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PRAIRIE FIRE On a transparency write team numbers/names and a comprehension or knowledge level question related to course content. Ask students to join a learning teams of four or five, show the overhead, allow 2-3 minutes for each team to determine the correct answer to their team's question. With all the attention back to the questions on the overhead move swiftly around the room—like a Prairie Fire—asking each cooperative learning team to report the answer to their team's question. Note the answer on the overhead. Ask students to record the questions and answers in their notes. After all teams have responded to the questions, ask all teams to check answers. Clarify team responses as necessary. Use this cooperative learning activity without an overhead projector by assigning questions for student teams. At the close of the team's discussion, the responding member of each team stands and announces the team's answer. Team responses move across the room like Prairie Fire Goals: Cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking, Performance Assessment PARKING LOT This cooperative learning tool is similar to the TQM tool of the Issue Bin. "Park" a question or issue that arises during the class period that needs to be held for discussion at a more appropriate time on the chalkboard Parking Lot. At the end of the class revisit any items in the Parking Lot. The instructor may choose to answer the question or may ask one of the cooperative learning teams to become the Expert Team and come prepared to share information on the Parking Lot during the next class period. Give each team an opportunity to work on the Parking Lot and provide rewards for their efforts. Goals: Class and Time Management, Cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking ALL IN ONE use this cooperative learning tool as a getting acquainted activity. Organize students in teams of four or five. Provide each team with a pocket folder. As students discuss, ask them to write words or phrases on the outside of the pocket folder that represent individual differences; on the inside they represent their similarities. Students determine and All In One team name. The pocket folder becomes the team's All in One Folder. Collect and return all assignments through the folder. All In One teams meet together at the beginning of each college class period to provide relational support. Teams work together at appointed times throughout the term to process course content, critically analyze key content issues, and make application of course content to "real-life" settings. Goals: Teambuilding, Cooperative Classroom Management, Group and Processing and Social Skill Development NUMBERED HEADS TOGETHER All cooperative learning team members review content outside of class and understand that each member is to be held accountable for all academic information covered. During class, students on teams number off- becoming Numbered Heads Together. The instructor announces a number and poses a content-specific question. The Numbered Head from each cooperative learning group must answer the question for the team. At least one question for each team member provides the opportunity for students to make meaningful contributions to the team's Numbered Head's Together success. Reward all cooperative learning team members for correct responses from the Numbered Heads. Goals: Cognitive Thinking, Critical Thinking, Group Processing, Performance Assessment. PAIRS CHECK College students complete individual academic tasks, then pair with a partner to work as a team to check, monitor, informally evaluate, practice and review for mastery of course content. This tool can be used successfully for test review of academic material, reinforcement of practice of skills, peer coaching or problem solving in the college classroom. Pairs-Check allows student's time on task to master knowledge and skills. Use Pairs-Check as a vehicle to check comprehension, understanding, application, and evaluation of a given lesson Goals: Cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking, Performance Assessment CORNERS This cooperative learning tool used the corners of the classroom. Identify four subdivisions of a unit of instruction, parts of a theory, or academic concepts prior to beginning the activity. These become the labels for the classroom corners. Announce corners, provide think time, ask student to go to the corner that best represents their thinking, value, experience, knowledge, etc. When students arrive at the classroom corner, give hem an academic task. After preparation time the Corner teams may present their work to the class for their corner. Corners can be a teambuilding experience by asking students to report to corners based upon style of shoes, color of clothing, academic major, etc. Ask students to form cooperative learning teams of four—one member from each corner. Goals: Cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking, Performance Assessment, Teambuilding EDUCATIONAL GOALS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING Considerable research demonstrates the value of using cooperative learning in the classroom. The research on cooperative learning focuses both on the academic achievement gains associated with cooperative learning and with the social and affective outcomes of cooperative learning. Increased demands for college student graduates with competencies not only in cognitive achievement, but also in important interpersonal, teambuilding, and collaborative skills, give credibility to restructuring the college classroom using cooperative learning. Cooperative learning provides college faculty and students with opportunities to achieve the following mutual cognitive and affective educational goals. COGNITIVE GOALS:
AFFECTIVE GOALS:
UNEQUAL RESOURCES This activity provides an opportunity for observing and discussing cooperative learning team resources. Ask all learning teams to complete a series of simple tasks-make one 3" by 3" square of white paper, a three colored flag, a 4-link chain, a team logo, determine a team signal or handshake, etc. Student teams are given a large envelope with some resources—scissors, rulers, paper clips, glue, paper, etc. Each team receives different resources in their envelope.—Unequal resources. Teams may work alone to complete the tasks, or may bargain with other teams for the use of materials and tools. the discussion that follows the activity is critical in helping students understand the value of working together to achieve desired goals even if they have Unequal Resources. goals: Critical Thinking and Teambuilding TEAM WORD WEB this structured classroom experience allows for group processing of key academic concepts and ideas by asking teams of students to complete a Team Word Web. Provide each team with a large piece of paper and a different color pen or marker for each team member. Have each team write the Key Word for the Team Webbing in the center of their piece of paper. Ask each team member, in turn, to write a core concept that "webs" from the key word. After a roundrobin where each team member has the opportunity to add a Core Concept, let all team members "free for all" adding to Core Concepts, Supporting Elements, and Bridges between Words, Concepts and Elements. Teams may discuss their Word Webs or share them with the instructor or class. Goals: Cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking, Teambuilding, Group Processing and Performance Assessment. GOOD NEWS! Good News is a cooperative learning tool that allows students to share meaningful events, ideas and feelings with each other at the beginning of class period. Good News is built upon the philosophy of Ugo Betti who says, "Inside everyone is a piece of good news just waiting to get out." To initiate Good News, ask students to turn to a partner and share a piece of good news. Add fun to good news by tossing a rubber koosh ball to students as a signal to share Good News. Good News is a positive and energizing start to the class period. Good News also offers a cohesive teambuilding experience that is positively correlated to high achievement and task productivity. Goals: Class building and Social Skill Development CONSENSUS TESTING Encourage students to work together to achieve learning success for all in the classroom. Provide opportunities for students to participate in cooperative learning team tools. Then, allow students to work together to demonstrate their knowledge on evaluation and assessment measures. Plan for individual accountability by asking students to take one-half of a classroom exam by themselves, then allow students to work with their cooperative learning team and arrive a consensus on answers for the second-half of the classroom exam. Or, require a documented study time as a prerequisite for Consensus Testing and allow students who document study time together the opportunity to test together as a cooperative learning team. goals: Cognitive Thinking, Critical Thinking, Group Assessment and Performance Assessment. Magic Moment Inform students that they will have a Magic Moment during the examination time. During the Magic Moment allow students to use any resource available to them in the classroom. Stress that the Magic Moment will be just that-60 seconds. The time limit is a powerful motivator for students who often refocus and refine their notes so that they can find critical information in a "moment." Students highlight and tab their textbooks knowing that their resources must be organized and readily accessible. Students often work out a division of labor with their teams and use their 60 seconds in consultation. While individual accountability is a critical component of cooperative learning, the Magic Moment reinforces the message that "knowledge is found in the community." Goals: cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking, and Teambuilding Gifts This is an important teambuilding activity for a classroom striving to become a classroom community. Dr. Sara Lightfoot, Harvard School of Education, notes that classrooms should be environments are rewarded for their talents and "gifts" Initiate this activity by asking students to reflect on the Gifts they bring to the classroom. Ask students to write down their Gifts and Pair-Share with a partner on their cooperative learning team. Encourage team building by providing opportunities throughout the team for students to recognize the Gifts of others. Provide informal and structured opportunities of classmates and teammates to communicate Gifts. Goals: Teambuilding and Class building Team Minute Paper Ask each member of the team to take out a pen or pencil. Ask each team to use only one piece of paper. Announce a topic for student feedback, evaluation, or reflection. Ask all team members to begin writing on the topic on the same piece of paper. Allow about one minute writing time. When the writing is time is up, ask all team members to share what they wrote with their team. Encourage volunteers to share their Team Minute Paper with the class. This is a ‘fun’ variation on the One Minute Paper. For a physically active class, use a large flip chart paper for the initial reflection then ask students to stand and silently move in a round-robin to read and respond to the comments of their teammates. Goals: Cognitive Processing and Teambuilding End-of-Meeting Evaluation This cooperative learning tool allows students to provide constructive feedback to team members. Give each student a 3X5 note card. Ask each student to write his/her name on one side of the card. Students place note cards from their team stack (with student name face down) in the center of the team. Ask students to draw a card and write "honest and constructive feedback" for the team member whose name appears on the note card. Team members give their observation cards to each other and engage in a process discussion about the successes and needs for improvements on the team. Goals: Teambuilding, Group Processing, Social Skill Development, and Performance Assessment Communication Jigsaw After a Think-Pair-Share, ask each pair of students to join another pair of students, creating a team of four students. Students Jigsaw partners and share the ideas of their original partner with the new partner. This cooperative learning tool provides an opportunity for students to develop listening and content paraphrasing skills, positive interdependence and engages them in meaningful discussions of the academic lesson. Goals: Cognitive Processing and Social Skill Development Bookends At the beginning of a unit of instruction, ask students to take a minute to write down questions about the academic lesson. Students then turn to a partner and share their questions. Volunteers can share their questions with the class. Make a note of the questions. The instructor then engages in direct instruction of the academic content of the lesson. At the end of instruction, students revisit their questions and try to answer them. Questions remaining unanswered or needing clarification are shared with the class, discussed and answered. Goals: Cognitive Processing and Critical Thinking Minute Pair-Share The One-Minute Paper is a frequently used classroom assessment tool popularized by Angelo and Cross. To use as a cooperative learning tool, assign a Minute Paper—short essay, reflection, problem set—as an individual student out-of-class assignment. In class, students pair and share their Minute Papers. The Minute Paper encourages them immediately in the academic agenda and offers a meaningful start for the daily lesson. Students may submit their Minute Papers for participation points, homework assignments or daily evaluations. Goals: Cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking and Performance Assessment Team Time Team Time is a structured classroom time for team processing of key ideas of the college course. Used with the All In One team and folder, Team Time offers opportunities for students to engage in meaningful discussions of class content. Students practice important social skills when team members listen to each other and discuss the assigned topic. This cooperative learning tool provides a task function for teams while simultaneously providing for the evolution of positive interdependence among team members. Teams learn the value and the importance of individual accountability as each team member contributes meaningfully to the discussion during Team Time. Goals: Cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking, Group Processing and Social Skill Development and Performance Assessment Three Step Interview Use this tool after students have studied a key concept, observed it in a field setting, lab experiment, or in daily interaction. The Three-Step Interview requires students to share their observations with others who are also studying the academic content. College students prepare for the Three-Step Interview by doing homework observations outside of class. In class, students pair within a four member cooperative learning team and form two partner pairs. Partners conduct a one way interview on an issue related to the academic content and its application. Partners switch roles and the interviewer becomes the interviewee (second-step). the partners then take turns sharing with the learning team of four what they learned from their partner during the interviews. Volunteers may share with the class during an open discussion Goals: cognitive Processing, Social Skill Development, and Performance Assessment Line Estimate Ask students to get out of their desks and line up in response to their position on a value question related to the academic lesson. When students have formed a Line Estimate as them to Fold. Fold the line up at the middle, pairing extreme scores with extreme scores and moderate scores with moderate scores. Ask newly formed partner pairs to discuss an academic question. Or, after the Line Estimate students may Slide. Split the Line Estimate at the mid-point. Ask the 'bottom-half' of the line to Slide parallel to the "top-half' of the line. Students will now pair up—high estimates with moderates, moderates with low estimates. Line Estimates/Folds/Slides give students the opportunity to learning with a diverse population or students in the classroom. Goal: Cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking, and Teambuilding Think-Pair-Share Ask a question of the class requiring critical thinking, application, synthesis or evaluation. Encourage students to "Think" privately about the question and their answer for a couple of minutes. Students then "pair" with a classmate to discuss the question and their answer. Volunteer pairs may "Share" their discussion with the class. Think-Pair-Share engages all students in the academic lesson. Goals: Cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking, Performance Assessment On Target! On Target! is an alternative assessment tool for the cooperative college classroom. Ask students to reflect on their learning and identify the content of knowledge, behavioral skill, or attitudes related to the academic lesson that were On Target! for them. Students can represent their learning on a student handout with a visual representation of a target. When using an On Target! student handout ask students to note their most meaningful learning closest to the bulls-eye of the target. After allowing time to reflect and complete the On Target! writing task, ask students to turn to a partner and share what they learned in the lesson. Allow student volunteers to share with the entire class. Opportunities to identify, communicate and share their learning will powerfully enhance the retention of knowledge, skill, and attitudes included in the lesson. College teachers may use the information gain through this cooperative learning tool as classroom assessment of the instruction and learning. Goals: Cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking, and Performance Assessment TENS! TENS! is a class greeting activity. TENS! is an acronym for Touch Establish Eye Contact, se the person's Name and Smile! Ask students to meet and greet their classmates as they enter the classroom each day. TENS! is a good classroom mixer and an opportunity for students to come to know each other as members of a learning community. Add cross-cultural greeting rituals to TENS! for a diversity experience. Ask students from diverse cultural backgrounds to share their cultural greetings. Encourage students to investigate the work of cultural anthropologists such as Desmond Morris and bring "New Ways to Meet the World" to class. Goals: Cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking, Group Processing and Performance Assessment. JIGSAW Assign students to cooperative learning teams of four. Divide the academic lesson into four key modules. Each individual student on a learning team is asked to become an expert on one of the four key modules of the academic lesson. The student leaves his/her learning team, joins and works with members from other learning teams to master the academic material in their designated module. in this way each member of the team becomes an important jigsaw "puzzle piece" for the team's understanding of all academic content. Carefully monitor students to clarify content and check comprehension as they work to master the content modules. When students have mastered learning of their module, developed a plan for teaching their teammates and prepared a visual to aid in instruction, ask students to return to their original cooperative learning teams. Each team member "teaches" the academic content mastered. All students are held accountable for all academic content. Goals: Cognitive processing, Critical Thinking, Group Processing, Performance Assessment. ROUNDROBIN Group students together on cooperative learning teams of four or five. offer a question for students' critical thinking, reflection, and discussion. Students on each team systematically take turns around the team circle while the team recorder writes down key words and phrases from each team member as he/she shares points of view. Students may "pass" or offer new ideas and extensions as systematic turn taking continues until the team exhausts all ideas. An open discussion may follow the Roundrobin. This cooperative learning tool engages all students in a systematic discussion of academic content. Goals: Cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking, Group Processing, and Performance Assessment. TRAVELING FILE Prepare traveling Files by developing questions related to the academic content to be mastered by students. Prepare one file folder for each cooperative learning team. During the class, ask students to join a team of four or five. Each team receives a Traveling File with a question to discuss. Each team discusses the question and chooses a recorder who, with the team's assistance, prepares a short, written response and includes the response in the Traveling File. After 10-12 minutes of discussion and writing time, students pass the file to the next learning team so that each team gets a new file and question. the new team now responds to the new Traveling File. Student teams may have the option of reviewing the preceding team's response. After teams have responded to two or three files, read and discuss the questions and responses in the Traveling File as a class. Goals: Cognitive Processing, Critical Thinking, Group Processing, and Performance Assessment. Team 1, what is the pattern to the code for Don’t Drink the Water? How did your team break the code? Did anyone else use a different method for breaking the code? [Repeat for each code] Now, individually rate how well you contributed ideas to your group’s effort. Rate your behavior on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being almost no contributions and 5 being highly involved. Then, share your personal rating with your group. After each person has shared, discuss how well the group contributed information and rate the group using the same scale. Finally, identify what helped you each contribute to the group and, assuming that you ill work together again, determine what you would do differently next time to improve your contributing behavior. Please write these things down. Finally, thank your teammates for their help. How learning is structured will result in interaction that is either competitive, individualistic or cooperative When the learning structure results in competitive behavior, students have a negative interdependence: "I can only be successful if you are not successful." Evaluation is norm-referenced. Students are rewarded for their own work. When the learning structure results in individualistic behavior, students have no interdependence: "My success has nothing to do with your success." Evaluation is criteria referenced. Students are rewarded for their own work. When the learning structure results in cooperative behavior, students have a positive interdependence: "I can only be successful if we are all successful." Evaluation is criteria-referenced. Students are rewarded for the group effort. Through individual accountability, however, students earn grades based on their individual performance. All three learning structures are appropriate in education Students respond differently to each structure. The teacher must remember that they will respond differently and plan for the responses.
I described three possible ways I could set up this activity and I asked you to notice what you were thinking and feeling as a student in this activity. I’d like to hear from you about each of the three learning structures. [Chart responses for each structure.] [Optional: Below are typical responses you may share if people do not give many responses.] Situation 1—Competitive Structure (who can do the best?) _________Think________ _________Feel___________ I can’t do it Scared I’m not smart Angry I’m not even going to try Sick to my stomach This is fun Excited I have to cheat nervous and giggly (Remembers bad situation in grade school) Situation 2—Individualistic Structure (do your best on your own) ___Think_________ _________Feel___________ No Pressure Relaxed There’s no pressure Confident Bored Anxious I’m going to entertain Bored Myself and … I’ll do two or three, and That’s enough Situation 3—Cooperative Structure (team effort) ___Think_________ _________Feel___________ This is fun Confident…if I can’t This is interesting solve it, they can This isn’t really work Enjoyable Cause we get to talk Anxious (because I have This is cheating learned to rely only on myself) Let’s look more closely at the characteristics, or elements, of cooperative learning. What did I say and do so that you worked together as a group? [elicit responses: one worksheet, one set of solutions, be sure everyone in your group can be solve and explain the codes.] This element of cooperative learning is called positive interdependence: we sink or swim together. What did I say and do so you knew you should personally master the material? [Elicit responses: each of you must contribute ideas each of you must state what you think the code patterns are, be sure you personally can explain the patterns, sign the bottom of the page] This element of cooperative learning is individual accountability. What did I say and do so you knew how you should interact with each other? [Elicit responses: contribute ideas, state what you think the code patterns are, reach a consensus] This element of cooperative learning is categorized as social skills. In cooperative learning, all these elements-positive interdependence, individual accountability and social skills-need to be in place to ensure that student cooperation and learning are maximized. After we discussed you solutions to the codes, you discussed your group’s effectiveness in contributing ideas. What did I say and do so that you reflected on how well you worked together? [Elicit responses: rate how well you contributed ideas, share your ratings, rate the group, identify what helped you each contribute and what you could do differently next time.] This activity called processing, is another characteristic of cooperative learning. The purpose of processing is to help students focus on how to improve group interaction to maximize learning the next time they work together. Solve the Codes Worksheet Each of the following is a familiar phrase or title presented first in code. Can you use the information provided to solve the code and identify the pattern? R E T A W E H T K N I R D T N O D D O N T D R I N K T H E W A T E R The pattern for this code is___________________________________ _________________________________________________________
SSUSTUTAYUKOFUFFUFSQUIRRLOTUTHUHEGUGRURASUSSUSSQUIRRLO
The pattern for this code is_______________________ ________________________________________________________ 3. R I P L F H D Q G P H OF MICE AND MEN The pattern for this code is_______________________ ________________________________________________________
MY FELLOW AMERICANS The pattern for this code is_______________________ ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
The pattern for this code is ___________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Solve the Code Answers Each of the following is a familiar phrase or title presented first in code. Can you use the information provided to solve the code and identify the pattern?
Code: Every fourth word is part of the message.
Circulate among the teams, answering questions, giving direction and encouraging each member to share and discuss. After each part of the activity, you may want to restate the directions for the next task.
What did your site identify as its next step? [Chart responses if desired] Why did you decided on that action? [This ends the workshop session for Program 1] Next Step Worksheet Goals Why is cooperative learning important to out school (mark all relevant items)? p to improve students’ academic achievement p to improve students’ feelings about themselves p to improve students’ feelings about their peers p to improve students’ feelings toward school staff p to improve students’ feelings toward school p to improve students’ social skills p to improve students’ ability to think critically and to keep a perspective p to mainstream students’ with special needs effectively p to support novice teachers p to support veteran teachers p to integrate with other established methodologies (eg direct instruction) p other_________________________________________________ What resources are available to our school(s) for implementing cooperative learning? p We have administrative support to adopt and implement cooperative learning p Our administrators will be a part of the cooperative learning team p The administration will present a plan to adopt cooperative learning to the school board. p We have teachers interested in and willing to commit to learning about and using cooperative learning
We will develop a library or resources for out staff to use. Parents will misinterpret cooperative learning (i.s., shared grades, one person doing all the work Students will not accept it (i.e. won’t want to work with certain students) Cooperative learning takes a long time to master Out students do not have the social skills for effective group work We’re committed to assertive discipline (or some other program that may appear incompatible) Other_____________________________________ What do we do next?
We agree that our next step is_________________________________ ________________________________________________________ School Site Team From ________________________________________ Signatures: _________________ ________________________ _________________ ________________________ _________________ ________________________
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