Cooperative Learning

         Cooperative learning is learning together in groups. I think cooperative learning can be a great approach to teaching many topics and kids have fun interacting with each other too!
          Instantly after reading about cooperative learning I thought of my mentors classroom at Diamond Middle School. A few times a year she does a cooperative learning exercise that the kids LOVE. It's her version of Family Feud. Mrs. Crowne breaks the students into two groups of 12, and the desks are set up facing each other in two long rows on both sides of the classroom. Mrs. Crowne sits in the middle of the two rows and reads aloud a math question. Students are to solve the problem as a "family." Everyone must show their work and understand how to get to the answer before raising their hand to lock in the answer.
         This activity was so much more than I expected! The students were so excited about playing and after Mrs. Crowne gave the questions students jumped into solving in small groups amongst their bigger groups. Once a few students got the answer they started to circulate around their bigger group and ask if anyone needed help. Students who had no history of being friends were actively engaged together working on the problems. It was so awesome to see! It is a game I will definitely be using in my future classroom.
         After research I found that some pro's to cooperative learning are: alternative points of views are being shared, students thinking is broadening, it helps social and personal development by communicating with others. It can also be a lot of FUN!

Rules to Crowne Family Feud 

• Desks completely cleared. (Facing each other in two rows on both sides of the classroom)

• Each student can have a pencil, eraser and scrap paper provided. 

• Teacher separates group to keep things even as far as math skill level.

• Every student must have the problems work written on their paper and be able to explain if called on. 

• Once everyone in the "Family" has the answer and work to be shown everyone must raise their hand. 

• The team that has their hands all raised first gets to go to the board and show their work to the answer. 

• If the team who goes to the board first gets the answer wrong, the other team gets a chance to steal the points by going up to the board and showing the work to their answer. 

• Points are made by the teacher based on level of difficulty. 

Mrs. Crowne takes full advantage of the point system! Depending on the day she may take points off for talking out of turn, not paying attention, being too silly, etc. But boy, does this really get students back to reality! No one wants to loose points for the team!