Why Call On One...Let's Call On All

I often think back on the years before implementing cooperative
learning into my classroom and think about the learning that was taking place. I, the teacher, was the biggest participant in the learning. I talked, the students listened! At the time I didn't see a problem with it. It's how I learned, it's the way my teachers taught me...it is what I knew!

I first got introduced to cooperative learning about four years ago. My principal at the time invited me and a few teachers to go to a Kagan Training, with the intention of bringing it back to the staff at Kingsley. I didn't know much about Kagan at the time, but after the first 10 minutes of the training, I knew I was IN! It was training where the participants really participate, we were involved and I was engaged! If adults were engaged, imagine what students would feel? 

Why Cooperative Learning?

As we began to implement Kagan at our school site we began to see students who were engaged in their learning. Students were having authentic discussions with their peers, they were buying into cooperative learning, and I was too! I immediately saw a change in instruction, I was no longer the main participant, or “sage on the stage”. Instead I became a facilitator of learning. I was able to empower my students and they were beginning to learn from one another. 

A couple of questions I get when people ask about cooperative learning are: What's the buy-in? Why drink the Kool-Aid? My response: Students are learning from their peers, facilitating their own learning, and having authentic discussions. Students are more skillfully sharing their own ideas and learning how to build on and even critique others' ideas. A shift in learning is happening and it's amazing to watch!

Cooperative Learning vs. Group Work

I am lucky enough to be in a position where I am able to walk classrooms as a Kagan coach. I get to see students and teachers using cooperative learning in so many engaging, amazing, and unique ways! The one thing we have discussed as a school site is the idea of PIES. We often talk about PIES is in place means cooperative learning is taking place, and without PIES, it's just group work. I like to ask the question, Where can you find PIES in your lesson? It's a quick check to make sure cooperative learning is happening. 

There is a lot to Kagan, and I think it's a big switch when people first start taking on the idea of incorporating cooperative learning into their classroom. It's NOT just Kagan structures, and I think the best place to start is with PIES. When we truly understand PIES and how PIES makes cooperative learning successful we can see a difference in our classroom!

So, I’ll often hear, “What is the big deal with Kagan? I already have kids work in small groups and turn to talk with their partner.” For me, this boils down to one simple four-letter word -- pies. PIES is actually an acronym used as a lens to distinguish between just group work and cooperative learning. PIES stands for: Positive Interdependence, Individual Accountability, Equal Participation, and Simultaneous Interaction.  

Starting with Positive Interdependence, ask yourself, "Are students on the same side? Does the task require students to work together and independently? A few ways to help incorporate Positive Interdependence into the classroom is by creating shared team goals, assigning each teammate a role, having one student from the team share the answers or project, or dividing the materials among teammates. 

For Individual Accountability, the guiding question boils down to, "Is individual public performance required?" Students should show or turn in their own answers if they are working on a shared writing task where you want to ensure everyone is contributing, you can have each student use a different color marker as a quick visual of what each student has contributed, and you can always use random selection to have students share or demonstrate their knowledge. 

Equal Participation is exactly what it sounds like. "Is participation approximately equal?" A few ways we can ensure students participate equally is by using turn-taking structures, providing students sufficient think time. This strategy allows for all students to have time to think of an answer and use a turn-taking timer to ensure sharing for an equal amount of time. 

The last part of PIES is Simultaneous Interaction. "What percent of students are overtly interacting at once?" To integrate this into your classroom you might have students share with a partner instead of calling on one student, have teams present to each other, use response boards so all students can share their responses, and use team and paired work frequently.

Where to Start?

When it comes to recommending a place to start, I always suggest Round Robin or Rally Robin. These robins will help eliminate calling on one student and give students an opportunity to think and share with a peer before having to respond to the whole group. 

Don't be afraid to start something new! Will it take time? YES! Will it be worth it? Of course! Go into it slowly. Take your time. Get your students great at a few structures and then add a few more. Just remember, why call on ONE student, when we can call on ALL students?

Why not call on ALL?