3rd grade students experiment with watercolor
According to Wikipedia
Community engagement refers to the process by which community benefit organizations and individuals build ongoing, permanent relationships for the purpose of applying a collective vision for the benefit of a community.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_engagement
Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal.[1] It is a recursive[2] process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, (this is more than the intersection of common goals seen in co-operative ventures, but a deep, collective, determination to reach an identical objective
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaboration
If these definitions work then yes, both. Any thoughts?
University students work on color mixing and painting lines
Recently I attended a conference on Common Core State Standards. The conference brought together teachers and artists from 8 counties in California to develop performance assessments. The new standards are suppose to bring "more depth, less breadth" to education and testing.
While at the conference I was thinking about these questions around engagement, community and collaboration in terms of classroom teaching. I decided to ask people at the conference about these ideas. The conversations were dynamic and passionate. I asked people "If we're to have integrated, inquiry based education, how do we move educators (teachers, administrators and policy makers) from a mindset of isolation to collaboration?" I wish I had done a better job of recording the conversations but here are the snippets I wrote down.
"What is the purpose of public education? To make better futures for ourselves, others and the planet. This requires working together."
"It's about Collective Impact. If we're to make policy change - how do we come together for a shared vision?"
"It's about Private Property - What if we abandoned it? Think about intellectual free space - our minds are public parks."
"What are the dispositions that become part of a life time (teaching) practice? and how is art a part of inquiry, collaboration, etc... in learning?"
constance, i think this is a really stimulating question.
ReplyDeletefirst of all, that common core standards conference sounds very interesting--i wish i could have tagged along with you!
next: your question about definitions of 'engagement' and 'collaboration' is actually making me hone in on the word 'community.' in a way, i think we tend to use the term 'community' to mean 'people other than the artists,' as in, the people who we 'serve,' the people who 'need help,' or the people who have something to learn or gain from this work.
what this highlights for me is the inherent division it creates between artists/project leaders and the rest of the people involved. can we conceive of projects that really are collaborative? can we design/lead projects and still engage in them as a 'community member'? is that what we want to do, for this project or that project?
i'll be percolating on this one. thanks for volleying this question our way.
Hi Constance,
ReplyDeleteThank you for stirring up the waters. I think before you can define community engagement, you have to be aware of how you are defining community for yourself. I think that is determined by context. It is possible to be an artist and be a part of the community you are working with. Borders and barriers can be created if the community is defines as the "others."
Collaboration takes many forms. The trick is if all parties involved view the collaboration the same way or if the relationship is unequal. There are many levels of collaboration and commitment.
I love the comment about intellectual free space - minds as public parks.
Great fodder for conversation!