ROGERS — Today's schools are rising to the challenge of helping all students learn with the help of research-based strategies. Cooperative learning is one such effective strategy. Cooperative learning is where students work together to learn material. The Grace Hill staff will be involved this year with ongoing training called Kagan Cooperative Learning and delving into Dr.

Spencer Kagan's book, Cooperative Learning.

In this book, Kagan poses some frequently asked questions and answers such as, "Isn't it wrong to teach using cooperative learning methods when we must prepare students for a competitive world?" Two important points, one is the world isn't competitive alone and in some cases it is becoming less so, and, secondly, there needs to be a balance in the classroom of cooperative, competitive and individualistic classroom structures. When this is accomplished, then we prepare our students for a full range of social situations. Kagan said that it is hard to imagine a job today which does not involve some cooperative interaction with others. The most frequent reason for losing a job is not because of incompetence but a lack of people skills.

The second question is more of a concern from parents and teachers alike - "Isn't the accelerated achievement of lowachieving students in cooperative learning bought at the expense of high-achieving students? Couldn't the high achievers learn more if they were not tutoring?" Kagan's answer: "As we tutor, even simple questions from the tutee make us look at our subject matter freshly. As we try to determine the easiest way to convey understanding or overcome a learning block, we ourselves gain a deeper understanding of our topic."

Another question/concern is contemplating rather cooperative learning is in conflict with back-to-basics and direct instruction? Kagan explains, "It is no wonder that teachers in a traditional classroom end up so exhausted. They are bucking the basic nature of the student.

Students want to question, discuss, argue and share. The great strength of cooperative learning is that it channels this natural intelligence toward positive academic and social outcomes."

Cooperative learning is not forcing students to work with others they don't like. If students are not given a chance to work together then they probably won't. In a classroom with well-managed cooperative learning, there is never a power play. Students are assigned to teams where team recognition is provided for desired academic and social behaviors.

Kagan explains, "The power of teambuilding, classbuilding and positive group dynamics draws initially hostile and reluctant students into full participation." He goes on to explain that, "at an accelerating rate we move into a rapidly changing information-based, high-technology and interdependent economy. Along with the traditional role of providing students with basic skills and information, increasingly schools must produce students capable of higher-level thinking skills, communication skills and social skills.

"We as educators today have the unprecedented job of preparing pupils to participate in a world we can only dimly imagine. Old teaching methods which assume a single language, and shared homogeneity of proficiencies, learning styles and motivational systems are increasingly inadequate and inappropriate. Cooperative learning methods, which assume heterogeneity, are better designed to cope with the diversity of today's students. The new majority does not come to school with the same values and background as did the old majority. They are not responding well to traditional educational structures. Thus we are facing a future population far less educated than the present population. This prospect is especially frightening given the increased educational demands of our future high-technology oriented economy."

The Grace Hill faculty and staff will be striving to participate in on-going Cooperative Learning training, learn new material and structures, and implement best teaching practices in the classroom.

The staff will be role models for the students to always do their personal best.

Jennie Rehl is the principal at Grace Hill Elementary School.

Scholars, Pages 8 on 07/29/2009

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