•Group+Interdependence


 * McCracken, Patricia. (2005). Cooperative Learning as a Classroom Management Strategy, Momentum, v.36 no.4 (November/December) p.10-12. **

Patricia McCraken was a former teacher and is currently a principal with a master’s degree in elementary administration. This article in intended for educator of today, tomorrow, and in the future who want to squash the belief that education is about competition. Instead, cooperative learning will teach students to work together and feel good about their accomplishments and what they can contribute in a group setting. The author paints a picture of how group interdependence is needed when creating a classroom community, which is why this article was chosen. McCraken reminds us that a project cannot be completed unless everyone has contributed to their group goal. This article did not explain ‘positive’ interdependence when discussing this part of the group process; which will be something to look forward to if you read Making Cooperative Learning Work. The idea that children see learning as a competition really drove home how important cooperative learning is; instead of just walking the reader through the steps.


 * Johnson, David W., Johnson, Roger T. (1999). Making Cooperative Learning Work, Theory into Practice v.38 no.2 (Spring 1999) p.67-73. **

Both Professor David Johnson and Professor Roger Johnson work at the University of Minnesota where they co direct the Cooperative Learning Center. The intension of this article is meant for anyone looking to set up a harmonious cooperative group. A quote found in this article by John Atkinson solidifies how important group work is, “Achievement is a we thing, not a me thing, always the product of many hands and heads” (¶7Achivement). This article breaks down what positive interdependence is and how it is responsible for the overall outcome. This article is beneficial for our portion of the group process because it gives clear examples of what positive interdependent is and our role as the educator. In addition to educators, there are also tips for administrators and how they can implement cooperative learning with teachers and parents.


 * Johnson, David W., Johnson, Roger T., (2009)An Educational Psychology Success Story:Social Interdependence Theory and Cooperative Learning. Educational Researcher June 2009 Vol.38 no.5 365-379 **

These two professors are the same men who wrote the article sited on this space, Making Cooperative Learning Work. This article gives a brief history explaining the path cooperative learning has taken in order to get to where it is today. It names many important people who have played a part in the positive direction cooperative learning has taken since its failure in the 1940s. The first article only spoke of interdependence as a whole. The second article informs us what positive interdependence is and what it looks like. However, this article lets understand social interdependence, positive and negative interdependence, and no interdependence. It relates to our portion, group interdependence because it gives great examples of the different types of interdependence.

__**Willis, Judy. (2009). Cooperative Learning is a Brain Turn-On. Kagan Publishing & Professional Development.**__

Judy Willis received her masters of education degree in cooperative learning who also had a background in neurology that was used to explore the learning research being done through neuro-imaging and brain mapping. Willis found that cooperative learning fostered positive results through brain and neuro-chemical activity. Through her research, Willis found psychosocial benefits, “When students participate in engaging learning activities in well-designed, supportive cooperative groups, … their brain scans show facilitated passage of information from the intake areas into the memory storage regions of the brain” (Willis, 2009). Willis also discusses how cooperative learning is beneficial through reward-stimulated cooperative learning; increased participation; the stimulation of multiple brain regions; and also discusses what constitutes cooperative work. This article is beneficial for our group in that, it offers a different aspect of cooperative learning through studies of the brain. As educators knowing what triggers different chemicals in the brain can help us better understand our students. The more we understand them the more we are able to reach them.


 * Antil, Laurence R., Jenkins, Joseph R., Wayne, Susan K., Vadasy, Patricia F. (2003). How Cooperative Learning Works for Special Education and Remedial Students v. 69 no. 3 (2003) p. 279-292.**

The study presented in this article is a new analyses of an earlier study conducted by Antil, et al. In the earlier study 21 general education teachers participated in an interview discussing their use of cooperative learning. This article expands the research previously done with a focus on special and remedial students. Antil et. al. report, “The three most frequently cited benefits were…self-esteem, the security that comes from being part of a group, and higher success rates and/or better products” (Antil et. al. 2003). The article outlines many other benefits found through the interviews with these teachers including a sense of increased importance, better learning because cooperative group work can be an alternate way to learn, and most importantly cooperative learning with special and remedial students helps general education students become more compassionate toward students with different needs. This article is beneficial to my group because it gives first-hand accounts from both general education and special education teachers who have tried it. This article also gives details on how to overcome some of the obstacles that are faced when having cooperative learning groups in the classroom.


 * Gokhale, Anuradha A. (1995). Collaborative Learning Enhances Critical Thinking v. 7 no. 1 (1995).**

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of individual learning as opposed to collaborative learning. Based on the statistical findings of this study, it was found that critical thinking test scores of students who participated in collaborative learning performed significantly higher than those who studied by themselves. The study indicated that collaborative interactions among peers helped students learn from each other’s own experiences. The study also implies how teachers should facilitate learning instead of delivering solely factual information to students. The purpose of education is not only to have students gain knowledge but also to help students analyze and synthesize information when received. This article is beneficial to my group because of the statistical information being given along with ways to utilize the information given.