EDSS 541 Reading Response #16 & 17

Identify the 5 different components of Cooperative Learning.

Identify how you will use cooperative learning in your ITU. Be specific and describe the strategies you will use for each component.

1. Positive Interdependence

The teacher is responsible for assigning group work that encourages positive collaboration among students. Rather than working independently, student should be encouraged with goals and rewards so that they work together and learn from each other. Every student is responsible for their learning. They are also responsible for teaching group members and helping each other with content and concepts. In this way, everyone contribute and all should be seen as equals.

2. Individual & Group Accountability

The teacher is responsible for fair assessment of work done, which also encourages interdependence. The teach should monitor to ensure every student is participating and contributing to the final product. This can be encouraged by having roles in each group. The students do the work and are accountable for creating the final product and each group member should be able to say what the group is working on or has accomplished.

3. Group Processing

Students should have the opportunity to reflect on cooperative learning. The teacher should encourage students to think, discuss, and write on how to group worked together. This can be a chance to examine good and and strategies. Students should not just come away with a final product or content knowledge, but an understanding of working with others. The teacher merely needs to facilitate this.

4. Social Skills

This is an inherent feature of cooperative learning. The teacher needs to assign groups accordingly so that they complete the task, and do so with communication and trust. The students may have to extend themselves, particularly those who tend to be introverts. Through this style students learn leadership, responsibility, and communication skills.

5. Face-to-Face Interactions

The students are doing the learning, but the teacher needs to create the environment where this can happen. This is done by carefully planning groups and activities and monitoring progress. When this is done the student can collaborate, share ideas, and make connections.

Going over this PowerPoint helped me realize that group work is not the same as cooperative learning. To incorporate all of the aspects will require planning, and that goes double for an ITU or co-teaching.

The first step would be to know the students. This is done through experience and observation. Then, Julie and I will be able to establish heterogeneous groups that take a mixed groups of students that will work together for a goal. This will be how we get to Face-to-Face Interactions that lead to Positive Interdependence.

Monitoring the class by walking around, possibly using Supportive or Parallel Co-Teaching, will allow us to check in with each group. This is how we can assess accountability from each member and the group as a whole. At the same time we can check for social skills and make sure that everyone is participating and contributing, and that the rest of the group is allowing this. This ties back into Positive Interdependence.

Lastly, I like the concept of Group Processing because it allows for more critical thinking. I think this can be accomplished by having the groups discuss this amongst themselves, and in a class discussion. Having the Social Skills established will lead to better, honest reflection.