Cooperative Learning

Cooperative Learning It’s All About Engagement!

Implementation In a two day professional development training eighty Surry County School teachers and administrators were trained in the Kagan model of Cooperative Learning. This model has been shared throughout the county by our Professional Learning Communities exchanging instructional strategies that are displaying success in the classroom. Cooperative Learning promotes collaboration and cooperation in the classroom.

Cooperative Learning Goals To distinguish between Cooperative Learning and Group Work Positive Interdependence Individual Accountability Equal Participation Simultaneous Interaction

Cooperative Learning Goals To learn specific structures to keep students engaged Generating activities: Content + Structure = Activity

Cooperative Learning Goals To engage students in a Brain-Friendly environment Safety Nourishment Novelty

Cooperative Learning Goals To review and learn how to incorporate the 21st Century multiple literacies Communication Team Work

Connections to Multiple Literacies Working cooperatively is woven throughout the 21st Century multiple literacies. • Expression of point of view • Diversity • Communicating new ideas • Contribution to a group • Respecting self and others • Community

Group Work vs. Cooperative Learning Research says that true cooperative learning, as opposed to group work, will boost learning and assessment results. Hundreds of studies resulted with this finding.

Group Work vs. Cooperative Learning Remember! Positive Interdependence Individual Accountability Equal Participation Simultaneous Interaction

Three Kinds of Teachers Teacher A Teacher asks question Think time provided Student raises hand Teacher calls on student Student answers Teacher responds

Results of Teacher A Lesson • Quiet noise level • Students finished at different times • Teacher grades all work • No help for struggling students • No enrichment for gifted students

Three Kinds of Teachers Teacher B Teacher asks question Think time provided Practice – group work “Help each other” “Solve it as a team”

Results of Teacher B Lesson • Teacher grades and assigns group scores • Noise level minimum • Smart students working on task • Struggling students not involved with content assignment, only group assignment (recorder, etc.)

Three Kinds of Teachers Teacher C Teacher asks question Student to student interaction Content + Structure

Teacher C Activity Rally Coach A = Solve first problem; talk aloud throughout process B = Watch, Coach, Help, Praise Swap roles after every problem. A:10

Results of Teacher C Lesson • All students engaged in content and structure • Positive noise level • Student to student interaction

Introducing Structures Fan-N-Pick: Pick a card, any card! Teammates play a card game to respond to questions. Roles rotate with each new question.

Processing Fan-N-Pick Using Round Robin Rally, share ideas that the Fan-N-Pick structure can be used for content in your classroom. 3 minutes Begin with Student ___

Mix-Pair-Share The class “mixes” until the teacher calls, “PAIR.” Students find a new partner to discuss or answer the teacher’s question. • Using music • Ask questions regarding the multiple literacies and group work vs. cooperative learning

Quiz-Quiz Trade Students quiz a partner, get quizzed by a partner, and then trade cards to repeat the process with a new partner. Timed: _____ minutes Questions:

Rally Robin In pairs, students take turns responding orally. Minutes: ______

StandUp-HandUp-PairUp Students stand up, put their hands up, and quickly find a partner with whom to share or discuss.

All Write Round Up In teams, students take turns sharing responses. All teammates write each answer shared. Question: Minutes:

Timed Pair Share In pairs, students share with a partner for a predetermined time while the partner listens. Then partners switch roles. Question: Time:

Round Robin Variations • Single Round Robin • Continuous Round Robin • Timed Round Robin • All Write Round Robin

Silly Sports Silly Sports are needed to get students out of their seats and get blood flowing to their brain. • Freeze-Unfreezer Tag • Everybody’s It • Balloon Bounce

Forming Teams • Step One • Make cards • Name • Sex • Score Keep up with prior teams Teams should change every six weeks Score used may vary

Forming Teams • Step Two: • Sort Cards • Do the math • Place on matrix • Consider remainders Each team should contain a high, high medium, low medium, and low

Forming Teams • Step Three: • Color Coding • High – Blue • High Medium – Green • Low Medium – Purple • Low – Red Other considerations: social skills, special needs

Forming Teams • Step Four: • Remember • Gender • Ethnicity • 2nd Language • Special needs • Difficult clients

Management • Hints: • Establish a quiet signal • Number seats • Create shoulder partners and face partners • Goal: clusters full-time • Consider seating • Consider proximity to all teams • Form mixed-ability teams • Create an island of cooperativeness • Decide who goes first

Room Arrangement • Sketch your classroom arrangement now • Using Kagan’s structures, see the provided diagram on page ___ of the text as the suggested classroom diagram. • Using Timed Pair Share, how might you rearrange your classroom to incorporate the Kagan structures?

Lesson Planning • Expectations: • Incorporate team building and class building into upcoming lesson plans. • Move from Teacher A/B toward Teacher C • Move from group work to cooperative learning structures

Follow Up • Lesson Plans • Snapshots • Observations (Standard IV d) • PLCs sharing

Cooperative Learning