Cooperative+Learning

**Read and Reflect**
====I do a lot of group work in my classes. The nature of many classes I teacher is that most of the units end with a large project instead of a traditional assessment. I try and vary it so some assignments can be completed individually but others are group assignments. Right now I use different ways of picking groups. Sometimes I require that the group cannot be made up of 2 people from the same grade or can only have 2 people of the same sex. I have let them just pick groups and I even use a tool where they have to find a group to complete a pattern: ====
 * How do you currently apply this strategy, with or without the use of technology? **

This is my peanut butter and jelly group sheet. Each student gets a picture when they come into class. From there they have to make a PB&J sandwich (2 slices of bread, jelly and peanut butter). This let's them have some choice in their groups but not completely. I also have ones for groups of 2 and groups of 3.

====What I gained is the ongoing theme of I need to do this more. I feel like I am not doing enough in my classes because so far with everything, the reading reminds me of why these things are so important in my classroom. ====

**Provide evidence of the tool you learned.**
====I posted President Ronald Reagan to the course wiki. I did this because we actually choose my daughter's middle name (Reagan) based on this President. I had thought about using Thomas Jefferson since my son's middle name is after him but I had to choose one. ====

**How might you use this tool in your classroom?**
====I think I am going to try and make my outlines available with Google Docs next year for my students. I have to work with it a little more though. I worry about the ability of my students to cheat and turn in other people's work as their own. I am going to really work and see if this is something I can properly use to enhance my classes. I do not want to just add technology just to add it but I do think this is a great tool. ====