Cooperative+learning

Research and theory on cooperative learning 1. positive interdependence (a sense of sink or swim together) 2. face-to-face primitive interaction (helping each other learn, applauding success and efforts) 3. individual and group accountability (each of us has to contribute to the group achieving its goals) 4. interpersonal and small group skills (communications, trust, leadership, decision making, and conflict resolution) 5. group processing (reflecting on how well the team is functioning and how to function even better Organizing groups based on ability levels should be done sparingly Cooperative groups should be kept rather small in size Cooperative learning should be applied consistently and systematically, but not overused

Informal, formal, and base groups Managing group size Combining cooperative learning with other classroom structures
 * informal are ad hoc groups that last from a few minutes to a class period
 * formal groups are desired to ensure that the students have enough time to thoroughly complete an academic assignment, therefore, they may last for several days or even weeks
 * base groups are long-term groups (for the semester or year) created to provide students with support throughout the time period

[|Click here] for ways to use wiki's for cooperative projects - Great ideas!

[|Click here] for classroom activites that use cooperative learning

[|Click here] for cooperative learning techniques [|Click here] for information on the jigsaw classoom. [|SMARTBoard and interactive websites]

[|project based learning:] how to create expectations for written assignments

[|Cooperative Learning] Spencer Kagan's website with many resources