I received this book after a workshop and have been nothing but happy with it. Strangely enough my goal at my summative conference last year was to get my kids more engaged, so this workshop helped me to be able to do that because it was all about Dr. Kagan's strategies.
The book is full of helpful research, instructions for the strategies themselves as well as implementing them, and great reproducible to help with the implementation of Kagan's system. I can't wait to try it this coming year!
I keep coming back to this book for practice ideals.... mental stamina, clear reason. Whether you are a newbie or a veteran teacher looking to improve cooperative group work in your classroom, this is the book for you. I have a newer edition than this one, and secondary teachers might flip through the book thinking it looked too elementary in focus....it isn't. I'm a 9th grade science teacher and find that the protocols are right on point. While there may be a couple of things that I wouldn't use, the vast majority can be used as is, with a few things being modified in a secondary setting.
Cooperative Learning is a resource for all teachers to bring cooperative learning techniques into the classroom. It covers grouping in pairs and small groups to build a team learning spirit in the classroom. Cooperative Learning is more than grouping children together it is helping students learn to work together toward a common learning goal with each person doing their part in the project. This is a guide that has helped over the years and made cooperative learning part of my teaching in all of my classrooms as a wonderful reference.
While I have used some of Kagan's resources in the past, I was thrilled to be able to attend one of their workshops recently. This book was given out at the workshop. I can't wait to use all I learned.
I teach 4th grade at an all boys middle school. I recently had my class size nearly doubled (12-20!) and have been struggling with how to strike the perfect balance between quiet independent work and fun, hands on learning that allows this very rowdy class of boys to be boys.
My boss purchased this book for me and it has changed my classroom drastically. It gives ideas as to how to allow the boys to teach one another and shift my role from the sole knowledge provider and disciplinarian to coach/advisor. Excellent read!
While maybe slightly geared more towards elementary than secondary classrooms, this text has an abundance of insightful ideas and resources for cooperative learning in the classroom. I especially found useful the team-building strategies. It might be overly optimistic at times (is that the nature of elementary teaching?), but it is great- wish I had read it at the start of my career.
Contains revolutionary ideas about teaching and learning, yet not over-complicating things as to make it inaccessible. One of the best teaching philosophies out there.