As students get older and learn how to read independently, the amount of time teachers spend reading stories out loud to students gradually decreases. And it should. However, by the time students are in junior high and high school, students sometimes never have a teacher read a story to them. Of course students can read a story themselves. But there is something enjoyable for human beings when they hear a story read to them.
Welcome back! We close this four-part series by looking at four essential elements that are critical for the success of true cooperative learning. These elements don’t just show up when you put a group of students together. So how do you activate these essential elements? Structure the activity in such a way to support students in each of these areas.
Welcome back to Part 3! This week, we are looking at why cooperative learning is one of the most effective approaches to student learning to include in your toolbox. If you are just joining us now, you can go back and read Part 1 and Part 2.
Whether you are using individual learning, competitive learning, group work, or cooperative learning, it is important to be intentional. Always select the best learning structure that will best serve the needs of students in the context of what they are learning.
In Part 2 of this series, we will take a closer look at the characteristics of each learning structure so that you can make a sound choice when it comes to selecting what is most appropriate for your students for the current lesson.
Walking in to a classroom where students are actually involved in true cooperative learning can be a challenge. Cooperative learning done well is not as easy as it looks. It takes foresight, planning, and intentionality in order to pull it off well. Some confusion still exists among teachers about what actually constitutes cooperative learning and what is simply group work with a fancy name attached. Cooperative Learning is one of those strategies in education that has more than enough research behind it that it is worth incorporating in your teaching if you don’t already use it.
The backlash against teaching to the test came for a good reason. Teachers were teaching students what they needed to know in order to pass whichever test the school district deemed to be most important that year. Teachers sacrificed academic content to make sure students knew how to answer the test questions. The focus was on passing the test, not on what was best for students. Unfortunately, many teachers threw the baby out with the bath water. And that was a huge mistake. You should teach to the test, but only if you do it the right way.