Mock IEP

Collaboration Strategies

Kim Matias
EDSP 534
October 12, 2015
Collaboration Strategies: Brainstorming

Meetings necessitate collaboration. When an entire team has a common goal, there needs to be a

technique that brings everyones ideas together. The most commonly used technique is

brainstorming. In this mock IEP video, our group strived for this technique. Much like what

was taught in elementary school, brainstorming is the quick firing of ideas. Though back then,

students were asked to write it down on a bubble map. As adults, it must be used professionally

to get desired results. As Friend and Cook (2013) state, brainstorming is the process in which

members call out solutions as they think of them, facilitating their own thinking by listening to

the ideas generated by others. Quite frankly, our original plan was a mix of brainstorming AND

the nominal group technique. Our staff meeting would use brainstorming. The ideas were already

brainstormed between the CTS, the Case Carrier, and the GE teacher. The actual IEP meeting

was supposed to use the nominal group technique. However, our group meshed well together and

it turned into brainstorming.

Brainstorming requires a team that blends together. Since it is a quick fire of ideas from different

people, each member must have the same level of respect for each other. A team without this

blend may end up with a very stressed environment. Bad ideas may be met with negative

reactions. A well-oiled team, using brainstorming as a technique, can take a bad idea and turn it

into a good one using constructive criticism. Though brain writes and a nominal group technique

may be just as effective, possibly more, this particular group meshed well together. Each member

was chaining, which is linking a series of ideas through a concept or other stimulus (F & C). A

great example of this is when the Grandmother would respond positively every time the CTS

had an idea. Seeing this response, the case carrier would start throwing out suggestions of where

Jackie could work.

In figure 9.1 of Friend and Cook, we are given a table for Styles for resolving conflict. Our

entire group reached a consensus through mere brainstorm collaboration. For example, when the

CTS mentioned leaving the campus for work, the VP had a great idea for having her work at a

nearby school. There was no negative response, just a consensus that it was a better idea. The

relationship within the group was a very positive one and the importance of the outcome was

important. Just by understanding this, we as a team consented on so many levels.

Team Roles and Responsibilities:

This entire project had everyone work together on equal footing. Everyone had a specific role for

the Mock IEP Video. Each role was designed so that we could properly assume the brainstorming

technique that we strived for. Throughout the meetings that we had as a group, we all included

our input into what we could have in the video. Though not every idea was used, every person

had an idea. Our first meeting was the week we didnt have a class. We used this time wisely.

Somehow, as a group, we were able to mesh pretty well. We had natural chemistry. It all flowed

so smoothly in the beginning that we were able to shoot the video the same day. Though the

preparations were minimal, we were feeding off of each others vibes in the video. In the next

couple of meetings, we were able to get together and agree on everything. Very rarely do groups

mesh so quickly and smoothly. There are a few people worth mentioning that did extra work for

us. Jasmine kept the communication alive with her constant emails. Thomas lead the way in

video and audio editing. He went out of his way to get professional help from our Media

department. Michael, as a backup in case our audio could not be fixed, transcribed the original

thirty minutes of video. I couldnt have asked for a better group.