Teachers learn a variety of different skills and strategies throughout their college education˳ Once employed, teachers hone their skills by finding out what really works in the classroom for them˳ Many teachers also further their education by attending graduate school or other professional development workshops and seminars˳ In so doing, teachers keep abreast of the most effective teaching strategies˳ The most recent trend among teachers of all kinds is Cooperative Learning˳ Cooperative Learning can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people˳ Cooperative Learning in its true meaning is probably occurring a fraction of the time that a teacher thinks it is in their classroom˳
Cooperative Learning in its true form has groups of students working together to achieve a common goal or task˳ The problem is we usually end up with group work˳ Group work is drastically different from Cooperative Learning˳ When group work is occurring, students are usually bored, unmotivated and not actually cooperating much at all˳ One student may do all the work and give the answers to the other members of his/her group˳ Other times, each student may do a few questions each and then give the answers to everyone else in their group˳ The bottom line is, group work does not allow all students to gain as much as they can from the lesson˳ It is an unstructured learning experience where some students did a lot of the work and others did very little or none˳ Because of the lack of structure many students also feel left out˳
In true Cooperative Learning, students are given a structured task where everyone is involved and individual accountability is built in˳ Students are working together to achieve success and have a positive learning experience˳ They all will participate equally so individuals aren’t left out or stuck doing the majority of the work˳ In following through with these basic principles, students can become successful learners and more involved in achieving certain life skills that they can hold onto throughout their school years and careers˳ Teachers must rid themselves of the same old group work routine and begin challenging their students to be a part of the process so that everyone can benefit from the success of the class˳
Cooperative Learning is not the almighty solution to the education of our students, but it provides a framework ensuring that all of our students can be the best they can be˳ This set-up not only allows for a positive learning environment where everyone is engaged, but it also closely mimics the “real world” that our students will be thrown into˳ The majority of careers involve people working in teams to complete a common task˳ Our children must learn the value of cooperating with each other to be effective throughout the course of their lives˳
The educational process may seem stagnant over time, but it should never remain still˳ Educators need to continue to further the variety of strategies that they use in the classroom throughout the course of their teaching careers˳ Ironically enough, teachers hold the key˳ Spreading the word of what works and what does not is achieved by educators sharing ideas˳ Whether it be veteran teachers or first year teachers, everyone must help out in a collegial setting to accomplish a common goal: Education of our youth by the best means possible˳
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