My students need 8 sturdy tables to use in place of desks to help incorporate cooperative learning strategies which give students real-life problem solving strategies.
When students work together to solve problems, discuss ideas, or better understand literature, it gives them a sense of something bigger than themselves. It gives them confidence to speak out and to take chances, and it allows them to better understand others. This is what I hope my students learn.
Most of my students are hard-working kids who want to do well and to please others.
They come from a variety of backgrounds and socioeconomic levels. Some of my kids are well-off, and some live in very poor neighborhoods, including several transfer students who have come to us from other failing schools. Most of my kids were raised in English-speaking homes, but several come from homes where foreign languages are spoken primarily. We are the English as a Second Language school for our district. I teach two classes of special education students, most of whom have a disability in written language; they have difficulty putting into words the ideas they have in their minds. Our school is not known for it's sports or fine arts programs, but it is known for it's ability to help students who were previously unsuccessful in school become successful, for it's caring school culture and teachers, and for outstanding academic achievement.
My Project
Cooperative learning is a strategy that is not new to education, but one that is being approached in new ways. One if the initiatives in our school is to incorporate these strategies at every chance possible. They help encourage student-driven learning. The traditional classroom full of desks provides autonomy and encourages students to think for themselves, but autonomy is not always the best practice. The cooperative classroom, where students sit together at tables, allows students to work together to solve problems or to discuss literature at a deep level. They also have the opportunity to learn from their peers and to help their peers see different views on the given subjects. Once students are able to look at a "bigger picture" they can then better consider why they believe what they believe. Autonomy plays a role in the cooperative classroom, but before students move to that level, they are forced to think past themselves and to consider other options.
By moving to a cooperative classroom, students experience real-world problem solving strategies.
Not often are adults left alone to come up with the answers, but we are expected to consider the benefits and negatives of all the options, and we typically work with our colleagues to do so. A cooperative classroom provides students with that same opportunity. It teaches students to work together, to be contributors, and to be thinkers.
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