Cooperative Classroom Empowering Learning

This guide for current teachers and future teachers provides them with the necessary skills to create classrooms where cooperation is a way of helping to empower students and themselves as learners. The book answers the difficult questions that teachers often ask about cooperative learning such as, "Why should I use cooperation?", and "When, how, and how much should I use cooperation?". Both pre-service and in-service teachers have extensively field-tested the models, examples, and scenarios featured in this book developed to help them acquire a new understanding and appreciation of the power of working together.

Introduction.

 1. Why Work Together?

I. DEVELOPING THE CLASSROOM AS A LEARNING COMMUNITY.  2. Building an Understanding of the Classroom as a Group.

 3. Building an Understanding of the Power of Diversity in Groups.

 4. Building an Understanding of the Learning Community.

II. DEVELOPING SMALL GROUP COOPERATION.  5. Base Groups and Informal Groups: Building Stability and Variety into Small Group Cooperation.

 6. Formal Learning Groups: Building Positive Interdependence.

 7. Interpersonal and Small-Group Learning Skills: Teaching the Basics.

 8. Reflection and Planning: Examining Interpersonal and Small-Group Learning Skills by Looking Back and Planning Ahead.

 9. Individual Responsibility and Assessment: Checking for Understanding.

10. The Role of the Teacher: Guiding Learning in the Cooperative Classroom.

III. DEVELOPING COMMITMENT TO AN EXCITING PROFESSION. 11. Becoming an Excited -- and Exciting -- Professional.