A model focuses on three levels of observable behaviors that are essential for teachers to demonstrate in small-group learning situations: (1) teacher and student questioning; (2) teacher and student interaction; and (3) teacher monitoring. Five figures are provided for recording observations. (18 references) (MLF)

A reading comprehension program was developed and implemented that addressed the needs of sixth-grade students. The program focused on critical thinking skills using a teamwork approach. Each heterogeneous small group used a checklist composed of before, during, and after reading questions and activities. At the conclusion of the 12-week…

This document describes a program that was developed and implemented to expand the cultural awareness of fourth grade students. The report describes a multicultural education curriculum that focused on African American and Hispanic history, literature, inventions, ethnographies, and biographies. Research based cooperative learning strategies were…

The learning contract is the ideal way to enable the teacher to raise levels of expectation, to provide individual attention, and to personalize the educational experience. Includes a sample contract and suggested practices for the use of a learning contract. (15 references) (MLF)

This report describes a program that was designed to identify and modify disruptive student behavior and improve academic performance. The targeted fifth grade class had been noted for inappropriate behavior and sporadic academic success, with problems documented by teacher observation surveys and self-reporting by students. Probable causes…

This report describes a program for motivating reluctant writers. The targeted population consisted of one fourth-grade and four fifth-grade classrooms in three elementary schools. All three schools were located in the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. The problems of reluctant writers were documented with timed writing samples, student and…

This report describes a classroom intervention for improving the social skills of fourth-grade students in an urban school. Children in the school were exhibiting poor social skills, as evidenced by lapses in self-discipline and by incidences of inappropriate behavior as noted by teacher observation and anecdotal records. After examining the…

This paper, organized into three sections, describes the development, implementation, and supervisory aspects of a cooperative learning program in a typical fifth-grade classroom. Discussed from the teacher's point of view, section 1 addresses: (1) development of teams; (2) social skills development; (3) teammate interdependence, heterogeneous…

This paper addresses the controversy regarding the use of cooperative learning with gifted elementary students, by means of participant observation methodology. The study had three segments: (1) observation of fourth through sixth grade gifted students working in cooperative groups at a pullout site; (2) interviews with students to assess student…

A study of 786 fourth-grade students (229 gifted and 557 nongifted) assessed the effects of both heterogeneous and homogeneous grouping in cooperative learning settings on the performance of gifted and nongifted students. Results found that gifted fourth-grade students experienced no adverse effects as a result of interacting with nongifted…

Low self-esteem frequently impedes students' academic achievement. By incorporating different learning and teaching strategies, this practicum attempted to build self-esteem for fifth grade students who exhibited low self-esteem. Participants were selected based on their attendance, academic achievement, and/or behavior. The writer incorporated…

This document presents the second year evaluation of the CAI/Cooperative Learning Project. The purpose of this project is to develop a national model for integrating computer-assisted instruction (CAI) through an integrated learning system. The project is a collaborative effort by two Pennsylvania school districts, Hatboro-Horsham and Pittston…

This document presents the third year evaluation of the CAI/Cooperative Learning Project. The purpose of this project is to develop a national model for integrating computer-assisted instruction (CAI) through an integrated learning system. The project is a collaborative effort by two Pennsylvania school districts, Hatboro-Horsham and Pittston…

The Practitioner Center, an innovation which provides a vehicle for a transactional approach to teacher growth and professional development, incorporates the concept of peer leadership with "teachers teaching teachers" and teachers acting as coaches. The organizers of the practitioner center decided on a 5-part format which is covered in…

This report presents a first year evaluation of the Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI)/ Cooperative Learning Project, a 3-year collaborative effort by two Pennsylvania school districts--the Pittston Area School District and the Hatboro-Horsham School District--and Research for Better Schools (RBS). The project proposed to integrate advanced…