Cooperative Learning

During the planning process of a Physical Education lesson, grouping patterns are important teaching strategies to consider. The teacher must consider homogenous and heterogenous grouping methods. These both provide positive effects in many important components of a lesson Students can trigger self-interest due to being grouped with others who share similar skills, learning styles or interest. The same can be said of heterogenous grouping. Students can trigger interest due to the different ways of thinking and/or interests. It is important that the grouping pattern is directly linked with the type of students that are in the class. When dealing with younger students, smaller groups should be strongly considered as it will maximize student participation and student interest. When dealing with older students, such as high school students, the groups can, accordingly, be bigger. We can begin to implement group leaders to lead the group and trigger cooperation among the entire group. 

Throughout the year, it is important to create a balance with the use of grouping patterns. For example, grouping patterns should line up with the content and student reaction to the teaching strategies and their progress. It is important that prior to grouping, the teacher should have an idea of who the students are; what their strengths are and their weaknesses. Then, the teacher can decide on a grouping patter accordingly. When grouping homogeneously in the Physical Education setting, it is important that students have already had experience with working with students of similar abilities and interests, as well as differences. Homogeneous grouping can use used during actives that require students working together to ensure student success. This kind of activities are often implemented towards the end of the school year. By this time, students have had unique experiences in learning and the students are ready to apply what they have learned in different ways. 

Prior to the end of the year, I believe it is important to group students heterogeneously. This is important because in the early stages of the year, students are just beginning to learn from the teacher, the students around them and how everyone interacts together. In these group pattern, students are grouped based on different skills, interests, and/or points of view. This grouping method is very power well during the early stages of the school year. In the Physical Education setting, it is important to build a positive environment where students are safe and they are not afraid of failure or to look silly because they cannot do a task. Building this environment sets the tone for the remainder of the year. Most importantly, students build perceived competence. They are the self belief that they can be successful. This environment can be built by using cooperatives and team building activities. It is a powerful opportunity for students to learn from each other, to make mistakes together, to have fun, and to build strong relationships. 

In the Physical Education setting, I believe that grouping can be effectively organized to maximize learning of all students. I have chosen visual-spatial, kinesthetic, and musical. It is important to keep in mind that in order to successfully group students accordingly, it is important to have an understanding of the student learning abilities. This can be done by implementing informal assessments, as well as through observation during a physical education activity. 

When working with the entire group in the physical education setting, the lesson can incorporate grouping based on many of Gardner's intelligences. For a given lesson, I prefer to use visual-spatial, kinesthetic, and music. These three intelligences are fundamentally influential in maximizing student learning and student success. For example, students are provided with visual demonstration, visual cues to understand and be able to perform the task. Students also have the opportunity to physically try it out this is the most important one as each student can try it out, with many repetitions.  Students are encouraged to continuously try as the more exposure and repetitions the student has, the more comfortable he will become within the task. Lastly, music plays an important part in the physical education setting that is often overlooked. Physical Education has a lot of movement involved. Music is very enjoyable and it brings a different dimension to the experience. The teacher can use music as a stop-start signal. Students can be encouraged to change intensity of movement based on the rhythm of the song. In retrospect, all three intelligences are incorporated in one lesson. A variation of this, is having students who can demonstrate, be grouped with those who need visual cues to learn to perform a task. This can take place in groups of 2 or 4. i prefer not to go beyond these numbers in order to maximize student participation. 

In the beginning of the lesson, I would introduce the tasks by verbally explaining them while demonstrating. Students have the opportunity to see and ask questions about each station. A supplementation for this, will be pictures, that will show the same task. (additional aid) . Then, students are formed in groups of 2 or 4. The first part, to randomly select groups. Then, though observation, to change the grouping heterogeneously. This method would perfectly group students who can be team leaders, and serve as facilitators who can demonstrate and aid those who are not able to perform the task yet. For the last part of the lesson, it is important to change the groups homogeneously. The purpose for doing so, is to group students thatch perform each task at the same level of intensity. For example, one group still needs more time to get comfortable with the exercises and routine. While others, might need to do each task at a higher tempo. Inside of the entire whole group, we have smaller groups that work within their own level of success. This maximizes each individual's success.

Each grouping pattern lays the foundation for success. Within each grouping pattern, lies guidelines that will help students be successful. The first grouping pattern, (whole), serves as the introduction. Within this interaction, the teacher asks students if they know how to do it. Some students may already be able to perform a task and by volunteering to demonstrate, other students might been willing to participate in this way. In the second grouping pattern, (groups of 2-4), students are heterogeneously grouped. This grouping will pose some challenges for the teacher and for the students. First, some students may be ahead of others. It is important to recognize this and be able to have one of these students serve as group leaders. They help their own group perform each task, they demonstrate and can also encourage the rest of the group. In the last group, students are grouped homogeneously. the last part will group students depending on how comfortable they are in each task. The purpose of the last part, will be to maintain a higher level of intensity. Students will have the option to increase or decrease the intensity; depending on how they feel feel comfortable. These grouping patters will help students meet their content area standards. Students will maintain a certain level of intensity while working in small groups. Inside this, students will also cooperate to maintain and achieve each task. Lastly, students will have an idea of the different exercises students can perform to improve their health related fitness.

Cooperative learning helps students engage in higher order thinking while maximizing participation. Within each station, students have the opportunity to work with students of different abilities and different ways of thinking. Students will work with students of the same level of ability; being able to perform a skill at certain level of intensity. It is important to understand the difference of incorporating the cooperative learning and a traditional Physical Education class. Differentiating allows cooperative learning to be far more effective. Within these parameters, students do not hide inside the entire group. In a bigger class, with the entire class involved in the same activity, students are less effective and the chances of success diminish dramatically.  In the Physical Education setting differentiating is a methodology I will implement to help my students maximize learning through maximum participation and higher chances of success.