Cooperative Learning Lesson Reflection

Cooperative Learning: The Unique Pieces of the Puzzle

Lesson Plan Date: 11/17/14

Lesson Plan Reflection By: Meaghan Brenna Foley

           My partners and I devised a project that would fit the shortened time period of 15-20 minutes. The students' task was to become "a factory" and create a poster advertisement for their assigned product. This cooperative learning activity absolutely supported the elements of cooperative learning known as PIGS (Positive Interdependence, Individual Accountability, Group Processing, and Social Skills). The students each had unique ideas and had to work together towards the common goal (i.e., the group poster). I noticed that some of the students became upset when they didn't get the role they wanted. For this reason, I think that assigning roles in cooperative learning should be mainly for older students (i.e., Grade 3+). However, individual accountability should still be upheld and supported in the classroom. As I monitored the students and walked around the classroom, I made sure every student was working on some aspect of the group poster. My partners and I assigned some students to be the ones who drew and others the ones who wrote the text on the poster. Despite their specific assigned roles, I believe that each student should be allowed to contribute what he or she may like. All students and teachers have different, or unique, perspectives on learning. Projects like the creation of the factory poster advertisement help students develop social skills and learn how to cooperate with each other.