Implementing Cooperative Learning and Mixed-Level Teaching

SECTION 3
CHAPTER 5-6
(IMPLEMENTING COOPERATIVE LEARNING and MIXED-LEVEL TEACHING : TIERED TASK AND BIAS TASK)

In this section, there are two articles that focus on two aspects of a language lessons, they are implementing cooperative learning and mixed-level teaching: Tiered task and Bias Task. Two kinds of articles have to understand by the teacher in order the teacher can implementing cooperative learning in teaching learning process. not only implementing cooperative learning but also mixed-level teaching: tiered task and bias task. Cooperative learning is more than just putting students in groups and giving them something to do in the class, but cooperative learning principles and technique are tools which teacher uses to encourage mutual helpfulness in the group and the active participation of all members. Cooperative learning also an effective strategy or method to make a student active in the class, they can share knowledge each other with they group and etc. except that, several advantages for cooperative learning are increased student talk, more varied talk, a more relaxed atmosphere, greater motivation, more negotiation of meaning, and increased amounts of comprehensible input (Liang, Mohan, and Early, 1998; Olsen & Kagan, 1992). In the planning stage of cooperative learning, there are many philosophical question to think about, such as whether to stress intrinsic or extrinsic motivation from the learners itself (Graves, 1990), how much choice to give students in such materials as how, about what, and with whom they will coliaborate, and how tightly to structure activities to help encourage effective cooperation (Sapon-Shevin & Schniedewind, 1991). All of those questions are important to plan before teaching learning process or before implementing cooperative learning in the class. Also, before implementing cooperative learning there are several have to think, they are how big should groups be ?, how should groups be formed?, when students are working their group, how can the teacher get the class’s attention?, how long should groups stay together?, how should groups be ended?, what percentage of the time should cooperative learning be used?,

When creating group in cooperative learning, according to Kagan (1992) each group should be two to four, in order the students more active and share each other. then to form group, there are many way, but I think should be teacher who form the group, because the teacher who know the characteristic and ability the student, so in a group there are many types of students, and encourages on-task behavior. So when students are working in their group, there are many way to the teacher to get attention on of them is the teacher raising a hand. When students see this, they are to raise their hands also, bring their discussion to a close, alert other students who have not seen the teacher’s raised hand, and face the teacher. if a student does not want to work in a group, the teacher should make some games in order students interesting in learning. Group games may encourage students to look forward to other group-learning activities. Many enjoyable games also teach academic and social skills. If some groups finish earlier than other, first that have to teacher do is check to see if the groups have done the assignment properly. So ask students to help other groups that not yet finished and groups that finish early can work on homework or other assignment. How long should groups stay together?. Keeping groups together for fairly long periods 4 to 8 weeks, give them a chance to become comfortable with one other, allows them to form a group identity and bond, and gives them the opportunity to learn how to overcome difficulties they have working together. And to end the meeting, all groups can end with statement by learners and the teacher not only about the content learned, but also about the learning process. then, percentage of the time should cooperative learning is no one suggests that the class be organized in cooperative groups all the time.

In teaching learning process there are aims to provide clear guidelines for teachers who form time, make their course book reading and listening materials more flexible. First by tiered task and second by Bias task in tiered task there are three kinds to make task, first top tier, second middle task and bottom tier. I think the best way to make task by tiered task, the teacher should use the second way its middle task or multiple choice, because it will make easy the students to answer also help the average students. And for Bias task, there are two kinds of task, for weaker students and for stronger students, but all of kinds of task it will be make difficult the student, because the answer to these two tasks are complementary, it would not be an efficient use of class time for the teacher to conduct post activity feedback with the whole class.

REFERENCE : Richards, Renandya. 2002 Methodology in Langauge Teaching. Cambridge University Press.