Cooperative Learning

The base of cooperative learning is learning from and/or with other individuals. This is a learning styles that we all practice whether we know it or not. This theory is based off the idea of sharing information with one another through socialization. We are a social society that reaches all corners of the world. It is no longer talking to the people who are immediately around you but to people all around the world. We are always sharing some kind of knowledge with someone it may be as small as what happened last weekend to how to run a business but we are always sharing ideas and knowledge. As teachers we use this idea of socialization to relay the information for our lessons.

Technology gives a huge advantage to this socialization idea that comes so natural to us. Through technology we can build networks for cooperative learning. A social studies teacher may set up a blog to discuss the pros and cons of different governments. This would allow the sharing of views from each student and the information they use to support their stand would be new information for other students to learn from. Web pages are a way that students or teachers can present material being taught to others around the world. Not only does this approach share information with others but the person publishing it will have to do research above and beyond what they might learn in class and have a solid base of knowledge on the material. Teaching itself is cooperative learning and can be done by students. One of the best ways to learn something is to study the material and teach it. This has the students go in depth with the information and if a student ask a question they do not know the answer to there is that obligation to find the information. Technology ties into teacher by how the material is presented from making worksheets with images to PowerPoint's and games for the lesson. Cooperative learning from peers is an easy way to tie the material into the content and culture because the students are able to link the information into situations that apply to them in real life. With voice thread students are able to share information and recieve comments from people either from their class or around the world.