“In a classroom community, students feel that they are free to work with others and that they have something to contribute to the whole” (Tchudi & Mitchell, 1999). It is important to create a positive learning community for you and your students. Having strong collaborative relationships will lead to academic success. We must take the time to get to know each and every one of our students, their uniqueness, and that we truly care about them and their success. Cooperative learning is well established as a methodology for language as well as content instruction. When English learners are given the opportunity to interact with small-group learning there is less anxiety, therefore they can actually concentrate on the content of learning. Parents and families involvement in their students’ education will prove to be beneficial over and over again. The chapter discusses the many ways to communicate and push through barriers you may come across on communicating. “Making friends in the community is the first step to forming and sustaining school-community partnerships” (Diaz-Rico 382).
Chapter 15 discusses project-based and service learning ideas. This gives the learner a way to take on tasks that are consequential and relate to the real world. PBL (Project-Based Learning) has four characteristics: (1) students are engaged with a driving question, (2) conduct active research, (3) collaboration of teachers, students, community, etc., and (4) cognitive tools are used (computers, presentations, technology). The benefits of PBL is the students learn to take initiative, seek learning on their own, and take responsibility for the results of their inquiry (Diaz-Rico 387). The projects are collaborative, the teacher acts as a guide, the skills of various content areas are integrated, and there is a design, documentation, discourse, and representation element to the project. The chapter gives some great examples of PBL’s that have been done and ways to guide through completing one with your students. “We learn as we serve” (Diaz-Rico 410). There is also the element of service learning that students can complete to connect to the real world as well. There are many schools that are making this a graduate requirement. I have a middle school student that has been attending my after school program, completing her service hours. Many of the local middle schools have been requiring the students to complete service learning hours. Service learning involves preparation of the problem/topic to be addressed, performing the service, and finally reflection of the service. This will allow students the opportunity to learn under conditions that are personally relevant to their lives and interests.
- There is a great website that reaches all ages for service-learning ideas and projects. The site gives K-5, middle school, high school, and college ideas for a service-learning project. There are videos, resources for parents, local events, and so much more on this website. It is a wonderful resource and has a great design to navigate easily: http://www.servicelearning.org/youthsite/middle-school/ideas
@hale1984
“About 70% of our day consists of small group lessons, and it has really benefited not only my ESL student, but all my students. The ratio is 3 students per adult and the students really seem to flourish in this environment. According to the article THE EFFECTS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING in agreement with Diaz-Rico and state, "The studies investigating the effects ofcooperative learning (e.g., Bilgin, 2006; Bilgin & Geban, 2004; Jones, 1990;Lazarowitz, 1991; SlavinHinckley & Volt, 1991; Wachanga & Mwangi, 2004; Zacharia & Barton, 2004) indicate that students who are working together in small groups leam better, retain more information, and build up better relationships with classmates and group mates." (pg 2)” That is so great that you have the opportunity to sepnd so much time in the classroom completing small group work. I tried to incorporate it as much as I could in my sixth grade class, but always wished that I had more time to do it. and so did the kids! The students always did such a wonderful job in their group projects and truly learned what cooperative learning meant! Thank you for sharing!
@teresaperez
“An English language learners' academic learning is only as good as the instruction they receive. For this reason, teachers need specific preparation in working with English language learners. As educators we need to consider each student’s individual situation in order to provide appropriate education to English learners.” This is a great way to end my blog and a perfect reminder to educators about the importance of teaching English learners. Not simply teaching them, but the effective instruction and differentiation needed to meet ALL learners in our classroom.
****I will continue to show passion for teaching and a lifelong learning to become better each and everyday, while promoting all I have to intercultural understandings and the wonderful, unique individuals that walk into my classroom everyday.****
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