Team Building through Cooperative Learning

Powerful learning and deep understanding derive from team building through cooperative methods. There are five characteristics of cooperative learning; the acronym PIGS, demonstrates these characteristics:

PIGS FACE

              One cooperative learning method that can be implemented is Jigsaw. In a           class project, we all had the opportunity to learn and participate in the Jigsaw cooperative learning method. After viewing the video on the jigsaw method,

 Cooperative Learning in Elementary School: Jigsaw Method

we divided our class into expert groups to learn a specific topic, researched the topic with our partners, created presentations about our topic, and resumed to our home groups to teach what we had learned. The topics consisted of the five characteristics of cooperative learning: positive interdependence, individual accountability, group processing, social skills, and face-to-face promotive interaction. In my expert group, my partner and I researched group processing and social skills, after which I create a presentation to teach my home group.

Cooperative Learning

Learning about cooperative learning and cooperative learning methods was a learn through doing experience for me. As a teacher, I believe cooperative learning is an essential part of social studies teaching and instruction. Cooperative learning is formulated to encourage cooperation while learning, improve students' self-esteem, increase academic achievement, foster civic behavior, as well as support and celebrate diversity among the classroom community. 

Purposeful and Powerful Elements of Social Studies

To establish a social studies learning environment that is purposeful and powerful, the NCSS emphasizes its vision by identifying five imparative elements: meaningful, integrative, value-based, challenging, and active. Incorporating these five elements into the social studies environment is long term and continual through social studies instruction and activities. When students are exposed to the five elelments in social studies instruction and learning, they gain an understanding of their world to become well-informed citizens of society whose positive contributions will foster, thrive, and enable their community on a local level as well as an international level to flourish. Teaching economics in the second grade at Bishop Dunn Memorial School gave me the opportunity to practice the five elements. As a teacher, I strongly believe the five elements are the foundation of social studies instruction and learning.

Purposeful and Powerful Social Studies Elements 

Meaningful-students are engaged to make self-to-world connections

Integrative-students utilize more than one discipline

Value-Based-students' sense of democratic values and social responsibility are strengthened

Challenging-students' perspectives and critical thinking skills are incorporated

Active-students participate and utilize manipulates and the physical environment

BizWorld Business Celebration

The BizWorld companies sold their products, calculated their sales, and the overall value of their companies this week. Company celebration pitches were created by each company for celebration night and awards were given for individual participation and to the companies as a team. Celebration night was a time for all of the students and teachers to shine; it was great see the students so excited and proud of their accomplishments. Each company presented their pitches to the audience and shared what they had learned in the BizWorld project and the student teachers shared what they had learned during the project and what they enjoyed about the project. I believe that all of the company members enjoyed the BizWorld project and everyone learned a considerable amount about entrepreneurship. For me, the BizWorld project was an enjoyable, rewarding, and educational experience; I will miss the second grade students at Bishop Dunn Memorial School. The BizWorld project was a wonderful experience and an opportunity that I am happy to have been a part of!

Companies in Action





This week the second grade companies at Bishop Dunn Memorial produced their friendship bracelets; it was a good learning experience for everyone. Starting to make the bracelets was a little difficult, but all of the companies were enthusiastic about producing their product. After watching the video on how to make the friendship bracelets, and purchasing the string and tape, the companies made a prototype so they could begin production. The companies had to make business decisions during the production stage; they how to predict many bracelets they would make in a day and predict how much money they would make. I believe the companies were surprised when they had over predicted with an average of forty bracelets and eighty dollars per day. The reality of the business world came to fruition for the companies as they worked through their decision making. Another business task for the companies this week was to create the design of the packaging and an advertisement for marketing their products. As the companies worked cooperatively, I believe they realized that working for the good of their company was paying off; they seemed to worked more productively as their products increased in size. All of the companies created interesting package designs and advertisements ranging from songs to posters. I believe the companies are prepared and very excited to start selling their product.