Cooperative Learning

Today we engaged our students using a cooperative learning lesson in the fourth grade classroom.  Each group of students took on a teacher to facilitate and  four roles to complete the work-load. The students had to create either a poem, an advertisement, a skit, or a song. The roles provided were recorder, time-keeper, manager, and speaker.

Ericka and I led the students in creating a skit about colonial times. The students were to create a conversation that would happen on their way home from school. Several ideas were provided by the students and we helped them narrow down their ideas into one sentence or thought to be read to the class.

It definitely helped that the teacher surveyed students to ask them which activity they would prefer to complete. We had no problems with a shy student that did not want to present a skit. This was one less thing to worry about and made putting the skit together much easier. In the future I would use this technique to give students options; I wouldn't want a student to feel forced into presenting a project that would embarrass them as this could effect their public speaking abilities long-term.