Collaborative, Cooperative or Group Work. Please listen to my audio recording on the different types of groupings that teachers can place students in.
http://vocaroo.com/i/s0Tx2Qq1olSN
Fiona’s Self Directed Taxonomy
- Create a study area that is quiet and enclosed and place a sign on the door that says “Study in progress, Do not interrupt”.
- Timetable regular study sessions with a start and end time
- Create goals for each study session
- Create lists of task requirements and due dates
- Highlight important information in readings and file in folders
- Constantly reflect on previous learnings
- Take on constructive feedback
- Be willing to step outside my comfort zone
- Seek help from family, friends, colleagues, lecturers
- Back my own judgements
- Finally ‘Celebrate success ‘
Learning Spaces
The understanding of Learning Spaces is such an important concept for teachers as the impact upon student learning outcomes is huge. Please enjoy my presentation on ‘Learning Spaces’. The creation of this presentation has certainly been an experience as I experimented with a whole range of technology. I also discovered the frustration of the internet speed in rural Australia. Please take 13 minutes to work through the importance of ‘Learning Spaces’.
The Cooperative Learning Space
The ‘Cooperative Learning Space’ is still very much teacher centred as the teacher still controls most of what is going on in class. Dooley (2008) defines ‘Cooperative Learning’ as ‘a process meant to facilitate the accomplishment of a specific end product or goal through people working together in groups’. Kagan (1994) defines ‘Cooperative Learning ‘ as a carefully structured learning process so that each person is accountable for their part of the task and each person is assessed on their contribution’. In the ‘Cooperative Learning Space’ all students are full participants and teachers are responsible for structuring the learning so that they get the outcomes required. Students get immediate feedback from their peers.
Slavin (2010) states that ‘Cooperative Learning’ ‘involves having students work in small groups to help one another learn academic material’. It seems that ‘Cooperative Learning’ is more content driven. By having students work cooperatively on tasks research shows that ‘motivation to succeed leads directly to learning, and it also drives the behaviour and attitudes that foster group cohesion, which in turn facilitates the types of group interactions – peer modelling, equilibration and cognitive elaboration – that yield enhanced learning and academic achievement.’ (Slavin 2010).
Kagan (2010) states that research has shown that cooperative learning space promotes; student learning and academic achievement, increased student retention, enhanced student satisfaction, helps students develop skills in oral communication, develops students’ social skills, promotes student self-esteem and helps to promote positive race relations.
Kagan, Spencer,Cooperative Learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing, 1994.
http://www.kaganonline.com/
Dumont, H., D. Istance and F. Benavides(eds.) (2010), The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice, Educational Research and Innovation, OECD Publishing, Paris.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy2.acu.edu.au/10.1787/9789264086487-en
Group Learning Space
The ‘Group learning Space’ has been simply defined by Donoghue, on Your Voice, as ‘a time when the children are working either with a partner or in a small group on a task that would follow a lesson or a discussion. It could be an activity that students go off to work together on under the supervision of the teacher.’Donoghue sees the teachers role prior to the groupwork task as setting expectations and clear goals and outcomes and how students are expected to contribute. During group work the teacher’s role is to monitor the behaviour and participation of the group members and after the groupwork activity the teacher debriefs and asks for feedback from the students and looks for strategies to improve the next group work activity. The tasks that are set are more general and requires a collective response, there is no individual accountability from a group member. Groupwork if poorly implemented brings inherent problems such as extrovert personalities dominate, high achievers do all the work, time can be wasted if students rely on learning from each other and students can invariably be credited or discredited with receiving a grade that they should not have; due to their only being a group assessment.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdt-b4yMp-M&feature=youtu.be
Curriculum as a Learning Space
“The Australian Curriculum sets consistent national standards to improve learning outcomes for all young Australians. It sets out, through content descriptions and achievement standards, what students should be taught and achieve, as they progress through school. It is the base for future learning, growth and active participation in the Australian community.” (ACARA, 2015)
To me there appears to be three tiers in curriculum development and implementation. The Curriculum is far more than just a document:-
National Level:- The Australian Curriculum is the overarching set of guidelines that sets the broad content, achievement standards and the timeline.
School level:- We have a curriculum devised for each local school context and this is often documented as a scope and sequence chart
Classroom level:- Curriculum that takes place at the classroom level, which is often documented through a unit plan that contains the learning sequence and assessment.
This year my school has started developing and documenting the curriculum using the “Curriculum Development Using the Backward Design Method*. (*Wiggins and McTighe, 1998).
The ‘Curriculum’ Learning Space has been one in which staff have inhabited for long periods of time and I think it is a good example of the ‘Curriculum’ being a collaborative and cooperative learning space.
Our ‘Curriculum” learning space has been collaborative because our staff in groups have participated in group activities such as unpacking the Australian Curriculum and the curriculum design model; investigating pedagogy, higher order thinking strategies and skills and capabilities required in 21st century learners and researching our local context. These activities have been rich in discussion and have involved students, parents and the wider community.
Then we have moved into the ‘Cooperative’ learning space where we are working in small teams on a structured activity; and every teacher is individually accountable for their unit of work. The work of the whole team is then presented as a part of the overall school curriculum. Whilst individual teachers are constructing their unit of work the conversations and feedback between the team of teachers has been incredibly powerful. The learning has really been magnified.
The Curriculum Space being collaborative and cooperative is important as opposed to ‘Groupwork’ as it ensures that all participants are engaged and participating equally in the learning and are accountable individually.
It is important to enter the “Curriculum -collaborative and cooperative learning space” as a teacher as the opportunities for engagement and growth are exponential. Technology has also enabled our “Curriculum Learning Space’’ to significantly widen with ease of access to PLN’s, professional readings etc
The Aboriginal pedagogy framework ‘8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning’ offers us as educators an insight as to how our pedagogy and curriculum need to change in different settings. Our curriculum does need to be localised and community based. However it also needs to be responsive to change and to meet the challenges students face living in a global community in the 21st Century.
8ways. (2015). 8 Aboriginal ways of learning. Retrieved from http://8ways.wikispaces.com/
retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Classroom Design
Classroom Design
Found it interesting the way that research has informed classroom design in the 21st century. I also found that the research was really very much common sense to teachers, nothing totally new. We certainly have come a long way from the traditional teacher centred classroom with the rows of tables and chairs. Last year I went on a study tour to China and looked at quite a few schools there. All schools had student desks in rows and they reminded me of my school days, 40 years ago. It really resonated with me during this trip just how far Australia has moved in regards to classroom design. The Australian 21st century classroom is certainly more student centred and the availability today of such creative, colourful furniture ensures a more appealing, stimulating environment for our students. It was interesting that students surveyed in Read’s article found that “Circular and Spherical Design Elements’ were responses that were distinctive elements in their preferred classrooms. Many Primary Teachers are very lucky to be given the opportunity to design their own space. Modern furniture that is available now is of a circular or spherical design. In my class of Year 7 & 8, the most popular seating places are the high circular tables where students can sit on high stools or they can stand at the table. I find these tables are very popular particularly with the boys. I do think that it is important the students have significant ownership over their classroom. Having student work displayed within the classroom and having special “unit” based places ie a shop, spaceship etc creates an engaging environment. Allowing the students to have input into the planning, organisation and responsibility for cleaning of their classroom provides students with a sense of belonging and pride.
From excursion venue to community of practice
MAD Program
This term we have a Making a Difference (MAD) program happening at our school and I think that this falls into a very rich Community of Practice (CoP).
Initially our Year 7-10 students brainstormed and came up with a list of ’causes’ within our school and broader community that they would like to support.
Some of these groups were : School Environment (Gardening & Ag area), Sustainability, Music & Dance, Media & Community Involvement. Then the students & teachers selected the ’cause’ that they would like to MAD in.
Twice a week for 30 minutes students work in these groups and initially the students had to present their goals and their KIS (Key Improvement Strategies) to the Principal. Their is also a teacher in each group, however the group is essentially student driven. The group I work with are the School Environment group and we so far we have revamped the school chook house/yard and are now the proud owners of 12 hens, transplanted 100 rose cuttings from a very special ‘original’ school rose in the hope that they will be ready to sell at our school fete, currently germinating some vegetable and flower seeds and are also constructing vegie garden boxes so that each primary class has their own space in the school yard.
.In terms of CoP my thoughts are:
Domain:- The shared domain of interest is in utilising and expanding the current gardening and agricultural areas so that all students within the school can become engaged.
Community;- A group of 8 students (multi-age between Year 7-10) and a teacher
The Community:- All students & the teacher are sharing ideas, resources and experiences and are working together to achieve their goals. All students are very motivated and are enjoying working and learning together.
The MAD program is working amazingly well. In my group the level of interaction and learning has been sensational. The multi age groups work incredibly well and the students are loving the responsibility that they have. Students have been responsible for checking chooks, watering seeds and measuring and building planter boxes. The students have gained far more that their ag/gardening knowledge and skills. They have also learnt leadership, negotiating, responsibility and teamwork skills. Their financial skills have also been put to the test as they have a limited budget and need to make ‘ends meet’. Often at lunchtimes and recess students are working in their groups. The MAD program has greatly assisted those students who struggle socially as they have now gained ‘something’ enjoyable and ‘worthwhile’ to do if they choose, whilst on their lunchbreak.
Communities of Practice
Curriculum and Pedagogy:-
‘Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.’ (Wenger circa 2007)
Whilst the Australian Curriculum outlines domains and standards that teachers we must address and assess, it is the “Community of Practice’ that as teachers we facilitate, that enables the “points of contact, that allows for particular pieces of information to take on relevance” (McDermott 1999,) that is when the ‘deep’ learning occurs.
By facilitating an excursion to the local Fire Station or the Art Gallery; or by having an incursion such as a guest speaker or a visit to the school orchard; we are enabling that ’point of contact’, where the students can engage in conversation and collaborate and therefore relate their leaning experiences within the classroom to the ‘real’ world. The learning is deep and meaningful as it now has relevance to the students lives outside the classroom.
This also engages the students in the fact that learning is a process not a destination, it does not have a beginning or an end; it is a lifelong process.
Teachers and Students:-
As teachers we are facilitators and participants in these ‘Communities of Practice’ and must ensure that we are engaging our students by building on their interests in a collaborative way. Therefore we need to involve our students in actively planning and driving the curriculum.
In this 21st Century teachers have the responsibility to deliver explicit teaching and facilitate experiences and ensure rich learning experiences so our students learn and acquire the skills and competencies required for the age they will live in.
Students in the 21st Century will require:
- Cognitive skills: critical thinking, problem-solving and knowledge application, creativity
- Interpersonal skills: communication and collaboration, leadership, global and cross-cultural awareness
- Intrapersonal skills: self-direction, motivation, learning how to learn
(Vivien Stewart, 2015)
To ensure students acquire these necessary skills and competencies, it is important that students are engaged in a “Community of Practice”. However it will not just happen. Teachers must prepare their students and provide scaffolding to ensure the “Community of Practice” has all students actively participating to the full extent. There must be protocols and expectations established. The teachers use of pedagogy and the utilisation of the many different learning spaces are critical elements of establishing a successful “Community of Practice”.
Inspire Mrs M!! 