In a supportive, inclusive community, all students are valued members of a welcoming and responsive learning community. The teacher proactively cultivates community with and among students. Meaningful cooperative learning teaches students to be proactive learners, increases academic discourse and provides opportunities to build a positive classroom community.
Kagan cooperative learning structures support teachers in providing time, space and structures for positive interactions between students and have meaningful systems in place to encourage acts of kindness, compassion and team building. The Kagan community and cooperative learning structures promote the use of positive gambits to support students in consistently coaching, encouraging and praising each other.
Try one of these three community-building and cooperative learning strategies today.
Stir the Class
Community building
Students stand in groups of four. Assign each group member a number. Teacher poses a question. Students form a huddle and discuss their answer. When ready to share, they "unhuddle."
When all are done, call a number and ask students with that number to rotate to a new group. The group huddles again, and the new member shares the idea from his/her last group. If they like the new member's ideas, they give him/her a pat on the back to show appreciation. Then, students "unhuddle" and wait for the next question.
Ideas for differentiation
Have students stand in groups of three for classes with a lower number of students. Provide explicit modeling of expected participation. Provide scribe/read aloud accommodations as needed. Preset any assistive technology devices that students access with relevant answers to the topics of discussion.
Be sure groups understand the "new idea" shared by the new group member when they rotate. Hand out labeled Post-It notes of the group's number for a built-in support.
Talking chips
Community building and communication skills
All students are given one chip (or any other object). Students are asked to discuss a topic in groups. As each student talks, s/he places his/her chip in the center of the table.
Once a student finishes talking, s/he cannot talk until every other chip has been placed in the center. If students don't have anything to share on this particular topic, they can place a chip in the center at the end. When all chips are down, students retrieve their chips and start over.
Ideas for differentiation
Provide explicit modeling of expected. Preset any assistive technology devices that students access with relevant answers to the topics of discussion. Support students with the expected procedure with visual supports (talk one at a time, no sharing once your chips is in, etc.) as needed until they understand the mechanics of the activity.
Be sure to allow alternate forms of expression such as a drawing, a song or a series of specific pictures to help explain their perspective on a topic of discussion. See the Goalbook toolkit with Universal Design for Learning strategies to ensure students have multiple forms of expression.
Inside-outside circle
Class building and Information sharing
Students stand in two concentric circles, facing a partner. The inside circle faces out; the outside circle faces in. Students take turns responding to a teacher's question(s). Partners switch roles — one talking and one listening. After each question, students in the outer or inner circle rotate to the next partner.
Ideas for differentiation
Provide explicit modeling of expected participation. Preset any assistive technology communication devices that students access with relevant answers to the teacher’s questions. Provide extended think time and consider providing visual sentence stems.
In closing, to determine if your community building strategy will benefit all students, take the Kagan PIES test:
- Positive interdependence: Will the cooperative learning structure create positive interdependence? Is every member valuable and necessary for group success?
- Individual accountability: Does each student have the opportunity to contribute his/her voice and knowledge?
- Equal participation: Are all students actively engaged and involved: listening, responding or coaching?
- Simultaneous interaction: Is there 100 percent engagement? Are all students building their cognitive schema together as a team?
