what are some examples of utilizing cooperative learning?

Answer 1

Cooperative learning is also refereed to as Collaborative learning. It's a very successful teaching strategy!
It fosters:
- active participation
- more on-task behavior
- peer coaching
- improved social skills
- higher self esteem
- develop and use higher-level thinking skills
- promotes teamwork
- appreciation for different view points

There is so much information and planning that needs to be implemented before you attempt it in the classroom. You need to read up on it , learn the various forms of cooperative groups, and begin slowly. Here is a very good website to get you started.
http://wblrd.sk.ca/~bestpractice/coop/index.html

Laura Candler, a leader in cooperative learning, has a web site with lots of activities and resources. May I suggest you make your way to her website and browse through her site. The section titled "Cooperative Learning Network" is full of important information.
http://www.lauracandler.com/

Example:

JIGSAW - as in a jigsaw puzzle, each piece--each student's part--is essential for the completion and full understanding of the final product. If each student's part is essential, then each student is essential; and that is precisely what makes this strategy so effective.

Students are going to study WW2. The class is in their groups of say 6. In one jigsaw group, student #1 is responsible for researching Hitler's rise to power in pre-war Germany. Another member of the group, student #2, is assigned to cover concentration camps; student #3 is assigned Britain's role in the war; #4 student is to research the contribution of the Soviet Union; student #5 will handle Japan's entry into the war; and the final student #6 will read about the development of the atom bomb.
All the #1s get together, the 2s, the 3s etc and research and work on their topic. Eventually each student comes back to his/her original jigsaw group and presents a well-organized report to the group on what ever topic they were researching. The only access any member has to the other five topics is by listening closely to the presentation.

You know the information is accurate because 6 people worked together on the one topic all helping each other and collecting the information. They researched, gathered the info, discussed and then wrote it up. Once that was done they reported back to their own groups to present. This also means that all students will receive basically the same information.

Cooperative learning is excellent - do look into it.

Answer 2

It depends upon what grades/classes you are teaching. It usually involves students helping students. Group work, partner work, games, group presentations, etc. are all examples of cooperative learning.

Another definition that some schools are beginning to use is teacher to teacher learning. Instead of each teacher teaching their lesson individually, they will join together and figure out how to teach lessons that approach each subject...for example: History class is learning about WWII. So, English will read literature from that time period. Science will discuss maybe the airplanes or maybe the development of weapons or chemical weapons. Math will maybe determine the time it took for a flight from Germany to England. Its basically trying to get every class to incorporate the same lesson. The first part of the year is spent building a base (you need to know how to add in order to do the math later in the year) then the rest of the year might be spent finding practical uses.