Technology and Cooperative Learning

Greetings!

Technology has become a big part of our world.  Technology is needed to be integrated into education.  The stakeholders who will be employing our students in the 21st century will be expecting students to be skilled in using technology.  These same stakeholders will be requiring all of their employees to be able to cooperatively work with others.  During these trying economic times, many schools are struggling to fund computers and or notebooks for their students.  As Americans, individualism is held in high esteem.  This highly valued characteristic may be counter intuitive for realm of the working world.  Collaboration is valued in today's work place.  Students need to practice skills that enable them to be productive and communicate with other people. 

Due to this high regard for individualism, the thought is to have a 1 to 1 ratio of student to technology.  Students do need a 1 to 1 ratio to computer when working on independent writings or projects.  Our economic crimping maybe to our students' benefit.  But the possibility exists, that students may actually benefit from sharing a computer and working collaboratively.  I have noticed that when each student has a computer they are just engaged with the computer.  When students share they become more interactive with each other and dialogue ensues.  Of course as with any cooperative learning in the classroom, guidelines will need to be set:

• The computer is to be used for the focused task. 
•  All students are to work together and dialogue should focus on the learning or task. 
•  Students will share the work and will take turns with hands on the computer.

In the study, referred to as "A Hole in the Wall", children taught themselves how to use a computer.

The interesting thing is these students did not individually learn.  These students were in groups.  I have a feeling that if just one child was presented with a computer they would learn, but not as much if he would have had a group of peers to share ideas and dialogue.  Watch and form your own opinion.