Jakob Werdelin is a Danish teacher trainer and consultant specialising in cooperative learning, an approach which structures learning environments to improve academic outcomes and inculcate readiness for work and life in the 21st century. He designs tailored interventions and training programmes for schools, colleges and universities, charitable bodies, teaching schools, multi-academy trusts and international training providers. Jakob is the founder and director of UK-based Werdelin Education. Drew Howard is a Londoner who has a wide range of experience in a variety of school and college settings both in the UK and abroad. He was previously an acting head teacher and deputy and is currently Director of Primary Curriculum and Pedagogy at a multi-academy trust in Norfolk.
Forget everything you think you know about Cooperative Learning and
the silly prog/trad binaries which cloud the issue. This brilliant,
powerful book seeks to redefine what Cooperative Learning is and
*spoiler alert* it is not disorganised group work. This brilliant
book is a step by step manual, which any teacher from any phase can
pick up and be equipped with all the tools to get impactful
Cooperative Learning up and running in their classroom. Written in
an engaging, humorous, yet authoritative and knowledgeable way, it
defines the key concepts and explains the CLIP action steps which
can be used top transform learning in our schools. After the
theoretical and practical grounding of the first two chapters, each
chapter thereafter is like a stand alone unit, which can be dipped
into as and when required. What's more, the chapters cover a wide
range of subjects, from how Cooperative Learning links to
Rosenshine, getting your TA involved and the real life case study
of how a MAT embedded the approach. With a range of different
subject examples and useful summary boxes at the end of each
chapter for busy staff, this book will change education for the
better. The Beginner's Guide to Cooperative Learning sets out a
compelling case for how it can benefit not just all students, but
all staff and parents too. A must buy.Haili Hughes
In this thoughtful and useful book, Jakob and Drew clearly offer
the busy classroom teacher the 'how' of Cooperative Learning as
well as, importantly, the 'why'. I'm all for any strategy and
pedagogy that encourages children and young people to find their
learning voices. This book enables the thoughtful teacher to do
that with their classes. This will be a useful addition to any
novice or experiences teacher's CPD bookshelf.Hywel Roberts
Tackling the often misunderstood and poorly applied principles of
cooperative learning, this detailed and evidence-informed book sits
astride traditionalist and progressive dichotomies, and provides
proven step-by-step structures and strategies that have the
potential to enhance, and even transform your practice. An
essential guide for anyone interested in fostering interdependence,
accountability, participation and interaction within the
classroom.Jonathan Lear
Jakob Werdelin and Drew Howard have produced an excellent guide to
cooperative learning that provides teachers with a coherent
philosophy and a detailed structure for bringing it to life in the
classroom. Far beyond many teachers' view of 'group work', the
CLIPs concept is clearly defined with lots of examples. Most
importantly, the authors have pitched high, insisting that all
their suggested activities deliver the rigour required for PIES -
the four requirements of positive interdependence, individual
accountability, equal participation and simultaneous interaction
that ensure all children are participating, thinking and learning.
This is great to see. The authors' audacious claim that this is the
solution to everything might be hard to accept but nonetheless it's
an interesting challenge to explore and, as well as being practical
as a handy guide, this book makes an engaging and compelling case
for more cooperative learning in schools.Tom Sherrington
For those wishing to gain a real insight, into one of the reasons
that so many of the Northern European Countries have such
impressive education systems; this book should be essential
reading.What I gathered very quickly is that Cooperative Learning
is an incredibly simple (aren't the best ideas always thus) yet
incredibly powerful tool whereby pupils are carefully trained to
create curriculum, peer tutor/teach/assess and create resources. Eg
they do the hard work whilst learning content quicker, and at the
same time gather essential social skills.And....it is very low
cost.WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE.Stephen Chapman
This is the book for anyone who, like me, has been wondering just
how to connect subject content with the art of being human. If you
want great results and resilient capable young people who can hold
their own in a conversation, take responsibility and engage
intelligently with other people, this is the book for you. One of
the most fascinating things, I find, is the necessary intimate
connection between direct instruction from a capable teacher and
the social construction that processes and integrates what has been
taught through oracy and higher level thinking. This book does not
fit into the traditional or progressive category in any way shape
or form; like all good teaching it transcends simple lines in the
sand. So, don't let the title scare you if you are a
traditionalist. As a fan off Rosenshine you will not only enjoy the
dedicated chapter on him, viewed through the lens of Tom
Sherrington's neat streamlining, but you will recognise his
recommendations in the most unlikely places on every page of highly
child-centred learning.Catherine Brentnall
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