Cooperative Learning (CL) Groups

The more experience that I garner as a classroom teacher, the more convinced that I am regarding the effectiveness of cooperative learning groups. Though cooperative learning groups serve many different purposes - share ideas, generate new ones, clarify understandings, problem solving, enhance leadership and social skills, etc - using the appropriate structure is what makes cooperative learning groups effective. To identify the structure, the teacher must first decide what the desired outcome of the lesson is, and then decide which format will provide the optimum learning for all students in achieving these outcomes. As stated in Karnes and Bean, building flexibility, choice, and challenge into all of these cooperative activities increases the likelihood that students will learn during these student-centered scenarios.

My Strengths when implementing CL:

• I've learned to use both homogeneous and heterogeneous groupings in my classroom. Homogeneous groupings can often be found during reading instruction (in the form of guided reading) as well as during mathematics instruction. Heterogeneous groupings are often found during writing as well as during science. Of course, these groupings vary across subject areas based on the purpose of the activity.
• As an educator of gifted students, I've learned that it is important to provide opportunities for gifted students to work together to problem solve with like-minded peers so that they can evaluate the thinking of their peers and reflect upon their own as they learn something new. Students also benefit from being in the helper role, learning empathy, patience, leadership, and creative ways to articulate their understanding (as a peer helper or tutor).
• As stated in the text, CL grouping is also used in my classroom as an observational opportunity. I've often discovered that I get a better idea about the capabilities of my students by closely monitoring their social interactions. My graduate research project focuses on gifted peers as tutors and their experiences during these interactions. I've been able to observe compassion, patience, pride, and high level of student engagement during these interactions, and this appears to be the most functional and effective way of instilling these traits.
• I often differentiate the cooperative learning activities based on ability across the curriculum.

The last two points are essential to remember but often forgotten... I admit that I used to forget them before starting my program. As stated in the text, it is important that gifted students do not feel exploited in which they feel like the are carrying the burden of others, annoyed about being asked for answers, and they they are not learning. By allowing opportunities for gifted students to work with similar-abled peers, they feel confident, motivated, and will learn more.

My Goals/Areas of Improvement:

• I need to make sure that I am allowing enough 'talk time.' Karnes and Bean stated that was the one area that many gifted students felt their needs were not being met. This can be a challenge; gifted students work at a faster pace so they finish earlier than everyone else. However, the more I use these groupings, the better able I am at anticipating and preparing for such an event and I am able to keep them engaged.
• I would like to make more cooperative learning projects. Often times, it is one isolated lesson (or short series of lessons) when the students are working together, but I would like generate more project-based activities for students to complete. Maybe I need to try the jigsaw format...
• I would like to use technology to enhance cooperative learning groups. I often use technology during my instruction, but I haven't figured out how to use it as part a cooperative learning activity.

One thing that makes cooperative learning groups appealing to me is that they are student-centered. The role of the teacher is the planning, and it really does require a lot of work for the teacher upfront. But this gives me the chance fade into the background and hear conversations, clarifications, confidence, and excitement from the students which keeps them engaged and facilitates ownership of their learning.