Collaborative learning teams are said to attain higher level thinking and preserve information for longer times than students working individually. Why is this so?

Many consider Vygotsky the father of ‘social learning.’ Vygotsky was an education rebel in many ways. Vygotsky controversially argued for educators to assess students’ ability to solve problems, rather than knowledge acquisition. The idea of collaborative learning has a lot to do with Vygotsky’s idea of the “zone of proximal development”. It considers what a student can do if aided by peers and adults. By considering this model for learning, we might consider collaboration to increase students’ awareness of other concepts.

1. Establish clear group goals

Effective collaborative learning involves the establishment of group goals, as well as individual accountability. This keeps the group on task and establishes an unambiguous purpose. Before beginning an assignment, it is best to define goals and objectives to save time.

2. Keep groups midsized

Small groups of 3 or less lack enough diversity and may not allow divergent thinking to occur. Groups that are too large create ‘freeloading’ where not all members participate. A moderate size group of 4-5 is ideal.

3. Establish flexible group norms

Research suggests that collaborative learning is influenced by the quality of interactions. Interactivity and negotiation are important in group learning. In the 1960’s studies by Jacobs and Campbell suggested that norms are pervasive, even deviant norms were handed down and not questioned.

4. Build trust and promote open communication

Successful interpersonal communication must exist in teams. Building trust is essential.Deal with emotional issues that arise immediately and any interpersonal problems before moving on. Assignments should encourage team members to explain concepts thoroughly to each other.Studies found that students who provide and receive intricate explanations gain most from collaborative learning. Open communication is key.

5. For larger tasks, create group roles

Decomposing a difficult task into parts to saves time. You can then assign different roles. A great example in my own classroom was in science lab, fifth grade student assumed different roles of group leader, recorder, reporter, and fact checker. The students might have turns to choose their own role and alternate roles by sections of the assignment or classes.

In the culture of a school, caring connections, positive behavioral supports, and social and emotional learning are essential.

Caring connections. School-based research and national survey data document the importance of connectedness (McNeely, Nonnemaker, & Blum, 2002). Students who believe that their teachers care about them perform better on tests (Ryan & Patrick, 2001). Students who have strong connections with both teachers and prosocial peers are more likely to resist the pull of gangs that offer an alternative form of connection for alienated students (Goldstein & Soriano, 1994).

Positive behavioral supports. Research suggests that harsh discipline works against connection; instead of reducing misbehavior and vandalism, such discipline actually promotes these problems (McNeely et al., 2002). Punitive approaches also hinder achievement. When students are being punished, isolated, or suspended, they are not learning. Behavioral research suggests that environmental changes—for example, being explicit about behavioral expectations, directly teaching appropriate behavior, providing support to help students meet expectations, monitoring individual and schoolwide behavior, and providing frequent positive reinforcement—can reduce discipline problems and help teachers and students recover instructional time (Sugai et al., 2000).

Social and emotional skills. Successful urban schools also nurture the internal assets that help students regulate their own behavior and deal with the many social and academic challenges they face. Teaching students social and emotional skills—such as relationship building, self-awareness, self-management, and responsible decision making—can prevent problem behavior and promote academic success. Students who develop these skills are less likely to participate in high-risk behavior and are more able to persevere through academic challenges (Solomon, Battistich, Watson, Schaps, & Lewis, 2000).

These three crucial factors are interdependent (Osher, Dwyer, & Jackson, 2004). For example, students who have strong and healthy connections to teachers are better prepared to learn social and emotional skills, and teachers who model good social and emotional skills can more easily connect with students. This is particularly true when there are cultural differences between students and school staff members.

Teacher collaboration in the urban setting can be a catalyst to stirring the social mind in so many ways. Culturally Responsive Teaching techniques are just one of the tools teachers can use to expand on learning beyond the individual mind. There are countless ways to inspire students, but collaboration with like-minded colleagues is the best way to get the best out of the students that you serve. One of the most rewarding pieces of being an educator in marginalized communities is being part of a community educational cohort that changes kids’ lives for the better.

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