Cooperative learning...structures talk around content, requiring that students develop improved skills in thinking and in language, in order to explain, persuade, encourage, disagree,
inform, discuss, and negotiate. Using this teaching strategy with interns provides them the
opportunity to incorporate cooperative learning in their lesson plans and classrooms.
Compton district interns demonstrate how teachers can incorporate cooperative
learning in the classroom by actively engaging in an assignment that requires
group collaboration and reporting of discussions.
Cooperative learning requires stu-
with one another. This interactive ex-
dents to interact and rely on others and
change of information and ideas provides a
themselves to accomplish a specific and de-
rich language learning opportunity for all
fined role in the group, or informally, with
students.
students collaborating to accomplish the
The cooperative learning environ-
task. When small groups of students col-
ment offers many rewards. Students be-
laborate on a common task, they must clar-
come more active, self-directed, and corn-
ify and negotiate meaning.
municative.
Academic achievement as
well as discipline often improves as students experiences
success and take an active interest in what they are doing.
In addition, when students come from home cultures that value cooperation,
sharing, and group achievement, cooperative learning is
a particularly affirming environment for these students.
There are many resources available to help interns fully utilize cooperative
learning in the classroom.
The District Alternative Certification Program promotes the
following four major principles of cooperative learning:
• (1) Cooperative tasks are
structured so that no one
individual can complete
the learning task alone.
• (2) Positive interdependence is fostered and developed. Students are evaluated individually and as a
group.
• (3) Students work in different teams. Teams can
be of three types: interest
group, random selection,
or heterogeneous teams.
The team configuration
depends on the complexity, duration, and purpose
of the task. Students are
given opportunities to participate in a variety of
groups.
• (4) Students learn both
social and language skills
necessary for cooperation
at the same time as they
learn content/concepts .
The following cooperative learning strategies or
"structures" are particularly
helpful with second language
learners and/or struggling students. It is helpful to post the
procedures for common structures on chart paper so that
groups can refer to the process
as they work.
Brainstorm: Brainstorming can be accomplished
with the whole class or a
small group. The key is that
all ideas are valid and recorded. Information from
brainstorming can later be organized and categorized for
easy use and retrieval.
Think-Pair-Share:
This strategy has three components. Students are asked
to:
• Think: Think carefully
about the question (and
answer).
• Pair: Find a partner.
• Share: Share answers
with a partner, and prepare
to share both answers with
the entire class.
Numbered Heads:
Students work in groups of
four, as follows:
• Students number themselves from one to four.
• The teacher asks a discussion question.
• Each group discusses the
question and develops a
team answer. Each member of the team must be
able to answer the question.
• The teacher calls a number. The member from
each team with the corresponding number raises a
hand to respond. The
teacher selects on "number
X" to respond.
Novel Ideas:
Novel ideas are used in conjunction with other structures, and may be used with
partners or small groups.
• Students brainstorm and
list ideas or answers to a
question.
• Groups take turns sharing their list. Each
group may name only
the ideas or answers that
have not previously
been mentioned.
• Students must listen attentively and eliminate
common answers from
their list, responding
with novel ideas only.
Round Robin:
The Round Robin strategy
has students take turns sharing ideas, giving answers, or
adding information. No one
interrupts. All have a turn.
Jigsaw: Also called
expert groups, jigsaw is a
four-step structure.
• Students form a 'home'
group of three to five.
• Students number off.
Each member is responsible for mastering one
part of the assignment.
• Students move to form
an 'expert' group with
students from other
groups with the same
number. (For example,
all ls, 2s, etc). The expert group works to-
gether to complete its assigned part of the task until
each of its members is capable
of teaching the information.
Students return to their home
groups. Each expert shares
(or teaches) the content
learned in the expert group
with the members of the home
group.
The Compton District
Alternative Certification Program goal is to provide interns
with a variety of teaching
strategies and techniques that
can be used immediately in
the classroom as they develop
their teaching practices. The
Program focuses on theory as
well as practical skills while
interns complete requirements
for full certification.
Teaching interns how
to successfully incorporate
cooperative learning in the
classroom was fun. Engaging
them in professional development opportunities that required group collaboration
and sharing was exhilarating.
Many of the interns expressed
gratitude about learning how
to effectively use cooperative
learning groups.
By: Rochelle Johnson-Evans