reflection # 5

In the last lesson (constructivism lesson), we saw that the students were responsible for their own success. The teacher was simply a guide. Participation was the center of the constructivism theory. In this reflection, our role is to define the collaborative model as well as the cooperative model. Is there any relation between them? How they function? How they could be applied in our school? In the traditional education system, teachers were the only one that has the right to talk. Student could talk only if asked. Theory after theory, model after model, the process of learning evolves. Let us now, what is it the cooperative/collaborative learning? Both of them proceed from the constructivist theory where understanding was revealed and changed into concept by student. In any team, the coach cannot take the player’s place. It is simply a guide for them. It is exactly the same in the cooperative model. The teacher has the responsibility to maintain a propitious atmosphere in the classroom, so the students could continue to work in their group in order to fulfill the goal for that course. Teachers that working under this model, assign a particular question to the students who work in group, and provides them necessary tools to have a better understanding. Here is a sample question that a teacher could ask: What is Global Warning? Each group, after discussing on their own the question, has to present their result to the whole class for a final discussion.
Unlike the cooperative model, the teacher in the collaborative model comes up with any quantity, but would instead evaluate the progress of every group. The students also have the right to ask for additional materials like paper, video, suggestions, etc. if needed.
The collaborative teacher manifests a constant presence in the classroom while the group is working for any consultation .At the end, each group with the help would make a kind of evaluation in collaboration with the teacher. At this point, like the cooperation model, each group could decide to go back in work to have a better job.
In summary, both methods engage in a process of group activity. Some have a tendency to value the cooperative model because it is more structurally defined than the other one.