Cooperative Learning Connected to ELL

After class last week I decided to look more into cooperative learning and Spencer Kagan who had been mentioned. I came upon this awesome page on using Kagan structures for ELLs. This page seen here, http://www.kaganonline.com/free_articles/dr_spencer_kagan/279/Kagan-Structures-for-English-Language-Learners talks about how certain techniques and approaches to cooperative learning could be used for all students, not just those that are extremely proficient in the language, allowing everyone to learn and participate.

On this page, the idea of PIES is mentioned which are all parts of cooperative learning, and it breaks down to Positive Interdependence, Individual Accountability, Equal Participation, and Simultaneuos Interaction. These are all things that need to be considered when creating a cooperative learning assignment. They are also some of the things that we had experienced during the activity in our last class. Looking at this and reflecting on my experiences in school, I can see when some things were done right and when some were not. I like looking back and seeing the ways that had worked best to facilitate my own learning.

Also on this page are descriptions of the levels of language acquisition, something that I often see touched on but never explored as much as I’d like. This is definitely a website I am going to bookmark and look back at when planning lessons for ELLs. The page lists different techniques that could be used for the different levels that are listed. I’m excited to explore cooperative learning in my own classroom, and to use it the actually effective way, unlike the way many of my own teachers have used it.