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Cooperative Learning

There are 5 Defining Elements of Cooperative Learning:  ﻿1. __Positive Interdependence:__ Encourages working together  2. __Face-to-Face Promotive interaction:__ Students need to work synchronously to complete a task  3. __Individual and Group Accountability:__ Students are held accountable for their work and mastering the learning. 4. __Interpersonal and Small Group Skills:__ Using teamwork to accomplish a task. 5. __Group Processing:__ Reflecting on how well the group worked together and reflecting on what can be done better.

I use cooperative learning every day in my classroom as I find it is a tremendous motivational factor in mastering learning, but also establishing characteristics such as:  1. Developing how to work toegether collaboratively as a "team" to achieve a common goal  2. Establishing leadership roles within a group, thus creating self-confidence  3. Students becoming responsible for their learing and being held accountable for their work  I group my students heterogeneously and I often use competition as an added motivator for success. I find that it is very effective in deepening my students' learning. Although this chapter mentions that cooperative learning should not be overused, I implement it when necessary, especially during guided reading. My students are in groups of 3-4 during instruction and in pairs during guided reading using the Debbie Diller approach.

I use a combination of informal and formal cooperative learning groups. I use informal grouping when checking for understanding, formal assessment, or to process information. I use inside/outside circle, think/pair/share, numbered heads together, one stray, quiz/quiz/trade, and snowball fight. I use formal grouping when I am having students completing an assignment that is correlated to the lesson. Each team member has a role that they contribute to the group, they each present their part and then they reflect on their teamwork. Formal grouping incorporates all of the cooperative learning components to deepen students' learning and understanding of the concept.

There are also times when cooperative learning "breaks down" and interferes with student learning. Not all students get along with each other, which can interfere with discussion, but should not interfere with them being able to work together. Students may also become off-task in cooperative groups. The role of the teacher is crucial in creating a cooperative environment. The teacher should act as a guide and facilitator and working collaboratively should be modeled at the beginning of the year. Teachers can have group members do their share of the work individually before bringing it all together in their group. The classroom management system should also be intertwined with cooperative learning. Any behavior management system that is implemented within the classroom should also carry over when students are working collaboratively.

Use this link below to find some great activities to implement in your classroom when working in cooperative groups: Kagan Strategies [|Cooperative Learning Activities]