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Cooperative Learning

I really enjoyed reading about cooperative learning this week. It is something I use quite a bit in all subjects. Whether it be literature circles, science labs, or problem solving in math - my students enjoy taking roles in their groups and working together for a common goal. Establishing roles in a group is something that should be taught and practiced in the beginning of the year. If time isn't spent covering proper group etiquette, groups can be one-sided where only a few do the bulk of the work. Another important part of cooperative learning is discussing problem-solving skills with the students. As a second grade teacher, many of my students come into the classroom without the proper skills to diffuse conflict on their own. Many of my students resort to telling on one another. The great thing about cooperative learning is students learn to problem-solve on their own (especially when it comes to settling conflict in a group). To teach my students the importance of group etiquette, we assign roles for each member. I took this idea from my literature circles and applied them to other subjects. When students know what they are expected to contribute, the groups run smoothly and they make the most of their time together.

When it comes to integrating technology with cooperative learning, my sources are limited. I so very much would love to start blogging but my school has prohibited the use of them for security reasons. Most networking sites are blocked as well. The most integrating we do for cooperative learning is when students use the computer to create an artifact of the knowledge they learned as a group. From the websites mentioned in our book, I really liked ePals. Connecting with classes all over the world sounds like an interesting idea. Anyone out there in the same boat? What are some of your suggestions for teachers with limited access to networking sites?

Constructionism

I love project-based learning. I am also a fan of problem-based learning. The sad thing is, every year I am feeling as if I am losing that aspect in my classroom. Last year, we were so strapped for time that I ended up saving my giant math project for the end of the year- after the state standardized test. My students soaked it up. In the project, they created a restaurant in which they had to market, budget, and create for their fellow students. We incorporated so many things we had learned over the year. If I would have had the time to do it mid-year, I would have. They learned more from the work they did on their own than any book could have taught them.

Even though my big projects were pushed to the back burner, I still try to incorporate small assignments in which my students produce an artifact to share with their peers. Mini-labs and web-search assignments are things I try to incorporate as often as possible. Something as simple as contributing a slide of what they learned for a whole-class Powerpoint that will be printed and shared is a quick way to assess how the student interpreted what they learned.

In the book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn and Malenoski, 2007) it discussed generating and testing hypotheses. This links with the constructionism theory because students are examening their own schemas and testing for accuracy. Sometimes they will assimilate their thoughts to meet that hypothesis and sometimes they will accomodate their thoughts to meet their hypothesis (Orey, 2007). I like that the authors took the hypothesis beyond science and talked about incorporating it into other subjects.

As a part of our unit on famous inventors, I encourage my students to think of a day to day problem they might have that could be fixed with a simple invention. They write about it in their writer's notebooks. To build on the constructionism theory and follow one of the tasks mentioned in this weeks chapter, I am debating on turning this into a bigger project in which students used the website (www.bkfk.com/howtoinvent) that was mentioned in our book. I may even go as far as having the students build a model of their invention and tie it into economics with marketing. The thing about project-based learning is it does take a lot more planning than traditional methods but the reward is definitely there. Any suggestions on how to make this appropriate for 7 and 8 year olds would be appreciated.