What Is A Jigsaw?
The jigsaw method could be described as "info gap squared." As the father of jigsaws, Professor Eliot Aron says, it promotes positive interdependence and also provides a simple method to ensure individual accountability. From the language learner perspective, it creates a genuine communication situation. Watch this video to get a 3 minute explanation of the method: Watch this 9 minute video to learn how to use the jigsaw most successfully and how to make your own jigsaws: In the jigsaw form of instruction, the target material is divided, usually into four parts, and distributed to small groups to learn.
The Collaborative Classroom
M.B. Tinzmann, B.F. Jones, T.F. Fennimore, J.
Crafting Questions That Drive Projects
Which comes first, the driving question or the learning goals? I think it depends. The most successful projects feed off of students’ passions.
Resources - IASCE - Cooperative Learning
Manchester, England 2002 Conference Presentations and Papers. Conference theme: Cooperative Learning and Responsible Citizenship in the 21st Century Plenary presentations: Other Organizations IAIE: International Association for Intercultural Education Co-sponsors of the 2008 Torino, Italy Conference. IASCE had a CL strand at the IAIE conferences in Athens (2009), in Mexico (2012), and in Budapest (2016). The United Kingdom Co-operative College Co-sponsors of the 2002 Manchester Conference.
edutopia
Establish Group Agreements Deciding on group norms, or agreements, right from the get-go will give each student a voice and provide accountability for all. Although Thinking Collaborative’s “Seven Norms of Collaboration” (pdf) are designed to be used with adult groups, you can use them to inspire age-appropriate norms. Children (depending on the age) might come up with things like “one person talks at a time,” “respect each other and all ideas,” and “no put downs.” A poster of the shared agreements can be displayed and when necessary, called attention to when a student or group needs a reminder. Accountability is an important factor in group working agreements.
Driving Questions
Now that we have looked at how to ask questions, let's look at why we ask questions. What is our objective? The kind of question we ask our students changes depending on how far along we have progressed in a project and on the mastery level of our students. As students proceed through a project, we can identify two levels of progression: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal progression enhances the breadth of student knowledge and occurs as students work through different stages of a project. Vertical progression enhances the depth of student knowledge and occurs as students gain mastery of each topic.
NSTA News
Even though much has been written about cooperative learning in recent years, busy high school teachers contending with heavy curricular and teaching demands might not know much about the instructional method. Equipped with only a partial understanding of cooperative learning, some teachers may view it as a series of forced artificial constructs while others may view it as simply separating students into groups for an activity. Cooperative learning definition Cooperative learning is an instructional method in which students work in small groups to accomplish a common learning goal under the guidance of a teacher. The method is characterized by the following features, which are distinct from other forms of group work:
How to use real problems to spark real engagement
What better way to link the classroom to real life than by giving students problems that actually need fixing? With problem-based learning, students start with a question worth probing and end with a solution that can often provide tangible results. By putting students in the “driver’s seat” of their own learning, education becomes “more relevant and purposeful,” says problem-based learning author and advocate Suzie Boss in her book, Real-World Projects: How do I design relevant and engaging learning experiences? Here are three tips to help your students get the most from their problem-based learning experience: 1.
Project Based Learning - Zulama
In Project Based Learning (PBL), students conduct an extended process of inquiry in response to a complex question, problem, or challenge. The Zulama projects allow for student “voice and choice,” yet are carefully planned, managed, and assessed to help students: Learn important academic contentPractice 21st Century Skills such as collaboration, communication & critical thinkingCreate high-quality, authentic products & presentations Zulama project based learning:
The Construction Zone
Skip to content The Construction Zone Occasional thoughts about education and 'who is in charge of the learning'
26 Sentence Stems For Higher-Level Discussion In The Classroom
26 Sentence Stems For Higher-Level Conversation In The Classroom by Terry Heick Meaningful conversation can make learning more personal, immediate, and emotional.
Project-Based Learning (PBL) Activities
Click on the links below to find lesson plans tied to the Common Core and STEM, all centered around classroom self-watering bucket container gardens. Each lesson plan is organized by grade level, but is also geared towards learners of specific developmental levels according to Piagetian scales to aid in adapting the curriculum to learners with developmental delays. Project Lesson Plans:
5 useful ways to kick-start student collaboration in the classroom
My five-year-old son has become obsessed with Bill Nye (you know, the science guy). We borrow the well-worn DVDs from the library and watch them over and over again. On his Twitter page, Bill Nye states, “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.” It’s true – and part of the reason that I think student collaboration is so important. Enabling students to work together and learn from each other recognizes that teachers don’t have all the answers – because no individual does.
