Kagan Online Magazine - Summer 2012
Kagan Online Magazine, Summer 2012, Issue #46
Articles
Spencer's Thinkpad
Overcoming Resistance to Kagan Structures for Engagement
Change can be great, but it can also be daunting. Change sometimes breeds fear. And that fear is oftentimes unfounded. Dr. Kagan responds to fears such as: "I fear students will get off task." "I fear this is not appropriate for my students." "I fear it'll be too hard." Whether you or someone you know is afraid to take the leap, we encourage you to read Dr. Kagan's responses. Hopefully, this article will help tip the scales toward making the change—it's worth it!
Featured Structure
Carousel Feedback
Learning isn't over when the team project is. Some of the best learning has just begun! Use Carousel Feedback to have students view and respond to other teams' projects.
Teacher & Training Tips
The Essential Role of the Recorder
Take a closer look at this important role on the student team and how to use it to engage all students.
Training Opportunities
Join Us For Kagan's 26th Annual Summer Academy!
Kagan's premier training event of the year is coming soon. We hope to see you real soon!
New Products
SwitchBoard 8-Pack
Check out Kagan's brand-spanking new write-n-wipe pouch. Comes with switchable inserts so you get eight dry erase boards in one.
Tech Tips
Organize Your Life with Wunderlist
Get organized! This free program is Kagan's top pick for personal productivity. See why.
A+ Anecdotes
Nothing Wasted
Teaching by the seat of your pants can result in creative lessons. However, spontaneity can lead to some embarrassing situations. Read about this impromptu demo that turned Dr. Kagan's cheeks a little red.
Learning to Laugh
Fun with Puns
What Participants Are Saying
Hear what educators across the country are saying about Kagan trainers and recent Kagan workshops.
Special Article 1
An Interview with Laurie Kagan for Liwa Times in the United Arab Emirates
The Liwa school in the UAE is in route to becoming a Kagan Model School. At a recent visit, Laurie Kagan was interviewed for the Liwa Times. She responds to a range of questions about Kagan: Structures, theory, mission, books, and more.
Special Article 2
The Rigor/Relevance Framework: Where Kagan Structures Fit In
Whether you've heard the educational buzzwords, "Rigor and Relevance" and want to learn what it is or are implementing this framework as a school and want to know where Kagan fits in—this article is for you. The article recommends Kagan Structures to make learning more rigorous and more relevant for students.
Special Article 3
Santa Elena Primary – Blazing a New Trail in Education
Vice Principal Debby Reneau has been a driving force behind transforming her school using Kagan Structures. Debby shares her story and her hopes of spreading the good word throughout Belize.
Special Article 4
Seeing is Belize-ing
The Introduction of Kagan In Belize
Belize's Minister of Education shares his thoughts on Kagan Cooperative Learning after observing Kagan Structures in action.
Special Article 5
Kagan Structures Revolutionize Saudi Arabian School
Al-Andalus school in Saudi Arabia implements Kagan Structures with an immediate positive impact on student motivation and learning. Hear teachers' reactions to this new way of learning.
Letter from the Editor
What can we learn from Harvard? A lot!
When you think of the most prestigious university, what name comes to mind? For me, it's Harvard. My mind draws up the image of ivy covered buildings. But I'm not alone. Harvard is consistently rated as the top university in the country. The same is true with their Business School. In 2012, U.S. News ranked Harvard University as the #1 M.B.A. program out of 441 programs surveyed.
Maybe that's no surprise seeing that Harvard Business School pops out industry and government leaders like a factory. Take a look at this impressive list: Former CEO of eBay and HP Meg Whitman, former Governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney, U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg—all Harvard Business School graduates.
Harvard is the cream of the crop. They rise to the top. What is the secret to their success?
I came across a TV show called, Inside Harvard Business School. As an educator, I felt compelled to see what they were doing to be so successful. The show started out with a speech by Dean Jay Light, welcoming new students. It went something like this: "Individually you can be very good. Collectively, you can be great. That's really what the next 2 years are all about. And that's what the secret to success is at the Harvard Business School."
Hey wait a minute, I thought. Collectively? Is he talking about cooperation? Collaboration? Teamwork? Is he really saying that working together is the secret to their success? Working alone is good, but working together is better? Team learning is central to Kagan's approach, so I tuned in with laser focus.
The host continues, "Teamwork is the core of the HBS philosophy." Bingo! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Yes, indeed, they're touting the importance of teamwork. They've arrived at the same conclusion we have here at Kagan: Teamwork is the key to success! Well, I guess the expression is true: Bright minds do think alike!
Dean Light states that the program is a lot of hard work. It's like drinking from a fire hose. Students have more than 24 hours worth of work every 24 hours. Sound academically rigorous? For sure. Sound intimidating? Absolutely. Teamwork is their secret to academic success and it's their secret for overcoming this intense apprehension about the demanding program.
You've probably heard the orientation cliché: Look to your right. Look to your left. One in three of you will not make it to graduation. That's a pretty dismal picture when the people on both sides of you have impeccable credentials. With good reason, students are apprehensive and intimidated. Their anxiety level is through the roof.
So at orientation, before students even go to their first classes, they are assigned to six- or seven-person Learning Teams they'll work with for the entire year. They do teambuilding activities that look like they could be right out of our Teambuilding book: They throw a rubber ball to get to know one another (looks like Turn Toss to me!). They play with Legos (looks like a Team Project to me!). Through the teambuilding process, they get to know, like, and trust each other. One student states, "The Learning Team is kinda like family." In their Learning Teams, students find a social support system. They form bonds that often last a lifetime.
It's fascinating that Harvard, this paradigm of higher learning, spends an entire day doing teambuilding. They have an enormous amount of curriculum to cover. We sometimes hear resistant teachers dismiss teambuilding as silly fun and games; they claim it is a waste of valuable time. Well, if Harvard students who are paying upwards of $160,000 dollars for this 2-year program see the value of teambuilding, perhaps our third graders can afford it too.
But the Learning Teams are not merely a social network. They are a forum for higher learning. In their Learning Teams, students get to engage with the curriculum and each other in a completely different way than in lectures. Harvard cites these academic advantages of their Learning Teams approach:
"Learning Teams serve as important 'proving grounds' for sharing ideas, raising questions, and introducing issues inspired by the cases. Team members challenge, encourage, and above all, listen to each other. Their regular discussions help members deepen their analyses, improve their communication skills, and enhance their capacity for effective teamwork."
Cooperative teams create a safe learning environment where students can thrive. Further, the interactions with teammates over the curriculum create greater depth, understanding, and retention. Engagement deepens learning.
Certainly, it is reaffirming to witness such a venerable institution laud the the power of teamwork. But this is no secret for us here at Kagan. We've seen the research. We've seen the transformations schools have made. We've seen the tremendous impact on students.
You don't have to go to Harvard to learn the secret to success. You can come to a Kagan workshop and we'll be happy to share the secret with you!
Miguel Kagan
Miguel Kagan, Editor
Kagan Online Magazine
Kagan Publishing & Professional Development
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