KAGAN of the Month
May 2019
A Simple Bully Buster: Cooperative Learning
A recent study suggests how teachers can promote kindness in the classroom, not competition.
As educators become increasingly aware of the prevalence and harm of bullying, there have been major conferences, school-wide programs, and legislation in 47 states intended to curtail it. But a recent study suggests how simple exercises in the classroom, involving just small groups of students at a time, may also have a positive impact.
In the study, researchers gave surveys to 217 students in grades three through five, measuring how much the students liked to cooperate or compete with their peers, and how often they acted with aggression or kindness toward them. The students also reported how often their teachers put them in small groups to complete assignments together, a classroom strategy known as "cooperative learning" because the students have to collaborate with one another in order to get their work done.
The results, published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, suggest that cooperation begets cooperation: Students who participated in more cooperative learning exercises were more likely than their peers to say they liked cooperating with other students, leading the researchers to conclude that “cooperative experiences promote the development of the personality trait of cooperativeness.”
What's more, students who engaged in more frequent cooperative learning were also more likely to report performing kind, helpful—or "pro-social"—behavior toward their classmates.
On the other hand, students who said they liked competing were significantly more likely to act aggressively toward their peers and try to do them harm.
“Cooperative experiences promote the development of the personality trait of cooperativeness.”
Article by BERNIE WONG
3rd - 8th Structure of the Month
Talking Chips
The May structure of the month is Talking Chips. In talking chips the teacher provides a discussion topic and provides think time. Teams then discuss the topic using chips to track turns taken.
Talking chips is a team builder, it helps teams have more effective discussions. This is also a great processing and thinking skills structure.
It's important that your modeling the expectations for how the team will function, specifically how to take turns, listen, and share. Make sure you explain to the teams what to do once they are done. They may collect their chips and restart or move on to another activity.
Kindergarten - 2nd Structure of the Month
Formations
Formations is the structure that primary grades will work on for the month of May. This class building structure is a great energizer and nice change of pace from paper and pencil activities. The whole class works together using their bodies to create shapes, letters, numbers, words, or a solution to a problem.
This can also be used as a team builder with a variation. In this version of formations students work with their team to create formations.
It's important that you're modeling the expectations for the class or teams. Focus on when students should think and work together silently. For the variation, students will need to be taught how to reach a consensus as a team. Try it with fun topics before you use content.
Note From Your Coach:
Josh Van Tassel
Imagine Kissimmee Charter Academy
Email: josh.vantassel@imagineschools.org
Website: www.imaginekca.org
Phone: 407-847-1400
Twitter: @TheEngagingVT