Jun
10
Applying the Frameworks
Posted by: Thomas Kritikos | June 10, 2009 | Comments Off on Applying the Frameworks
Learning Technologies:
Develops Reciprocity and Cooperation Among Students
As an elementary school teacher I have always structured students into collaborative learning groups across all subject areas. This strategy has been beneficial by fostering closer social ties between students, which ultimately has helped them become stronger learners. This process can take time to develop and flourish, thereby minimizing in the early stages, the capacity of the group to efficiently learn from each other. Certain students view this collaborative nature of learning as a time to chat with friends excessively, further diminishing the group’s overall learning potential. Others view this learning setup as a means to compete with their peers along most school functions, from academics through to physical activities. My focus has always been to provide students with an environment that helps them practice and understand that the collaborative process is rewarding along many levels. The many friendships that are developed with group learning can be an invaluable part to peer harmony within classrooms, providing a foundation that will assist learners when tackling challenging problems in a collective fashion. Most challenging in my view is for students to be able to offer their ideas during collaborative sessions while accepting feedback from others without feeling personally attacked for their views. I have employed many activities in the past, which modeled student-student interactions. These activities modeled how to respectfully interact with peers when sharing information during group work. This may be one of the most difficult aspects of being a learner, offering and receiving feedback from others. In my experience, when students master the process of effectively communicating with their peers they begin to take more ownership for their learning, which translates into increased oral participation throughout their schooling. In my classroom, students who’ve actively shared their ideas within the supportive learning environment have always been able to construct additional knowledge for themselves.