| Teachers learn a variety of different skills and | | | | together to achieve success and have a positive |
| strategies throughout their college education. Once | | | | learning experience. They all will participate equally so |
| employed, teachers hone their skills by finding out | | | | individuals aren't left out or stuck doing the majority |
| what really works in the classroom for them. Many | | | | of the work. In following through with these basic |
| teachers also further their education by attending | | | | principles, students can become successful learners |
| graduate school or other professional development | | | | and more involved in achieving certain life skills that |
| workshops and seminars. In so doing, teachers keep | | | | they can hold onto throughout their school years and |
| abreast of the most effective teaching strategies. | | | | careers. Teachers must rid themselves of the same |
| The most recent trend among teachers of all kinds is | | | | old group work routine and begin challenging their |
| Cooperative Learning. Cooperative Learning can mean | | | | students to be a part of the process so that |
| a lot of things to a lot of different people. | | | | everyone can benefit from the success of the class. |
| Cooperative Learning in its true meaning is probably | | | | Cooperative Learning is not the almighty solution to |
| occurring a fraction of the time that a teacher thinks | | | | the education of our students, but it provides a |
| it is in their classroom. | | | | framework ensuring that all of our students can be |
| Cooperative Learning in its true form has groups of | | | | the best they can be. This set-up not only allows for |
| students working together to achieve a common | | | | a positive learning environment where everyone is |
| goal or task. The problem is we usually end up with | | | | engaged, but it also closely mimics the "real world" |
| group work. Group work is drastically different from | | | | that our students will be thrown into. The majority of |
| Cooperative Learning. When group work is occurring, | | | | careers involve people working in teams to complete |
| students are usually bored, unmotivated and not | | | | a common task. Our children must learn the value of |
| actually cooperating much at all. One student may do | | | | cooperating with each other to be effective |
| all the work and give the answers to the other | | | | throughout the course of their lives. |
| members of his/her group. Other times, each student | | | | The educational process may seem stagnant over |
| may do a few questions each and then give the | | | | time, but it should never remain still. Educators need |
| answers to everyone else in their group. The bottom | | | | to continue to further the variety of strategies that |
| line is, group work does not allow all students to gain | | | | they use in the classroom throughout the course of |
| as much as they can from the lesson. It is an | | | | their teaching careers. Ironically enough, teachers hold |
| unstructured learning experience where some | | | | the key. Spreading the word of what works and |
| students did a lot of the work and others did very | | | | what does not is achieved by educators sharing |
| little or none. Because of the lack of structure many | | | | ideas. Whether it be veteran teachers or first year |
| students also feel left out. | | | | teachers, everyone must help out in a collegial setting |
| In true Cooperative Learning, students are given a | | | | to accomplish a common goal: Education of our youth |
| structured task where everyone is involved and | | | | by the best means possible. |
| individual accountability is built in. Students are working | | | | |