Cooperative Learning
strategies for the classroom
and beyond
By
Tim Robinson
solsocks@hotmail.com
Objectives
Go beyond just words and put in practice
 Implement successful group work
 Promote triumphant cooperation instead of
aggressive competition
 Be proactive in the English teaching
community
 Support colleagues for professional
development

NO cooperation causes the earth to
burn
“Every nation
now has a
decision to
make. Either
you are with
us, or you are
against us,”
George W.
Bush
“Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the
fire of the Islamic nation's fury,” Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad.
"Every American
man is an enemy to
us," Osama Bin
Laden.
“Humanitarianism is the
expression of stupidity
and cowardice,” Adolf
Hitler.
Needs at risk
Frustration
Communication
Belonging
Harmony
Community
Sadness
Fear
Respect
Loneliness
Passivity
0% Motivated
“My boss
observes me only
when there is a
problem.”
“I have no support
from my
colleagues or my
students’ parents.”
“I fear I’ll loose
control and there’ll
be too much noise
or they’ll do the
activity badly or not
at all.”
“Administration
treats me like a
dog on the street,
they provide no
help.”
“My students have
no possibility to
practice.”
“I can’t put my
students in groups,
they’ll use too much
Spanish.”
“We are a
passionate people
who care about
others until we
enter the
classroom.”
Hope starts with cooperation
“For to be free is
not merely to
cast off one's
chains, but to
live in a way that
respects and
enhances the
freedom of
others.” Nelson
Mandela
“No problem can be solved
by the same consciousness
that created it. We need to
see the world anew.” Albert
Einstein
“Every man must
decide whether he will
walk in the light of
creative altruism or in
the darkness of
destructive
selfishness.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Anger and intolerance
are the enemies of correct
understanding.”
Mohandas Gandhi
So who is more respected
around the world today?

Martin Luther king, Mohandas Gandhi,
Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein
OR

George W. Bush, Osama Bin Laden,
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Adolf Hitler
We teach because
“You have
convictions about
the quality of life
You are not
merely a language
teacher
You are an agent for
change in a world in
desperate
need of change:
change
from
competition to
cooperation,
from prejudice
to
understanding.”
(H.D. Brown,)
from
powerlessness to
empowerment,
from conflict
to resolution,
Cooperative Learning

“is a successful teaching strategy in which
small teams, each with students of
different levels of ability, use a variety of
learning activities to improve their
understanding of a subject. Each member
of a team is responsible not only for
learning what is taught but also for helping
teammates learn, thus creating an
atmosphere of achievement.”
Why cooperative learning?







promote student learning and academic
achievement
increase student retention
enhance student satisfaction with their learning
experience
help students develop skills in oral
communication
develop students' social skills
promote student self-esteem
help to promote positive relations
(www.edtech.kennesaw.edu/intech/cooperativelearning)
Group Work
Advantages
Excuses
1.Generates
interactive
language
2. Offers
affective
climate
3. Promotes
learner
responsibility
and
autonomy
4.Individualizes
Remember:
instruction no activity is too
difficult, but the task the
students need to complete
1. T no longer in control of
class
2. Students will use too
much of native
language
3. Errors will be
reinforced in small
groups
4.T can monitor all groups
at once
5. Some learners prefer
to work alone
Brown, D. 2007
Implementing Group

Evaluating classroom language


Selecting activities


Games, role plays, drama, information gap, jigsaw, interviews,
brainstorming, problem solving, opinion exchange
Procedure


Asking for clarification, agree/disagree, interrupting,
1. Introduce the technique, 2. justify use of small groups,
3. model
the technique, 4. give explicit instructions, 5. divide class, 6. check for
clarification, 7. set the task in motion, 8. monitor, 9. process. (Brown, D. 2007)
MY Turn
Teacher collaboration
“The process of continuing to develop your
professional expertise as a teacher is sometimes
difficult to manage alone. The challenges of
teaching in a rapidly changing profession almost
necessitate collaboration with other teachers in
order to stay on the cutting edge.”
(Murphey & Sato, 2005)
DO IT!







Peer coaching
Team teaching
Action research
Collaborative curriculum development/revision
Presenting at a conference/writing for
publication
Teacher support groups
Have an open mind/give constructive feedback
and praise
Thanks
UPEL
VenTESOL
U.S. embassy
Georgetown University
All of you of course