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Elementary
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Elementary
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ELEMENTARY
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The Office of Professional Learning Strategy Series will supply teachers with the tools, templates, texts and teacher tips to bring research-proven instructional strategies into their practice. The first series will focus on Cooperative Learning.
The ability to collaborate and cooperate in a learning environment is a necessary skill for the 21st century, and improves learning outcomes for students (Prince, 2004). Students must learn to speak, listen, and work together in order to become successful students in higher education, and the job force. Cooperative learning strategies include student discourse techniques, strategies for management, behavior routines for pairs and groups, celebrations, assessment and data collection for individual accountability and meta-cognitive strategies.
In order to bring these highly effective strategies into instructional practice, teachers must explicitly teach the behaviors associated with cooperative learning in a structured and purposeful way. With the end-in-mind, of a highly engaged, discourse filled classroom, let’s begin this first ACPS Office of Professional Learning Strategy Series with a structure for teaching partner and team routines.
Collaborative Learning- Step 1:
Tool: Looks Like/Sounds Like Chart When introducing a Collaborative Learning Behavior to your class, use a Looks Like/Sounds Like Anchor Chart. Start by introducing behaviors one at a time. Write the behavior down at the top of the anchor chart, then create a T-Chart with Looks Like and Sounds Like categories. Work with students to define what a particular behavior might look and sound like. As they popcorn out ideas, write the ideas down on the chart. After creating the chart, model the behavior and have students practice with a partner and group. Post the chart in the classroom and refer to it as necessary. When reinforcing the routine, refer to the chart, and give specific feedback using the same language (For example, “I know that Brenna is practicing active listening because her eyes are on the speaker, great job Brenna!” or “Kelly’s team earned a team cooperation point because all of her team members are participating, great job!”).
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Collaborative Learning Standards: The behaviors below should be actively taught through the creation of a Looks Like/Sounds Like Chart, modeling and practice.
Tools, Texts & Templates
Related Videos
Random Reporter (or Equity Sticks) is a collaborative learning technique designed to raise student engagement and keep all students accountable for their learning. Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text Sample Text
Coach’s Cuts are short, explicit videos that are produced in-house by the Office of Professional Learning. These (typically) 2-6 minute videos look closely at a variety of research proven instructional topics. Coach’s Cuts use authentic ACPS classroom footage coupled with insight and narration from ACPS instructional coaches and specialists. Teachers and administrators can watch Coach’s Cuts in order to learn a new strategy or be exposed to a new technique. Coach’s Cuts are accompanied by vetted tools, texts, templates, tips and tricks from outside sources, and ACPS teachers. Topics include:
The ACPS Office of Professional Learning is proud to present- Classrooms in Focus. This series of professionally produced videos provides ACPS teachers and instructional leaders with a deep look into the classrooms and instructional practices of some of ACPS’s highly effective teachers. The Classrooms in Focus series covers a range of research proven instructional practices and includes elementary, middle school and high school examples in a variety of content areas. The videos teach the viewers the research proven strategies through authentic classroom footage coupled with the teacher’s explanations and guidance as to how to bring the strategies into instructional practice. In addition, the videos are paired with all the necessary tools, texts, and templates needed to bring the instructional strategy into a teacher’s practice, as well as a link to additional videos on the topic. The videos are also accompanied by the lesson plan and all the materials used with the students in the video.
The Office of Professional Learning offers two types of How-To videos for teachers and administrators. The first type of How-To video is created with screen capture and is narrated by ACPS instructional specialists. These videos explain how to use specific ACPS programs such as SchoolNet, and ERO. The other type of How-To video- Teacher Tools involves looking closely at ACPS documents and forms and explaining their purpose, function and describing to teachers and administrators how to use them. These videos look at documents such as the ACPS Curriculum, Writing Genres Chart and Revised Lesson Plan Template.