Week 4
Remember, just as students are learning new mathematics in this course, they are also learning how to work effectively in teams. It is important to communicate expectations to students clearly, to model the kinds of questions you hope to hear students asking each other, and to reinforce constructive team behaviors throughout the course.
Students will respond more positively to working in teams if they understand the importance of teamwork, so share the proven positive effects of collaborative learning with the class on a regular basis. Research-based benefits of teamwork include:
•Working in a team provides opportunities to see and discuss multiple approaches to problems.
• Encourage your children to study and take notes.
• Students experience greater learning gains when they have multiple opportunities to explain their thinking and discuss ideas.
• Interacting with others gives students the opportunity to become skilled collaborators, which will serve them well in many career paths.
Also, remember there are Lesson Math Casts for you to view when you prep for a lesson along with mentor support in the eBook. These resources along with the videos at cpm.org and through the eBooks provide several examples of effective teamwork in action. Consider showing some of these videos to your students so that they can see what effective team behavior looks like, and follow up with a class discussion about what they have observed. This will help to clarify expectations.
For more detailed information on Team Roles click here.