Chatting Up Kagan

Kagan Professional Development
Have you ever been to one of their workshops? I am going to one next week. 5 days all day long about cooperative learning strategies.

Just wondering if anyone went, and what they thought about it.

I am SO ENVIOUS!
I wish I could tell you that I've attended! I've only had a crash course in Kagan, though. I did feel like the entire thing was an "AHA!" moment - ! SO smart, SO clever, and SO "why didn't I think of that?"

Have fun and report back!

You'll love it!
I have been to two three day workshops and found them to be amazing. I use may of the structures and would go again if the workshop was going to be offered again in my area! You'll find ideas that help kids retain skills in a fun way!

Lucky YOU!!
There is nothing I love more than Kagan strategies! And, the workshops are a total BLAST!

One word of advice, dress comfortably and be ready to move and talk A LOT! They keep you hoppin'!!

Oh yeah - and be ready to spend some money. You'll want everything they have!!!

Will you please fill us in on the new strategies?? I haven't been to a workshop in a couple of years and I've been dying to know what the new structures are!

Have SO much fun!

I attended TWICE
I enjoyed the first session so much that when I was able to attend another week the following summer, I jumped at the chance. I loved learning the structures. I hope you enjoy it.

loved it
I have done Kagen and loved it.

Quote:

I will second that!

Just attended!
I just attended the 5 day workshop last week!!!! It was THE BEST workshop I have ever gone to. I agree with a PP that stated it is such an "Aha" moment, like why didn't I think of that?? I also agree to wear comfortable clothes because you will be moving a lot and don't get comfortable with your teacher friends either at a table because they will be moving you in groups with people you don't know. At first, I was sad because I thought I would sit with my buddies and chat, but then when I got to know my new team, we had a blast!

Please let me know who your trainers are...I hope you get one or both of the trainers I had because they were very upbeat and awesome at presenting!

Ditto
Ditto to everyone who has attended and loved it. I really enjoyed my workshop experience and find that using Kagan in the classroom is very easy! You'll love it!

I did the cooperative learning 2-day traing and it was a blast! I agree with what the PP said about not being able to sit with a friend... The atmospher is so much fun, that you'll get to know who you sit with and have a GREAT time. It's well worth the money!!!!

I love Kagan!!!!
I've been to the 5 day Cooperative Learning training, 2 Day Language Arts Kagan training, 1 day of Win Win Discipline, and 5 Day Train the Trainer. All of these have been in Orlando at the summer training. I am a Kagan school trainer. I do the SAMs club meetings once a month at my school. I'm also looking for teachers to trade ideas with. How anyone know how to get there own room on here? Like a Kagan or Cooperative Learning room?

You are going to love the training. It's a blast!!

I went to a two-day workshop. I like a lot of their ideas, and I purchased quite a few materials.

Beachteach, I am not sure how but that would be a great room to have.

Like others have already stated, Kagan strategies just make so much sense. The workshops were like no others I have ever been to. Hands on learning for sure. Thank goodness, my district jumped on the bandwagon my second year of teaching. It really changed how I did things and made teaching so much more fun for me. I wasn't just a little better at teaching after that workshop, I was a much better.

Great
I have been to several of the Kagan workshops. I have done 4 day Cooperative learning, 4 day Multiple Intelligences, 4 day Win win discipline, and a few refresher course also. I must say that I enjoyed each of them. The only one that I felt was more geared toward upper grade level students was the discipline one. but still had many useful ideas.

I have even had the chance to spend the day at a Kagan Model school in our area. Now that was very insightful. You get to see the processes in action.

I am sure you are going to get a lot from the workshop.

Kagan is the best!!!
I have attended 4 day cooperative learing and Multiple Intelligence training!! I love them, and can't believe that everyone hasn't gone and doesn't use it in their classrooms. It just really makes sense. I use the strategies all of the time now!!! I use some more than others, but am at the point now where I can really branch out and use more and more of the strategies each year. It will become second nature after awhile. You will absolutely love it. HAVE FUN!

DAY ONE Update!
OMG!!! It was so awesome! Yes...total Aha moments. When she explained the difference between cooperative learning and group work, I was like, "AH HA! That's exactly what I didn't like about what I thought WAS cooperative learning"

I left all my books at the school, but when I get them home, and I'm a bit more familiar with the terms they use, I will share some of what I learned.

I think just off the bat, the one thing I really found interesting was when she talked about the three classrooms, A B and C. A- being a traditional classroom, B -being a group work classroom and C -being a cooperative learning classroom.

She had us work in our group and put the three classrooms in order from most productive to least. My table agreed that it was C, A, B but I didn't think much else about it.

Then she talked about how Classroom B was the least productive, and that it is one of the biggest causes for declining grades. And that if you want to be a cooperative learning classroom, you really have to stick with the structures, or when you fall back, you end up falling back to Classroom C which is the worst of the 3. WOW....

I also thought it was interesting how much more the brain is stimulated and information is retained when you use their structures.

So many interesting things in just one day!! I can't wait to go back.

I really love the binder they gave us with all the structures, information, and research. Awesome.

I think a room for Kagan would be great! I'm sold after only one day!

BTW, you were right about the comfy clothes! We played Everyone's IT/ Freeze-Unfreeze, and balloon bounce!!

I love the idea of a room! Kagan is awesome and I use many of the strategies but would love some fresh takes on how to incorporate them differently into my lessons.

Today was my last day
Well, my Kagan class is over, but my new outlook on teaching in my classroom has just begun!

I love so many of the structures, that I can't wait to start working on them in my classroom:

Rally Robin
Rally Coach
Rally Table
Round Table
Round Table Consensus
Talking Chips
Timed Pair Share
Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up
Inside, Outside Circle
Numbered Heads Together

Geesh......I can't remember them all now, but I will try to get back on here once I get through my sons H.S. Graduation Party tomorrow.

I think the thing I like best about them is that they can be used in the classroom, without adding much to any time to your planning!! That rocks!

I mean even going so far as explaining how you should group your kids, and how to do it!!

Sun------sational!!!!

If anyone can tell me what PIES stands for, I'll do a cheer for ya!

Third Time Going
I'm going to Kagan workshop next week for the 3rd time. I need the reminder so that I can implement it better. We don't have much follow up and everyone gets bogged down and there's no one to bounce ideas off with. I hope a room gets started on here for Kagan too. I realized after my second trip to the workshop that new ideas are given depending on who your trainer is. So, I'm looking forward to this! Cheers.