If we’re learning then we’re growing and changing. This certainly has been the case in relation to our work within Collaborative Response. What we had initially begun in our small school in southern Alberta has now transformed into the framework we call Collaborative Response. When we initiated this work we focused on the following three foundational components:
Through our work, learning from others, confirming our beliefs and finding better ways to ensure the needs of every student are met, we’ve transformed that learning into this:
Access a blog posting that further shares these fundamental shifts.
So it is with the shift in perspectives regarding the use of visual team boards. Early in our work, the trifold “science fair boards” with every child’s name and data displayed allowed us to envision the students we were responsible for seeking success. These tools were valuable for collaborating and coordinating student support but are now re-envisioned in light of new approaches and technologies while still attending to the students for whom we are supporting.
Visual Team Boards as Cornerstones
In our early days, we advocated for visual team boards in schools that would provide focus for data informed discussions as well as ensure we had a visual portrayal of what we were doing to support the needs of our students. These physical boards, adorned with student pictures and color-coded tiers, served as focal points for collaborative team meetings. They facilitated discussions on student needs, interventions, and progress tracking, particularly in areas like literacy.
The initial version of visual team boards (as seen below) provided the impetus for connecting data and the continuum of supports to the collaborative team meeting. This is crucial to the overall understanding of Collaborative Response as a framework. These boards provided an opportunity to demonstrate the overall incoming level of student to initiate awareness of students for the upcoming year; articulated the tiered level of supports that were being provided by a school and ensured that there was flexibility in what we were providing for students based on their need at any moment in time (all the cards were velcroed and moveable.
We advocated for the student cards to be displayed on science boards so they could be stored away when not in use, understanding that they should not be displayed for parents or students to see. Some schools moved this idea into designing data walls and focused on tracking intervention and support.
However, despite their initial efficacy, physical visual boards presented challenges as we began to evolve and clarify Collaborative Response. Schools began to diversify their focus beyond one area of focus (typically boards were limited to one area of discussion) moving from literacy to encompass numeracy, wellbeing, and other areas. This shift highlighted the limitations of physical boards in representing the complex needs of diverse student populations, not to mention the time invested in creating each board.
The Emergence of Digital Solutions
Recognizing the need for more adaptable and comprehensive tools, we began to seek out alternative digital methods for tracking and guiding the discussions of the collaborative team meeting. Our search was unfruitful which initiated our desire to create our own digital solution. WeCollab allowed us to create a platform that would house customizable visual boards that could swiftly adapt to changing focus areas and create dynamic student profiles in the context of a collaborative team meeting (as seen below).
Visual Team Board in WeCollab
Student Profile in WeCollab
Gone are the days of cutting, laminating, and rearranging physical boards; now, teams can seamlessly navigate through different focus areas and student data with just a few clicks. The video linked provides an overview of the key features that are offered through WeCollab.
The evolution from physical to digital visual boards coincides with a broader shift in collaborative team meeting dynamics. While physical boards often centered around individual students, current collaborative team meetings prioritize addressing key issues and sharing best practices. This change in focus aligns with the broader goal of enhancing teaching practices and fostering collective growth through the key issues process (as shown below in the staffroom poster).
Despite the diminishing role of physical visual boards in Collaborative Team meetings, their utility persists in specific contexts. For school support teams, intervention teachers, and service providers, visual boards remain invaluable tools for tracking student progress, managing caseloads, and ensuring targeted support delivery. The team boards in WeCollab can also be formatted for this purpose, taking advantage of the digital platform and ease provided through technology.
As we embrace technological advancements and refine collaborative practices, our tools must adapt to meet the complex needs of today's learners. By leveraging digital platforms and shifting our focus from individual students to broader key issues, we pave the way for more effective collaboration and continuous improvement in our classrooms.
We extend an invitation to share your insights, your challenges, and your triumphs along with your questions, resources or suggestions related to this concept. Please reach out - we would love to chat with you! Email us at or .
Examining Collaborative Team Meetings - Shifting to Key Issues
Are you looking for a software solution to augment Collaborative Response in your organization?
Join Jennifer as she walks through the Collaborative Team Meeting process in WeCollab, ensuring that multiple student profiles are updated with the determined supports and actions simultaneously through the collaborative conversation and that staff remain informed through transparent communication processes.