

individual and not others, which is a new concept to me; but also, speaks volumes of how people

shape their own identities and beliefs. I believe that this course provided great ideas on how

culture, ethnicity, and identity can impact communication and collaboration with others. There

were many great ideas and perspectives on how to improve communication and collaboration in

a variety of settings and environments; which is imperative as an educator will need to

communicate in a variety of settings and environments.

I also believe that collaboration and co-teaching were also important topics within this

course. As many schools and school districts are now moving towards co-teaching models,

educators need to understand how to communicate and collaborate with other educators in the

classroom setting. While I have had several positive experiences with co-teaching in my first

year as a teacher, this course has taught me how to better utilize my resources to collaborate with

other educators in a co-teaching classroom. Collaboration does not stop at the school level

between teachers, it must occur on all levels, including with the family, parents, and community

members; as this will provide the best support for all students. Prior to taking this course, I

thought of collaboration as working with co-workers; but this course has allowed me to see

collaboration on a larger scale. I look forward to using the skills and ideas in my classroom next

school year, as I believe that I can build a better environment for communicating and

collaborating with people in my building.

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Brent

Chyntia Poedjokerto:

Chyntia,

I also believe that culture is one of big themes discussed in this course; culture is one

several driving forces within a society, community, and other settings. The impact of culture on

collaboration and communication in this course was a significant theme, as culture has the

tendency to have positive and negative impacts on collaboration and communication. One

positive aspect of culture on collaboration and communication is having different perspectives

and perceptions to drive the collaboration and communication process; this diversity allows for

concerns and other issues to be resolved in a creative manner. One negative aspect of culture on

collaboration and communication is differing ideals and perspectives; as people from different

cultures have different views and perceptions, which can cause confusion in the collaboration

and communication process. Despite the challenges and positive aspects of culture on

communication and collaboration, it is important for educators to continue to develop necessary

collaboration and communication skills to work with people from diverse cultures.

Ethnicity is also another big idea that was discussed in this course that can also have

positive and negative impacts on communication and collaboration. Educators will be working

with individuals with different and similar ethnicities, and it is vital that each educator is

sensitive to the ethnic background of everyone that they are communicating and collaborating

with. This will ensure effective communication and partnerships to best address the goals and

needs of each student. If individuals with different ethnicities do not feel valued or included in

the collaboration and communication process, confusion and other problems may arise for

educators and those that they are communicating and collaborating with. Therefore, it is
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imperative that educators take ethnic and cultural backgrounds into consideration when

communicating and collaborating.

Brent

Julia Kaufman:

Julia,

I agree that there are many contexts in which the term collaboration can be used, and it

was one of several significant terms within this course. Collaboration occurs at many levels, in

the home, classrooms, workplace, community, and many other places and situations. Therefore,

it is imperative that educators collaborate and incorporate collaboration into lessons and

activities. One of the most challenging aspects of collaboration can be with family members, as

understanding the dynamics is one thing that an educator must successfully accomplish prior to

successful collaboration with family members of a student. I also agree that collaboration allows

members of a group or team to work constructively towards accomplishing goals and agendas,

which is why collaboration is a powerful tool for educators and many other professions and

aspects of life.

I also believe that learning how to collaborate and communicate with students and

families from different cultures and backgrounds was a great takeaway from this course. I could

see how individuals from different cultures and backgrounds can sometimes feel excluded in the

meeting process; which means that teachers must learn how to involve and communicate with all

team members. I agree that I have learned how to improve communication and collaboration

through the activities and materials contained in this course, and this will allow me to be more

effective in helping to improve the communication and collaboration process in my school.

While I am working in a new school district this coming school year, I believe that I am better

prepared to work with a variety of students and their families from different backgrounds; as I
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have learned about the factors that influence and affect effective communication and

collaboration. The information contained within this course is essential in improving the

communication and collaboration process, and I would recommend the information that I learned

in this course to be included in future professional development trainings.

Brent