Collaborative Learning

Steven Johnson has some very good ideas about where good ideas come from. During his video presentation, he emphasized the word hunch. Everybody has a hunch sooner or later in life about all types of topics, but his ideas of developing good ideas from hunches made a lot of sense. Not one person in the world thinks exactly the same way that another does, but it's because of this that we are able to get hunches to develop new ideas about different things. I've been in multiple classroom settings where a teacher would direct us to problem solve a specific problem and then have us work in small groups with our peers and collaborate our differing ideas to come up with the best solution to the given problem. As a future teacher, I feel that this tactic is very beneficial within the classroom setting because it allows all students within the classroom an opportunity to actively participate to problem solve and to share their ideas. It also allows students to learn how to work efficiently and effectively within group settings.

All in all, group work within the classroom is a vital part of the learning process in my opinion. I believe initially working independently at first is also a crucial step in the learning process. Students should be given the opportunity to problem solve on their own initially and then come together in small groups to share ideas, doing so would lead to further ideas based upon what group members discuss. It provides the opportunities for individuals to see problems in a different light. Collaborative learning allows students to teach other students in a way and I believe that this belief is a positive learning experience for all parties involved.