One engaging learning strategy that educators can use today is cooperative learning. This strategy allows students to work in groups to solve a problem or create projects. In this type of learning all learners are important players as everyone is responsible for one part of their project. “When students work in cooperative groups, they make sense of, or construct meaning for, new knowledge by interacting with others” (Johnson, Johnson, & Stanne, 2000). One good strategy is the jigsaw strategy, which is done by assigning a piece of information to each group member to do research. Each member is then responsible for finding the information to later share it with his group members. This strategy can be effective because the students become the teachers when they teach the information to others.
Other types of cooperative learning include the use of multimedia tools to communicate information and ideas, and also web resources to connect globally. Because of the internet today students can communicate anywhere in the world from their own desks. The use of web2.0 tools allows students to share information instantly across the distance. Tools like social bookmarking allow people to get their bookmarks from any computer in the world. Course management systems such as moodle and blackboards make on-line education possible from home or work. Thanks to those tools many educators like me can complete a master’s degree fully on-line. Social learning is an important learning theory that needs to be implemented in classrooms today. Our students not only need to be engaged in their learning but also need to learn to collaborate, and connect with a global society so they can become effective 21st century citizens.
Another tool for connecting and for collaboration is voiceThread. Check out my voiceThread at http://voicethread.com/share/527330/ or browse “engaging students with technology.”
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Yolanda. I've recently heard several teachers talk of the jigsaw method. I plan to try that and see if I can bring on board some of my students who do not want to participate. Sometimes peer pressure is more effective than teacher pressure!! Cathy
ReplyDeleteYolanda,
ReplyDeleteMy classroom simply could not function if my students were not seated in cooperative groups. Most all of the instructional strategies I implement in my classroom involve students working in groups in some form or fashion. This type of arrangement also tends to work well with classroom management (group rewards and consequences). In my classroom I use a strategy which I call “group check”. In this strategy, I teach my students a concept using whole group instruction, and then I give them a practice master to complete on that concept. Once one member of each group completes the master, he/she must raise their hand for me to check it. When I check the master for that particular student and he/she completed it correctly then they may go back and check the masters of their group members, and help them if they may be struggling. The rule is I only check one member of the group at a time, and the first one to complete it correctly will do the “group check”. My second grade students love this strategy and it motivates them to focus on the concept that I am teaching so that they can correctly complete the practice master so that they can check the group.
Alicia
Cathhgy,
ReplyDeleteI agree, sometimes students pressuring other students and perhaps friendly competition might start an interest to inquire and learn more. I would also like to try this strategy next year. I'm also interested in doing WebQuests. I have found that this is a fun way of engaging students to research information and to complete a task.
Alicia,
ReplyDeleteI think your "group check" strategy can be very effective. This strategy creates an immediate focus on the assignment as everyone would like to be the first one to finish with the correct answers to "play teacher" and check the other student's answers. It is amazing you can implement this type of strategy with young learners. Often I have problems with one or two students in my working groups. Not everyone is ready to work and some don't contribute more. I'm would like to try your strategy with my 3rd graders next year. I can't wait to test it. Thank you for sharing it.
Yolanda,
ReplyDeleteThe idea of students being able to communicate from anywhere in the world is great. Students can send and receive information very quickly. These web tools have been great assets in my classroom as students use them both in groups and as individuals.