Classroom Strategies that Work - Cooperative Grouping

It has been my experience that elementary teachers have been using cooperative grouping techniques for a while. Research indicates that with effective cooperative grouping, student achievement will grow 27%. According to Marzano, the groups should not be always based on ability, should consistent of small numbers of students, and not be overused. Best practice also indicates to use a variety of grouping such as informal groups (shoulder partner, think, pair, share), formal groups (literature circles, project based learning group), and base groups (homeroom, table group).

So just how can technology help with grouping students? To group students physically while in the classroom, you could use random group selectors. There are many online tools to use as selectors for groups. Check out this blog post to learn about those.

But what about in cyberspace? How can we group students there? Some technology tools that come to my mind are:

• Edmodo
• Blogs
• Wikis
• Google Docs
• Epals
• Flat Classroom Project
• Social Bookmarking
• Skype

For this post, I am going to focus on Edmodo and Skype. I have mentioned Edmodo before for effort and recognition. Edmodo is a secure social networking site for teachers and students that looks very similar to Facebook. Within the Edmodo account, teachers and students have a place to connect, collaborate, share, and discuss content. Edmodo gives you the flexibility to create classes and groups in a safe environment. If you haven't yet, I really encourage you to check it out. Remember, if you work in Gaston County Schools, we have our own Edmodo domain, just ask your ITF for the school code.

Skype allows you to connect with others either by text, video, or voice all by using the user friendly interface of their program and you can do these regardless of where the people are! Skype provides a free and easy way to really show your students that the world is flat. Imagine being able to show your students how to connect with other cultures, learn from other students, and truly expand their world. Please check out this great post on 50 Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom.

Are you using any of these tools for groups or do you have others that you want to share? Please leave a comment!