My
Voice Thread will be used in a first grade classroom to teach students about
Christopher Columbus. We are in Chicago
so the students will have prior knowledge of the Museum of Science and
Industry. How is that connected to
Christopher Columbus? Go to this site
and find out:
The
instructional strategy of Cooperative Learning has many positive outcomes for
learning new concepts. In Using Technology with Classroom Instruction
that Works, Pitler, Hubbell, et al state “cooperative learning provides an
environment where students can reflect upon newly acquired knowledge, process
what they are learning by talking with and actively listening to their peers,
and develop a common understanding about topics” (2012, 73).
Trained
teachers will tell you about the many benefits for students by using
Cooperative Learning strategies. Students
have in depth knowledge of the subject.
They develop their oral communication skills and their relationship among
other students. There is more chance of
success when working in a group. Students are more motivated to coming to class
and participating so they do not let their peers down.
Teachers
have found they put more time into preparation for this strategy when they
first implement it. Teachers who set up
a www.diigo.com site allow students
to share web sites and bookmark them so others in their group will benefit.
Beneficial
is the authentic assessments teachers can use.
As they circulate the classroom, they can observe groups to make sure
they are on the right track and no misconceptions are occurring. They can use peer assessment or student
reflections to assess student learning.
Prior
to using Cooperative Learning strategies, teachers need to arrange the room,
put students into groups (it is suggested that no more than 4 students be in a
group), educate the students and parents as to why Cooperative Learning will be
used, go over a rubric so students know their expectations, assign the task,
and assign group roles. Teachers must
make sure to answer any questions or concerns before the students begin.
It
is best to begin using Cooperative Learning strategies at the beginning of the
school year or semester, but implementation can happen at any time. Pair-share is a form of Cooperative Group
where 2 students discuss a problem and share their reasoning for the answer
they have. I have used this with my
first graders in reading. Another Cooperative Group I have been involved with
is the Jigsaw group. At some workshops I have attended each group discusses one
chapter or concept and then they come back to the whole class to discuss and
teach the rest about what they learned.
At my school, we have used Multi-age groups in after school enrichment
programs such as Book Clubs and Science Clubs.
Dr.
Michael Orey stated about Social Learning Theories “context and culture are
critical in constructing knowledge and understanding of the world around us”
(2011). Students learn from a More
Knowledgeable Other (MKO). This could be
their parents or a teacher or another student.
In the 21st Century this could also be from the World Wide
Web. With an excess of information
available to us because of the internet, students need to know how to find
information. It cannot all be stored in
their brain to access. Cooperating with
groups of students we can find information together.
References
Palmer,
G., Peters, R., & Streetman, R. (2003).
Cooperative learning. In M. Orey (Ed.),
Emerging perspectives on learning,
teaching, and technology. Retrieved 29
July 2013, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epitt/
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R.,
& Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that
works (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program eight: Social learning
theories
[Video webcast]. Bridging
learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved
Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI agree that there are a lot of benefits using cooperative learning. I also agree that this can involve extra preparation. Ground rules and expectations must be discussed and explained to the students in addition to creating and working through the actual activity or lesson. Personally, I know that once my group of students has demonstrated they are able to follow the rules and structure I am more open to the idea of utilizing cooperate learning more frequently. I am hopeful that I will be able to start cooperative learning groups at the start of the upcoming school year to set the stage for the rest of the school year.
Nice job,
Michelle
Michelle,
DeleteThanks for your comment. I know you will be able to start using cooperative learning groups at the beginning of the year once rules are established. Our new principal has told us already she does not want any lesson plans the first month. We need to establish and practice rules so we can get down to learning after that. One of my goals is to practice what cooperative learning groups will look like and sound like in the classroom. I am looking forward to starting back and putting all this information into practice with my students.
Good Luck in your classroom in the fall!
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI read your comment on multi-age jigsaw assignments in your school district. That got me thinking about a program we had in our school district about 10 years ago. We used to have multi-age classrooms in which 1st and 2nd graders would cooperatively learn, and then loop 2 years in a row with the same teacher. At the time I though it was an odd concept, but now the whole idea makes much more sense!
Ryan Maxwell
Ryan,
DeleteSometimes we need to let an idea or concept linger in the back of our mind until we are ready to make sense of it. Looping with 1st/2nd grade class makes sense to me but them I have been in primary grades for a long time. You said you had this program about 10 years ago? You don't have it anymore?
When I went to grade school in the '50s and '60s my private Catholic school had 2 1/2 classes of my grade. There was always a combined multi-age classroom. When students were in that multi-age classroom, we learned so much from the teacher or the upper graders...we also learned a lot from the in depth discussions if we were those upper graders.
Social Learning and Cooperative learning groups have been around for a while. Using technology in those groups is the part that is changing and it is changing rapidly.
Thanks for your comments,
Sharon