Class Size Increasing? Use Cooperative Learning

Tools to Differentiate Curriculum and Motivate

StudentsSusan Belgrad

Professor of Elementary EducationCalifornia State University Northridge

As class size increases, California teachers continue to be faced with meeting the needs of the diverse students they teach. Feeling outnumbered? This can happen—especially if students have difficulty with attention and behavior teaching can become difficult and learning impossible? Can cooperative learning strategies assist teachers in promoting more student responsibility, engagement and success? This workshop will introduce some key strategies that will make classroom life more productive and satisfying for all.

Business Card ActivityA Goal A Success

NAMEName of your School

Favorite Book A Benefit

Balance the Budget Completed the Training Plan

SusanCal State Northridge

The Kite Runner Travel

PortmanteauActivity

1. ASSIGN GROUP ROLES2. DISTRIBUTE PORTMANTEAU WORD

LISTS3. ENCOURAGER TEACHES 3 WORDS TO

GROUP4. CHECKER CHECKS5. WORRIER TEACHES 3 WORDS 6. CHECKER CHECKS ETC....

Portmanteau Activity

7. ORAL GROUP QUIZ8. TEAMS PROCESS PERFORMANCE

USING MRS. POTTER’S QUESTIONS9. FACILITATOR PROCESSES THE

ACTIVITY USING COOPERATIVE LEARNING TEMPLATE

MRS. POTTER’S QUESTIONSAssess Your Group!

ONE THING WE DID WELL . . .

ONE THING WE COULD DO BETTER ON . . .

FORMING SKILLS _________________ SOCIAL SUPPORTING SKILLS ________ COMMUNICATING SKILLS __________

ON A 1 (HIGH) TO 5 (LOW) SCALE, OUR GROUP IS A ______.

What is authentic cooperative learning?

Cooperative learning is the presence of joint goals, mutual rewards, shared resources and complementary roles among members of a group;

Activity that creates a learner-centered climate leading to positive psychological adjustment;

Activity that develops students’ social skills

What is authentic cooperative learning?

Results in more positive heterogeneous relationships;

Results in higher self-esteem for each student;

Leads to greater intrinsic motivation in all learners;

Provides greater social support.

It is NOT Cooperative Learning When…

Students are presented with a goal or reward that only one or a few group members could achieve by outperforming the others;

The motivator for the activity is to “beat” their competitors so they can become frustrated with group members who don’t contribute or get in the way of success;

Students in groups do not know what their individual contributions should be; as a result they either take over the activity or refuse to participate.

Five Elements of Cooperative Groups

1. Face-to-Face Interaction. The physical arrangement of students in small, heterogeneous groups encourages students to help, share, and support each other's learning.

2. Individual Accountability. Each student is responsible for the success and collaboration of the group and for mastering the assigned task.

3. Cooperative Social Skills. Students are taught, coached, and monitored in the use of cooperative social skills, which enhance the group work.

4. Positive Interdependence. Students are guided by a common goal, group rewards, role assignments, and other means in completing the learning task.

5. Group Processing. Students reflect on how well they work as a group to complete the task and how they can improve their teamwork.

Why Do We Need to Engage Students in Cooperative Learning Strategies?

Helps to develop better attitudes toward school;

Helps to build better attitudes toward teachers as well as peers;

Results in more on-task behavior in subject areas;

Develops students’ higher order thinking as well as integration across subject areas;

Why Do We Need to Engage Students in Cooperative Learning Strategies?

Results in higher achievement in subject areas;Increases retention of new knowledge, skills,

ideas;Develops students’ perspective taking—an

intelligent behavior! And most importantly…. the social skills and

habits of mind that are derived from regular cooperative learning activity in the classroom makes learning AND teaching enjoyable for all!

DO YOU KNOW THE THREE TYPES OF COOPERATIVE

GROUPS? BASE GROUPS INFORMAL TASK GROUPS FORMAL TASK GROUPS

321

DO YOU KNOW THE THREE TYPES OF COOPERATIVE

GROUPS? BASE GROUPS A.K.A HOME Groups are assigned by the

teacher considering diverse student characteristics and learning needs. They stay together over several weeks and many “bonding” activities are used to model, teach and norm desired social skills.

1

DO YOU KNOW THE THREE TYPES OF COOPERATIVE

GROUPS? FORMAL TASK GROUPS These are the groups assigned by the

teacher when students enter into a long-term project like California Missions or California Rivers; Science Units or Problem-Based social studies units. Also plays, performance and projects that may be across grade levels. Social skills and habits of mind are identified as desirable and assessed.

2

DO YOU KNOW THE THREE TYPES OF COOPERATIVE

GROUPS? INFORMAL TASK GROUPS These are the groups assigned by the

teacher for single-day or single-period lessons. Students may be assigned randomly to groups and have roles assigned randomly as well. Product of these task groups are usually shared the same day or period. Social skills and habits of mind are identified as desirable and assessed.

3

What was the type of cooperative group we just engaged in?

Right! The Informal Task Group.

T-CHART ON ATTENTIVE LISTENING

LOOKS LIKE SOUNDS LIKE FEELS LIKE

B U I L DB Build in higher-order thinking skillsU Unite the teams so students form bonds of trust

I Invite individual accountabilityL Look back and debrief what and how students

learned

D Develop students’ social skills

PHASES OF SOCIAL SKILLS INTRODUCTION

FORMING NORMING CONFORMING STORMING PERFORMING RE-FORMING

SOCIAL SKILLS ARE EXPLICITLY TAUGHT IN COOPERATIVE

LEARNING

FORMATION OF GROUPS

How were our groups formed today?

What social skills were needed?

What habits of mind were needed

COOPERATIVE GROUP FORMING SKILLS

PRACTICE ALL RULES!! MOVING INTO A GROUP MOVING OUT OF A GROUP ONE PERSON TALKS AT A TIME STAYING WITH THE GROUP CONTROL VOLUME OF TALK

(3”, 6”, 12” VOICES)

PRACTICE FORMATION OF GROUPS

GET INTO GROUPS QUIETLY

SIT EYEBALL TO EYEBALL (KNEES TO KNEES)

MAKE EYE CONTACT

USE EACH OTHER’S NAMES

SHARE MATERIALS FOLLOW ROLE ASSIGNMENTS

(NOT negotiable! Stay in your role—but you may help others with their roles.

PRACTICE SUPPORT OF GROUPS

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING;

OFFER YOUR HELP;

ASK YOUR GROUP FIRST FOR HELP IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND;

ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER;

ENERGIZE THE GROUP;

DISAGREE WITH THE IDEA- NOT THE PERSON!

PRACTICE COMMUNICATION IN GROUPS

USE 6-INCH VOICES

TAKE TURNS

MAKE SURE EVERYONE SPEAKS

WAIT UNTIL SPEAKER IS FINISHED BEFORE YOU SPEAK

PRACTICE CONFLICT RESOLUTION

IN GROUPS DISAGREE WITH THE IDEA-NOT THE

PERSON

RESPECT THE OPINIONS OF OTHERS

THINK FOR YOURSELF

EXPLORE DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW

NEGOTIATE AND/OR COMPROMISE

REACH CONSENSUS

Want to Learn More about Cooperative Learning?

Dr. Susan Belgrad will be conducting 4 workshops on

Creating the Cooperative ClassroomThe workshops are free and will be held on the

CSUN Campus in the Education Building

Seats are limited to 18!Email Dr. Belgrad to reserve your place.

susan.belgrad@csun.edu