Cooperative Learning - Intermediate Follow-Up

Key Concepts:

Cooperative Learning is one of the best researched of all teaching strategies. The results show that students who have opportunities to work collaboratively, learn faster and more efficiently, have greater retention, and feel more positive about the learning experience. There are very specific methods to assure the success of group work, and it is essential that both teachers and students are aware of them. Review the following structures that were modeled during this workshop:

• RoundRobin
• Mix-Pair-Share
• Timed-Pair-Share
• RoundTable
• Stand-N-Share
• Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up

Don’t forget PIES! Cooperative Learning is a relationship in a group of students that requires positive interdependence (a sense of sink or swim together), individual accountability (each of us has to contribute and learn), interpersonal skills (communication, trust, leadership, decision making, and conflict resolution), face-to-face promotive interaction, and processing (reflecting on how well the team is functioning and how to function even better).

The following questions could be used for classroom action research.

• How do team formations and team building activities promote learning among hostile and reluctant students in your classroom?
• How do high-achieving students make substantial academic gains when cooperative learning is used in your classroom?
• What are some prosocial behaviors you will include in the structures and how do these structures effect student motivation and learning?
• How does the use of cooperative learning structures create positive race-relations in your classroom?

Writing: Journey of a Snowflake

After studying and reading about snowflakes, have the students write an imaginary tale of one snowflake’s journey. The story must include all the necessary weather cycles needed for the freezing crystal. Students should write using personification and become the snowflake. The snowflake should have the following: name, personality, family with names, weather conditions needed, and life expectancy. Follow the complete fall and final picture of how or what your flake made at the end of the trip.

Resources

Cooperative Learning

Cooperative Learning Elementary Activities lesson plans from Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Missouri.

Explore the Jigsaw Classroom a cooperative learning technique that reduces racial conflict among school children, promotes better learning, improves student motivation, and increases enjoyment of the learning experience.

Kagan Cooperative Learning Products an acknowledged CL guru now has a site. Though you are regularly reminded that this is a commercial site where you are invited to "spend, spend, spend", you may pick up some ideas from the Discussion, the Q & A board, and the Newsletter.

CaseNEX

Digging Deeper: Cooperative Learning Online – www.casenex.com

This is the online workshop that can be completed at school or at home, anywhere you can get to a computer that has Internet access. Participants will participate in various discussion boards and complete one journal activity. All assignments will be completed online through the CaseNEX website.

Please register using the link below:

http://www.casenex.com/casenet/jsp/register.jsp?pin=CRM-1000091776

Snowflakes

Make-a-Flake make your own snowflakes on-line.

Growing Your Own Snow Crystals It is simple, inexpensive, and fun to grow your own snow crystals, using little more than some dry ice, a plastic Coke bottle, and some Styrofoam cups.  This page describes how to set up this experiment, and what you can expect to see. This activity simulates how snow crystals are formed from supersaturated water vapor and not frozen water droplets.

The Official Wilson A. Bentley: The Snowflake Man The Jericho Historical Society invites you to learn more about this fascinating man and their work of preserving his legacy.

No Flakes Like Snowflakes The objective of this site is to integrate math, science, art, and computer skills, provide students with experience in key concepts of geometry, including symmetry, angles, and scale, and expose students to the structure of snowflakes (regardless of weather conditions!). One lesson takes the students to a site with electron microscope pictures of snowflakes.