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mmm.8- Orono WeekIyT-mes, Wednesday, January 27, f993 Education program (Continued from page 1) operative smail group learning benefits students both academ- icaliy and socialiy. The academnic benefits presented at the meeting are as - The students learn better, they learn more, and they increase problemn soiving skills -The students develop their own understandings and are able to explore ideas at their own level of thinking -Communication skills devel- op threugh talking wiUi peers. -Student language becomes more elaborate in a peer ex- change -The students wili relate curriculum content te Uieir own life interests andl values TMe academie side is only one side of the benefits of co- operative smail group learning, it was stated. Tbe pers onal and social benefits are also important. Tbey are as follows: -The students develop a positive self-image and allows Uic students te lcarn about themscives -There becemes an active involvement in taking responsibility for Uicmslvcs and their learning -The students lcarn and practise co-operative skills -Positive attitudes towards others are developed -Stereotypes are broken as Uic students learn about their peers tbrough interaction. Brian Mack, a teacher at the Fines, bas incorporated co-op learning into several of the assigiments that he bas given bis students. He explains Uiat co-op learning is a tool. Traditional learning is stilI geing on within the class, but co-op lcarning is one element of leamning. Perbapa the most important part of smati group ce-eperative learning is Uic construction of the groups. Eacb group is carefuliy put together after looking at each student's individuai abilities. The students are then placed together on account of their abilities. Special needs students are placed wiUi Uiose students who would be receptive to these special needs. This also allows. for students to discover strengths and weak- nesses of other students. "If you are always working with your best friend," Mr. Mack explains, "you don't learn Uic strengths and weaknesses of others." 1This group selection process was a cause for concern among many of Uic parents. One parent raiscd the issue of Uic frecloading student. What happens wben that student docs flot do bis share of the work? Mr. Mack assurcd that the students could always feel frec to come to thc teacher should Uic problcmn arise. Another parent pointcd eut that this sort of situation cemes up in evcryday adult life. Dealing with it in school, will hclp a student learn to deal witb the problem cffcctivcly wben they arc faccd wiUi the same situation in later years. Another parent raiscd the question of thc marking systcm. Whcn a group assignment is bandcd in, the entire greup receives thc same mark regardiess of Uic efforts of the individuals within thc group. To this Mr. Mack explaincd that be bas devised a marking scheme that incorporates a point systcm for individual work and marks for work donc in the group. Individual tests arc also Letter to the Editor: - Dear Mr. Forrester warm volunteer gesture which patrons supported the group Last December three deserves speciai recognition. again i '92 and helped to make individuals (Bill and Anita 1 helped out one afternoon thc project possible. Thomas and Dave Binning) in this year wile Bozo thc Clown Thanks to the children who this community organized a new worked at bis other/real job. It had their pbotographs taken and fundraising to ail the venture and people in donated aillo u r the proceeds community to Big who made Brothers of donations to Newcastle. this projcct. T h i s The Big December, Brothers they again Association soid photos of Newcastle of children is indeed with Santa thankful for Claus at the the support Bowmanville they receive Mal. This ' ' from the year they community were also for ail their able to sectire w ' fundraisers a polaroïd throughout camera and the year. donate ilto Big Brothers. A total of was a pleasure to sec the joy on Sincercly, $1,552.75 was raised and the young children's faces. Nancy Scott presented to the Big Brother The Heritage bouse Executive Director ageny. his s a unelfi ad Retauantmanaemeg an ven Bathter ewaste - operative group educationai program. Some parents wcre flot satisficd wiUi Uis systcm, and it is possible Uiat this system is in need of improvement. Another concern was the construction of the groups themnselves. It was mentioncd that if a special necds student is placcd with a student that has a bighcr understanding and level of ability this could harm the academic process of both students. The students with Uic, higher understanding would not bc able to move along at a pace Uiat was fit for Uicm, and in fact, would be able to move along much more quickly on their own. The student witb the special needs, may in fact not be learning al that thcy necd to because Uiey are not lcarning by attacking their individudual problem. To this Mr. Mack explained that because of this factor co- operative group education is not possible ail the time. Assign- ments that incorporate co-op icarning must bc carcfully thought out. In math for cx- ample, a unit on arca may bc able to incorporate an lement of ce- op lcarning, where it woeld bc virtually impossible te, do the samne in a unit on measurement. There are still some jingcring conccrns about the idea of co- operative smail group learning. It appears bowever, that this is sure te beceme an integral part of education in Uie future. 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