How real is this in today's society?

It is insufficient for learners to merely attain concepts in isolation, yielding knowledge that frequently remains static. Rather, students must form and continually adapt their understanding of the world as they collaborate with other students to solve authentic problems presented in meaningful tasks (Bentley, Ebert, & Ebert, 2007).

Give students opportunities to connect with you, one another, and themselves. When students share feelings, thoughts, and stories (and listen as others share), they will feel a better connection with you, the materials, themselves, and one another.

Communication can take the form of journal writing (shared with you and/or classmates or kept private), online chats, blogs, wikis, informal interviews, pair-and-shares, etc. Perhaps you are already implementing one or several of these strategies. Be sure to take the extra step of asking students how they feel about the material and how it is personally relevant to them. Opportunities for students to connect will also solidify the learning. For a full, well-rounded learning experience, have students apply their learning to the standards or concepts so they can create meaningful learning — both personally and academically.

Establishing a sense of community and belonging in the classroom will open avenues for collaboration. Collaboration in the classroom is best used when you want to create learning situations that are more open-ended. They should include some research or exploration and allow the students to apply knowledge in new and different ways.

Many types of activities lend themselves well to collaboration, and working together is one tried-and-true strategy for teachers. The important part, which is often overlooked, is the need to first assess and then let students capitalize on their individual strengths. Next, it is important to ensure that they have a firm understanding of purpose and expected outcome(s) before they start working together. Communication that includes active listening is the key to this goal.