Social learning theories suggest that optimum learning takes place when social interaction among students occurs (Orey, 2001). Cooperative learning strategies are an excellent way to integrate social learning into the classroom. Cooperative learning provides students with an opportunity to share their understanding with a group. It also gives students an opportunity to learn from the perspectives, experiences, and understandings of the other students in the group. Cooperative learning promotes "positive interdependence" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007) among students, accountability among students, communication skills, decision making skills, conflict management skills, and content synthesis and reflection, through social communication and activity completion (Pitler, et.al, 2007).
When using cooperative groups, teachers need to be sure that the groups are flexible in nature and that cooperative learning opportunities are used when the activity or learning can be positively impacted by students working closely together (Pitler, et.al, 2007). It is important that groups are formed with intentionality and purpose, whether it is based on ability, interest, or skill sets (Pitler, et.al, 2007).
Technology tools offer a unique opportunity and ability for students to work cooperatively in a problem-based or project based learning situation. Word processors and concept maps help cooperative groups plan the project, take notes on information learned, and summarize the relevant information quickly. Collaborative tools, such as Voice Thread, ePals, blogs, and wikis allow students to work collaboratively on a project when they are away from school. These tools provide a place for students and groups to present their understandings, questions, and connections to the learning material, and receive feedback and suggestions from their peers, thus altering and deepening the understanding that the student or group has. They also allow for collaboration to occur between students across the country and across the world.
What makes these tools so have such a high impact is their relevance to social learning strategies. These tools allow students to share their gained information, and gain and understand new information together as a group. When students work together cooperatively, optimum learning takes place through the discussion and acceptance or rejection of material from the group as whole (Orey, 2001). The group, being made up of students from a particular community bases its overall understanding and integration of the material on past experiences and social meaning and understanding of the concepts presented (Orey, 2001). The group ultimately works together to form a unified position of understanding about the material, thus creating a common learning threat for all students in that group.
For cooperative learning to work, students have to actively participate in the group and bring their own understandings, experiences, and thoughts to the group to share them. It is an excellent strategy that can be easily infused with technology, while simultaneously deepening and broadening the meaning and understanding of content for our students.
Resources:
Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
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Hello Julie,
ReplyDeleteFrom our past discussions, I am aware that you have a classroom blog and have utilized several technological tools within your classroom. I was wondering if you have any stories about your experiences of working with these tools cooperatively in which the concept was solidified by their interactions with each other, and technology?
Also, have your had any experiences in which you observed learning best took place when the learning activity required students to construct an artifact in a collaborative environment and converse about that artifact?
If you have, I would love to hear the details.
Thank you,
Lauren
Julie,
ReplyDeleteI am sure this does not happen too often, but what do you do with the kids that just won't participate in the group work, especially when technology is involved. Do you offer other forms of the activity? There are always those few kids that really hate working with other students and would rather just work by themselves. I have a few students like that every year and I really try to get them to work with a group even if they are uneasy about it.
Tiffany
Lauren,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your great questions! I have had some wonderful experiences incorporating my classroom blog into cooperative learning and social learning experiences. I did a unit with my 3rd graders earlier this year on the moon. We formulated a set of questions that they, as a class wanted to know the answers to, including the questions mandated by district curriculum. Students then broke themselves up into groups based on their interests, and chose a question to address. Students used Nettrekker and some other websites that I had gathered for them on my Protopage to research the answer to the question. They also used the textbook as well. Students each had job responsibilities in the group (tech manager, researcher, typist, materials manager, time keeper, etc.). Each group planned out their information search, chose the porject they wanted to complete (some created podcasts, some created written essays, some created posters in Comic Life, some created slide shows with music). I simply facilitated the process for them and helped to redirect them when they began exploring new information that was not related to their question. I was able to even have my students do some reflection and questioning of each groups project on our blog. Unfortunately, I began running into the porblem of not being able to utilize the computer cart, and we tracked off for three weeks. I would have liked to have seen more reflection and reciprocal teaching, but I was still quite thrilled with the results. At the completion of these projects, my students were much momre knowledgeable about the moon than they would have been, if we had just read the textbook and watched a few videos. Here's a link to our blog if you would like to check it out. the projects are still on the site under the science page. http://blog.ccsd.k12.co.us/jhathaway2/ We are now working on getting some animal projects posted, as well as our best writing up on the blog.
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI actually have this issue a lot with the group I have this year. I had three students in particular that were causing their groups a lot of trouble and not participating. One even started a cat fight of sorts with a girl from another group. To continue to enable the other students to learn and enjoy the project, I had to remove those students. Those students were given the same sort of assignment, but they were limited in that they could not use technology for their research. However, when it came time for their individual project creation, I did allow them a limited choice on their types of projects, and they were posted to the blog as well. With our limited technology, I stress to my students the importance of using their time together with that technology very well. They all like being able to use the computers, so most times the idea of losing that privledge is enough to keep the students focused on their best efforts within a group. However, I sometimes have to simply remove the technology and give an alternate assignment or project. These are the students that I have in mind when I think about social learning activities. They either do not enjoy them, or do not have the social skills to be effective and cooperative in the groups. I think for these students, Voice Thread might be a terrific beginning choice. It allows them to participate in a cooperative and collaborative activity, without being put directly in a group.
Julie,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all great classroom blog and I’m glad to hear that the moon project went so well. What I enjoy most from these kinds of technology is that as you said “allows students to work collaboratively on a project when they are away from school.” Having this opportunity and as a teacher being able to see that they worked together on a project on their own non school time feels great. That is when you know that they are motivated to learn the material and help their fellow classmates. I like that you had specific jobs for the students during the project because that gave them some freedom to pick a job as well as gave them the responsibility for that job. Keep up the good work.
Zach
Thank you Julie for your thoughtful, detailed response! I must admit, I am jealous of your ability to incorporate technology so freely! I may even, with your permission, use your classroom blog as an example for my county proposal! Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteLauren