Social learning can be done in many ways; one way that we looked at this week was cooperative learning. “Cooperative learning focuses on having students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 139). In some of my classes I have my students in base groups where they use cooperative learning everyday when they are working on homework. This social aspect of their learning has helped them teach other students and has also helped them ask for help from their peers. They are continually working on their communication skills and building their knowledge. These base groups have helped to “build trust, camaraderie, and teamwork, and they are useful for checking homework and completing tasks and other routines” (p. 140).
The technology resources that were provided for us this week are ways for students to collaborate while they are not face-to-face. These types of tools are helping students collaborate to achieve a learning goal. The tools also provide for a continuous stream of communication between the students and help them learn from one another.
References
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
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I like the idea of putting students into base groups and having them learn to work with each other. It helps students to learn from each other and find that sometimes they can ask each other questions rather than thinking that the teacher is the only one with the answers. I think that using these groups is great way for students to develop good social skills and communication which is important at any age!
ReplyDeleteI would love to hear more about how you have students collaborate on homework assignments. Do they use blogs or emails? What about students who do not have access to the internet at home?
ReplyDeleteDo you have a large amount of students with internet access at home? Perhaps a voice thread activity could be a way for students to complete a homework assignment collaboratively, without physically being together. They could create an artifact and you could follow the link to see what each student added to the project. How are you having them collaborate for homework now? In a previous class, we learned to create wikis. Have you had a chance to try that out with your students?
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