COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN THE KINDERGARTEN

Abstract

Because democratization and access to knowledge, the teacher is an organizer, a guide to learning, offering preschool to the traditional "transmission of knowledge" real "learning experience". This can be achieved but only in an inclusive kindergarten, who can respond to a large diversity of children, a garden where everyone participates and is treated as equally important. Collaborative learning methods provide a solution this new challenge inclusive research demonstrating that collaborative methods and techniques can enhance positive attitudes towards learning, school performance and self-esteem of preschoolers, promoting positive interaction and mutual support between children. Collaborative Learning: Education - is a way that is based on the capitalization of collaboration within a group; -is a teaching tool for group work, communication and collaboration; -is used when there is a real interdependence among group members in a task, a sense of responsibility to the group and its goals; -is based on discussions between the participants and the active work through teaching material [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Headnote

Abstract: Because democratization and access to knowledge, the teacher is an organizer, a guide to learning, offering preschool to the traditional "transmission of knowledge" real "learning experience". This can be achieved but only in an inclusive kindergarten, who can respond to a large diversity of children, a garden where everyone participates and is treated as equally important.

Collaborative learning methods provide a solution this new challenge inclusive research demonstrating that collaborative methods and techniques can enhance positive attitudes towards learning, school performance and self-esteem of preschoolers, promoting positive interaction and mutual support between children.

Collaborative Learning:

Education - is a way that is based on the capitalization of collaboration within a group;

-is a teaching tool for group work, communication and collaboration;

-is used when there is a real interdependence among group members in a task, a sense of responsibility to the group and its goals;

-is based on discussions between the participants and the active work through teaching material

Keywords: Collaborative learning, methods, small group skills, cooperation, communication.

WHAT is collaborative learning?

"Tomorrow's illiterate will not be the one who cannot read, but who has not learned to learn" (Herbet Gerjuooy, A.Toffler).

Romanian education are facing increasingly complex, which requires new thinking, new ideas, new information and of course, a new way of learning. One of the themes addressed by theorists and practitioners often represents collaborative learning education.

Collaborative Learning is a structured, systematic instructional strategy in which small groups work together to achieve a common goal. Collaborative premise is that, individuals who work in teams are able to apply and synthesize knowledge in varied and complex ways, while learning more thoroughly than for individual work" (Oprea, branches, Läcrämioara, 2003).

There were various "names to illustrate collaborative work, learning in groups, such as cooperative learning, collective learning, community learning, peer learning, learning, study group, study circle.

Cooperation (cooperation, work with someone), involves collaboration (active participation in an operation based on the exchange of proposals, ideas). Although the two terms are synonymous, we can make some distinctions of meaning, understanding collaborative "form of relationship between students, which consists in solving problems of mutual interest in which each contribute actively and effectively" (Handrabura, Loretta, 2003) and cooperative "form of learning, study, interaction, interpersonal / intergroup variable duration resulting from the interaction of agents involved influetärile" (Handrabura, Loretta, 2003).

Collaborative learning requires joint action of several people (children and teachers) to achieve common goals through the influence enjoyed by everyone involved. "The collaboration is focused on the tasks involved relations and cooperation in the process of achieving pregnancy." (Oprea, branches, Läcrämioara, 2006) It can be said that "integrates collaborative learning cooperative learning." (Oprea, twig-Läcrämioara, 2006).

The ELEMENTS of collaborative learning:

In 1994 Robert and Davis Johnson identified five necessary components of collaborative learning that emphasizes the difference between students working in small groups and those working in effective collaborative learning groups. These items are listed and defined as follows:

Positive interdependence - the efforts of each member of the group is necessary and indispensable to succeed. Group members must rely on others to meet their goals, each with two responsibilities: to make a unique contribution to the common efforts because resources or responsibilities derived from the task and to ensure that every child in the group will benefit from this contribution.

Face to face interaction - each group member through direct interaction promotes the success of others in completing tasks through Cooperation. Much of the information should be discussed interactively. These direct interpersonal exchanges are vital to help children to support, encourage, praise, and stimulate each other.

Individual responsibility - each group member is responsible for his work and tasks of the position held. Children need to know that they cooperative learning strategies is one way that only some do all the work. Children who do not get credit help. Individual children can be empowered by several methods such as oral examination random children, observing and recording the individual contribution of each group, etc.

Interpersonal and small group skills - direct teaching interpersonal and small group skills necessary for effective participation in cooperative learning groups. Among the skills that children need to work successfully in small groups are: confidence, ability to lead, decision making, communication skills and conflict management situations.

Processing group - it is essential that group members discuss how well the group so that they can make pointer and improvements. The Group assesses how well her job and how effective were the members of the group worked.

OBJECTIVES cooperative learning

- Values the intellectual and verbal exchanges, enhance information processing and relies on an approach to learning that takes into account the opinions of others.

- Teamwork is an intellectual stimulus and trigger the exchange of views and information.

- Fosters the exchange of ideas and discussion, that the conditions that contribute to the education of critical thinking, objectivity and reflexiunii speech.

- Critical analysis of solutions issued to participants develop selfassessment skills.

- Encourage the students an open attitude based on personal initiatives.

- Favors intense involvement of students in solving learning tasks

- Sociability, accommodating the different roles and abilities of disciplined behavior, organizational skills, initiative, the formation and stabilization of personality traits.

- Contribute to conflict resolution based on mutual respect and leads to the formation of autonomous moral opposition heteronomous morality.

STEPS cooperative learning

- The first stage envisages the establishment of the working group. Group members must have certain qualities: be tolerant of the views of colleagues, to have the best communication skills, do not be selfish, give and receive help, etc..

- The second stage is reflected when participants are faced with the situation resolved and are encouraged to work together to solve it.

- The third step is for reflection, incubation and exploratory.

- The fourth stage is reserved for collective debate, when confronted ideas are analyzed errors and strengths.

- The fifth stage relates to the structuring steps to end debate and conclusions obtained with the matter.

Why Use collaborative learning in kindergarten?

Learning cannot be designed in the current context, without collaboration: Children 3-4 can work in a group, 16 to 20 children in a group, but can work and children at kindergartens and different joint projects. Determination of preschool children to work in teams is a wellknown technique to promote active learning and a preparation for school integration, knowing that the ability to work together has become the preserve of the new educational reforms.

For this reason, all learning activities should not be explanations boring, but role playing games, simulation, story problems "cut" of everyday life. At any time during the child is involved in an activity with a clear task and always his participation aimed at finding a solution to award a merit for his efforts. Children should be taught to work in small teams.

How are the kids?

* help each other to learn and share their ideas;

* sit near each other, explaining what I know of others, discussing every aspect of the topic that you have to solve together, learn from each other;

* Children should be able to:

* provide leadership group;

* coordinate communication;

* establish a climate of trust;

* make decisions;

* mediate conflicts;

* be motivated and act as required educator.

What does the teacher?

* Arrange classroom furniture properly. Ideal is to form groups of four, arranged on both sides of a small table;

* Establish criteria group (gender, friends, the skills in a particular area, the number, different games, etc..) And group size (2 to 6 children);

* Establish business rules (speaking in turn, attack the person but not his opinion, consult among themselves, not monopolize the discussion, do not solve one task, working with different colors, etc..)

* Explain clearly the objectives of the activity, specify the time you have kids available.

Advantages and disadvantages of collaborative learning

ADVANTAGES

-occurring ideas and more good;

-children learn from one another, not only from the teacher;

-encourage contribution personal;

-intervention assessment diversity;

-child coming into contact with other opinions than his own;

-helps the child to accept change and cooperation;

-to carry out development social

-develop some relationships interpersonal;

-evaluation seeks aid immediately;

DISADVANTAGES

-imposition of teamwork fails to integrate shy children and those with major communication weaknesses

-productivity of children may decrease;

-the teacher faces the need to compromise between efficiency and performance;

-requires more time;

-some children may dominate the group; may lose sight of the endpoint, learning, paying close attention intra-group relations.

CONCLUSIONS

Modern Nursery promotes collaborative learning as a higher form of psychosocial interaction based on mutual support, the tolerance on the part of all effort, directed towards the same goal. Approach to achieve the tasks is achieved by collaboration. It shared the view that all can provide valuable alternatives to solve the problem if you are helped. Collaborative learning helps children learn by cultivating deeper relationships based on mutual respect and constructive cooperation. It is also a method of teaching and learning in which preschoolers working together, sometimes in pairs, sometimes in small groups to solve one and the same problem, to explore a new theme or launch new ideas, new combinations or even genuine innovations.

Collaborative learning can reach every teacher, provided that, at the stage of design activities aimed appropriate topics and to provide children suitable materials.

Working primarily means a gain in terms of interaction between preschool generating feelings of acceptance and sympathy. Far from conflicts, it establishes good understanding, harmony and stimulates behavior to facilitate the success of others.

References

REFERENCES

Batista, J., Boca, C, Flueras, V., (2008), New milestones of early childhood education in kindergarten, Education 2000 +, Bucharest.

Bernal, S.E., (2003), Effective learning technique, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj University Press.

Nueras, V., (2005), Theory and practice of cooperative learning, ClujNapoca, Publishing House Book of Science.

Glava, A., Glava, C, (2002), Introduction to preschool pedagogy, ClujNapoca, Dacia Publishing Series Educational Dacia.

Peretti, A., Legrand, J.A., Boniface, J., (2001), Communication techniques, Ia§i, Polirom.

Steele, J., Meredith, K. and Temple, C, (1998), Cooperative Learning Guide, no. V, The "Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking";

Temple, C, (2001), Critical thinking cross-curricular approach, Open Society Institute - New York, RWCT project.