Cooperative Learning Strategies

Picture this:

A full classroom with desks in straight rows and all facing the same direction.  A teacher standing at the front of the room teaching a lesson.  Students sitting at their desk and raising their hand when they want to answer a question.  Some students are not quite engaged: one looking out the window, one with their head down, another too shy to answer, and one who doesn't know the answer to any of the questions the teacher is asking.

Wouldn't it be great if ALL of the students were incorporated in the lesson?  How awesome would it be if every student was engaged in academic conversation discussing or debating the question at hand?  What if we could hold all students accountable to have an answer rather than just the one waving their hand because they are the top student?

Cooperative Learning is the perfect answer to all of these questions!  Turning students around and grouping them will allow for safe conversation in a smaller setting.  Assigning each of those students in a small group with a letter and/or number will eliminate students having to figure out who their partner is every time they are asked to pair up for a turn and talk.  This assignment also gives each student a role within the group that only they are responsible for (time keeper, recorder, facilitator, reporter).  Getting kids up and moving with engaging activities helps with the monotony and predictability of the class, keeping them on their toes... literally.

Although there are tons of resources and activities out there, today I want to share with you Kagan Cooperative Learning Strategies, as well as Laura Chandler's website.  Here you will find a wide variety of ways to make your classroom interactive and, most importantly, engaging.  Students will be the ones going home tired at the end of the day!

This article can give you some more insight and almost a "how to" on cooperative learning groups.  Of course you can tweak areas to make it your own or to best fit your classroom dynamics.

I will be looking to do a "Part 2" Just in Time training on more cooperative learning strategies in November.