Cooperative Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Cooperative Learning - Essay Example Moreover, each member of a team is responsible not only for learning what is taught but also for helping teammates learn, thus creating an atmosphere of achievement. Hence, students work through the assignment until all group members successfully understand and complete it (Kennesaw State University, 2009) There are several uses and benefits of cooperative learning, which have been typified by many authors. As such, according to Kennesaw State University (2009), the use of cooperative learning research design renders the following benefits: As stipulated by the authors above, cooperative learning provides positive learning experiences on students and might as well to the teachers. It improves not only the intellectual aspect of students, but also their overall sociability, that is, improved social interaction, communication, and above all, cooperative learning epitomizes the respect to classmates or members of a group regardless of color, ethnicity, or race. The above methods of cooperative learning are said to have considerable diversity (Kagan, 1985). Nevertheless, although the aforementioned methods have different philosophies distinct from one another, a common purpose seems to be their uniting point- group empowerment through cooperation (Kagan, 1985). According to Kagan (19... 5. It promotes positive social relations and pro-social development; and 6. It increases the liking among students for class, school, learning, and self. (p 67) As stipulated by the authors above, cooperative learning provides positive learning experiences on students and might as well to the teachers. It improves not only the intellectual aspect of students, but also their overall sociability, that is, improved social interaction, communication, and above all, cooperative learning epitomizes the respect to classmates or members of a group regardless of color, ethnicity, or race. The Methods of Cooperative Learning Cooperative learning has various methods, which adhere to its principle of learning through cooperation. Kagan (1985), in his chapter, presented six cooperative learning methods, which are as follows: 1. Student Teams-Achievement Division (STAD) a) Class Presentations b) Teams c) Quizzes d) Individual Improvement Scores e) Team Recognition 2. Teams-Games-Tournaments (TGT) a) Game Tournaments 3. The Orginal Jigsaw (or Jigsaw I) 4. Jigsaw II 5. Group Investigation 6. Co-op Co-op The above methods of cooperative learning are said to have considerable diversity (Kagan, 1985). Nevertheless, although the aforementioned methods have different philosophies distinct from one another, a common purpose seems to be their uniting point- group empowerment through cooperation (Kagan, 1985). The Elements of Cooperative Learning According to Kagan (1985), cooperative learning has certain elements that make its distinction from traditional instructional formats, which are summarized by the Kennesaw State University (2009), as follows: 1. Positive Interdependence 2. Face-to-Face Interaction 3. Individual and Group

Private School Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Private School Education - Essay Example That would enable the government to support education without necessarily maintaining public institutions. The champions of this voucher system also say that the one-size-fits-all public school system is inappropriate as the model does not cater to the different needs of the students. Opponents of the voucher system, on the other hand, say that it is unfair to take public money meant for public schools and channel the same into the private school where the public has no oversight over how the funds would be used. There is also fear that the private school system may only help to further segment the population alongside religious, social class and other lines. It is entirely possible that the introduction of the voucher system in private schools would provide a magnet for students in public schools. Faced with a larger applicant's pool, private schools would then find it easier to reject applicants deemed undesirable. Unlike public schools, private schools are not obliged to take in one and all. Why the private school vouchers system issue so polarizing Part of the answer lies in the way it has been promoted. California was among the first states to flirt with private schools voucher way back in 1993. A proposal was brought into the legislature of the state that would have taken away as much as 10 per cent of public school funding, with a possibility of further increases on the card if more students moved from public to private schools (Rushefsky, 2002, p. 396). The issue is a political hot potato so much that George W. Bush stopped talking about it in the 2000 election primaries. Two powerful arguments already advanced are essential for a balanced view on the issue. And this article will chronicle the vouchers debate and will attempt to close the difference between the two sides through critically analyzing the pros and cons of the voucher system in private schools. Recurring discussions on the topics are decidedly one-sided. And once a path has been identified, for many an author on the topic, there is no turning back. Two critically acclaimed works on the topic include Rhetoric Versus Reality done by four RAND researchers; Gill, Tiampane, Brewer, Ross and Booker (2007). This book does a fairly good job examining the theoretical underpinnings of vouchers and charter schools and tables the empirical data on their efficacy. The book also looks at how several policy formulations such as the funding, eligibility criteria, academic standards and accountability, may affect the success of the program. Some issues which have yet to be addressed are raised, and although the book is not conclusive on those issues, it leaves room for a more robust consideration of the issues in the future. The other important work on the topic is The Education Gap by Howell and Peterson (2002). Compelling evidence is tabled that African Americans have greatly benefited from the voucher system. Overall, The Education Gap is illustrative on the practicability of the voucher program in private schools and emphatically so in poor urban environments. The point of convergence for both books is that the authors favour random field trials. The sheer volume of applications that are usually received reduces the voucher program into some form of the wager so that those who received the vouchers were merely lucky than needful. There are other studies/articles on the subject. Breaking These Chains is a book by Daniel McGrory, a former Whitehouse speechwriter that in an evangelical fashion roundly criticizes the public school system (1996).