Collaboration for Student Empowerment

WICR Collaborative groups and cooperative learning refer to a variety of structured classroom management techniques and grading systems. Objectives What is the difference between cooperative and collaborative learning? How do we get the most out of the C in WICR? 2

Ten Things in Common Stand and find 4-5 people to group with Determine ten things you have in common with everyone else in the group that has nothing to do with your careers No body parts as we all have legs, arms, etc. No clothing as we all wear shoes, etc. A reporter will read your findings to the whole room You have 5 minutes Team Building Icebreaker Steps Divide the meeting participants into groups of four or five people by having them number off. (You do this because people generally begin a meeting by sitting with the people they already know best.) Tell the newly formed groups that their assignment is to find ten things they have in common, with every other person in the group, that have nothing to do with work. (I tell people no body parts (we all have legs; we all have arms) and no clothing (we all wear shoes, we all wear pants). This helps the group explore shared interests more broadly. Tell the groups that one person must take notes and be ready to read their list to the whole group upon completion of the assignment. Ask for a volunteer to read their whole list of things in common first. Then, ask each group to share their whole list with the whole group. Because people are your best source for laughter and fun, the reading of the lists always generates a lot of laughter and discussion. You can also catch the drift of the conversation in the small groups based on the transitions made from item to item. This team building icebreaker takes 10 – 15 minutes, depending on the number of groups. To keep the activity to ten minutes, after seven minutes of brainstorming together, I usually tell the groups that the lists they have created are perfect, no matter how many items they have, and debrief. 3

How did you work together? C R Who had control of this task? Was there a specific end product or goal? What was the first step you took in this task? Did you focus on the product assigned or on the process of working together? 4

Cooperative Learning Cooperative learning focuses on students working together in groups to accomplish a specific end product or goal. The teacher asks a specific question. The teacher provides all materials needed for the students to read and analyze. The students will report out as a group. The teacher may use specific structures such as Jig-Saw strategies to help facilitate the group interactions. The teacher maintains control of the process a each stage of the group work. Handout Pg 2 5

Collaboration Collaboration is when individuals are: Responsible for their actions Responsible for their learning Respectful of the abilities and contributions of others Collaborative groups assume almost total responsibility for answering the question. Students determine: If they have enough information to answer the question Resources needed to find missing information How the work will be distributed What order to do the work in Handout Pg 2 6

collaborate or cooperate W I C R Did you collaborate or cooperate when you produced your list of ten things in common? 7

Collaborative and Cooperative Groups . . . Both techniques help students consistently learn better than students in traditionally structured classrooms. Cooperative learning has many psychological and social benefits such as: Hearing others points-of-view Learning how to cooperate with others Creating positive feelings about school, themselves, and others Creating a desire for others to do well 8

Cooperative groups have to be created before students can collaborate. Getting started . . . Cooperative groups have to be created before students can collaborate. Students need to learn how to: Listen to other students Analyze and interpret what they are saying Encourage others in the group to participate Ask questions Manage dominant personalities Monitor and modify the group dynamic 7. Communicate effectively Handout Pg 2 9

Cooperative Strategies Fishbowl Pairs Check Pairs Check II Teams Check Jig-Saw Think-Pair-Share Think-Pair-Square Word Webbing Team Product Blackboard Share Roving Reporter Two-Box or Two-Column Induction Handout Pgs 3-5 10

Collaboration Collaborative groups assume almost total responsibility for answering the question. Means of assessment can be negotiated by each group with the teacher for their specific assignment. Knowledge is discovered by students and transformed into concepts students can relate to. It is then expanded through new learning experiences. It requires active participation by the student versus passive acceptance of information presented. Collaborative learning shifts the responsibility of learning away from the teacher as expert to the student, and perhaps teacher, as learner. Handout Pg 2 11

Bottom Line Cooperative Collaborative Stresses the product of work Authority remains with the teacher Deals with traditional knowledge (Level 1 and 2) Frees students to become involved; however, group still produces a “right” or acceptable answer Focuses on the process of working together Transfers authority to the group Deals with possible applications (Level 3) Empowers students to guide their own thinking, braving all the risks of empowerment Handout Pg 6 12

Questions to ask Cooperative perspective Collaborative perspective How do we teach social skills? How can we develop self- esteem, responsibility, and respect for others? How does social status effect learning in small groups? How do you promote problem solving and manage conflict? Are extrinsic or intrinsic rewards more effective? How do we teach students to take on various roles? What is the purpose of the activity? What is the importance of talk in learning? To what extent is getting off-topic a valuable learning experience? How can we empower students to become autonomous learners? What is the difference between using language to learn and learning to use language? How do we ask only real questions rather than those for which we already know the answers? Handout Pg 2 13

Step 5: Continue doing this until I say stop. Swap Talk Handout Pg 5 Step 1: On a post-it note, write down your name, where you work and what you teach. Step 3: Swap post-it notes, thank your partner, put your hand up, and find a new partner. Step 2: Stand up, Hand up, Pair Up… Once you find your partner, share your information with your partner. Step 4: With your new partner, share your new post-it note with your new partner, pointing out the person that the information is about. Step 5: Continue doing this until I say stop. 14

Pairs Pair One: Stay with your partner and each of you put a hand up. Three: Pairs pair to form a groups of four and then put your hands down. Two: Now, keep your hands up until you pair up with another pair Four: Take your group of four and find a table to work together for our cooperative and collaborative work. Handout Pg 5 15

Cooperative Groups Handout Pg 5 Team Interview You will be given one minute for your new team members to ask questions about you as a teacher. (The questions cannot be confrontational.) Ex: How long have you been teaching? Where did you go to college? What is your favorite thing about teaching? When did you decide to be a teacher? Remember: Cooperative groups … 1. Listen to other students 2. Analyze and interpret what they are saying 3. Encourage others in the group to participate 4. Ask questions 5. Manage dominant personalities 6. Monitor and modify the group dynamic 7. Communicate effectively 16 Another version of the interview is in the ELL book, page 29 called “Three Step Interview.”

Cooperative Assignment Create a One-Pager that would guide college students to consider teaching as a career using your interview information and the following articles in your handout: Top 10 Reasons to Become a Teacher Why Become a Teacher Handout Pg 7 17

Assessment 25 minutes to complete your work Handout Pg 7 25 minutes to complete your work Designate a reporter to share your One- Pager. 18 See ELL book, page 130-131

Moving from cooperative to collaborative groups… Stresses the product of work Authority remains with the teacher Deals with traditional knowledge (Level 1 and 2) Frees students to become involved; however, group still produces a “right” or acceptable answer Focuses on the process of working together Transfers authority to the group Deals with possible applications (Level 3) Empowers students to guide their own thinking, braving all the risks of empowerment Handout Pg 6 19

Let’s Reflect Create a T-Chart to analyze the following: What did we do in our cooperative group? How could we make this a collaborative group? 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 20

Re-write the assignment question Only constraint: Time = 20 minutes Collaborative assignment 21

Summary It is essential to begin the school year with activities designed to target interaction skills and team building within the class. Listening skills Analyze and interpret what they hear How to work as a group with equal participation 22

Once students understand that each member’s individual work has a direct effect on the group’s success… W I C R Think-Pair-Share: Students consider a question individually, discuss their ideas with another student to form a consensus answer, and then share their results with the entire class. Jig-Saw: Students become “experts” on a concept and are responsible for teaching it to the other group members to develop focus and product for group. Socratic Seminars: Students bring their ideas from a Socratic Seminar to develop the focus and product for the collaborative project. Gallery Walks/Carousel: Using these strategies for students to brain storm and gather information, students bring their ideas to develop focus and product for the collaborative project. Handout Pgs 3-4 23

12 Tips for Successful Work Teams 1. The team has clear expectations of their performance and outcomes 2. The team understands the benefits of working together 3. The team is committed to work together 4. The team values each others ability to contribute Handout Pg 8 24

12 Tips for Successful Work Teams 5. The team defines its work and outcomes 6. The team has the “power” or ownership to accomplish its mission 7. The team understands how to work as a group 8. The team communicates clearly and honestly with each other Handout Pg 8 25

12 Tips for Successful Work Teams 9. Each team member accepts responsibility and accountability for achievements 10. The teacher values creativity and innovation from collaborative groups 11. Teams have access to resources determined necessary for the tasks 12. Successful collaboration is celebrated and encouraged Handout Pg 8 26

In true Collaborative Learning Students use INQUIRY and COLLABORATION, moving from dependent to independent learners. They realize that they are in charge of their own learning., And… They just might teach the teacher something new. 27

Collaboration for Student Empowerment Name Address Phone (000) 000-0000 name@avidcenter.org www.avidonline.org