Module 4 Sutor

In chapter nine, it goes over Problem Solving.  I believe this is an important trait to have but never knew that this is one that could be taught.  I have met many people in the past that just did not have great problem solving skills.  These individuals were not able to effectively come up with a solution to their problems.  Most of the time the individuals could not think outside the box, Woolfolk states “People may miss out on a good solution because they fixate on conventional use for materials.  This difficulty is called functional fixedness.”(p.360)  In my experience great problem solvers move up the corporate later quickly because of their ability to find solutions quickly and effectively for situations that arise every day.  I enjoyed reading the guidelines for applying problem solving so that I can encourage my students to form problem-solving skills.

I believe that collaboration, group work and cooperative learning are important in the classroom, but I feel that at times they can be a negative if not done properly.  The goals of cooperative learning “are learning to collaborate and collaborating to learn” (p.399).  Woolfolk also goes into detail about setting up cooperative groups to achieve your teaching goal.  Most teachers follow this setup were students that are more tolerant are paired with others that are difficult to work with so that the cooperative learning goes smoothly.  While I understand this strategy and will most likely have to also pair my students this way, I can see how this may hinder the learning of the tolerant student.  After being paired with difficult students continually throughout the years, the tolerant student may have a negative view of collaboration, group work and cooperative learning.  Instead of experiencing how beneficial it can be for both their learning and their fellow classmates learning.  I feel that if a Jigsaw approach would be better choice in this situation.  I feel Jigsaw would be beneficial because “students have to learn and be tested on every piece of the larger puzzle, everyone’s contribution is important-the students truly are interdependent.” (p406)  I also feel that collaborative learning should not be assigned a grade.  This would help the student’s view cooperative learning in a positive light.  This way the students can focus on learning and not about getting a grade.