1. Group Work vs. Cooperative Learning
Teacher A
Traditional
Teacher B
Group Work
Teacher C
Cooperative Learning
Same: number of students, demographic make-up, lesson 
Rows and columns all day
Teacher gives a task
Teacher provides think time
Students raise hands
Teacher calls on one student
One student answers
Teacher responds
Teacher gives a task
Teacher says:
“Work together.”
“Help each other.”
Unstructured interaction
Teacher gives a task
Teacher provides think time
Student-to-student structured interaction
REWARDS
Cooperative learning – students are rewarded while they are completing the problem or coming up with ideas. Process-Based Rewards.
Frequent Reinforcement. Frequent corrections!
FEEDBACK
Cooperative learning allows for frequent corrections.
Traditional Classroom – students turn in worksheet and receive corrections the next day at the earliest.
In the traditional classroom, it is common for the same subset of students to raise their hand. Resulting the in the same subset of students receiving praise. Often times, these students are the ones that need praising the least.
The teacher should be the least active participant in the classroom.

2. 4 Basic Principles - PIES
Positive Interdependence I
Individual Accountability E
Equal Participation S
Simultaneous Interaction
1. Are students on the same side?
2. Does the task require working together?
3. Is individual, public performance required?
4. Is participation approximately equal?
Positive Interdependence – task must be structured so no one of us can do it alone, but we can do it by working together. “Your knowledge and contributions benefit us all.” We sink or swim together.
Individual Accountability – Students work together as a team, but ultimately every individual student is responsible for his or her own performance. We try harder when we know someone will hold us responsible by evaluating our performance. Public accountability – if you are having a test that will be graded by you and the results will not be shared, how hard will you study?
Equal Participation – 1. taking turns 2. time allocation 3. think and write time 4. rules 5. individual accountability 6. roles
Simultaneous interaction - saves time, feedback, rewards… Compare to traditional classroom.
Discuss how these elements are easily missed during “group work”
5. What percent of students are overtly interacting at once?

3. Forming Teams Teams of Four Allow Pair Work.
Teams of Four Avoid Odd Man Out.
Teams of Four Optimize Cognitive and Linguistic Mismatch.
Teams of Four Increase Variety.
Pair work maximizes simultaneous interaction.
A triad often results in a pair and an outsider.
Research indicates that we learn well from someone only somewhat different from our own level of development. Groups of four provide six lines of communication.
The flexible arrangements within a team of four create variety, which enhances interest.

4. High student should always be across from the low student.
Forming Teams
High
High Medium
Shoulder Partners
Low Medium
Low
Show the six lines of communication.
Discuss the planning time required for labeling students H, MH, ML, L.
Consider: ability, high-stakes testing data, work ethic, ethnicity, gender
Avoid high and low student working together by placing them across from each other.
Face Partners
High student should always be across from the low student.

5. Quiz-Quiz-Trade
Students quiz a partner, get quizzed by a partner, and then trade cards to repeat the process with a new partner.
Setup: The teacher prepares a set of question cards for the class, or each student creates a question card.
The teacher tells students to “Stand up, put a hand up, and pair up.”
Partner A quizzes B.
Partner B answers.
Partner A praises or coaches.
Partner switch roles.
Partners trade cards and thank each other.
Repeat steps 1-6 a number of times.
Management tips:
Teacher make cards
If students make cards, check them.
No groups of three. Patience
Allow students to work out problems/look up answers
Watch 4 lone ranger
Watch 4 “me and my shadow”
Differentiation tips:
Different cards for different levels – colored.
Example: Internet safety cards in folder pockets. Yellow.
Classbuilder – Find someone who… blue

6. Simultaneous Rally Table
Rally Variations
Rally Robin
Teacher poses a problem to which there are multiple responses or solutions, and provides think time.
Students take turns stating responses or solutions.
Rally Table
The teacher provides a task to which there are multiple responses, and provides think time.
Students take turns passing a paper and pencil, each writing one answer or making a contribution.
Rally Coach
Partners take turns, one solving a problem while the other coaches.
Each pair needs one set of high-consensus problems and one pencil.
Partner A solves the first problem.
2. Partner B watches and listens, checks, coaches if necessary.
3. Partner B solves the next problem.
4. Partner A watches and listens, checks, coaches if necessary, and praises.
5. Partners repeat taking turns solving successive problems.
Simultaneous Rally Table
Teacher provides a task to which there are multiple responses, and provides think time.
Each student has their own paper and pencil.
Students respond on their own paper and switch papers after each round.
Two Students
Look at examples of Rally Coach. Pink.
Rally Coach Management Tips
1. Use only one sheet of paper and pencil to ensure that the partner who coaches,
focuses on coaching.
2. A sheet defining the roles of each partner may be helpful when first using this
strategy with students.
3. Model good coaching for the students, including the difference between coaching
and giving the answer.
4. Shoulder partners work better than face partners, making it easier for both
students to view the paper.

7. Round Table Variations
Single Round Table
The teacher provides a task to which there are multiple possible responses, and provides think time.
Each table has one paper.
Each teammate gets one turn to contribute.
Continuous Round Table
Students take turns passing a paper and pencil, each writing one answer or making a contribution.
Simultaneous Round Table
Each team of four needs four papers and four pencils.
The teacher assigns a topic or question and provides think time.
All four students respond, simultaneously.
The teacher signals time and students pass their papers one person clockwise.
Students continue, adding to what was already contributed.
Continue, starting at Step 3.
Round Table Consensus
Students must reach a consensus before recording each answer.
Simultaneous Round Table
Management tips:
Label each paper a-d
Have students check work of the previous student before beginning their own.
Students write in different colors.
Students initial their work
Students initial previous students work to show they checked.

8. Numbered Heads Together
Teammates put their “heads together” to reach consensus on the team’s answer. Everyone keeps on their toes because their number may be called to share the team’s answer.
Setup: Teacher prepares questions or problems to ask teams.
Students number off.
Teacher poses a problem and gives think time.
Students privately write their answers.
Students stand up and “put their heads together,” showing answers, discussing, and teaching each other.
Students sit down when everyone knows the answer or has something to share.
Teacher calls a number. Students with that number answer simultaneously.
Pencils down during think time
Belly work
Students answer simultaneously with whiteboards.

9. Timed Pair Share
In pairs, students share with a partner for a predetermined time while the partner listens. Then partners switch roles.
The teacher announces a topic, states how long each student will share, and provides more think time.
In pairs, Partner A shares; Partner B listens.
Partner B responds with a positive gambit.
Partners switch roles.
Use timer

10. Think-Write-RoundRobin
The teacher poses a problem to which there are multiple possible responses or solution, and provides think time.
Students independently write their response on their own paper or whiteboard.
Students take turns stating responses.
Handout in folder pocket.
Pencils down