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Cooperative Work Groups

Preparing Students for the Real World

By: Scott M. Mandel

Prepare your students for the modern-day workplace by implementing cooperative work groups in the classroom!

Mandel outlines how educators can design meaningful learning experiences that will address standards and utilize modern-day cooperative learning, brain research, and the Internet to effectively develop a student's ability to thrive in the twenty-first century's workforce. Key features include:

Benefits of cooperative work groups and how students accomplish tasks in groups
Application of brain research in the classroom to maximize learning
Integration of technology into the curriculum, even when computer accessibility is extremely limited
Classroom-tested, ready-to-use unit plans
Modification strategies for learning disabled and English Language Learners
Reproducible forms, Multiple Intelligence assessments, group and individual assessment strategies, and grading rubrics
Numerous references and Web resources for further support, including the author's weekly updated Web site

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Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9780761938767
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2003
Page Count: 192
Publication date: June 11, 2003

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Description

Prepare your students for the modern-day workplace by implementing cooperative work groups in the classroom!

In today's political climate, where the value and success of the educational process is directly linked to publishable test scores, cooperative learning experiences have been either de-emphasized or ignored. This has created a learning environment diametrically opposite to the requirements of the real work world, leaving our students unprepared for the future challenges they will face.

Key features include:

Benefits of cooperative work groups and how students accomplish tasks in groups
Application of brain research in the classroom to maximize learning
Integration of technology into the curriculum, even when computer accessibility is extremely limited
Classroom-tested, ready-to-use unit plans
Modification strategies for learning disabled and English Language Learners
Reproducible forms, Multiple Intelligence assessments, group and individual assessment strategies, and grading rubrics
Numerous references and Web resources for further support, including the author's weekly updated Web site

The cooperative learning techniques put forth in Cooperative Work Groups are designed to emphasize the students' best learning styles and integrate the newest technology into their work, ensuring their success as individuals working together in groups on long-term projects in today's work society.

Key features

Will appeal to MI/Brain-Based learning devotees, cooperative/active learning devotees, and teachers who are increasingly under pressure to integrate technology into the curriculum.
Gives practical examples of cooperative work groups in action and contains actual lesson plans in Science, Math, English, and History that teachers can use immediately, and later use as models for future lessons.
Topic still gaining popularity - applicable in both K-12 and higher education.

Author(s)

Scott M. Mandel

Scott M. Mandel is a National Board-certified teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. He has worked as a teacher, administrator, and inservice leader for more than 25 years. The author of nine teacher education books, Mandel is also the founder and director of the Teachers Helping Teachers Web site. He received his PhD in curriculum and instruction from the University of Southern California.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction

Why Cooperative Work Groups?

The New Classroom Battle: What Today's Businesses Want Versus Traditional Teaching

Components of the Cooperative Work Group Concept

Cooperative Work Groups

The Scope of this Book

Part I: The Way Students Accomplish Tasks

1. An Advanced, Modern Form of Cooperative Learning

Putting Theory Into Practice: How Could They Make a Difference?

2. Group Formation

Putting Theory Into Practice: Mr. Washington's Cooperative Work Groups

3. Leadership

Putting Theory Into Practice: Distributing the Leaders

4. Materials

Putting Theory Into Practice: Collecting Curricular Material for Student Use

5. Teacher Role: Critical Thinking and Classroom Management

Critical Thinking: A Core Component of Student Work

Classroom Management

Putting Theory Into Practice: Planning for Higher-Order Thinking Skills and Dealing With Problems

6. Assessment

Putting Theory Into Practice: Assessing the Experience

A Final Note

Part II: The Way Students Learn Effectively and Efficiently

Putting Theory Into Practice: Why Do They All Have to Be So Different?

7. Brain Research: The Multiple Intelligences

A Quick Overview

Integrating the Multiple Intelligences Into the Classroom Curriculum

Classroom and Group Management Incorporating the Multiple Intelligences

Putting Theory Into Practice: Addressing the Students' Multiple Intelligences

8. Teacher Use of the Multiple Intelligences

Putting Theory Into Practice: Determining the Students' Multiple Intelligences

9. Integrating the Multiple Intelligences Into Cooperative Work Group Experiences

Looking at the Classroom Holistically

Using the Multiple Intelligences in the Presentation of Curricular Material

Using the Multiple Intelligences in the Creative Work of Students

Putting Theory Into Practice: Using the Multiple Intelligences in Group Formation

A Final Note

Part III: The Internet as the Ultimate Educational Resource Center

Putting Theory Into Practice: Using the Information Super-Curriculum

10. The Concept, Reality, and Cost of Digital Literacy

Digital Literacy in Today's Classroom

Establishing Student Access Within the School

Putting Theory Into Practice: Determining the Quality and Quantity of Internet Access

11. How to Locate Curricular Material on the Internet

Integrating the Internet Into the Curriculum

Search Engines and Directories

General Education Web Sites

Comprehensive Subject Matter Web Sites

Specialty Sites

Teacher Guest Books

Putting Theory Into Practice: Finding Internet Resources for Students

12. Integrating the Internet Into Cooperative Work Group Experiences

Determining the Best Use of Online Resources

Knowing When to Use, or Not Use, Technology

How to Integrate Online Material Even When There Is No School Access to the Internet

Parental Issues: Security Concerns and Public Relations

Putting Theory Into Practice: Dealing With the Last Issues

A Final Note

13. Summary

Part IV: Some Practical Examples of Teacher Unit Plans

Science: A Trip to the Rain Forest

Language Arts/History: The World of Zlata's Diary

History/The Arts: Ancient Egypt - The Afterlife

Math: Real Life With Fractions, Decimals, Ratios, Proportions and Percentages

Resource A: Index of URLs

Resource B: Student Multiple Intelligence Assessments

Resource C: An Example of an Internet Acceptable Use Policy Contract

Resource D: A Cooperative Work Group Lesson Plan Form

References

Index

Other Titles in: Teaching Methods & Learning Styles | Classroom Applications of Technology

Available As:

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.