When I was in Elementary, cooperative learning has been a great strategy my teachers used to teach us.
The results showed when teachers are trained to use specific communication skills during cooperative learning, they engage in more mediated-learning interactions, ask more questions, and make fewer disciplinary comments than teachers who have been trained to implement cooperative group work only (Gillies, 2004). I have noticed that some of my peers really like to learn from each other. Even myself, I opened up and talk more with my peers about a certain subject, rather than have my teacher teach. As I became a teacher, I was thinking of this way too. Most students learn best from each other. They prefer talking to their peers than their teachers. Therefore, I would like to do a research paper on my students about the advantages and the importance of this strategy. Cooperative learning can instill in adolescents a sense of belonging. Adolescence is a crucial period for a student or child’s life. This is a period of physical, emotional and psychological development for adolescents. In order to foster acceptance, self-confidence, learning, and achievement, teachers need to make the classroom a haven for children, create meaningful learning situations for their students, and never give up on them. (Thompson, 2000). During this stage of adolescence, some students have not found their comfort zone with their peers. It is very hard for them to speak their minds or share their thoughts out loud, especially in front of an entire class. Having students work cooperatively in groups will increase their self-confidence and self-expression. Also, the students will have more time to speak just as much as the teacher. (Lucas, 2000) As a teacher, I plan to develop and incorporate activities into my lessons to encourage an appreciation for diversity among my students. I find ways to celebrate diversity of all students to: enrich learning; foster peer relationships; create respect for differences; and instill a sense of belonging. I encourage them to share any personal experiences with the class that they feel comfortable sharing and to also maintain a personal journal about themselves and their experiences. Students repeated practice with reciprocal teaching might lead to independent use of each strategy. (Frey, Fisher and Everlove, 2008) To provide for individual accountability, group members share jobs and make group presentations. Group members are tested individually and/or as a group to ensure that each person has mastered the required learning. (www.debbiesilver.com) Develop self-confidence and open communication when working in groups. Cooperative learning has the potential to meet more learning style of the time than individualized direct instruction (Shindler, 2004). My students tend to speak more openly when they work in groups than participating in our class discussion, so I Have them work cooperatively in groups or pair work activities so as to increase their self-confidence and self-expression in front of the whole class. After we discuss a lesson, I put my class in groups of four or five. I then provide different questions or responsibility to each student in the group. They will work together to find answers to the questions. I also remind them if they do not perform or do their part in any given task, then the group as a whole will have to deal with the consequences. reason being is that I want my students to see how valuable he or she is in the group of learning to work together an experiencing opportunity of a TEAM WORK.
Methods:
This method can be an effective way to present content. Students learn to become experts and to teach to others. With large numbers it can be more efficient than presentations. The mechanics of the jigsaw are rather tricky at first, and will always require precise coordination of the teacher. Assessment is difficult in that the teacher cannot observe each presentation of content, so must use some other means to ensure quality (Gunter et al, 2007) Graffiti Model.
Groups are given a question or topic. For a set amount of time each group writes answers to the question on a sheet of paper. Groups then rotate to the next sheet of paper. When all groups have completed each station, the original group summarizes the findings for their question or topic. Groups are exposed to each question in the process. Insights from other groups help reinforce the benefits of working collaboratively. Each answer is completed with a depth that no single group could have accomplished. Logistics need to be clearly established or groups may be confused. Groups need to be encouraged to think independently, or they tend to replicate the comments of previous groups (Gunter et al, 2007).
Collaborative Assessment. Groups are given a task and can work together to produce one product or independent products depending on the choice of the teacher. The quality of the outcome is usually better. The process itself promotes learning and deeper processing of the material. Can be done soundly and reliably (Shindler, 2004). Collaborative exams are only recommended for groups who have demonstrated advanced cooperative learning skills and levels of responsibility. Having individuals turn in independent products can be a useful compromise design. Collaborative Group Work. Students complete independent assignments, but are allowed to talk to one another and give and receive assistance and peer tutoring. Students learn how to teach one another and explain material in their own words. Students are free to interact as much or as little as they need to in an attempt to meet their goals and needs. Some students may use the time to socialize rather than attend to the academic task. Expectations need to be in place for what qualifies as an appropriate noise level, what constitutes cheating, and what actions qualify as an abuse of the privilege.
Methods
The participants of this study will be my fifth grade students. I will work and observe eight students for this study. In this class, there are three girls and five boys. Students will divide into 2 groups of 4. They will corporately work together as a team in groups throughout 8 weeks. I will have all the assignments and my lesson plan ready for each group and make sure that each students in the group has something to do. (Brandt, 2002) suggests that in a cooperative learning lesson, the role of the teacher with the cooperation of the students becomes as the task setter.
Method 1:
I will use for this study is collect students responses on a survey. The responses I will get from my students will help me see which teaching strategy to implement that will promote cooperative learning in my classroom. Therefore, my goal became to learn how to implement collaborative learning successfully, rather than just putting students together and expecting them to learn. Having the learning process assess how well things worked together and discuss how they can improve their functioning and performance.
Method 2:
I will collect each of the groups work for evidence for their portfolio. At the end of the school year as part of cooperative learning, I will have my students critique if there were any advantages of working as a group by examining each of their group’s portfolio.
Method 3:
I will prepare a test by the end of each week. Each student will be tested individually. Finding out if cooperative learning is effective increasing students learning skills. Reviewing the test will inform me “ who are the students failing” the course. Reflecting whether cooperative learning is suitable in the classroom.In addition, I will also be observing group discussions and keep a record of group assignments or presentations to evaluate if cooperative learning is taking place or not. To record this data I will use technologies such as; digital camera and camcorder to record the different events taken place during school discussion or group discussions. The names and other information about the participants will remain confidential.
In Conclusion:
Cooperative learning will be structure in the English Language Curriculum. Student will be observed throughout 8 weeks on the following areas of participation; being on task, contributing ideas, helping classmates, and asking for help. I will reinforce and develop social skills, which is cooperative learning or group working during the weeks study.
Reference
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Available on line from Paragon Consulting. Retrieved 03/16/2013 from www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jshindl/ls Watson, M., & Battistich, V. (2006)
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