The Office of Professional Learning Strategy Series will supply teachers with the tools, templates, texts and teacher tips to bring research-proven instructional strategies into their practice. The first series will focus on Cooperative Learning.
The ability to collaborate and cooperate in a learning environment is a necessary skill for the 21st century, and improves learning outcomes for students (Prince, 2004). Students must learn to speak, listen, and work together in order to become successful students in higher education, and the job force. Cooperative learning strategies include student discourse techniques, strategies for management, behavior routines for pairs and groups, celebrations, assessment and data collection for individual accountability and meta-cognitive strategies.
In order to bring these highly effective strategies into instructional practice, teachers must explicitly teach the behaviors associated with cooperative learning in a structured and purposeful way. With the end-in-mind, of a highly engaged, discourse filled classroom, let’s begin this first ACPS Office of Professional Learning Strategy Series with a structure for teaching partner and team routines.
Collaborative Learning- Step 1:
Tool: Looks Like/Sounds Like Chart When introducing a Collaborative Learning Behavior to your class, use a Looks Like/Sounds Like Anchor Chart. Start by introducing behaviors one at a time. Write the behavior down at the top of the anchor chart, then create a T-Chart with Looks Like and Sounds Like categories. Work with students to define what a particular behavior might look and sound like. As they popcorn out ideas, write the ideas down on the chart. After creating the chart, model the behavior and have students practice with a partner and group. Post the chart in the classroom and refer to it as necessary. When reinforcing the routine, refer to the chart, and give specific feedback using the same language (For example, “I know that Brenna is practicing active listening because her eyes are on the speaker, great job Brenna!” or “Kelly’s team earned a team cooperation point because all of her team members are participating, great job!”).
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Collaborative Learning Standards: The behaviors below should be actively taught through the creation of a Looks Like/Sounds Like Chart, modeling and practice.
- Practice Active Listening
- Help and Encourage Others
- Everyone Participates
- Explain Your Ideas and Tell Why
- Complete Tasks
Tools, Texts & Templates
- Cooperative Learning Standards
- Template: Team Score Sheet
- Template:Looks Like/Sounds Like
- Text: A Review of the Research
- Some Looks Like/Sounds Like charts have 3 categories- Looks Like, Sounds Like, and Feels Like. Click here to learn about that chart.
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