Cooperative Learning In The Classroom

Teachers wear many hats on any given day depending upon the students, subjects, and the topics they teach. Ideally, schools and families collaborate to best meet the needs of each students of ability levels, so they may achieve many skills. Planning for successful inclusion includes allocating the time, resources, strategies, interventions, and appropriate student supports. Inclusion teachers work with many small groups, whole class and individual students. Baseline data inform teachers which students need direct skill instruction, practice, remediation and/or enrichment. The teachers make sure they have high expectations for all students and to highlight their strengths.

A principle of inclusive education, is all students learn differently.

These best strategies include but not limited to. Demonstration of high expectations, implementation of culturally relevant instruction, establishment of caring relationships, and effective parent and community involvement. Each strategy can be very complex that must be considered within the specific cultural and social communities. Culturally relevant instruction includes using the language and understandings the students have acquired in their families and communities to bridge the gap between what students know and are able to do. Incorporating the everyday issues and concerns of families and the community into curriculum and instruction by actively engaging students in the learning process. Cooperative learning has consistently been a major strategy for teaching in diverse learning environments. Cooperative learning provides learners with essential opportunities to use language in meaningful, purposeful, and interesting ways, build self-esteem and self-confidence, and develop academic, communication, and social skills. The classroom arrangement is very important for collaborative learning between students. I use cooperative learning in my classroom in preschool and well as very small groups. I encourage

There are many benefits some of those include enhancing academic achievement in written, letter identification, phonics, mathematics, improving organization; and fostering social acceptance. A necessary component of this effort is collaboration between classroom teachers and assistive technology specialists.

As defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA), an assistive technology device is "any piece of equipment, or product system. that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities" [Part A, Sec. 602(1)]. Assistive technology could serve two major purposes: to enhance an individual's strengths, and to provide an alternative mode of performing a task. Thus, the use of technology allows students to compensate for their disability or circumvent it