The biggest reason to use cooperative learning (1) is to ensure students feel safe, physically and emotionally, in the classroom. In my eMINTS class we do fun community builders every class period to get to know other students in the class and feel more comfortable in the environment. After doing these activities, I know the names of my classmates and quite a bit about their lives. I also feel more comfortable sharing my ideas with the whole group during discussions.
The next reason for using cooperative learning (2) is to help students in their learning of a concept. This focusses on the idea that none of us is as smart as all of us. With cooperative learning, students get to put their heads together to come up with answers and solutions to problems. This comes in handy when material is especially difficult.
Another reason for using cooperative learning (3) is to teach students valuable social skills. These are life lessons that students will need forever. Using cooperative learning allows students to talk with classmates without disrupting others, because they will actually be focused on class material. Cooperative learning teaches kids teamwork, communication, and discipline.
Cooperative learning is also useful because (4) it allows individualized instruction. In much group work completed with cooperative learning, each student is assigned a role, such as the recorder, checker, gatherer, or quiet captain. These types of roles can be assigned based on students’ individual multiple intelligences. For example, an artistic role in the group would benefit an artistic student.
The final reason to use cooperative learning is (5) it creates a great relationship between teacher and student. In the typical teacher-centered classroom, students work individually and are punished for talking. When this happens, there is hostility between teacher and student. When students are allowed to work together, they build relationships with their classmates and they also enhance the teacher/student interaction.
I plan on using cooperative learning every chance I get when I become a teacher. I feel like my eMINTS training has completely prepared me for getting students to work together cooperatively. I will use cooperative learning for academic projects as well as for fun team and class building.