Collaborative Learning Builds Deeper Understanding

Summary

The College Preparatory School in Oakland emphasizes collaborative learning to enhance student engagement and academic growth. Through group work in subjects like math and English, students are encouraged to rely on each other, build resilience, and develop critical thinking skills. Teachers guide students in respectful and interactive learning environments, fostering a culture of discussion, peer support, and intellectual risk-taking. The school’s approach, combining academic rigor with community values, aims to create a supportive and dynamic educational experience, preparing students for deeper scholarship and personal growth.

Takeaways

• 🤝 Collaborative learning is a key focus at the College Preparatory School, helping students grow academically and socially.
• 🔢 In math classes, students work in groups daily, seeking help from peers before turning to the teacher.
• 📚 English classes emphasize student-led round table discussions, which deepen understanding of the literature.
• 🏫 College Prep is recognized as one of the top private high schools, offering replicable and affordable educational practices.
• 🎓 The school was founded with a vision of fostering academic excellence and collaborative learning.
• 🧠 Group work helps students build resilience, test their own theories, and learn from one another.
• 📝 Math classes involve collaborative problem-solving, with more challenging in-class tasks requiring teamwork.
• 👥 Students appreciate group work for the easy access to peer support and the collaborative atmosphere.
• 🗣️ English discussions are structured with roles like scribes, moderators, and mappers to ensure full participation.
• 💬 The school culture values respect, individual growth, and creating a safe space for students to take academic risks.

Q & A

What is the primary teaching method used at College Preparatory School in Oakland?

The primary teaching method used at College Preparatory School is collaborative learning, where students work together in groups to solve problems and deepen their understanding of the material.

How does group work in math classes benefit students at College Prep?

In math classes, group work allows students to help each other, compare answers, and discuss problems before approaching the teacher. This fosters collaboration and helps students solve more complex problems together.

What is a key value emphasized in English classes at College Prep?

Respect is a key value emphasized in English classes, where students are encouraged to listen to each other and engage in discussions around a large oval table to promote equal participation.

How does group work in math classes differ between homework and classwork?

Homework problems are designed to be more straightforward, while classwork problems are harder and require students to collaborate more intensively to find solutions.

What role does resilience play in College Prep’s collaborative learning approach?

Resilience is cultivated through collaborative learning, as students must test their theories, rely on their peers, and develop problem-solving skills in a group setting, which strengthens their academic persistence.

How do teachers at College Prep facilitate effective group discussions in English classes?

Teachers facilitate discussions by setting guidelines, encouraging respect and listening, and assigning specific roles like the moderator, scribe, and discussion mapper to keep conversations focused and inclusive.

What techniques does Julie Anderson use to prepare students for class discussions?

Julie Anderson encourages students to take risks in discussions by creating a safe, respectful environment. She also starts classes with reflective moments to reduce anxiety and improve focus.

What are the three roles assigned during Harkness discussions in English classes?

The three roles are: the scribe, who takes notes on the conversation; the discussion mapper, who tracks who speaks and when; and the moderator, who ensures balanced participation and that topics are adequately covered.

What makes College Prep’s culture distinct according to Monique DeVane?

Monique DeVane highlights that College Prep’s distinct culture is built on respecting individuals, celebrating small victories, and embracing the entire learning experience, not just academic excellence.

How do students feel about collaborative learning and Harkness discussions?

Students appreciate collaborative learning and Harkness discussions because they promote deeper understanding, encourage active participation, and create opportunities for everyone to contribute to the conversation.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Collaborative Learning at College Prep School

Steve Chabon introduces College Preparatory School in Oakland, California, highlighting collaborative learning as a key teaching strategy. Students like Harrison and Maya share how working in groups enhances their learning in math and English, while David Markus describes College Prep as a top school with affordable and replicable practices. Monique DeVane reflects on the school's founding and vision, emphasizing the distinctiveness of their collaborative teaching methods. Group work fosters resilience and a deeper understanding through peer interaction.

05:00

🔢 Collaborative Problem-Solving in Math

Betsy Thomas explains the daily collaborative approach in College Prep's math classes. Students start by comparing homework answers, and when challenges arise, they address them together as a class. Aidan and Ethan express how group work facilitates problem-solving, with peers helping each other. The classwork problems are designed to be more complex than the homework, requiring group discussion before writing solutions. The focus is on communication, cooperation, and proactive learning through shared responsibility.

🌍 Hands-on Learning Outside the Classroom

Students at College Prep take their collaboration beyond the classroom, engaging in hands-on projects that further solidify teamwork. Ethan and Aidan describe outdoor activities where collaboration becomes essential, such as using a rope and chalk for compass and edge constructions. These practical exercises deepen their sense of working together towards a collective goal, further strengthening their bond and understanding of the material through active participation.

🗣️ Creating Safe Spaces for Open Discussions in English

Julie Anderson shares her approach to fostering a safe, respectful environment for open discussions in her English class. She encourages students to create their own values for the discussions, prioritizing respect, listening, and engagement. The Harkness method is introduced, where students moderate, scribe, and map out conversations to ensure balanced participation. Julie focuses on making students comfortable to take risks and collaborate freely, promoting rich, meaningful exchanges of ideas.

💬 Reflecting on Discussion-Based Learning

At the end of each discussion, Julie Anderson encourages students to reflect on their performance, evaluating the depth of their engagement and how well they facilitated each other's participation. Hannah, a student moderator, discusses the importance of ensuring everyone has a voice in the conversation. Julie collects feedback to chart progress in Harkness discussions, emphasizing the importance of creating an inclusive environment where students can learn from one another. She finds discussion-based teaching both challenging and rewarding, constantly evolving in her approach.

🏅 Building a Community of Respect and Learning

Monique DeVane concludes by reflecting on the core values of College Prep School. While academic rigor is a focus, the school's true distinction lies in its culture of respect and celebration of individual growth. Students experience a supportive environment that embraces all aspects of learning, from academic success to small victories. This nurturing atmosphere fosters a strong community where students feel valued and encouraged to thrive both intellectually and personally.

Keywords

💡Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning refers to a teaching approach where students work together in groups to solve problems, discuss concepts, and ask each other questions before turning to the teacher. In the video, it is emphasized as a core method at the College Preparatory School, where students in math and English work in teams to deepen their understanding and enhance problem-solving skills.

💡Resilience

Resilience in the context of the video refers to a student's ability to persist and adapt in the learning process, especially when faced with challenges. Group work helps students develop resilience by encouraging them to rely on peers, test their own theories, and learn from mistakes, thereby building a deeper level of scholarship.

💡Round Table Discussions

Round table discussions are a form of classroom interaction where students lead discussions about the books they read. In the video, this method is highlighted in English classes, where students take turns moderating discussions, encouraging participation from everyone, and engaging in deeper analysis of the literature.

💡Peer Support

Peer support is a key element of the collaborative learning environment at College Prep. It involves students helping each other when they are stuck, sharing knowledge, and working together on difficult problems. This support network helps foster a sense of community and shared learning responsibility.

💡Group Roles

In discussions at College Prep, students are assigned specific roles to ensure effective communication and collaboration. These include roles like scribe, who takes notes, the map maker, who tracks who is speaking, and the moderator, who guides the conversation. These roles help structure the discussion and ensure balanced participation.

💡Harkness Method

The Harkness method is a teaching style where students sit around a large oval table and engage in student-led discussions. In the video, this method is used to foster respectful and thoughtful conversations, encouraging students to listen to each other, share ideas, and build on each other's contributions in a collaborative setting.

💡Classroom Geography

Classroom geography refers to the physical arrangement of the classroom, which plays a role in facilitating collaborative learning. In the video, it is explained that ensuring students can see and make eye contact with one another is essential for creating a space where everyone feels included and comfortable participating in discussions.

💡Reflective Moments

Reflective moments are brief pauses in the class where students can clear their minds and focus. These moments, such as taking a deep breath or engaging in short writing exercises, help reduce anxiety and improve concentration, making students more engaged in subsequent discussions or activities.

💡Risk-Taking

Risk-taking in the context of the video refers to students being encouraged to share their ideas freely, even if they are not fully formed. This approach fosters a classroom environment where students feel safe to express their thoughts without fear of judgment, leading to richer, more dynamic conversations.

💡Academic Preparation

Academic preparation is the primary goal of College Prep, where students receive a rigorous education that prepares them for college and beyond. However, the video emphasizes that beyond academics, the school focuses on developing students' collaborative skills, respect for others, and a sense of community, which are equally important in their overall education.

Highlights

Collaborative learning is a central practice at College Preparatory School, fostering student growth through group interaction.

In math classes, students work in groups every day, encouraging peer-to-peer learning before seeking help from the teacher.

English classes use round-table discussions to deepen students' understanding of books by encouraging open dialogues.

The school prioritizes respect and listening during discussions, creating a safe environment for students to express ideas.

Collaborative group work helps students develop resilience and problem-solving skills by relying on peers as resources.

Students are taught to be proactive in group discussions, testing their theories with classmates and learning from feedback.

Math classes design classwork to be more challenging than homework, pushing students to collaborate and tackle harder problems.

The use of hands-on activities, like outdoor group work with compasses and chalk, strengthens students’ teamwork and practical skills.

Teachers foster a respectful, open environment by asking students to adjust their seating for better communication and engagement.

Reflection and mindfulness are incorporated into the classroom routine to reduce anxiety and improve student focus.

The English class employs various student roles, such as scribe, moderator, and mapmaker, to manage discussions and track participation.

Moderators ensure balanced discussions by encouraging quieter students to contribute and keeping conversations on track.

The school monitors the progression of class discussions using visual maps to evaluate how evenly students contribute.

Harkness discussions encourage self-reflection, allowing students to assess their performance and contributions after each discussion.

The school values respect for the individual and celebrates both academic and personal growth, creating a strong community culture.

Transcripts

>>Steve Chabon: Here at the College Preparatory School in Oakland,

California, collaborative learning is one

of the most important ways our students learn and grow.

>>Harrison: In math we work in groups every day,

asking each other questions before we ask the teacher.

>>Maya: In English, we lead our own round table discussions

to deepen our understanding of the books we read.

>>David Markus: College Prep is one of the top private high schools

in the country and a terrific model for collaborative learning.

The good news, their practices are both replicable and affordable.

Take a look at what they do for their students.

It may change what you decide to do for yours.

>>Monique DeVane: College Prep School is a fifty-two-year-old school.

It was founded by two women who had a strong vision of a place

where academics could really thrive.

>>The collaborative teaching and learning

that we do here is really distinctive.

Individual work can be a great way to master content,

but what the group work empowers and kind of

enables is a student's cultivation of a certain resilience.

How do you look to your neighbor as a resource,

how do you test your own theories, how do you understand if you're

on the right track or the wrong track?

The sort of habits of mind

that actually are the underpinnings of deeper scholarship.

>>Betsy Thomas: We have forty-five- minute classes

and the math classes meet every day.

The kids come in and they go over the homework

in their groups by comparing answers.

>>Boy: I got the square root of B squared plus A squared.

>>Betsy: And then if they're having no resolution,

like a problem was too hard for everybody, that's the signal that says

that we need to talk about a problem or two as a class.

>>Aidan: The thing I like most about the group work is how easy it is

to get help if you're stuck on a problem.

I mean, you can just ask one of your group-mates to help you

and everybody's really ready to lend a hand.

>>Boy: That's these two lines

and then we do the slope formula from zero to there.

>>Betsy: All right, here comes classwork, thirty.

The ones I care most about are one and two.

>>Girl: And then it says, draw the segment from AB to CD,

so we just connect those points.

>>Betsy: We designed the classwork problems to be harder

than the homework problems.

The homework problems tend to be more straightforward

and the classwork problems are much meatier.

And so in order for them to actually accomplish them,

they have to talk to each other.

>>Ethan: For harder problems, usually our group will work together

and we can usually come to a solution, just by putting

like little pieces of it together.

>>I got negative B over C for one and two.

>>I don't think it's negative B over C because it's--

>>Yeah, but there's this--

>>Betsy: The best groups talk

about the problems before they take pencil to paper.

You really tell, their faces are directed towards each other.

They are, you know, looking at each other's papers,

and they're learning so much more.

They're learning how to be proactive, they're learning how

to depend on their peers.

>>Girl: Today you will work as a team of surveyors,

putting to use your knowledge of basic compass

and straight edge constructions.

Your only tools will be a length of rope and a piece of chalk.

>>Ethan: I feel like when we work outside together,

it just kind of brings our group together a little bit more.

>>Aidan: You needed someone to hold the rope and someone

to move the chalk, and so it was just like the next step

in collaboration was working together to make one big end result.

>>Julie Anderson: What I do in my classroom is I try to make the kids feel

as comfortable and as safe to be able to take the risks

that will create a good conversation.

On the first day of class with the ninth grade,

I start by asking the students, "What are the values implicit in sitting

around this large, wooden, oval table?"

And they come up with a list on their own.

First and foremost is respect, and also listening

to each other, being courteous.

Having the right geography of the classroom, it's really important.

I always make sure before we start class, "Can you all see each other?

Can you make eye contact with your classmates?"

And if you can't, I have them adjust their chairs so that they can.

I always tell the kids, "Check your ego at the door.

Be willing to take risks and just have fun and just throw out idea.

And you throw something else out and it's not fully formed,

that's great because somebody else can jump in and build on an idea."

Another sort of easy trick I have is to start with a kind

of a reflective moment, a moment of silence

or just a little moment of writing.

>>Remembering you want to have your feet firmly planted on the floor.

Then the next thing you want to do is focus on the breath.

Aah. How was that.

>>You know, it only takes a couple minutes, but just having that moment

to let out the anxiety is great,

because it really can improve their concentration for the class,

so that they're able to have that kind of engaged conversation.

>>And if you guys need a little bit of extra--

>>What's important is to have a set of guidelines for the students.

>>In this conversation, we're going to have--

I'm going to have you guys write down the questions,

and then talk to each other about the conversation, about the book,

and I'm going to sort of step back and take notes.

And I'll do a little bit of guiding,

but you guys are going to talk to each other.

>>And there's three particular roles that students will fill.

One is the scribe role, where one student is taking notes

on the conversation, so that all the other students can be fully engaged

in the conversation that's happening.

Another role is a little map

where one student is monitoring who's speaking when

and they draw these sort of diagrams so that there's a visual map

of how the conversation is going.

>>The other thing I just want to point out since I'm showing these

to you is, would you say this is a good conversation?

>>Yes.

>>How about that?

>>No.

>>Julie: And then the third role is the moderator role.

>>Hannah: So I was the moderator and it was my job to make sure

that we didn't stay on one topic for too long or move too quickly.

It was also my job to make sure that everybody talked.

>>Okay, I think we should hear from someone who hasn't talked yet.

>>Boy: Thea, Caroline, Noah, Max.

>>Boy: Well, Athena's making him seem godlike, so I think he's just

like taking a gamble at establishing--

>>Hannah: When we're having a conversation, you really feel

like you're part of the conversation and not like, oh, you're sitting

in the back of class and you can't actually see the person

who's talking.

And also, it's a great way for people to exchange ideas back and forth

and sort of have everyone contribute.

>>Girl: Who do you think is the modern equivalent to Odysseus?

>>Boy: Tebow.

>>Julie: In addition to setting

up the conversation the first time around,

at the end of each Harkness discussion,

to sort of take a few minutes to sort of check in with the students

and ask, "Well, how did we do?"

>>How did you do?

How do you think that went?

>>Hannah: I liked that.

>>Girl: I mean, I feel like I learned a lot more when we discuss things

and we get deeper into it, so.

>>Julie: Great, Eli, how does it look?

>>And I like to keep those maps so that we can kind

of chart the progress in terms of Harkness discussions.

>>And those who talked not so much, right, maybe step in a little bit,

and if other people can help them,

because it really is a group effort, right?

Some people just need a little bit more help

and a little bit of space to do it.

So next time we do it, let's be mindful of that, but I think overall,

you guys did a really terrific job.

>>Teaching in this discussion-based way is really the most challenging

but also the most exciting form of teaching I know.

It never gets old, and honestly,

I feel like I still have a lot to learn about it.

>>Monique: I think the special sauce at College Prep is really

about the kind of community values that kids find when they come here.

They think they're coming for a first rate academic preparation,

and that certainly is the centerpiece of what we're doing,

but what I think makes us special and distinct is actually this culture

of respecting the individual, of celebrating the small victories,

of kind of enthusiastically embracing all parts of the learning experience.