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Cooperative learning involves a group of students working together to achieve a common goal. Some of the advantages of cooperative
learning are that students will be able to develop their social skills, participate actively in learning rather than being
passive, and develop a positive interdependence within the group. Few of the disadvantages we had discussed were the challenges
that a teacher may have in forming groups of students who will work well together. A suggestion of placing students in the
same group, who have common interests with each other, was recommended as one way to resolve this problem. Another disadvantage
raised was the challenge to motivate individuals who prefer working independently and not in groups. Teachers will need to
find ways to enhance learning for the diverse needs of their students. One way is to incorporate cooperative learning using
technology tools in their lesson plans. Some examples of technology tools that can be used are Yahoo!Briefcase, Moodle, Googlepages,
discussion forums, Google Docs.& Spreadsheet, and chats.
Yahoo!Briefcase is a tool set up for sharing files in cyberspace. Members of a group can have access to the files at
any time and at any place. One example given in a lesson plan was to designate two members, in a group of four, the responsibility
to gather data and place them in the files, while other two members collect the data from this same file and organize it to
make an analysis. Another tool, Google Docs.& Spreadsheet, can also be used in cooperative learning. A lesson plan of
which the objective is for members of a group to write one fictional story can benefit from this tool. This tool allows all
members the responsibility to edit the document as many times as needed. These shared jobs or responsibilities that are necessary
for achieving their goal, is called interdependence.
Teachers today are becoming more informed of what technology tool is appropriate for use of instructional games, simulations,
and simulation games. A teacher whose objective is to assist in the development of students who are challenged in math may
consider using math games, which many are free on the internet, as a way to help these students see math in a different perspective.
In regards to simulation games, a good tool that can be used in history or geography classes, where we all agreed that names
and dates are difficult to remember, is "Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?" With this tool, students play
the role of a detective tracking down a band of thieves. The detective will use several resources including problem-solving
skills, planning methods, and organizational skills to catch the thief. Many learners enjoy games and simulation games because
of the excitement of play and the pleasant, relaxed atmosphere it creates.
Manipulatives are objects that can be viewed and handled in a learning setting. Teachers can provide a "hands-on"
experience for students who struggle to grasp abstract concepts especially in math and science. There are many educational
technology tools that provide students to manipulate objects by the click or drag of the mouse. The tools that we have experienced
manipulating are Googlepages, in creating a web page, and Power Point, in making our presentations. These tools provide the
user a variety of choices to manipulate such as font style, color scheme, size of lettering, option to include an image, and
many more. Learners can have fun creating their own web page for a science project or using it as a scrapbook for a language
arts class. Another interesting manipulative tool that can be used in lesson plans is the software that allows users to draw
pictures with the mouse. An example of a lesson plan that includes this tool would be having the students draw a map of their
neighborhood and post it on their web page.
Other tools that are manipulatives are digital cameras and scanners. Digital cameras allow students to create their
own images or to capture what is needed for them to use in their documents, web pages, or even emails. Scanners are helpful
tools when existing images need to be transferred into digitized computer graphic files.
There are many technology tools that teachers can use to enhance student learning; tools that include instructional games,
simulations, simulation games, and manipulatives. As teachers, we will need to determine which tools are appropriate for
our lesson plan or instructional unit, whether the lesson involves cooperative learning or individual learning.
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