Today I discovered that cooperative learning groups is NOT the best method of instruction for a general Algebra 1 class at my high school. In my education classes at college we learned about cooperative learning groups and even practiced them ourselves as students. I found cooperative learning very enjoyable and a nice change of pace. So I thought today I would give my students that same experience. After all, the material was supposed to be review anyways.
The learning target of the day was to represent data using different visual displays (aka graphs/charts). I divided students into groups of 3 and 4. In each group they were to create a poster about the visual display assigned to them--bar graph, histogram, line graph, circle graph, stem and leaf plot, and box-and-whisker plot. They were supposed to use the textbook to gather the information they needed for their poster. The poster was to have the name of the data display, an example of the data display, and the steps for creating the data display from the data given. On my lesson plan form, this looked like a great idea, but it was a failure.
It took fifteen minutes just to get students into groups, give directions, and pass out supplies. Each group had a poster maker, research specialist, and speakers to present. Half my groups got no further than the name of the data display. Many groups could not explain to me how to make the data display. I had students putting their heads on their desk not participating. I had students refusing to help and calling the students who were working bad names. I had pens being taken apart spilling ink all over desks. I had students hitting one another with books. . . *sigh* I tried to take preventative measures to all this. I made sure every student had an assigned task. I told them they were relying on each other to learn the material. I walked around monitoring group work and behavior.
Honestly, I'm not sure cooperative learning groups is worth the effort. If I do cooperative learning again I will make sure a) students are not creating something b) students are not teaching each other the material c) the desks are in organized, defined groups prior to class d) there is enough time to complete the task. Maybe later in the school year when students have become use to the way my class functions we can begin to move towards cooperative learning groups. As of now, any group work will probably be related only to review games. If I was teaching Pre-Calculus or Calculus there is a different breed of student which would probably be able to handle cooperative learning groups, but in Algebra 1 it caused more damage than help.
From the other side of the desk . . . week #4
The learning target of the day was to represent data using different visual displays (aka graphs/charts). I divided students into groups of 3 and 4. In each group they were to create a poster about the visual display assigned to them--bar graph, histogram, line graph, circle graph, stem and leaf plot, and box-and-whisker plot. They were supposed to use the textbook to gather the information they needed for their poster. The poster was to have the name of the data display, an example of the data display, and the steps for creating the data display from the data given. On my lesson plan form, this looked like a great idea, but it was a failure.
It took fifteen minutes just to get students into groups, give directions, and pass out supplies. Each group had a poster maker, research specialist, and speakers to present. Half my groups got no further than the name of the data display. Many groups could not explain to me how to make the data display. I had students putting their heads on their desk not participating. I had students refusing to help and calling the students who were working bad names. I had pens being taken apart spilling ink all over desks. I had students hitting one another with books. . . *sigh* I tried to take preventative measures to all this. I made sure every student had an assigned task. I told them they were relying on each other to learn the material. I walked around monitoring group work and behavior.
Honestly, I'm not sure cooperative learning groups is worth the effort. If I do cooperative learning again I will make sure a) students are not creating something b) students are not teaching each other the material c) the desks are in organized, defined groups prior to class d) there is enough time to complete the task. Maybe later in the school year when students have become use to the way my class functions we can begin to move towards cooperative learning groups. As of now, any group work will probably be related only to review games. If I was teaching Pre-Calculus or Calculus there is a different breed of student which would probably be able to handle cooperative learning groups, but in Algebra 1 it caused more damage than help.
From the other side of the desk . . . week #4
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