Hi

Hi, everybody I wish that you enjoy your time with your families .

Hi every body:
I am hussam
I wish you a happy stay with your families. It was really nice to meet you all. You became brothers and sisters. I would like to thank everyone I had met: Najeh( Abu Qutaybah), Suhad( Um William), Hazar( Um Nabeel), Abeer, Eman( Um Mo`men), Amer, Inas, Mohammad Kasasbeh, Nina, Najwa,Mohammad Uttmeh, Ashraf, Sawsan, Hala, maha and Ahmmad.Please, keep in touch.
If you think to call me, please, call me on
00962/776989104.
E-Mail: secret_vague@yahoo.com

I hope I can see you soon.
Your brother:
Hussam Mohammad Abu Sarris

Hand out

“Group Work” Works
Presented by: Hussam Abu Sarris
Goals:

1. What is the “group work works”?

2. Why does it work?

3. How does it work?

4. How can we do it?

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1. What is the “group work works”?

Various names have been given to this form of teaching, and there are some distinctions among these: cooperative learning, collaborative learning, collective learning, learning communities, peer teaching, peer learning, reciprocal learning, team learning, study circles, study groups, and work groups. But all in all, there are three general types of group work: informal learning groups, formal learning groups, and study teams

Informal learning groups are ad hoc temporary clustering of students within a single class session. Informal learning groups can be initiated, for example, by asking students to turn to a neighbor and spend two minutes discussing a question you have posed. You can also form groups of three to five to solve a problem or pose a question. You can organize informal groups at any time in a class of any size to check on students' understanding of the material, to give students an opportunity to apply what they are learning, or to provide a change of pace.

Formal learning groups are teams established to complete a specific task, such as perform a lab experiment, write a report, carry out a project, or prepare a position paper. These groups may complete their work in a single class session or over several weeks. Typically, students work together until the task is finished, and their project is graded.

2. Why does it work?

Students learn best when they are actively involved in the process. Researchers report that, regardless of the subject matter, students working in small groups tend to learn more of what is taught and retain it longer than when the same content is presented in other instructional formats. Students who work in collaborative groups also appear more satisfied with their classes. In group work, you can draw on each group member's knowledge and perspectives, frequently giving you a more well thought out paper at the end or a better understanding of the class material for exams, labs, etc.
You can also draw on people's different strengths. For example, you might be a great proofreader while someone else is much better at organizing papers.
Groups are great for motivation: they force you to be responsible to others and frequently, then, do more and better work on a project than you might when only responsible to yourself.
Group work helps keep you on task. It's harder to procrastinate when working with others.
Working in groups, especially writing texts together, mirrors working styles common outside school. In business, industry, and research organizations, collaborative work is the norm rather than the exception.
3. How does it work?

General Strategies:

1* Plan for each stage of group work.

2* Carefully explain to your class how the groups will operate and how students will be graded.

3* Give students the skills they need to succeed in groups

4* Create group tasks that require interdependence

5* Make the group work relevant

6* Create assignments that fit the students' skills and abilities

7* Assign group tasks that allow for a fair division of labor

8* Set up "competitions" among groups

9* Consider offering group test taking

10* Decide how the groups will be formed

11* Be conscious of group size.

12* Keep groups together
13* Help groups plan how to proceed

14* Regularly check in with the groups

15* Provide mechanisms for groups to deal with uncooperative members

16* Give students an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of their group.

17* Decide how to grade members of the group

4. How can we do it?

By making some activities.

References:


http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/collaborative.html


Connery, B. A. "Group Work and Collaborative Writing." Teaching at Davis, 1988, 14(1), 2-4. (Publication of the Teaching Resources Center, University of California at Davis)
Cooper, J. "Cooperative Learning and College Teaching: Tips from the Trenches." Teaching Professor, 1990, 4(5), 1-2.
Cooper, J., and Associates. Cooperative Learning and College Instruction. Long Beach: Institute for Teaching and Learning, California State University, 1990.
http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/group/pop1a.cfm