BENEFITS OF TEACHING SOCIAL SKILLS In the Context of Cooperative Learning

IN YOUR GROUPS Two articles (one print and one is linked on blackboard) ANSWER:  According to the articles, what are the benefits of teaching social skills to students during cooperative lessons? Do you feel this is important in HS and MS?

LINK TO MAJOR SKILLS REQUIRED IN THE WORLD OF WORK  Enhance employability, productivity and career success  Most important skills (especially for high paying jobs) Getting others to cooperate Leading others Coping with complex situations Helping solve people’s work-related problems

QUALITY OF LIFE  Everyone need good, close, intimate relationships in life  Employees who are dual-centric or family-centric exhibit significantly better mental health, greater satisfaction with their lives, and higher levels of job satisfaction than employees who are work-centric * (*Families and Work Institute and American Business Collaboration. (2002). National study of the changing workforce. New York: Families and Work Institute.)

PHYSICAL HEALTH  High-quality relationships are linked to longer lives and quicker recovery from illness and injury.

INCAPACITY FOR POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS LEADS TO:  Anxiety  Depression  Frustration  Alienation  Loneliness

PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH  Strongly influenced by positive and supportive relationships with others  Reduces psychological distress and increases autonomy, self-identity, and self-esteem

ABILITY TO COPE WITH STRESS  Decrease number and severity of stressful events and reduce anxiety.  Coping by the provision of caring, information, resources and feedback.

TYPES OF SKILLS:  Forming skills: The basic skills needed for a functioning, cooperative learning group (taking turns, using quiet voices, etc.)

TYPES OF SKILLS  Functioning skills: The skills needed to manage the group’s activities to complete a task and to maintain effective working relationships among members

TYPES OF SKILLS  Formulating skills: The skills needed to understand the material being studied at a deeper level, to stimulate the use of higher quality reasoning strategies, and to maximize mastery and retention

TYPES OF SKILLS  Fermenting skills: The skills needed to rethink the material being studied, manage cognitive conflict, search for more information, and communicate the rationale behind one's conclusion

OBSTACLES TO DEBRIEFING SOCIAL SKILLS IN A LESSON:  BIG piece when you are frequently working in a kitchen group!

NOT ENOUGH TIME. Debrief during the activity or send a checklist or questionnaire home that is reviewed the following day. Do a thumbs up, thumbs down, or arms crossed signal as you ask the class how they did on the skill(s) during the last 3-4 minutes of the class period.

DEBRIEFING IS VAGUE. Give specific questions to answer about the group. Identify key pieces of the activity or key “happenings” that must be spoken to in the evaluation. Assign a “student observer.”

STUDENTS UNINVOLVED. Include a written report with strengths and weaknesses. Require all members to complete a survey. Assign one student the debrief (rotate each time). All members sign the summary. Bonus points for a good debrief.

WRITTEN DEBRIEFS ARE INCOMPLETE. All members read and sign each one before turning in. Bonus points for completeness

POOR COLLABORATION DURING DEBRIEFING. Assign specific roles for debriefing. Observe another group and discuss.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  What is the importance of teaching Social skills in the FCS classroom? Is it worth the time?  From your observations and visits to FCS classrooms in MS and HS, do you feel students can benefit from being taught this piece of the PIGS Face (or PIES) strategy?  What are some specific ways you can incorporate this into your FCS classroom?