Cooperative Learning:
I
have always used some form of cooperative learning in my classrooms, and after
reading this chapter and taking the classes I am currently taking, I feel like
I have some new tools to try with cooperative learning. Clearly, things like Google Docs are awesome
for cooperative learning; being able to view revision history can help to
ensure that all group members are contributing.
There are also many other technologies that can help facilitate
cooperative learning, things like wikis, blogs, and other Web 2.0 tools.
One
thing I will try as a result of what I have learned is to use a rubric specifically
for the groupwork; a rubric like this can help students be reflective, can help
keep them focused on being productive group members, and gives them a tool to
self-assess and peer-assess. I think for
setting clear expectations for learners in terms of groupwork can only improve
the cooperative learning experience for all.
I
also liked the suggestion to use cooperative learning for a variety of purposes
and with a variety of group combinations.
There is a chance I will be teaching a 2 hour reading/writing block next
year, and I think that having base groups for the whole semester would be a
great thing. These groups could be used
for “morning meeting” type activities, home groups for jigsaw activities,
revising and editing, etc. These base
groups wouldn’t be used for everything, though, and I think that is
important. These base groups could give
the students a sense of security, a “home base” in class and perhaps be a place
to encourage reflection.
Reinforcing Effort:
In
my school, teachers are required to give students standard effort and conduct comments
on their report cards, in addition to a grade and individualized comments. It is interesting to see how different
students and parents react to them; some view the effort and conduct comments
as even more important than grades, and some skim right over them. As we review our grading practices, we have
been brainstorming a rubric for effort, and I was interested to see one right
in the chapter. Another thing to bring
to the discussion!
This
section also makes me think of an article I read about praise and how it is
impacting our students’ willingness – or unwillingness – to try. Students who were praised for outcomes, like
grades, become less and less likely to try things they found difficult, whereas
students who were praised for their effort were more likely to attempt new
things, attempt more difficult things, and be willing to fail in order to learn
something new. I think there is an
important lesson in this for both parents and teachers. We need to create learners who are willing to
try new things and who are willing to risk mistakes in order to achieve greater
learning and greater success.
