1. I"m a bit confused about how ability grouping/cooperative learning is implemented within a school. Are these teaching methods school-wide or classroom based, or both? It seems as though you would need to use different methods within a school, because as the reading states each method effectiveness depends on various factors. For example, cooperative learning works best for lower achieving students, and not so well for gifted students. So in this case how would you best provide for both student types? You need both types of students for the cooperative learning, but if the gifted students aren't benefiting how do we ensure they are developing?
2. I think that Vygotsky would recommend cooperative learning. This method allows for heterogeneity, which is necessary for the ZPD. If you have differing levels of ability, this allows for the child whom is on the verge of developing a particular skill to be scaffolded by a child who has already developed that particular skill. As stated in Module 7, by allowing a child to interact with another child who is more cognitively capable, we are setting up a zone of optimal development that will allow the less capable child to develop new skills and rise to a new cognitive lvel. Cooperative learning allows children to engage in intersubjectivity, which according to Vygotsky's theory bridges the gap between the two childrens ability level. The children can use their differing abilities to bring different tools to the table, and achieve a task together. Of course the teacher must first identify where each child is at developmentally so that she can appropriately assign tasks to students that are going to allow them to practice learning skills that are the verge of developing. I think Vygotsky would specifically recommend the jigsaw method of cooperative learning. Vygotsky's theory states that it is important to take into account how different cultural backgrounds can affect how one learns. By using the jigsaw method, the teacher can identify what each child may excel at based on the ability and cultural background, and then assign tasks within a group accordingly. I don't think that Vygotsky would necessarily recommend grouping by age, because as his theory states, children can be of the same age but vary according to their abilities. Now if the children were very far apart in age, such as 1st and 5th grade, and therefore obviously at different stages in development, he may recommend allowing them to cooperatively learn because the 5th graders could help the 1st graders to develop new cognitive processes. I don't think Vygotsky would recommend any of the types of grouping by ability. He would say that putting children with the same ability level together would be a hinderance because there would be nobody to help with scaffolding (besides the teacher, and I am speaking specifically about classmates).
Your question about cooperative learning and reaching out to different students abilities is really interesting. What I gathered from the reading is that cooperative learning could be school-wide based or teacher-based. If students are not already grouped based on academic abilities, I think using the cooperative learning method could be beneficial. This way the students working together are heterogeneous and can learn different things from one another. As explained in the book, this gives students personal responsibility, as many groups are rewarded based on their performance as a working whole. There could also be disadvantages to this method as well. Overall, a teacher using this method in the classroom for some assignments (not all) and activities could give quite positive results.
ReplyDeleteFor the most part, grouping is done in the classroom, but someone who needs to have the IDEA form filled out (especially "exceptional" students) would have their learning needs decided by a large group including their parents, their teachers, and someone higher up. The group can be as big as needed.
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