ALL PARTICIPANTS PLEASE READ THE NOTE BELOW!!!
Although your course packet asks you to post to blog for parts A, B, C, and D…we are asking that you only post part D to the blog. We’re trying to make the blog more user-friendly and easier to read. Thanks!
A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategy of Cooperative Learning in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment. After completing your self assessment please post a thought or two as a comment (click on comment link below) to this posting labeled Week Seven: Cooperative Learning.
• What is your purpose for using cooperative learning in your classroom?
• What kind of cooperative learning activities do you use with your students?
• Think of a time when you used cooperative learning and was pleased with the results. Why did it work well?
• Think of a time when you used cooperative learning and was not pleased with the results. Why didn’t it work well?
B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 7 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for Cooperative Learning After completing your chapter reflection, please post it as a comment (click on comment link below) in the posting labeled Week Seven: Cooperative Learning.
C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to try out with your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may share how you would use this strategy in your classroom.)
D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/prompts to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Seven: Cooperative Learning by clicking on the “comment” link below.
How has the information you read in this chapter on Cooperative Learning effected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:
• How might I change how use cooperative learning in my classroom?
• What is something you now understand better about cooperative learning?
Although your course packet asks you to post to blog for parts A, B, C, and D…we are asking that you only post part D to the blog. We’re trying to make the blog more user-friendly and easier to read. Thanks!
A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategy of Cooperative Learning in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment. After completing your self assessment please post a thought or two as a comment (click on comment link below) to this posting labeled Week Seven: Cooperative Learning.
• What is your purpose for using cooperative learning in your classroom?
• What kind of cooperative learning activities do you use with your students?
• Think of a time when you used cooperative learning and was pleased with the results. Why did it work well?
• Think of a time when you used cooperative learning and was not pleased with the results. Why didn’t it work well?
B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 7 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for Cooperative Learning After completing your chapter reflection, please post it as a comment (click on comment link below) in the posting labeled Week Seven: Cooperative Learning.
C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to try out with your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may share how you would use this strategy in your classroom.)
D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/prompts to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Seven: Cooperative Learning by clicking on the “comment” link below.
How has the information you read in this chapter on Cooperative Learning effected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:
• How might I change how use cooperative learning in my classroom?
• What is something you now understand better about cooperative learning?
3 comments:
Chapter 7: Cooperative learning
I have consciously worked hard to implement cooperative learning in my class. I have thought that it is hard for first graders to work in cooperative groups when they are still learning to function in a classroom. Besides, many children think of cooperative groups as a play time or free time since they are still learning to be independent students in class. This type of activity requires a lot of modeling, practicing and repetition to really work in class. However, over the years, I have been very intentional about cooperative groups.
According to the chapter I use informal grouping in class. I ask my students to turn to their neighbor to share about a topic that has been discussed. I have used this strategy during literacy, science, social studies and math. Students are trained to shift their bodies to face their neighbor, share their ideas and then when they hear the signal go back to class. I really like this strategy since it really encourages all of my students to talk to their friends in a non intimidating way, especially for the shy students.
I also use the informal cooperative groups during ELD class. Most of the time students work with a friend, usually one or two friends in the language functions we have practiced on that class. Usually they create dialogues, posters, or work on written exercises to practice their English skills. I liked the way this chapter presents the different ways to group students, by birthday, favorite pets, etc. I usually group them according to their ability. For instance, I ask a high level child to work with a medium level one. I ask medium level students to work with a lower ability child since I have seen that students learn when they interact with their peers. I never group two low students to work together since I have seen that it is hard for them to carry on with the activity. I have seen that when students are grouped, high-medium or medium-low they feel successful. I always encourage both students to work on the activity together without relying on one person to do everything for the group. I always monitor the class making sure students are following the guidelines.
I also use cooperative groups in math. I have grouped the students according to their level in math and they work throughout the year with the same peers. In my math program: Bridges, students have math stations. Once or twice a week students rotate throughout the stations to work on the math activities. I have 7 stations and they know what they are supposed to do in each one. I teach the students the skills, model for them several times with the materials from the stations, ask them to do it together and then they work on their groups. I really like these groups since I have seen their growth in their interactions and abilities. Students help each other and they also monitor their group to make sure they are following the classroom rules. I have to say that we practiced many times in the beginning for the groups to work together.
I like the different ways presented in this book for creating groups. I want to apply them next time I think of cooperative groups in my classroom.
Cooperative Learning: As I was reading this chapter it reinforced all the positives I see in cooperative learning. There were other parts that helped answer some questions that I had when reflecting before reading the chapter. By working in a small school I do not have many students in my classroom. It has proved to be a difficult task to level students and trying to have more advanced students help the average student but not have anyone’s feelings hurt. Everyone knows who is in a higher group and who is in a lower group, it is not a mystery. However, I want students to be challenged and sometime challenging them is having them explain the concept to someone that has not grasped it yet. In spelling and vocabulary I level students according to ability, but in other subjects they are put into groups with varying ability levels. This has worked so far this year and I believe we will continue to work through groups students collectively.
Cooperative groups can be great for a project so that students can work together to collect information and then present on the topic. I hope that this will be a time where students can learn to work together. This is a prime time to see the leaders come out in groups and how they are able to delegate. I am able to show each group how this should look and what the expectations are. There was an assignment earlier in the year that I assigned to students that they were put into groups and was to pick the 8 most significant parts in the story. I did not like how some groups missed major parts of the story or once they got to 8 events and were only half way through the story they stopped. I was hoping that in their groups they would be able to explain and discuss and come to good conclusions of what the events were. However, some of them just wanted to get the assignment done instead of thinking it through. We then talked about the story again as an entire class and they were asked to get back into their groups to redo the assignment. Once reviewed again there were much better outcomes.
I would like to create groups of students that they are in that group for the entire year. I believe that this would create more camaraderie in the classroom and between students. The idea is that students would meet once a week to share their journal entries. Each morning there is a journal topic on the board that students write about. After reading this chapter I think it would be good for students to group together on Fridays instead of writing and share their writing with one another. This would be beneficial to students to share with a group and see different students’ creativity. A good teaching moment could come from this in teaching about giving two things you liked and beginning to give constructive criticism.
The book brought about many good ideas that I know I will continue to think about and apply to my classroom.
We agree that this chapter has some useful information regarding grouping students. As Liliana stated, it takes a lot of modeling and practice to get students to a place where the cooperative groups work well. Karissa, having the students redo the assignment after discussing it whole class is a wonderful way to help students understand your expectations and allows them the chance to improve their assignment. When introducing students to constructive criticism, I have found that it takes a lot of discussion, modeling and examples to help the students do it effectively. It is a skill that takes a lot of time to develop. Good luck!
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