Two last groups

The last February 19, exposed two groups more: “Futupasta” and my group “Escuela de Bocación”.

As the others team have talked a lot about the topics of the beginning (introduction, student’s distribution, roles, two techniques…) those two last groups explained another things, so we learnt some interesting things about the Cooperative Learning, for example:

•     TAI.

In this technique there is no competition. It combines cooperative learning and individually-paced instruction.

Every member of the groups receives an exercise that in specific for him/her because is personalized on its characteristics and needs.

Moreover, is necessary to respect the pupil progress and help each other.

•     Group investigation.

This technique is similar to the jigsaw.

1.       First, the students choose the topic that they want and then the groups where they want to be (this could affect to the heterogeneity of the class, but the teacher has to respect the decision)

2.       The team and the teacher plan the objectives and the steps that they are going to use to get the objectives.

3.       Develop of the plan.

4.       The students analyze and make a resume of the information and then, they explain to rest of the class.

5.       After they have exposed, teacher and the rest of the class can make questions to the group.

6.       Finally, the teacher and the students make together an evaluation.

This allows that each member can participate and develop one for what is best prepared.

·         Teams-tournament.

At the beginning we thought that this was something like a competition because in the notes was written that, but the teacher explained us that it is totally different. 

o   It is not personal or individually. 

o   It is not about the team that more points has, it is about some awards (like the Oscars) for example, the team that has the best answer; the one who has answered faster; the one who says more answers and so on. 

I like that the teacher explained this well because in the other way it seems like a competition and it hasn’t sense, because in the Cooperative Learning it is about to help each other, not make a competition as in the traditional learning. 

Other interesting things that I learned were:

•       Multiples intelligences.

This is very important because as future teacher we have to understand that all our students are smart, but not everyone has the same type of intelligence. For example, we could have a student that is good at math but so bad at science or someone who is good at music, but is not able to have an intrapersonal relationship.

There are many types of intelligences:

o   Verbal-linguistic Intelligence.

o   Logical-mathematical Intelligence.

o   Musical Intelligence.

o   Bodily Intelligence.

o   Intrapersonal Intelligence.

o   Interpersonal Intelligence.

o   Naturalist Intelligence.

o   Spacial Intelligence.

There are many tests that the teacher can use to know which of these intelligences has each student.

The most important is to understand that every student has a different type of intelligence and in Cooperative groups they can help and they can learn of each others.  

•   The teacher.

Is very important that we know that the teacher is going to be the scaffolding to their students.  He will be always supporting them, teaching them some strategies to work in group, promoting their own cognitive and their learning, and finally the scaffolding will disappear because the pupils will know how to act without their teacher’s help.

•      The student.

The student has some difficulties until get to the objective.

1.       He is conscious but clumsy use of the skill.

2.       He could feels falseness when he is using the skill.

3.       Proper use of the skill but still mechanical.

4.       Finally, he would be able to make an automatic and proper use of the skill.

We can compare this with when we started to read or write. At the beginning is too difficult but through the time goes by, we improve the skills until we learn how to be autonomous.