Oct
02
Cooperative Learning &Social Learning Theories
Cooperative Learning &Social Learning Theories
Cooperative Learning is the topic for this week. Cooperative Learning is broken down in the simplest
terms as having your students working in groups. Your students will be able to talk to each
other as to what they have just learned.
They have just learned something new; they have then processed that new
information and are now putting it into their own words. That is a great learning strategy because if
they are able to put it into their own words they will be more apt to remember
it for a much longer time, or will be able to retrieve that information at a
later date much easier than other students.
The idea of social learning is very similar to cooperative
learning. With the idea of social
learning you have students working to construct or build an artifact then
engaging in conversation with their fellow students. The one big key component to both theories is
the idea of students talking to one another.
Putting new knowledge into their own words. If feel students will always get more out of
it if they are hearing it from their peers.
I have not personally worked with many forms of web based technologies
or other forms of social networks. I
feel Wikis is still a great tool for students to communicate and collaborate
with one another. I read about Flat Classroom
Project (www.flatclassroomproject.org)
in the weeks reading. It is a project
that allows students to collaborate at a global magnitude. With so many different types of software or
interfaces that allow collaborating between students it is so important to try
a few to get an idea what will work in your classroom. We as teachers need to be open to new ways of
reaching our students.
I have also created a voicethred as part of my assignment please check it out. I hope I did it right I was having some problems with it so let me know if it works.
I have also created a voicethred as part of my assignment please check it out. I hope I did it right I was having some problems with it so let me know if it works.
Resources
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using
Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. (2nd ed., pp.
73-80).
Posts
2 comments:
John, have you used much cooperative learning in your classes? I imaging doing a group project might be difficult in an art class, but it could also be fun to see what the kids come up with. Do you think it would work to give them some general guidelines, a project deadline, supplies and let them go? I wonder in an art class if kids are more willing to take risks and just go with minimal guidance in a group. The problems of the students who take over and those who sit back will still be present, but perhaps if you used colors of some sort and each student in the group is in charge of that color and they have to cooperate to get it all done? It might be an interesting experiment to see what they come up with. Do you think something like that might work to get a group project done?
John
I agree that we need to be open to any and all teaching strategies that will most benefit our students. Students do seem to pick things up easier when it is coming from one of their peers. Sometimes peers can just make that explanation a little simpler for their partners to pick up.
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