I recently worked with a teacher who decided that whole group instruction was not meeting the needs of her students. She decided to split her students in two groups, but was having trouble splitting herself between the two large groups. We discussed some cooperative strategies that might help her find a balance. Today I am sharing some of the resources I sent her following our discussion. I steered away from Web 2.0 collaborative tools (which was hard for me to do) and focused on providing links that described strategies. I hope you find the following information helpful and would certainly welcome additional strategy resources and links you are willing to share.

Collaborative learning is a method of teaching and learning in which students team together to explore a significant question or create a meaningful project.

Cooperative learning is a specific kind of collaborative learning. In cooperative learning, students work together in small groups on a structured activity. They are individually accountable for their work, and the work of the group as a whole is also assessed. Cooperative groups work face-to-face and learn to work as a team.”

To effectively implement collaborative and cooperative strategies in your classroom  the following environmental issues need to be in place:

• Students need to feel safe, but also challenged.
• Groups need to be small enough that everyone can contribute
• The task students work together on must be clearly defined.

To learn more about using Cooperative Learning techniques in your classroom I would strongly suggest the following resource:   Concept to Classroom:  Cooperative and Collaborative Learning Workshop .  You can work through the Free, self-pace workshop to determine how cooperative strategies can best be implemented in your classroom.

After you have explored the Concept to Classroom self-paced workshop you may find the following resources helpful as well:

• Implementing Small-Group Instruction: Insights from Successful Practitioners
• Cooperative Learning:  Seventeen Pros and Seventeen Cons + Ten Tips for Success - online article by Dr. Spencer Kagan
• Cooperative and Collaborative Learning Study Guides and Strategies – tips and strategies for  upper level students