Читать книгу Student Learning Communities - Нэнси Фрей - Страница 21

Student learning communities (SLCs) are driven by confident collaboration. The experiences and tasks that engage SLCs allow each individual to make meaning (Schlechty, 2011), and this individual meaning-making empowers every learner to engage in collective discourse with the rest of the learning community.

Meaning-making comes from learners doing three things: (1) developing cognitive representations of the content, concept, or idea; (2) finding patterns within the content, concept, or idea; and (3) invoking buy-in or interest (Medina, 2008). The opportunity to exchange dialogue with peers about the main idea of a particular text (developing representations), examine similarities and differences across pieces of text and how main ideas are presented (patterns), and engage in this learning using high-interest text (buy-in or interest) helps students to make meaning of their learning. Each of these components of meaning-making is enhanced when students have opportunities to use academic language.

Deep learning is often impossible without student talk, and high-quality student talk is not likely to happen without well-designed experiences and tasks that promote this kind of meaning-making. Therefore, teachers must ensure the tasks and experiences intended for student learning communities

 Mobilize the skills of individuals as they work collaboratively;

 Have the right level of challenge and capitalize on the value of productive failure;

 Are authentic and motivate learners by allowing them to see the value in the collective learning;

 Promote each team member's feelings of connectedness to the collaborative team; and

 Depend on the team leveraging the skills, expertise, and background knowledge of every individual.

A well-designed experience or task is what sets an SLC in motion. The critical question, of course, is how do you know the task is well-designed for collaboration?