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83 ideas de Diseño de instrucción en 2021 | enseñanza aprendizaje, aprendizaje, educacion

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04-nov-2021 - Diseño de instrucción . Ver más ideas sobre enseñanza aprendizaje, aprendizaje, educacion.

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Bienvenido a esta web de recopilación y compartición de recursos.

Pretendemos ser un andamiaje en el camino hacia la gamificación de las aulas.

Creemos recursos entre todos y compartámoslos para que ese gran esfuerzo que hacemos pueda ser aprovechado por muchos.

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Bienvenido a esta web de recopilación y compartición de recursos. Pretendemos ser un andamiaje en el camino hacia la gamificación de las aulas. Creemos recursos entre todos y compartámoslos para que ese gran esfuerzo que hacemos pueda ser aprovechado por muchos.

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UNIR Revista

¿Sabes en qué consiste el modelo Flipped Classroom? En UNIR analizamos el modelo de aula invertida, sus ventajas y consejos para aplicarlo.

ante la necesidad de cambiar el sistema tradicional de aprendizaje para adaptarlo a las necesidades actuales y, sobre todo, a los niños del siglo XXI. Con el Flipped Classroom es un modelo pedagógico también conocido como aula invertida. Este método de enseñanza ha cobrado importancia en los últimos años Flipped Classroom s e aprende haciendo y no memorizando.

La metodología Flipped Classroom es revolucionaria por naturaleza porque propone dar la vuelta a lo que se venía haciendo hasta ahora, poniendo en duda al sistema educativo clásico. Se trata de un sistema rompedor porque propone que los alumnos estudien y preparen las lecciones fuera de clase, accediendo en casa a los contenidos de las asignaturas para que, posteriormente, sea en el aula donde hagan los deberes, interactúen y realicen actividades más participativas (analizar ideas, debates, trabajos en grupo, etc). Todo ello apoyándose de forma acentuada en las nuevas tecnologías y con un profesor que actúa de guía.

Los grandes propagadores de la metodología Flipped Classroom son los profesores norteamericanos Jon Bergmann y Aaron Sams. Esta metodología educativa está cada vez más generalizada a nivel mundial en diferentes materias y etapas educativas.

Ventajas del Flipped Classroom

Los alumnos son los protagonistas

El alumnado es el protagonista de su propio aprendizaje y se implica desde el primer momento ya que les dota de responsabilidades, pasando de ser sujetos pasivos a activos. Pasan a ser actores en lugar de espectadores porque trabajan, participan, plantean dudas, colaboran en equipo, se organizan y planifican para realizar proyectos o resolver problemas...

Consolida el conocimiento

Este método da más tiempo para resolver dudas y consolidar conocimientos en clase. Al haber trabajado los contenidos y conceptos en casa, el tiempo en el aula puede dedicarse a resolver dudas, solucionar dificultades de comprensión o aprendizaje y trabajar los temas de manera individual y colaborativa.

Favorece la diversidad en el aula

Los alumnos pueden dedicar todo el tiempo que quieran a revisar los contenidos, para llegar a la comprensión perfecta. La ayuda de las nuevas tecnologías es fundamental: si los alumnos están visualizando una lección a través de un vídeo o gráfico interactivo, pueden pausarlo y repetirlo tantas veces como deseen. Además, en función de las dudas que tenga el alumno, el profesor puede realizar las adaptaciones pertinentes.

Aprendizaje más profundo y perdurable en el tiempo

Algo muy útil para desenvolverse sin problemas en la sociedad. Se consigue cuando el docente invierte más tiempo para crear, analizar y aplicar los conocimientos a la vida real. Además, la metodología Flipped Classroom tiende a que los alumnos recuerden o memoricen lo mínimo posible, la compresión es la base.

Mejora el desarrollo de las competencias por el trabajo individual y colaborativo

Desde las primeras etapas se fomenta la autonomía del alumno y promueve la competencia digital mediante el uso de nuevas tecnologías. También se desarrollan habilidades para organizarse, planificarse, intercambiar opiniones o tratar la información gracias al trabajo colaborativo.

Mayor motivación en el alumno

Identifican el método de aprendizaje como algo novedoso y divertido siendo conscientes de que son ellos los que asumen responsabilidades, toman decisiones, participan y trabajan mano a mano con sus compañeros para alcanzar objetivos comunes.

El uso de Flipped Classroom en las diferentes etapas educativas

Independientemente de la etapa educativa a la que nos enfoquemos, a la hora de introducir el flipped learning en el aula, la planificación es primordial. Una planificación que debe considerar las particularidades de cada etapa, así como los recursos de los que disponemos.

Así pues, en etapas como la de Educación Infantil (0-6 años), la aplicación de la metodología Flipped Classroom es compleja, pero no imposible. Hay materias en las que sí se puede desarrollar el Flipped Classroom, como en los conceptos matemáticos, conocimiento del medio o el proceso de lectoescritura. En estos casos es vital el apoyo de las familias, ya que en esta etapa son los padres los que tienen que utilizar las nuevas tecnologías al servicio del aprendizaje de los hijos.

Tras la etapa de Infantil llega Primaria (6-12 años). En este período es clave motivar a los alumnos para mantenerlos enganchados al proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje. Es aquí donde más puede aparecer el provocado por problemas emocionales, actitudinales o de motivación. La aplicación de la metodología fracaso escolar Flipped Classroom servirá a los alumnos para motivarlos, aprender a trabajar en equipo, convivir en el aula y a crear un vínculo afectivo entre el colegio, el alumno y la familia.

La implantación de Flipped Classroom en Secundaria (12-18 años) conecta con una etapa complicada para muchos jóvenes por los cambios emocionales y de personalidad.

Las nuevas tecnologías se convierten en un instrumento que les atrae y les gusta. Estas, unidas al trabajo colaborativo entre alumnos o alumnos y familia, les proporciona un gran incentivo para aprender.

En la la implantación de la metodología educación Superior Flipped Classroom es más sencilla debido a la madurez de los alumnos. Es clave para modalidades de educación a distancia o en línea. El Flipped Learning aporta ventajas como visualizar tantas veces como sea necesaria los videos y no tiene limitaciones ni en espacio ni en tiempo.

Gracias a la metodología Flipped Classroom, los escolares aprenden haciendo y no memorizando, justo lo contrario del sistema educativo más tradicional. Además, desarrollan conocimientos y habilidades que les serán de gran utilidad en su día a día.

Si acabas de finalizar tus estudios y no sabes cómo orientar tu carrera, en UNIR te aconsejamos qué estudiar después de Educación Infantil y posibles salidas.

Se habla mucho de metodologías activas y parecen englobar un abanico muy amplio de técnicas y estrategias de enseñanza y aprendizaje. Creemos que la mejor forma de poder entender en qué consisten es preguntar a los profesores que las están usando en las aulas. A ellos hemos recurrido y nos han explicado sus experiencias.

Entender la discapacidad motora es fundamental para que el docente pueda favorecer la integración de estos alumnos y fomentar, además, su propia autonomía.

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Flipped classroom: ¿qué es el modelo de aula invertida?

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¿Sabes en qué consiste el modelo Flipped Classroom? En UNIR analizamos el modelo de aula invertida, sus ventajas y consejos para aplicarlo

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Con frecuencia escuchamos hablar de flipped classroom como de una nueva metodología que viene a revolucionar las clases. Pero, ¿en qué consiste y cómo puede ayudarnos en el aula? Sigue leyendo y lo descubrirás.

¿Qué es flipped classroom?

Flipped classroom es un enfoque metodológico surgido en 2007 que ha sido traducido a nuestra lengua como clase al revés o clase inversa. Sin embargo, en un taller en el que participé hace poco, nuestra colega y poeta Rosana Acquaroni nos regalaba otra traducción, libre y creativa: clase reversible. Y me pregunto, ¿por qué no adoptarla en nuestro mundo ELE?

Flipped classroom consiste en invertir el orden tradicional de la clase: estudiar la teoría en casa y hacer los deberes (la parte práctica) en clase. Simple y sencillo, ¿verdad?

Muchas veces se identifica flipped classroom con el uso de vídeos y otro material multimedia para que los alumnos preparen la teoría en casa. De hecho, si nos remontamos a los orígenes de este enfoque, nos encontramos con la historia de John Bergmann y Aaron Sams, dos profesores de Química en Colorado que decidieron grabar sus lecciones en vídeo para paliar las desastrosas consecuencias que el absentismo tenía en sus clases.

Tras un tiempo utilizando estos vídeos, se dieron cuenta de que todos los estudiantes de la clase los usaban (y no solo los ausentes), por lo que decidieron establecer como metodología el visionado de vídeos teóricos en casa y dedicar las horas de clase a trabajos prácticos. Si quieres saber más sobre su historia, la cuentan con todo detalle en su libro: Dale la vuelta a tu clase[1. Bergman, J.; Saams, A. (2014). Dale la vuelta a tu clase: Lleva tu clase a cada estudiante, en cualquier momento y cualquier lugar. Ediciones SM.].

Muchos pensaréis que este enfoque no es nada nuevo entre los profesores de ELE (y de lenguas en general), ¿quizás sea porque los profesores de lenguas vamos por delante en lo que a cuestiones metodológicas se refiere? Mi colega Alicia Hernando lo resume muy bien:

La flipped classroom ha puesto nombre a muchas de las prácticas docentes del profesor de ELE y ha aportado unas herramientas tecnológicas de gran valor.

¿Seremos innovadores y no lo sabemos?

Todo lo anterior me lleva a hacerme esta pregunta, la misma que me asaltó durante la lectura del libro rEDUvolution de la profesora María Acaso[2. Acaso, María. (2013). rEDUvolution. La revolución en la educación. Barcelona: Paidós]: ¿Seremos innovadores y no lo sabemos? En esta obra se habla de la necesidad de convertir las clases en conversaciones, de romper las paredes del aula, de ceder el protagonismo al estudiante... ¿no es eso lo que llevamos haciendo durante años en muchas de nuestras aulas de ELE?

Profesores de ELE, os lanzo esta pregunta: ¿seremos rEDUvolucionarios y tampoco lo sabíamos?

Lo que sí es cierto es que hay un grupo de profesores a los que nos gusta probar cosas nuevas (herramientas, metodologías, enfoques). En una ocasión leí a uno de estos profesores -siento no tener la referencia- definirse como "optimista en perpetua insatisfacción", una definición que suscribo. Optimistas, sí, porque pensamos que las herramientas y las novedades metodológicas están para hacer nuestras clases mejores, y en perpetua insatisfacción porque creemos que todo es mejorable en nuestras clases (y en la vida en general), porque concebimos el aprendizaje como un proceso en el que el estudiante manda.

Lo que sucede en clase es lo que importa

Para usar una nueva herramienta o un nuevo enfoque hay que sentir la necesidad de hacerlo y comprobar que es rentable en términos pedagógicos. Es verdad que a veces nos damos cuenta de que el tiempo invertido (tanto del docente como del estudiante) en un nuevo enfoque o herramienta no compensa y entonces es mejor abandonar. Lo mismo sucede con la flipped classroom: si solo sirve para "en lugar de hacer deberes aburridos en casa, hacerlos en el colegio" -así lo explicó un niño de 6º de primaria al ser preguntado por lo que entendía por flipped classroom-, entonces es mejor no hacerlo.

Esta debe ser nuestra idea y nuestra consigna para dar la vuelta a la clase: voy a hacer invertir la clase para liberar tiempo de clase que me permitirá hacer cosas bonitas, para desarrollar un aprendizaje colaborativo, para fomentar el coaprendizaje, para construir aprendizaje significativo y útil, para divertirme y disfrutar.

Preguntas que nos surgen cuando decidimos darle la vuelta a nuestra clase

¿Por dónde empiezo?

Explica a tus estudiantes en qué consiste y pregúntales si quieren trabajar de este modo. Yo lo suelo hacer a través de un cuestionario en el que les pido que respondan "sí" o "no" a frases del tipo:

Estoy dispuesto a estudiar la teoría en casa.

Quiero trabajar en clase en grupos de trabajo.

Etc.

Si ellos no quieren, no vale la pena continuar y aquí termina nuestra aventura. Pero en mi experiencia, la mayoría de las frases tienen respuestas afirmativas.

¿Se pueden trabajar todas las destrezas?

Este enfoque metodológico se puede aplicar al trabajo de todas las destrezas y, aún más, yo diría que es un enfoque perfecto para integrar y mezclarlas todas ellas: podemos pedir a nuestros estudiantes que en casa realicen una comprensión auditiva o una comprensión lectora, para dedicar la clase a la expresión oral y expresión escrita relacionada con los contenidos estudiados. La expresión escrita es algo que en las clases tradicionales se suele mandar como tarea para casa y se concibe como un trabajo individual, pero lo cierto es que podemos llevar a cabo expresiones escritas altamente significativas y creativas a través del trabajo colaborativo

Creo que es mejor no ser muy ambiciosos y empezar probando con una clase o con un tema. ¿Por qué no hacerlo con un tema que no nos guste explicar? No siempre es necesario elaborar o usar vídeos; por ejemplo, pueden estudiar un tema gramatical con la teoría que ya existe en el libro de texto.

¿Qué pasa si mis estudiantes no estudian la teoría en casa?

Aquí respondería a la gallega: ¿y qué pasa si tus estudiantes no hacen los deberes en casa? Pues eso, que aprovecharán menos el tiempo de clase, aunque con la clase al revés podemos convertir este contratiempo en una oportunidad estupenda de coaprendizaje: al inicio de la clase organizamos grupos de trabajo cuya primera tarea será comprobar que se han asimilado los contenidos teóricos. Si alguien no ha hecho los deberes, serán sus compañeros los encargados de explicarle esa teoría, y nunca será una pérdida de tiempo para ellos, sino todo lo contrario: recordemos que no hay mejor manera de aprender una cosa que enseñársela a otros.

¿Cómo organizo el tiempo de clase?

Planifica muy bien las actividades, pero, al mismo tiempo, deja libertad para que los estudiantes "construyan" la clase. Esta es la parte más delicada: como docentes, tenemos que estar dispuestos a salir al barro, a ensuciarnos y a no tenerlo todo controlado, tenemos que estar dispuestos a ser preguntados y a veces no saber responder. Si tenéis hijos estaréis muy entrenados en este arte.

¿Qué pasa si no manejo bien las herramientas tecnológicas?

Como ya hemos dicho, muchas veces se identifica este enfoque con la preparación de vídeos teóricos, pero creo que la tecnología no es lo importante, aunque es verdad que nos resulta de gran ayuda. Prueba a buscar vídeos o presentaciones que ya han hecho otros profes, o no uses tecnología si no lo crees conveniente, lo importante de dar la vuelta a la clase es lo que pasa en el aula, no cómo prepares la teoría.

¿Qué pasa si la dirección del centro en el que trabajo no está de acuerdo con este método de trabajo?

Una frase de Nancy Atwell, galardonada con el premio Global Teacher Prize, el "Nobel" de los maestros, sería la mejor respuesta: "innové sin permiso".

Flipped classroom, una oportunidad de mejora

En conclusión, podemos hacer nuestras clases reversibles o no, podemos hacer uso de las herramientas tecnológicas y de las posibilidades de comunicación que nos ofrecen las redes sociales o podemos permanecer al margen de ellas, pero lo que sí es cierto es que los profesores tenemos que estar preparados para movernos en estos tiempos que Baugman llama "líquidos", inseguros y en perpetuo cambio, tiempos líquidos que en muchos órdenes de la vida acarrean consecuencias desastrosas, pero que en educación (y en otros ámbitos) suponen un cuestionamiento y una oportunidad para romper con los moldes establecidos.

Si la flipped clasroom nos sirve para repensar nuestras prácticas pedagógicas -muchas veces impregnadas de inercias-, para que nuestros estudiantes aprendan lo que realmente necesitan, para que las clases sean más dinámicas, ¡bienvenida sea la clase reversible!

En Google+ existe una comunidad de profesores llamada FlippedEABE donde se pueden encontrar muchas experiencias basadas en este enfoque. Mientras escribía esta entrada, pensé que sería estupendo que existiera una comunidad similiar, pero específica de profesores de ELE. Me puse a buscarla, pero no encontré nada, por lo que he decidido crearla. ¿Te unes a la recién nacida FlippedELE?

Créditos de la imagen: © pictore

Sobre la autora: Ana Martínez Lara es profesora de ELE en PROLINTER (UPM). Ha trabajado como lectora de español en Túnez y como profesora colaboradora en el Instituto Cervantes de Túnez y Beirut. Investiga sobre el potencial de las TIC y las redes sociales en el aprendizaje de Español Lengua Extranjera.

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Flipped Classroom, ¿un nuevo enfoque para nuestras clases de ELE?

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Con frecuencia escuchamos hablar de flipped classroom como de una nueva metodología que viene a revolucionar las clases. Pero, ¿en qué consiste y cómo puede ayudarnos en el aula? Sigue leyendo y lo descubrirás. ¿Qué es flipped classroom? Flipped classroom es un enfoque metodológico surgido en 2007 que ha sido traducido a nuestra lengua como clase al revés o clase inversa.

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Los recursos educativos en abierto (REA): hasta el infinito y más allá | UNIR

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El concepto de REA incluye cualquier tipo de recurso educativo que esté disponible de forma gratuita para ser empleada por la comunidad educativa. Esto

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La digitalización de la sociedad es una realidad y su impacto en el contexto educativo ha provocado la necesidad de incluir la competencia digital en los planes curriculares. Competencias digitales en el aula es una herramienta indispensable para el desarrollo de las competencias digitales docentes y aprendientes. Se parte del análisis de los marcos de referencia en educación para fomentar la adquisición de conocimientos clave a traves de propuestas prácticas.

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COMPETENCIAS DIGITALES EN EL AULA: ESTRATEGIAS Y MODELOS DE IMPLEMENTACION EN LA ENSEÑANZA DE IDIOMAS | OLGA JUAN LAZARO | Casa del Libro

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La digitalización de la sociedad es una realidad y su impacto en el contexto educativo ha provocado la necesidad de incluir la competencia digital en los planes curriculares. Competencias digitales en el aula es una herramienta indispensable para el desarrollo de las competencias digitales docentes y aprendientes.

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Episodio #4: Flipped Classroom con Gabriel Neila

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¿Por qué darle la vuelta a la clase? Seguramente has escuchado muchas veces el “aula invertida” o “Flipped Classroom” pero ¿Por qué tiene tanto éxito entre la comunidad docente? Para dar respuesta a estas preguntas y muchas más nos acompaña Gabriel Neila, profesor e investigador de esta modalidad de…

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Excelente libro sobre la enseñanza, el aprendizaje y la evaluación en el aula. Todo gira alrededor de la Taxonomía de Bloom. ¡Lo recomiendo!

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Embodying advances in cognitive psychology since the publication of Bloom's taxonomy, this revision of that framework is designed to help teachers understand and implement standards-based curriculums as well as facilitate constructing and analyzing their own. A revision only in the sense that it builds on the original framework, it is a completely new manuscript in both text and organization. Its two-dimensional framework interrelates knowledge with the cognitive processes students use to gain and work with knowledge. Together, these define the goals, curriculum standards, and objectives students are expected to learn. The framework facilitates the exploration of curriculums from four perspectives-what is intended to be taught, how it is to be taught, how learning is to be assessed, and how well the intended aims, instruction and assessments are aligned for effective education. This "revisited" framework allows you to connect learning from all these perspectives.

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Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing, A: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Abridged Edition

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Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing, A: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Abridged Edition [Anderson, Lorin, Krathwohl, David, Airasian, Peter, Cruikshank, Kathleen, Mayer, Richard, Pintrich, Paul, Raths, James, Wittrock, Merlin] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.

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Un artículo muy interesante sobre el aprendizaje cooperativo en el aula.

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Chapter 12: Effectively Managing the Cooperative Classroom
From Transformative Classroom Management. By John Shindler. ©2009

Designing an Effective Cooperative Learning Activity

Assessment Options for Cooperative Activities

Managing Cooperative Learning Effectively

What to Do when Groups Cannot Function Successfully

Transformative Ideas Related to Cooperative Learning

"I try cooperative learning and it just turns into free-for-all social time." "I want to do more cooperative learning, but I have too much to cover."
While a cooperative learning context does introduce unique management challenges, it can be managed as effectively as independent activities and offers a series of benefits that are impossible to achieve by other means--including higher levels of academic achievement (Gettinger & Kohler, 2006; Slavin, 1994; Slavin, Hurley, & Chamberlain 2003). Moreover, the reasons teachers are resistant to the idea of incorporating cooperative learning in their classrooms are typically founded in misconceptions. Most of the causes of failure when implementing cooperative learning are explicable and largely avoidable. It is important to note that to successfully implement cooperative learning we must decide that it is worth making a commitment to doing it well, and we must set about learning the skills to manage it effectively (Gettinger & Kohler, 2006).

Technically, cooperative learning includes any form of instruction in which students are working together for a purpose. As we will examine in this chapter, the effects will be more powerful to the extent that certain ingredients are present. The more any activity requires mutual interdependence, collective problem solving, and striving for a common goal, the better chance it will have at achieving the potential that cooperative learning offers (Johnson, et al, 1998; Webb et al, 1995).

As we seek to create the most valuable, engaging and productive cooperative learning experiences for our students, consider how learning within a social context is different from learning independently. Recall our discussion of the social learning theory in the previous chapters. The key to a successful collaborative effort will be to use the social aspect of the activity to the class' collective advantage. This will be true for both instructional and managerial goals.

If you are incorporating cooperative learning because you think your students need a break from the routine and you want to try something a bit more social, you may be missing the purpose and the potential of this teaching strategy. Having students simply work in groups may be a nice change of pace and can be inherently more engaging for some students, but group work only scratches the surface of what is possible when students learn within a cooperative context. While this chapter will address how to manage any form of group learning, it is suggested that one consider tapping as much of the potential as possible that cooperative learning has to offer.

The starting point for building cooperative learning into our curriculum should be an examination of our learning targets (e.g., standards, aims, goals, objectives), and our management goals. Those teachers who suggest that they have "too much to cover" to include cooperative learning are likely working from the assumption that cooperative learning will need to be an add-on to their curriculum. Making this assumption is much like suggesting that a social contract is an add-on to one's rules and management procedures. Cooperative learning, like the social contract, is simply a tool to achieve one's teaching goals (Slavin, 1994).

What are my learning targets? Can the objectives that I am trying to reach be accomplished in a collaborative format?

What benefits will the cooperative aspect bring to the learning?

What will I need to change about my approach to teaching and management?

Am I doing it haphazardly, or am I able to commit to developing a system for incorporating cooperative learning and making it work?

Use your answers to these questions to make choices related to what you want to achieve in the area of cooperative learning. In the following sections you will be asked to consider a number of options related to the following:

1. Designing your CL activity

2. Managing your CL activity

3. Dealing with problems that arise

4. Using CL to achieve your long-term management goals

Once we have identified learning targets that can best be taught within a partial or fully cooperative context, we need to make a number of design decisions. These will include 1) selecting a learning activity structural design/format, 2) deciding on the best group structure, 3) developing an effective assessment system that aligns with the goals of the activity.

The first item when endeavoring to introduce a cooperative exercise is determining which structural format is best suited to our learning targets. There are several types of format options (Gunter, Estes, & Mintz, 2007; Johnson & Johnson, 1999). Each of the different activity designs will have different benefits and involve different challenges. For our purposes, we will reduce them here to a few general types: a) group projects/performances; b) inquiry-based learning in teams; c) collaborative content processing; d) jigsaw model; e) graffiti model; f) collaborative assessment; and g) collaborative group work. A brief description of each of these formats is offered in Figure 12.2.

When deciding which cooperative learning activity format is the best fit, reflect on your desired learning targets. Does the learning lend itself to inquiry (i.e., can it be discovered inductively)? Is there a product or performance that would logically come out of the activity? Would processing the content collectively bring added benefits when compared to having students process on their own?

Design an Effective Task Structure

To be effective, cooperative learning activities need to be approached intentionally. When we prepare a group of students for a cooperative learning activity, we are in essence preparing a team for a game. A famous saying among coaches is, "Failure to prepare is preparing to fail." Those (like the teacher quoted in the chapter introduction) who lament that their cooperative learning activity descends into a free-for-all are likely underestimating the requirements of the role of leader and the need to take an intentional approach.

A useful principle to keep in mind is the following: introduce only one new variable at a time. Never ask students to process substantially new content and a new process at the same time. Pick one or the other. Let the students work with content that is at least a little familiar and not too threatening when you ask them to focus primarily on developing cooperative learning skills. When the students have grown comfortable with the dynamics and expectations of cooperative learning, they will be ready to work with content of any kind. Getting there should not take long.

The task design elements to determine include: a) the size of the group, b) the completion of the group, c) potential roles for group members.

Upon examining the many factors involved in creating groups, it becomes readily apparent that this task needs to be undertaken thoughtfully. A good portion of potential management problems will stem from careless group development (Lotan, 2006; Rubin, 2003).

There are several configurations that we could choose to use for grouping students. Our choices will include having students self-select, choosing groups by random, grouping by similar ability or mixed ability, or using a systematic method such as combinations of learning style types or manufacturing groups that we think will produce optimal results. They will each produce dramatically different outcomes. Figure 12.3 compares the advantages and disadvantages of each of the options.

It will be tempting to give in to the students' desires to make their own groups. It is usually easier and most students will be happier. However, when making choices here, consider how our choices work to promote the social frame: "when you (students) demonstrate responsibility, you will be given freedom." In the short term, allowing students to self-select their group may seem innocuous; however, over time it will likely lead to clique formations and entrenchment of the social structure (Lotan, 2006). With each successive exercise in which self-selected grouping is allowed, our students will become more accustomed to the process and increasingly develop a sense of entitlement that it is their right. A common resulting phenomenon is the teacher's eventual determination that there are too many negative effects from the policy of self-selected grouping. At that point they decide to begin the process of re-assigning groups, not anticipating the strong and defiant reaction of the students. This reaction is especially forceful from those students who feel that they have the most to lose by a new arrangement. For example, a student who unconsciously believes that they are "too good" for other members of the group to which they have been assigned may act this out in ways that appear immature and inappropriate. These types of displays can take us by surprise. They can be spiteful and expose the lack of community and egalitarian socio-politics in the class. While the temptation is to be angry toward the student who displays the sense of entitlement or discrimination, the fault actually lies with the choice made weeks earlier to allow self-selection of groups. The event could have been prevented. Moreover, it represents evidence that instead of cooperative learning activities promoting community, they have actually been undermining the democratic values in the class (Rubin, 2003).

A good standard to use in these cases is students stop caring about who is in their group they are ready for the privilege of choosing their own. You could counter, "My students will always be concerned with who is in their group." Be assured, you may be surprised at their ability to grow out of their recalcitrance. One of the transformative effects of a high quality cooperative learning process is that it helps students get past their pre-formed perspectives of one another. In observing those teachers who have mastered this process, it is evident that students of every social sub-group work together in their classes. In secondary schools, it is common to observe a class of students look past social class and personality one period, and then go right back to using the same forms of prejudice and narrow mindedness the next. What this says is that attitude is context-specific to a great extent. Progress toward egalitarianism and equanimity may not occur quickly, but effective teachers show that it is possible eventually.

When in doubt, default to mixed ability groups. Ability grouping has its place, but it has some serious disadvantages. It can quickly define a culture of haves and have-nots. The effect of this will be to undermine the sense of community in the class. Mixed ability groups have many advantages including providing opportunities for stronger students to take on the role of peer tutor and weaker students to benefit from having the stronger students in their groups. If you do feel the need to ability group, try to limit it to situations in which the ability level is mostly related to previous experience rather than students' perceptions of innate intelligence. For example, if we created groups of experienced computer users and groups of less experienced users and had students self-select, in this case it is less likely that students will feel stratified than if we placed them into high and low ability groups in an area that they felt represented a fundamental aptitude.

Random grouping often produces relatively desirable results and can be done rather efficiently. For example, with a little practice (but we do need to practice), our students can get used to numbering off into groups in a matter of a minute or two. The following sequence can be effective. First, count the students. Second, mentally divide the number of students by the number that you want to have in each group; that is your count-off number. Third, instruct them to count off. Be sure that the students say their group numbers out loud. This will save you the trouble of learning that when you say the numbers, the groups often end up with disproportionate sizes. Having students say their numbers promotes both memory and honesty. Another system is for you to create random groups before the event and then simply read them off.

It is best when grouping by learning style to use mixed-style groups. To create the most heterogeneous combination in terms of learning style, first identify each student's preference on the Extroversion/E vs. Introversion/I and Concrete (Sensate/S) vs. Abstract (Intuitive/N) scales. This can be done in a variety of ways including administering the Paragon Learning Style Inventory, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or the Kolb Learning Style Inventory. Once you have determined each student's style preference, try to create groups that include all four type combinations,

e.g., IN, EN, IS and ES (Figure 12.4). Refer to the previous chapter for more ideas related to how to translate your knowledge of learning style into student success.

The two factor dimensions that most affect how one acts and learns in school are those of introversion/extroversion and sensation/intuition. Introverts may be more reflective while extroverts may be more outgoing. Practical skills may come more easily to sensates, while intuitives may be more comfortable with imagination. When considering learning style as a means to creating heterogeneous groups, teachers may be most successful in their efforts by attempting to find students for each group from each of the four academic types described below. The chart below shows the four possible combinations or academic types.

Grouping using the principles prescribed by the Situational Leadership Model (Appendix E) will involve the highest level of complexity and the lowest level of convenience but will bring other less obvious variables into the equation. It has the potential to have a substantially positive effect on the social dynamics in the class. Moreover, it has the added benefit of maintaining our level of awareness on valuable ingredients such as each student's investment level and the political dynamics in the group.

It may seem like the process of grouping is a formality. To us it may simply represent a line on our lesson plan and a procedural necessity. But to students it is significant (Lotan, 2006; Rubin, 2003). The make-up of their group is the major defining factor in their experience. During this process it will be essential to mirror the affect that will be the most beneficial for our students to take on. If students are tentative about their team, we need to mirror to them optimism about how great the groups look and how we see great combinations. If the groups look a bit unhappy about their membership we need to send the message, "in this class, we have only great team members and it is a certainty that we are all going to be highly productive and supportive quickly if not immediately." No matter what we are confronted with as far as student complaints or requests to be traded to other groups, we need to project a positive expectancy. If we buy in to the temptation to make changes and adjust groups based on friendships or who is or is not getting along, we: 1) send the message that we believe that some students are not capable of getting along with others; and 2) put ourselves a position to be asked to do so in the future because we have just reinforced that behavior (re: the social learning model). No matter the reality with which we start, we need to project implicitly and explicitly: "in this class, we all get along, we all like each other, we can all trust each other to do our part, and as the teacher I believe in you."

As a matter of protocol, it seems to be a more effective practice to create groups first and then give out the task and directions. It may not make a great difference, but in some cases students may be preoccupied with the "who" rather than the "what," and miss what we are saying about the task. Doing things in this order will help students be in the moment and attentive when we explain to them the task they are about to undertake.

Assigning students roles within the group has many advantages (Johnson & Johnson, 1999a; Slavin, 1994). First, it provides students a clearer sense of what to do in the process. Second, assigned roles make it more likely that the necessary roles and duties will ultimately be performed. For example, if there were no designated manager or recorder, the function of a group may be limited and certain tasks may never get performed. Third, students learn that roles are useful in the accomplishment of collective efforts. They come to understand that those who can fulfill a certain role within a group can often be more valuable than those who are highly talented but provide a less focused contribution. Fourth, if roles are rotated regularly, students have the opportunity to take on roles that they may not otherwise have taken on normally. Some students will feel very comfortable taking the role of recorder but may never volunteer to be in a leadership position unless that role has been assigned to them. On the other hand, the student who has an expressive persona and comfort with a leadership role may always find themselves taking over unless they are expected to fulfill another role that requires other skills. While it may not be entirely comfortable for students to work outside their natural strength areas, it provides them an opportunity to develop areas that could use growth. An added consideration is the opportunity to learn appreciation for effective performance in roles previously avoided. This contributes to admiration for others when they perform those roles.

In the early stages of development, it is usually most effective to assign roles to group members. This can be done randomly or purposefully. If different roles are assigned often and randomly, this usually ensures that all students will have the opportunity to take on multiple roles. However, if you are concerned that all students may not have the opportunity to take on each role -- or you simply do not want to take chances -- you may want to keep records and be purposeful about rotating roles.

A simple technique for assigning roles is to use physical objects on the four walls of the room or yard. We can simply assign certain roles to those closest to certain objects. For example, one possible scenario may play out in the following manner; "Ok, is everyone ready? I will pass out the directions shortly. But now that we are all sitting in our groups let's designate roles. Those closest to the clock are the managers (wait for reaction to die down if there is one; and a reminder that everyone is going to get to serve in a leadership role at some point in the quarter/year). Those closest to the window are the recorders. Those closest to the board are researchers, and those closest to the door are the mediators/consensus builders." However, as with the membership, there may be some students who are happier with the role that they have been assigned than others. Resist the temptation to feel sorry for students who did not get a role they wanted or apologize to them. Instead, project the message: "Remember, all roles are really important. Do your best to do a great job of your role and help your group. What's important now? (i.e., WIN) What do you need to do to help your group succeed?" Raise their level of awareness of the possible resentment or passive aggressiveness they may be feeling and challenge them to rise to the occasion.

When do we let the groups work without roles? A useful principle may be when students have shown that they have the skills to execute the task without them, or roles are really not applicable to the task. This requires your judgment and depends on the situation. Even when they have shown the ability to work without roles assigned, there are other benefits to incorporating roles in the future to some extent. Students may slip back into entrenched patterns or may lose sight of the value of clarifying responsibilities. A transitional step is asking the groups to select roles internally. In this case, we might offer them a simple system such as numbering off if they cannot easily decide by a more democratic method.

What are some typical roles students can take to contribute to the group's capacity to reach its goals most effectively? The answer is -- whatever roles the activity requires. It can be counterproductive to be too tied to any established roles that you or others have used. Examine the task and ask yourself what jobs are needed for the success of that particular task. The most meaningful roles should emerge. Here are some typical roles that can be useful in various cooperative learning activities (Johnson & Johnson, 1999a).

It may be helpful to create an evolving written catalogue of roles and their descriptions you can print for each substantive cooperative activity. Pasting that list into the assignment sheet will bring another level of clarity to the assignment. Later in the chapter we will discuss an effective method for making the job description of each role more concrete and meaningful and encouraging students to value the importance of their role.

Defining the time frame of the task may seem like common sense, but it is a critical factor in the process (Slavin, 1994). Whether the activity is three days or 30 minutes long, students must be able to pace their efforts and adjust to the level of urgency or reflection required. What are the priority tasks that need attention? What needs to be done carefully? How much time is there for brainstorming or discussion? In most classes there will be groups who tend to oversimplify the task and do it quickly. These efforts are usually missing something that the teacher thought would be included, or do not reflect the kind of deeper processing that we were looking for. There will be groups who may want to over-complicate a task that was intended to be straight forward. These groups can become paralyzed by the idea-generation process and never get to the execution of the process. Especially early in the year, you may want to give timeframes for the duration of each piece of the process. You may suggest that groups be patient and not simply take the first idea that comes to them. You may want the students to engage in formal brainstorming (see Figure 12.6). Conversely, you may want to offer a timeframe for when certain aspects of the process need to be complete, so that the group will have sufficient time for the later portions of the task.

Build on other people's ideas. Often an idea suggested by one person can trigger a bigger and/or more developed idea by another person. Or a variation of an idea on the board could be the next 'velcro' idea. It is this building of concepts that leads to out-of-the-box and high quality thinking.

A useful tool in the effort to structure the task and timeframe is to have students develop benchmarks for the product at intervals along the way. These provide the students with concrete stages of completion that can be motivating and reassuring. They provide the teacher evidence that the group is on track as well as offering a convenient venue for giving formative feedback. For example, if the assignment is a group research project, the teacher might ask to see evidence, ensuring progress by all groups, of the following components, on paper, at pre-determined points:

It will be necessary to structure the room physically so that students can easily interact with their fellow cooperative group members. We will also want to make sure that we are able to move easily within the room. Four chairs placed around medium sized tables provided one solution; however this option is not available to many of us. Placing four desks into pod shapes is a configuration that many teachers use. This configuration is depicted in Figure 12.6.

As we discussed in the previous chapter, the relationship between assessment and classroom management is a powerful nexus that is given a fraction of the attention it warrants. It is especially significant when it comes to cooperative learning. Again, how and what we assess will define for the students "what is important" in the experience and shape the learning environment as much as anything else we do. What we assess tells the students what to care about and what constitutes success. We might begin by asking ourselves a few defining questions. Do we want to assess formally or informally? Do we want our unit of analysis to be the individual student or the group as a whole? Do we want to focus more on the final product or on the process and level of investment the students make along the way? Each of these choices will have a significant effect on the way that students approach the task and what they will infer to be a successful performance. Figure 12.8 outlines the various advantages and disadvantages of each method of assessment.

While all options have their benefits, some options will contribute to more desirable results (Slavin, Hurley, & Chamberlain, 2003). Using no assessment is clearly less trouble, however, it makes the statement that every effort is the same as every other effort. If this is true, incorporating no formal assessment is a valid option. However, if we are assessing other areas of achievement (e.g., tests of knowledge, homework assignments, etc), but not the cooperative learning activities, we make the statement, in a very real and material way, that the quality of effort during the cooperative learning has little importance, regardless of what we may say. Self-assessment can be an excellent tool for groups who have demonstrated a high level of responsibility and skill at the cooperative learning process. It can also be a useful adjunct assessment system to teacher-based assessment as a way of promoting more self-reflection. However, translating it into a grade is extremely difficult and should be avoided. It can be a valuable process for students to informally self-evaluate the quality of their performance and the performance of those in their group, yet when that evaluation is then translated into a grade, it typically leads to a great deal of damage. Our efforts to promote cohesion and trust within the group will be undermined as a result of students' feeling vulnerable and resentful of one another's ratings when including any feature of peer-based assessment. Moreover, it is likely that popular students will be graded more favorably by their peers than students who do not possess the same level of political capital. Typically, many students are honest when there is no cost but much less honest when they recognize that they will be penalized for being self-critical.

When we assess process outcomes, we typically find that it has the effect of promoting a greater level of student investment in the process. Moreover, when students invest fully in the process, the products they produce usually reflect their high quality investment. Chapter 20 outlines a detailed system for assessing the quality of student participation and process. Many of our learning targets during cooperative learning activities will be in the areas of processes, skills and dispositions. If we have learning targets and goals in these areas but do not use an assessment system that supports them, then we have in essence built failure into our instructional design. Many teachers who do not currently incorporate process assessment into their teaching dismiss its potential, yet teachers who do incorporate some process or behavioral level assessment recognize the powerful effect it can have to positively shape the quality of the student performance.

There are many benefits to having the individual as the unit of analysis of process assessment. First, students will feel that it is fairer. They will be less likely to feel that they are in a position to be penalized by the actions of others. Second, because it is possible to define cooperation skills into a high-quality level individual performance, it has the capacity to promote cooperative behavior as well as individual responsibility and effort. Third, it is cleaner and easier to manage. Individual grades produce a more reliable set of data for us to process aggregate daily grades into a unit grade. Whatever system we decide to use, we will need to commit to it. Can you honestly say that you will give the same process or participation grade to a student who has done little and one who has made an exceptional effort as a result of their being in the same group?

That being said, while there are several disadvantages to a group level grade, it does have the power to contribute to the development of interdependence among group members that an individual grade does not. For that reason, it is recommended that one use primarily individual level-assessment systems for process in the formative stages of a group's development, and transition over time to a balance of group- and individual-level assessments as the situation allows.

Some readers find competition to be undesirable for any reason. Others find competition raises the level of interest and motivation of students and can turn a cooperative learning activity into a team competition. If you choose to avoid using competition, your students are likely not missing anything. If you have a desire to use it, then be cautious. Strictly avoid mixing competition into your assessment of the process or the product. Take care that the students understand that the competition is a separate variable. Moreover, make sure that the students understand that the purpose of competition is fun, and the outcomes that you value and reward are the quality of effort and learning. This is true for every subject and every grade. In Chapter 18, we will discuss the use of competition in the classroom in detail.

If we have designed an effective cooperative learning activity, much of our work will be done. The task itself will create much of the energy and define the focus. So how do we manage it? Here are three principles to guide our thinking:

At any time, but especially in the early stages of developing a climate supportive of successful cooperative learning, make the social frames very explicit (recall Chapter 3). It is important to promote in the minds of our students the cause-and-effect relationship related to: "when you (the students) are ready for ...you will be able to..." Cooperative learning is just another teaching strategy; but it is also a privilege. Keep the students mindful that they need to continue to earn this privilege.

Assume that students need a great deal of support and structure until they show that they can succeed with less. To be effective, cooperative learning will require a very deliberate use of technical management and skills development (Slavin, Hurley, & Chamberlain 2003). One of the benefits of cooperative learning is that if done well, increasingly less management will be necessary over time.

Be ever aware of the presence of social/indirect learning when you make management choices.

When students are working in groups, messages sent to one group will affect the other groups as well. The actions that we take with one group tell the other groups what to expect. When we publicly recognize the successes of one group, the other groups will become wiser as a result (Bandura, 1986; Slavin, Hurley, & Chamberlain, 2003).

The effectiveness of our management will be related to our ability to do the following:

1) develop a culture of listening and provide clear directions; 2) be an effective leader and teacher during the activity; 3) teach the skills necessary for groups to function effectively; and 4) respond effectively to behavioral problems when they arise.

Developing a Culture of Listening and Providing Good Directions

Recall our discussion of technical management in Chapter 5. A successful cooperative learning environment requires a culture of listening. We need to be sure the students understand the directions before they begin, and we need to have an efficient, painless way to get 100% attention for short periods of time. It will be difficult to be fully effective managing our cooperative groups without the use of a well established cue. The nature of cooperative learning requires us to frequently add information, process ideas, check for understanding and/or ask questions quickly without being too disruptive to the process, or requiring yelling or nagging (Slavin, Hurley, & Chamberlain, 2003). Being a master of technical management in the development stages of the process will be essential.

When giving directions at the start of the activity:

When possible, provide written directions and/or guidelines. It will save both you and the students time, create another level of clarity, and improve the quality of the students' performance. Information to include in written directions and/or guidelines:

1. Step-by-step procedures for the task

2. Roles and role descriptions*

3. Explanations of cooperative group skills that may need attention*

4. Assessment Instruments for either the process and/or the product*

*(These features can be pasted into each new set of guidelines.)

One of your most important roles as leader of the cooperative learning effort is that of the "link among the groups." Your words and actions act as the mode of communication between each group. Without your words, each group is essentially working in isolation (Johnson & Johnson, 1999a; Slavin, Hurley, & Chamberlain, 2003). A powerful principle to keep in mind related to the social learning model is: "What can be communicated to one group that will inform or improve the performance in the other groups?"

When we examine the social learning diagram within the context of cooperative learning, we notice that most often the S represents entire groups. One of the monumental instances of a missed teaching opportunity is observing something good (i.e., valuable, effective, innovative, efficient, creative, etc) that one group is doing and keeping it to ourselves. This is especially true when we are in cooperative groups. Too often as we walk around from group to group, the teacher is the only person benefiting and getting more informed. If we simply take the opportunity to communicate in a publicly positive manner what we have observed, each group will have the opportunity to learn from the other groups.

Principles to keep in mind in the process of providing feedback and direction during the cooperative group activity:

1. When you recognize that, for the good of all, providing additional information or clarification would be valuable, stop the whole group with a cue. Wait for 100% attention, and then provide the information in as few words as possible, and as clearly as possible. Be sensitive to maintaining momentum within the groups so do this as little as possible. Also, it will be easier to maintain attention when the information that you share is valuable and concise. Test their patience at your own risk.

2. When you wish to share valuable information that is not necessary for every student to have, simply speak at a slightly higher volume (but watch your pitch, students tend to turn off messages that are spoken in a high or panicky register).

3. Move from group to group. Make sure that you get around to each group during each phase of the task. Don't take over when you are there. In fact, the less you need to intervene, the better.

4. Be concrete and specific (recall Chapter 4 related to personal recognitions vs. positive recognitions). You may find yourself saying "Good job!" a great deal, which is fine. However, try to include specifics as well. For example, a more effective statement would be, "Great job staying with it. See, when you are persistent, the ideas do eventually come." Or, "Great idea! I see one group decided to make three columns on their paper and list ideas for each category."

5. Make positive recognitions public, but make negative recognitions, criticisms, and consequence implementations private. Build the vision of a successful performance with your words, but use actions to change behaviors that are need to change.

Instead of starting off the year allowing students to fail and then being disappointed, it may be a better idea to start the year by building the skills that are necessary for success (Gunter, Estes, & Mintz, 2007; Slavin, 1994). Once students show the ability to demonstrate these skills we can move on. Moreover, this investment of time and effort early in the year will pay back many times over the course of the year in efficiency and positive emotion.

The cooperative group skills that students will need to master include how to listen, how to resolve conflict, how to communicate concerns, how to make decisions, how to perform a role, how to execute the necessary learning process, and how to share. Below are descriptions of each of these skills.

Students typically assume they know how to listen. In fact, most of our students will consider it silly to reflect on the quality of their attention. But in a cooperative learning effort it is not sufficient to be a selective listener. Success requires collective understanding. It is necessary to be an How to listen. active listener. To accomplish this, students need to learn to listen for the essence of what is said and get in the habit of using clarifying questions. These questions will need to help clarify both the conceptual issue (e.g., "I heard you say that you think our group should take the position that...."), and the practical issues (e.g., "So we just decided to make a poster depicting our idea; are we all going to need to do the artwork, or should some of us work on the content while the others draw?"). Making eye contact with the person talking and showing recognition that one understands is also part of active listening. So students need to get used to asking other students to repeat what they have said, or re-explain it when they have not understood. This may sound like a simple skill, but it is surprisingly unpracticed outside the classroom.

Part of effective communication will include finding a constructive way to express one's concerns or opinions. Very few students of any age have learned to do this effectively. The typical unconscious behavior for most students who are unhappy with group decisions is to: 1) withdraw and hold their resentment inside; 2) make a non-constructive negative judgment about the idea (e.g., "that idea is stupid."); or 3) make a statement that makes the idea personal (e.g., "You guys always want to do that kind of thing."). To express their concerns with more positive effective, students need to learn to use a combination of the skill of using I-messages and maintaining the focus on the quality of the ideas rather than the person who came up with the ideas. I-messages make the statement that any idea by definition comes from an individual's personal perspective. Most students state their subjective opinions as objective facts. The result is that too often the intent is missed and the statement fosters defensiveness. It will be useful to help students learn to begin to phrase opinions with I-message language (e.g., How to communicate concerns and opinions. I think, I feel, my idea, this is only my opinion, etc.).

We will want to offer the students a concrete process for making quick democratic decisions. We might suggest that the leader or manager of the group open the floor for some period of discussion and when all sides have been heard, call for a vote. We can also walk the students through the process of developing a compromise position. One possible process for doing this would be again that the leader open the floor to all ideas and then ask if it would be okay to combine them in a way that includes more students' desires. The result may be three choices: that of student A, that of student B, and a compromise synthesizing the two. But the leader or manager should maintain the role of mediator and not decision maker. Those in leadership roles should limit their decisions to issues of efficiency and procedure. Decisions related to the essential elements of the task should be made democratically.

There are many ways to teach these foundational skills, but it may be most effective to teach them within the context of an actual task after explaining them briefly (Slavin, Hurley, & Chamberlain 2003). Remember, avoid teaching a new skill/procedure and new content at the same time. We cannot hold students simultaneously responsible for both. Therefore our first foray into cooperative learning may involve a task that is relatively simple and/or inconsequential. Taking part in a craft project or the processing of some familiar content may be good initial venues.

Before we begin the activity, we might select one or two skills that we judge are the most critical given the needs of our class, and have a brief discussion of what that skill looks like in a group context. It is highly recommended that the students are enlisted in this effort. It will be useful to keep in mind that when we teach skills to be successful within cooperative learning, we are creating a series of concepts: What is an I-message? What is it to be cooperative? What does a good listener do? The skills we teach are built on abstract concepts. If we do not make those abstractions practical, they will remain abstractions and never be translated into behavior. It therefore makes sense to teach them in mini-concept attainment exercises (Gunter, Estes, & Mintz, 2007). These can be as simple as a 20-second question-and-answer, or as involved as a formal concept attainment building activity. In a concept attainment exercise we are asking the student to provide us with examples and non-examples of the concept. For example, we could ask, what are examples and non-examples of "active listening?" If we depicted the exercise it would look like this:

Success will come from our ability to translate the concepts fundamental to effective cooperative learning from abstractions into practical recipes and then finally into behavioral habits.

The most powerful tool for helping students grasp the concept within practical behavior is to see it firsthand in themselves or one of their peers. Too often students do not recognize quality behavior unless it is pointed out. It is essential that we are intentional about verbalizing examples of high quality behavior. For instance, if we observed students who had just successfully resolved a conflict, we might share what we observed with the other groups. It is not important to congratulate the group; the positive recognition will be praise enough. Instead, emphasize what they did that was effective. The subtext of our message is if you make similar behavioral choices, your efforts will be more effective in the future.

Be very clear about the vision. Create a clear set of expectations, protocols, and procedures for each type of cooperative learning.

Be intolerant of behavior that will undermine the process -- carelessness, abuse in any form, put-downs, helplessness, selfishness, game playing.

Explain to the students about if..., then... cause-and-effect. If they grow in their ability to self-direct, then they will be given more freedom and autonomy.

Limit opportunities when the effort is not present, and don't hesitate to practice procedures, repeat an activity, or stop if the students abuse the privilege of cooperative learning.

Defining the purpose clearly. This is done by the following means:

Shift focus from what you think should happen to the students' perceptions of support of their effectiveness and their needs.

Recognize and encourage innovation in the procedures.

Use fewer concrete explanations, and more expectation cues.

Reinforce the cause-and-effect -- their ability to self-direct will lead to more freedom and autonomy by recognizing what they are doing and what they are getting as a result (and, if you feel it would be effective, what they are not doing, and what would happen if they did).

Encourage students to rely on their own interpretations of what constitutes success and quality, and allow them to solve their own problems.

Use more self-assessment instruments and fewer teacher assessment instruments, or allow the students to use the assessment instruments to self-assess.

Offer more resources and fewer answers.

Offer fewer judgments and opinions and ask more questions.

Encourage more creativity and risk taking.

Take time for student recognition of what went well (on all levels) and what they assess might need modification in the future.

(Also, do a project yourself along with the students, be a peer.)

No matter how effective we have been at designing an effective activity and teaching the necessary skills, we may have students who violate expectations and exhibit problem behavior. Therefore, we should ensure that our social contract includes expectations, rules and consequences related to cooperative learning contexts.

When dealing with contract violations and small scale dysfunctional behavior it will be essential to keep the social learning model in mind, i.e., making tomorrow better as a result of what you do today (Lotan, 2006).

Our management actions are teaching lessons. What we do today will define what happens tomorrow. This is especially true early in the year. So before we choose to act reactively or do the first thing that comes to mind, we may want to ask ourselves, "What am I encouraging tomorrow, if I take this action today?" Figure 12.10 outlines some common management strategies to avoid and replacement strategies in managing the cooperative group context.

If we design a sound exercise and offer the kinds of support described above, we should experience an ever-decreasing number of problems during cooperative group activities (Slavin, Hurley, & Chamberlain 2003). Each intervention will lead to further clarity of the expectations, new skill development, and higher levels of collective group functioning. In fact, problems early in the year might best be viewed as teaching opportunities. Groups who experience conflict provide a concrete set of circumstances to examine within the lens of our conflict resolution principles. Groups who struggle with ideas of self-direction or investment in the process offer the opportunity to reinforce the structural components of the activity that support and require these. For example, when faced with a problem that appears to result from a lack of understanding of what constitutes "quality cooperative group process," we might take the opportunity to ask our students to assess their current level of performance on a group process assessment rubric (Figure 20.B). This type of intervention will have a couple of effects. First, it supports the group members' recognition that there is actually a system in place for assessing quality process, which may be new to them. Many teachers come into a school where there has been little effective cooperative learning and introduce it to their students. Even if the teacher designs a perfect exercise, success will not come immediately. Too often the teacher creates clear and conspicuous expectations and then is impatient when the students do not respond immediately. It may be useful to assume that nothing in your system will have an effect until it has had a real and material impact on the students' lives. If we have consequences in place, we may need to implement them before they are taken seriously. If we are assessing process, we may need to take students through a number of activities start to finish in which we assess process before they respond. Second, asking the students to self-assess will have the effect of promoting self-reflection. Early in the year they may or may not take the rubric seriously, but until they use the values assumed in it to made judgments of quality regarding their own performance, the rubric will remain an abstraction and a formality. In other words, students will invest in the process to the degree that they value it and believe that doing so will benefit them. This perceived benefit can be either manufactured (i.e., their grade will be positively affected) or organic (i.e., they experience a greater level of satisfaction and level of function).

One intervention that can have a powerful effect, but should be used sparingly and avoided if possible, is to withhold the privilege of the cooperative context if a whole class does not approach it with the necessary sense of care, responsibility, and appreciation. Consider a scenario in which we develop a cooperative inductive science lesson incorporating group investigation. If it is early in the year and the majority of the students in our class approach the lesson with a careless, entitled, and/or irresponsible attitude, we might make the decision to withhold the lesson until they could approach it with the sense of value it warrants. After assessing the situation and deciding to take remedial action, we might want say to the class: "I can see that some of us were taking this assignment seriously, but many were not approaching the task responsibly. We can learn science in a number of ways. This way takes a lot of time to prepare and design and involves materials that need to be treated with care. I did not see evidence that we were ready for this kind of activity at this time. So I want you to put away these materials, move your seats back into their rows and take out your textbooks. I am sure that we will be ready for an activity like this in the future; today we weren't."

An intervention such as this will likely succeed at building the cause-and-effect between the level of freedom given and the level of responsibility shown. However, make a substantial attempt to build the foundation of functional behavior with positive recognitions and skill practice before you take such a dramatic step.

Very often we find that all groups but one or two are on task and functioning effectively. It will be useful to keep in mind that there are three important things going on at that moment: 1) on-task groups who need reinforcement from the teacher as encouragement; 2) a group or two who are off-task and need help; and 3) an entire class who is watching and learning how you deal with both the groups who are off-task as well as those on task. Sometimes a group's problems are cause by a dysfunctional group dynamic; other times the problem will be primarily initiated by a single group member. Below we examine an intervention sequence for each scenario.

If a whole group is having trouble working together, keep the ownership of the problem on students, and provide interventions that provide choices and consequences. All the while keep your intervention anger-free and constructive.

Our first intervention should assume that the students can succeed if they just have a better sense of what they are doing. It may be helpful to begin each interaction with a sense of the result we need to achieve before we walk away.

What do they need? -- Support to help them accomplish their task.

What do we need as a result? -- Recognition from them that they have what they need to accomplish the task with an implicit commitment that they can do it now.

What we need to do:

Do not hover. Send the message that we trust that students can find a way to function more effectively, and then we put our energy into the students who are on task and investing in the process. We give the group time to fix "their problem."

If we look over at the group again and notice that they are still experiencing dysfunction and their efforts have not produced sufficient change we need to intervene once again.

What do they need? -- Strategies that they must agree to that will support their collective functioning. Also, they need to be concrete and specific about what should happen and who is going to do what to make the situation better. They need to acknowledge a clear understanding of the consequence if they do not achieve this.

What do we need as a result? -- An assumption that the group has the strategies needed to solve their problems; the group's commitment to work together on the task and to overcome the dysfunctional dynamics. We need an explicit assurance that they can do it. And a clear sense that the group understands the consequences for not demonstrating that they can function, e.g., "When I come back what will I be seeing from this group?"

Again we send the message that we believe in the group (no matter their history) and we assume that it is just a matter of time before they will get on track. So move away from them, let them solve their problem or at least own their problem, and put our energy into the other groups. It is really important to keep our energy supportive and positive and not let our disappointment sour our interactions with each of the groups. Those who are high functioning need the mirror of positive energy and enthusiasm to take them to the next level. Those who are struggling need our trust, supportive attitude, and absence of negativity. Our negativity will only magnify any negativity in the group.

In nearly all cases, these first two interventions will have helped resolve any problems; over time even these interventions will become less necessary as our process becomes more familiar and more functional, and as a result more satisfying. What happens when we look over at that group and observe that they still can not get past their dysfunctional dynamics?

What can I do in an intervention to make tomorrow better as a result of what I do today?

What have the members of the group agreed to, to this point? What expectations have been put in place? What are the logical consequences?

What do the students need? Acknowledgement of their choices and accountability for their actions.

What do we need as a result? Evidence that we have followed through and held the students accountable for their actions and the implementation of a consequence that will make tomorrow better as a result.

Given that the students have expressed commitment to having a clear understanding of the task (Intervention 1) and a have received a second opportunity to get it together (Intervention 2), we can assume that the problematic behavior was a function of their collective choice to perpetuate the dysfunction. As a result, we are in the position of following through with a consequence. We need to send the message to the rest of the class that when a group chooses to hold on to their self-centered attitude rather than do what is best for others and themselves, they need a concrete reminder that it will not work in the future. We can send this message in a number of ways. One consequence would be to withdraw the group's opportunity to further take part in the activity. In addition, group members might be asked to write down ideas for how they are going to keep this kind of problem from happening in future situations. It is critical to implement a consequence that is active but keeps all judgment and shame out of the equation. The loss of the right to participate should be left on its own to teach the lesson. Moreover, our interactions with this group need to be private. The hint that we are disparaging the members of this group to others will have a profoundly negative effect on our relationship with them, and likely undermine any value our disciplinary action might have. Optionally, if we notice that after a few minutes the group seems to show evidence that they have learned their lesson, we may want to give them a second chance.

At some point in this process, our inclination might have been to split up the group. The effect of this choice will usually be that we feel better and it will stop the conflict. But examined from the perspective of the social learning model, it will become apparent why it may not be a good idea. If the students learn that we bail out groups by splitting them up when they don't get along, we will get more groups asking us with their words and/or actions to split them up and free them from a group of students they did not want to work with in the first place.

Often we have a student or two who struggle within the group context. It is likely that they have struggled in the past and have gotten used to being "the problem student." We examine students who have developed a pattern of negative identity in Chapter 16. As we address what to do when one student causes problems for a cooperative group, you should find that the intervention strategies discussed here will work for students with genuine negative identity patterns and those who misbehave for less deeply conditioned reasons.

What do they need? -- Information and clarity of the task. But it will be even more critical in this situation to clarify each student's role. The student experiencing the problem needs to hear a clear and positive message: "I know you can do this, I expect you to do this, you are capable of doing this, so stop the game you are playing and contribute to your group."

What do we need as a result? -- To make sure that the group has all the resources that it needs, to send the message to the whole group that "you are going to have to make this work," and to send the message to the challenging student that they are going to get it done.

This student may have gotten used to either: 1) having a whole group and the teacher threaten and complain for the duration of the activity because of his or her actions; or 2) being removed from the group. They need to understand that neither of those things is going to happen today. The group may entreat you to make the students work on their own and/or send them away. They must accept that while they may not have caused the problem, they need to do their best to work with it. Once the other members recognize that you will not bail them out nor shame the student, their attention will shift from thinking like victims to taking responsibility. We send the message to the rest of the members of the group (and indirectly to the class) that this student is capable of making an important contribution to the group and being a top level cooperative group member, and we believe they will choose to do so.

It will be helpful to get close to the student presenting the problem and connect with them for a short while. What they expect is our buying into their role (e.g., inadequate, a clown, defiant, too cool, dizzy, incommunicado, beyond hope, or nothing to lose, etc.). We communicate that we see through this game to a student who really wants to feel competent and loved, and who really wants to take advantage of the work that is in front of them. It may be helpful to remind the student of instances in which they were able to do quality work or work cooperatively with others. This helps shift the locus of control to the student and empowers their choice at this moment.

This intervention should have a powerful effect but be ready for any eventuality. What happens when we come back to the group and it has not gotten better?

What do they need? Group members need our sensitivity to the fact that this student is making their job more difficult. We need to let them know they are not going to be penalized for the fact that the student was placed in their group and that they still must find ways to work with the student. The student needs to realize that what they have done violates the social contract and therefore they need to accept the consequence. If they can do better from this point on, the consequences will not get any more severe.

What do we need as a result? To be empathetic and tuned in to all the group members and get recognition that this is acknowledged by the group. To know that they have the tools to succeed, and are not just left to fail. To have the student acknowledge that they have made a choice to violate the social contract.

The message sent to any student who seems to be exhibiting a habit of problem behavior is: the class needs them to solve their problem, we will support them in their efforts, evidence of the solution needs to be apparent, and we believe that they can do it. In this student's case, we need to send the message that they will get better at being in groups, we will help them with the new skills they will need, and we are not going to be dealing with this problem in the long term. The appropriate consequence for violating their social contract agreement will depend on the contents of the contract that we have developed with our students. As we have discussed, avoid the use of punishments with this student; they will be especially counter-productive. Instead, have the student write a contract (see Ch. 14) for how they will behave in cooperative groups, and include things they will give up if they are not able to live up their agreement. It is common for those students who are comfortable in the role of "trouble maker" to exhibit an external locus of control and avoid responsibility. Behavioral contracts help students shift the locus of responsibility internally (Glasser, 1975).

Cooperative Learning is a strategy that has the potential to have a powerful transformative effect on a class. In fact, it may be impossible to achieve a significant level of community or a psychology of success without incorporating some form of collective effort. Among the cooperative learning strategies that will have the most transformative effects will be:

Imagine the thought process within a group after we have incorporated this strategy a few times. Most students now are looking for and recognizing high quality examples of good group effort. Likewise they are aware that others may recognize their efforts. Moreover, with each iteration of the process the students gain a greater number of concrete and personal examples of recognized behavior. Implementing the strategy provides the students with opportunities to compliment one another, which makes both complimenter and complimented feel good and builds community in the class. Imagine the transformative effects on the climate of the class when students are constantly attentive to opportunities to compliment their classmates and ways to "put each other up."

Much of the power and transformative influence of cooperative learning, when done effectively, is that it naturally creates a success psychology and has a "psychological movement" to it. Recall the three factors that form the foundation for a psychology of success (Chapter 7). As we examine cooperative learning in relation to how it relates to these factors, its potential becomes even more apparent.

Locus of control . In cooperative learning students have greater control over their learning outcomes. Often the end result is the creation or synthesis of something meaningful and original. Students are asked to make countless decisions of real consequence and as a result learn how to take greater responsibility for those decisions.

Acceptance and belonging . In cooperative learning students learn to work in teams to meet a goal. They come to recognize that they need one other in order to be fully successful. Groups who accomplish goals and overcome challenges together bond in a significant way.

Mastery orientation . In cooperative learning we can make the process itself is the primary goal and help students recognize that it is about what they put into the effort rather than simply what they bring to it. The structure of knowledge itself promotes a focus on what is possible rather than preoccupation with a fear of failure.

While creating an effective system for managing cooperative learning takes time and intention, the rewards are well worth the effort. Cooperative learning contexts provide benefits of which no other context is capable. In the next section we will explore how to deal with conflict and students who have more substantial behavioral problems than others. Conflict need not undermine our progress toward our transformative goals. Likewise, taking a constructive approach with more substantive problems allows us to maintain our overall vision for success without reverting to interventions that perpetuate power struggles and negative behavior patterns.

1. Which types of assessment formats do you find most personally motivational? What formats have you observed are the most effective in the classes that you have observed?

2. When you envision leading cooperative activities, do you feel more inclined to take a more teacher-centered or 2-Style approach with the students you will teach, or a more student-centered or 1-Style approach? Why were you drawn to that approach?

1. In small groups, brainstorm a list of the most common problems that teachers you have observed have when implementing cooperative learning strategies. What are some of the ideas that you would suggest to them to help them solve these problems?

2. In groups of three to five, develop a cooperative activity for a grade level and subject(s) of your choice, and later share your creation with the class.

Bandura, A. (1986). Social Foundations of Thought and Action. Cliffs, NJ.: Prentice-Hall.

Baumgartner, J (2008) A step-by-step guide to brainstorming. iSixSigma. Retrieved on 10/08/08 from http://www.isixsigma.com/tt/brainstorming/

Cohen, E.G. (1994) Designing groupwork: Strategies for heterogeneous classrooms. : Teachers College Press.

Gettinger, M. (1995) Best Practices for increasing academic learning time. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.) Best practices in school psychology - 3 (pp.943-954) Washington, DC: National Association of School Psychologists.

Glasser, W (1975) Reality Therapy: A New Approach to Psychiatry

Gunter, M.A., Estes, T.E., & Mintz, S.L. (2007) Instruction: A models approach. (5 th ed.) : Allyn & Bacon.

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. (1998). Cooperative learning and social interdependence theory. In R. Tindale, L. Heath, J. Edwards, E. Posavac, F. Bryant, Y. Suzrez-Balcazar, E. Henderson-King, & J. Myers (eds.), Theory and research on small groups (pp. 9-36). : Plenum. Social Psychological Applications To Social Issues, Volume 4.

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. (1999a). Learning together and alone: Cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning (4nd ed.). : Allyn & Bacon.

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. (1999b). Human relations: Valuing diversity. : Interaction Book Company.

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R., & Holubec, E. (1998). Cooperation in the classroom, (7 th ed.). : Interaction Book Company.

Lotan, R.A. (2006) Managing groupwork in the heterogeneous classroom. In C.M. Evertson & C.S. Weinstein, (Eds.) Handbook of classroom management. (pp. 525-540). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum Associates.

Shindler, John (2004) Greater than the Sum of the Parts? Examining the Soundness of Collaborative Exams in Teacher Education Courses. Innovative Higher Education. v. 29 n.1.

Slavin, R.E. (1994) Cooperative learning: Theory, research and practice. (2 nd ed.) : Allyn Bacon.

Slavin, R., Hurley, E.A., & Chamberlain, A. (2003) Cooperative Learning and achievement: Theory and research. In W. Reynolds & G. Miller (Eds.) Handbook of Psychology: Vol. 7. Educational Psychology (pp. 177-198) : John Wiley.

Watson, M., & Battistich, and sustaining caring communities. In C.M. Evertson & C.S. Weinstein, (Eds.) Handbook of classroom management. (pp. 253-279). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum Associates.

, Troper, J.D., & Fall, R. (1995) Constructive activity and learning in collaborative small groups. Journal of Educational Psychology, 87, 406-423.

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Chapter 12: Managing the Cooperative Classroom

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Chapter 12: Effectively Managing the Cooperative Classroom From Transformative Classroom Management. By John Shindler. ©2009 Designing an Effective Cooperative Learning Activity Assessment Options for Cooperative Activities Managing Cooperative Learning Effectively What to Do when Groups Cannot Function Successfully Transformative Ideas Related to Cooperative Learning "I try cooperative learning and it just turns into free-for-all social time."

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Este es un video sobre el "Personal Learning Environment".

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Estas son diez estrategias para el aprendizaje colaborativo.

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One of the primary issues with distance online learning is isolation. Although people can now opt for Cohort-based courses where they can learn collaboratively, it can still throw one down the 'Zoom Fatigue' spiral. Forget students, Zoom fatigue even got to the founder of Zoom, Eric Yuan. Students feel worn out from sitting in front of a computer screen for hours on end. As a result, their concentration levels dip, and learning suffers. This is where collaborative learning strategies prove useless by ensuring that students enjoy online learning and perform better.

The idea of learning together collaboratively was first popularized by the Soviet psychologist, Lev Vygotsky. His sociocultural theory of human learning describes learning as a social process and the origination of human intelligence in society or culture. This is further supported by various studies conducted over the years that emphasize the importance and effectiveness of collaborative learning as opposed to learning individually.

Keeping in mind the troubles of interactive online learning that course creators and instructors are now facing, I have put together this list of effective collaborative learning strategies.

Top Collaborative Learning Strategies for Improved Student Engagement

The Jigsaw Method

The primary idea behind the Jigsaw method is to break a large group (home group) of students into smaller groups (expert groups) and assign them a specific topic each. These groups are entrusted to learn and then teach others about their assigned topic. In this way, students get to learn different concepts in relatively less time and can retain the newly acquired information better.

The jigsaw method was first used by a professor of the University of Texas - Elliot Aronson - in 1971 to combat rising hostility among students after segregation. The technique was immensely successful and has been in use since.

Brainwriting

Source: Miro.com

It can be a challenge to get shy and introverted students to participate more in group activities. However, such students tend to perform better on online platforms where they can anonymously or individually share their thoughts. Brainwriting is such a technique by which instructors can make such learners more involved in group work. In this technique, instructors start a discussion thread on an online forum. They provide a topic or prompt under which students can share their views either openly or anonymously.

A great online tool for brainwriting is Miro. It is an online whiteboard platform that comes with various templates for brainwriting and other team projects as well.

Think-Pair-Share Technique

Source: Vanderbilt University

Think-pair-share is one of the most common collaborative learning strategies. In this, the instructor breaks students into pairs. Students are then given a topic which they discuss and analyze together and finally, share it with the rest of the class. Group-based or pair-based strategies work better with open-ended questions which allow greater intellectual freedom.

Break-out rooms

Source: Zoom

Breakout rooms are an effective online learning strategy. Just like in physical classrooms teachers would make students work in groups, Breakout rooms do just that but online. These smaller groups meet for scheduled sessions and brainstorm ideas. Not only is that an effective learning technique but it also fosters community building.

Zoom is a popular video-conferencing platform that comes with the breakout room feature. You can easily divide your audience into these breakout rooms during your live sessions. Similarly, there are other apps besides Zoom that also offer the breakout-room feature. For example, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Stixy, etc.

However, as an online teacher, it can be tough to switch between different platforms trying to manage your course i.e. hosting a lecture on one LMS and then moving to other platforms to utilize the collaborative learning features. For this purpose, opt for an LMS that covers all your needs. Teachfloor is one such platform that comes with Zoom integration. For the price of one app, you can access the features of many.

Peer Review

Teachfloor.com

In a purely academic sense, peer review is the process of assessing and verifying a document before its publication. However, in a more basic sense, peer review is an activity in which students review and provide feedback on the assignments of fellow students. The idea behind this is to strengthen students' evaluative skills and make them independent.

Keeping in mind the importance of collaborative learning, Teachfloor provides its users with a community space with a discussion forum, Q&A thread, and Peer Review feature. With this instructors can schedule students' assignments and peer reviews. The discussion forum will also keep a track of all the reviews and keep a record of them for later use.

Scaffolding

Source: University at Buffalo - Center for Educational Innovation (CEI).

Scaffolding is a teaching method that involves gradually sharing the instructor's assistance as students increase their understanding of a concept. Just like scaffolding provides structural support to buildings during construction, scaffolding in teaching provides instructional support to students to help with their intellectual development.

A good example of scaffolding is community guidelines. In this way, moderators set some basic rules that determine the course of discussion and interaction in a session. The process of scaffolding involves first determining how much the students know about the subject. Then by setting learning outcomes, the instructor decides the sort of instructional support or guidelines which are then drip-fed over the duration of the online course. Eventually, the intensity of the guidance is increased to scale up the learning of students.

Value Diversity

Diversity is crucial to any collaborative working or learning environment. Researches prove that diverse classrooms improve learning for everyone. This is because a diverse environment brings together people from various differing (often contradicting) backgrounds and encourages them to interact devoid of any prejudices or biases. When people are made to work in such spaces, it introduces people to a multiplicity of perspectives which they otherwise did not have access to. Moreover, by sharing and understanding others' opinions, people also come to respect others.

Therefore, as an online course instructor, it should be a primary focus during the student onboarding process that your class is diverse. Bear in mind that diversity is not tokenist. On the contrary, it is less about the number and more about inclusivity and mutual respect for everyone.

Provide Learning Scenarios

Learning scenarios are a useful way of breaking down complex concepts and making students think out of the box. Moreover, it is refreshing for students too. So often teachers use analogies and real-life examples to explain topics. By doing so, students can understand concepts in a simple language without feeling bored or confused.

Some other examples of learning scenarios are case studies and role-plays. These scenarios act as prompts for discussions that stimulate students' thinking and push them to dissect concepts in unique ways.

Socratic Seminar

As the name suggests, the Socratic method dates back to Socrates. The great Athenian philosopher used to engage in extensive intellectual dialogues with his disciples. They would sit circularly and go over a topic using a series of questions until they were able to deduce viable conclusions from their discussion.

Similarly, the Socratic seminar approach is used quite frequently in classrooms. As for online classes, this approach is only feasible for live cohort-based courses where students interact in real-time. Here the instructor introduces an idea by asking a thought-provoking question and then over the course of discussion acts as a devil's advocate stimulating further series of questions.

3-2-1 Technique

The 3-2-1 is a quick reflective activity that encourages students to reflect on a course experience and analyze the contents and identify problem areas. It provides an easy way for teachers to determine how well the students are picking up the learning materials. The technique follows three simple rules. Towards the end of the course ask your students the following questions in the sequence below:

1. Ask them to give 3 key ideas presented in the sesson.

2. Metion 2 examples that implement the idea.

3. State 1 unresolved point or question.

Students are then asked to share and go over these points with the rest of the class. For online classes, teachers can easily convert the activity into an online discussion board or even a quiz using Quizlet, where they can share their responses.

Conclusion

The rationale behind incorporating collaborative learning strategies during online learning is to help combat the feeling of weariness that often students complain of. Learning off a computer is already a tedious task and having to learn alone on top can be depressing too. Which in turn lowers student participation and learning. By including these strategies in your online courses, teachers can effectively make their students participate more in the classes and perform better overall. And not to forget, collaborative working prepares one for teamwork which is an essential skill for professional life.

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10 Collaborative Learning Strategies for Online Teachers - Teachfloor Blog

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One of the primary issues with distance online learning is isolation. Although people can now opt for Cohort-based courses where they can learn collaboratively, it can still throw one down the 'Zoom Fatigue' spiral. Forget students, Zoom fatigue even got to the founder of Zoom, Eric Yuan .

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Estas son actividades y estrategias para que nuestras clases sean centradas en los estudiantes.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Apps de apoyo para niños con problemas para leer

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Apps de apoyo para niños con problemas para leer

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If your child has reading issues and uses Chrome, there are several tools that can help. Check out these seven apps and extensions. (Extensions add functions to the Chrome browser.) These tools can be used on Chromebooks or on any device with a Chrome browser.

Price and availability may vary but were accurate as of September 17, 2018. Understood does not endorse or receive financial compensation for the sale of any of these products.

This Chrome extension can simplify words and phrases for readers who struggle with vocabulary. Kids can also highlight and organize text into an outline to help with reading comprehension.

Price: $3.99/month (free to try)

Read&Write for Google Chrome

Read&Write includes a bunch of tools to help kids with reading and writing. Its TTS offers several voices, plus dual-color highlighting. (This highlights both a sentence and individual words as they're read aloud.) Its OCR can read text from screenshots and images.

This Chrome extension has a text and picture dictionary to help with reading comprehension. It also lets kids highlight in different colors as they read, then compile highlighted notes in a document. Read&Write has a tool to simplify the text on a page, too. It collects just the important sentences to give a summary.

Price: $145/year (free to try; free for teachers)

SpeakIt is a simple TTS tool. Kids highlight text in Chrome, click a button, and listen as the words are read aloud. This extension can read in more than 50 languages. Kids can adjust the speaking pace and select from a few voices.

This audiobook reader opens directly from Chrome and lets kids read books from Learning Ally's library of 80,000 audiobooks. To use this app, your child must have a Learning Ally membership. Learning Ally is a nonprofit organization.

Price: $135/year for unlimited audiobooks

Scrible is a set of note-taking tools that let kids mark up and save information from web pages. It can help with reading and researching online.

Using a pop-up toolbar, kids can highlight text in several colors and add sticky notes. They can also underline, bold, strike through and italicize text. Kids can bookmark pages and save annotated pages to a Scrible account, which they can access whenever they use Chrome.

Price: $28/year (the basic version is free)

Read Mode removes visual clutter from web pages to make them easier to read. It eliminates ads and animations and converts web pages into simple black-on-white text articles.

Chrome has a few variations on Read Mode that your child may want to try. For instance, Reader View also converts pages into text, and lets kids change the font and font size. And with EasyReader, kids can select one section or part of page to view as reader-friendly text.

With Web Clipper, kids can save anything from the Internet to OneNote, Microsoft's note-taking platform. (Microsoft applications like OneNote and Word can be used in Chrome and other web browsers.) This allows kids to use Microsoft's Immersive Reader to read text aloud from web pages. They can also look up word definitions and control the spacing, color and size of text for easier reading.

About the Author

About the Author

Understood Team is made up of passionate writers and editors. Many of them have kids who learn and think differently.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Jules Csillag, MS is a licensed speech-language pathologist who has worked in a variety of settings throughout New York City.

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7 Chrome tools for kids with reading issues

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If your child has reading issues and uses Chrome, there are several tools that can help. Check out these seven apps and extensions. (Extensions add functions to the Chrome browser.) These tools can be used on Chromebooks or on any device with a Chrome browser.

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¿Qué es y cómo hacer nuestro propio PLE?

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Para los que continuamos en remote teaching 😓

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Para los que continuamos en remote teaching 😓

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3 steps to stop remote work burnout | The Way We Work, a TED series

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Esta aplicación es genial. ¡La recomiendo!