Cooperative Learning/Small Group Rubric

What are the benefits of cooperative and collaborative learning?

Benefits from small-group learning in a collaborative environment include:

	Celebration of diversity. Students learn to work with all types of people. During small-group interactions, they find many opportunities to reflect upon and reply to the diverse responses fellow learners bring to the questions raised. Small groups also allow students to add their perspectives to an issue based on their cultural differences. This exchange inevitably helps students to better understand other cultures and points of view.
	Acknowledgment of individual differences. When questions are raised, different students will have a variety of responses. Each of these can help the group create a product that reflects a wide range of perspectives and is thus more complete and comprehensive.
	Interpersonal development. Students learn to relate to their peers and other learners as they work together in group enterprises. This can be especially helpful for students who have difficulty with social skills. They can benefit from structured interactions with others.
	Actively involving students in learning. Each member has opportunities to contribute in small groups. Students are apt to take more ownership of their material and to think critically about related issues when they work as a team.
	More opportunities for personal feedback. Because there are more exchanges among students in small groups, your students receive more personal feedback about their ideas and responses. This feedback is often not possible in large-group instruction, in which one or two students exchange ideas and the rest of the class listens.

Beneficial, cooperative-learning situations are not easy to set up. In many situations, particularly those in which people must work together on a problem, conflicts prevent learning. As a result, cooperative learning requires teaching kids to work well with others by resolving these inevitable conflicts. In the next section, we will present specific techniques for dealing with group conflicts.

Your child will be assessed each week on their abilities to work in a small group setting. This assessment WILL be a part of their grade, and, their behavior section of their report card. The rubric used is attached below for you to reference at any time.

3^rdGrade Reading Small Group Participation Rubric

Student: ____________________ Assessor: Mrs. J. Kanefsky_ Date: _________________

Objective

Criteria

Points

	4 Exemplary	3 Accomplished	2 Developing	1 Beginning
Time Management	Student is never distracted and stays on task all of the time.	Student is rarely distracted and stays on task most of the time.	Student is occasionally distracted and stays on task some of the time.	Student is always distracted and hardly ever stays on task.	____
Level Of Engagement In Small Group Discussion	Student alwayshas something to contribute to his group discussion by sharing ideas, asking questions, or making plans.	Student usuallyhas something to contribute to his group discussion by sharing ideas, asking questions, or making plans.	Student rarelyhas something to contribute to his group discussion by sharing ideas, asking questions, or making plans.	Student neverhas something to contribute to his group discussion by sharing ideas, asking questions, or making plans.	____
Listening Skills	Student listens when others talk and incorporates or builds off of the ideas of others.	Student listenswhen others talk.	Student does not listen when others talk.	Student does not listen when others talk and often interrupts when others speak.	____
Behavior	Student almost never displays disruptive behavior during group meetings.	Student rarely displays disruptive behavior during group meetings.	Student occasionally displays disruptive behavior during group meetings.	Student almost always displays disruptive behavior during group meetings.	____
Teamwork/ Attitude	Student alwayshas a positive attitude about the task(s) and the work of others.	Student usuallyhas a positive attitude about the task(s) and the work of others.	Student sometimes has a positive attitude about the task(s) and the work of others.	Student neverhas a positive attitude about the task(s) and the work of others. Often makes fun of others’ work and has a negative attitude.	____
				Total---->	____

Comments:

Parent Signature:________________________________