Cooperative Group Work

In class today, we were assigned to a group.  There were four different groups and each group started off at a different station and rotated through four different stations throughout the class period.  This model of teaching was an effective way to have us working cooperatively with one another.  We were able to work independently on our own tasks, with the assistance from our peers readily available.  I found this a very effective teaching strategy because the tasks were often difficult and confusing.  Instead of the teacher having to address each student individually, students were able to go to their peers for help first, and then contact the teacher if their peers were unable to address their problems or concerns.  The activity types used within this class involved both individual and group work.  We were able to work through each station and seek assistance at our own leisure.  This strategy could be used in several different content areas.  For instance, if students were asked to research a topic and were required to use a variety of sources, teachers could have the students in groups, having each station a different type of source (eg. journal article, online article, book, etc.).  This is an efficient way to have students cover all forms of sources without too much chaos from all the students researching using the same source at the same time.  Teachers could take this a step further in other content areas by enforcing the jigsaw method.  Students rotate through the stations, but instead of every student covering every station, the group meets back and each member of the group shares what they have learned. 

A number of tools were used throughout this lesson - the SMART Board, microphones/headphones, a recording program, an audio soundtrack, SlideRocket, YouTube, Educational websites, and Twitter to name a few.  This variety would have created an information overload for the students if they were not given step-by-step instructions on how to use the tools properly and appropriately.  Although students were working individually on their own work, each group was working on the same relative task.  Therefore, cooperative group work was evident due to the fact that group members could work together to discover the ways they could complete the assigned task. 

Technological tools such as the ones used in class today can often be difficult to use if students are not familiar with the tool.  Even with guided instructions, it is not unusual for students to struggle.  Therefore, cooperative group work is an excellent way to heighten student learning through the use of technological tools.  With cooperative group work, students are spending less time trying to figure out how to use the tool, and more time learning with the assistance of the tool.  This is a common strategy for teachers to use when there are lab periods, or lessons that involve technological tools such as video recording devices and/or audio recording devices.  The students who are familiar with the tools can assist the other members within the group in order to complete the task in an efficient and effective way.

Today I learned that it is hard to incorporate a number of technological tools within one lesson without the students spending too much time figuring out how to use the tool.  Although I was able to use the tools properly, I was not able to grasp a great understanding of how to use each one since my time was limited with each station.  I also learned that it can become extremely chaotic if new tools are introduced to the students and there are few people readily available to assist the students with these tools.  In solving this issue, it would be wise for the teacher to ensure there is at least one student within each group who is confident with using technological tools.  In doing this, it takes some pressure off the teacher, as fewer students will likely be requesting for assistance at the same time.  Cooperative group work can often become loud and overwhelming when the students are conversing with one another.  It is important that the teacher continues to have control over the class and is able to get the entire class's attention at any point if needed.
Although this class was hectic at times, I found the technological tools to be very useful and the stations to be a very strategic form of instruction.