Revisions on Cooperative Learning

My educational style has evolved over the last three months of teaching nutrition in the Philadelphia school district. I have seen teachers who command the respect and attention of their students and I have seen teachers who's sole strategy for reigning in misbehaving students is to yell at the top of their lungs. As wide as the spectrum of teacher response is, its width is matched only by the limits of the singular failed curriculum. I truly believe the majority of the behavior problems teachers see in the classroom are a direct consequence of student boredom. Additional project based learning with real life application would work to reinforce the importance and relevance of class work, and give the students an aim to work toward. For instance, if a group of children wanted to work on refining their neighborhoods healthy food options, then a whole curriculum of interesting application comes into play. Such curriculum serves to engage students and once students are engaged they want to remain engaged. Now, it would be too simplified and ineffective to implement a discipline strategy that relies totally on an engaging curriculum. Instead, educators looking to solve behavior problems must also be aware of other needs not being met for misbehaving students. But, if nothing else, an engaging curriculum works to unmask the true motivator of student misbehavior. With a clear look at a child's motives, an educator can move to address the issue with resolve.

A great classroom management technique is using cooperative learning groups. By using student-led groups you enhance student control, initiative, and responsibility, thus, abdicating the burden of controlling the entire classroom for which an educator typically receives a great deal of resistance from students. What I have developed thusfar amounts to: grouping students together along with quick questions about compromise and team work at the onset of the activity, using time limits, and promises of prizes for groups that finish and present their work to the rest of the class, that's the extent of my cooperative learning group strategies.

What follows are suggestions for improved cooperative learning work:

Enforcing Equal Participation: So, often times a group will achieve a task without the participation of all the members of the group. While this might achieve the goal of learning more about a nutrition topic, without equal participation they might relate nutrition to the process of domination rather than democracy and equality. Working on the activity through equal participation ensures the kind of engagement that raises the probability of retention and interest in material. Domination within small groups by some group member raises the probability of resistance to the subject by the mere fact that they aren't enjoying the work.

Suggesting specific jobs for group members: This tactic eases the enforcement of equal participation. By suggesting jobs for specific group members you can raise the probability that each member will have some task to complete. More you increase the level of individual accountability because no one can resist work if they have a job to do and might face public attention. On the other hand, this kind of step can decrease the level of communication and team work as they split up the work and cease to work together.
Obviously this tactic requires special attention to implement effectively and sensitively. Perhaps suggesting jobs for individuals within the group and then a group job of putting everything together might accomplish the desired task of encouraging team work around nutrition.