Group settings in the classroom . Is it beneficial?

I love grouping kids so much that I replaced my desks with tables. Best thing in the world. Cooperative learning is the way to go!! Now only if the government would do the same. Instead of pitting teachers against each other with merit pay, provide some tables for us to work together. It's elementary my dear watson. Thanks for the post!
Gaetan

Here's a site on CL.
http://alumni.media.mit.edu/~andyd/mindset/design/clc_rsch.html

I agree cooperative learning is the way to go. I have a class of almost thirty, and I got rid of the desk and implemented tables. The groups work together, and also help each other with work. I mix the higher and the strugglers together. I am observing and it is actually working.

I really like a group setting in my classroom. I do have desks in classroom; however, they are arranged together in groups of 3-5 people per group. It helps the students to work collaboratively on assignments together in class. I also group my struggling learners at a group with an advanced learner so they can get they extra help from a classmate. The only disadvantage to a group setting is the noise level. Many times students choose to talk more a group setting, but a group setting is very beneficial.

We are teaching our 4th graders through project based learning and round tables are a definite benefit; the students can move around near each other if they choose (to view a laptop) or just have really good discussions. I have them take everything off the table so they can see each other.

Setting up a classroom to be conducive and safe for all students to learn at high levels should be the first step a teacher takes when preparing their classroom. Assigning students to tables by their diverse abilities is a good start. I have desks in my room, but I group them together to make tables. I usually put 4-5 desks at each group that consist of one high performing student, two average performing students, and one low-performing student. I include much peer assistance in my teaching and the having students grouped this way really helps with this concept.

Each table has a different name that the students change according to the month. For example, in October, I had 5 tables that were named: skeleton, pumpkin, Frankenstein, vulture, and cat. Since these groups are collaborative and ever-changing, I let the students pick out the name of their table and make one large collaborative picture that is hung above their table.

I also change the students groups every three to four weeks to not only keep the groups fresh, but to let students experience each other’s new ways of thinking. I understand that some teachers do not like to put students in groups due to the fact that many socialize and become off-task. I believe that if you model and show the behavior you expect from your students that they will understand and respect the idea of collaborative learning and being within a group. I follow the Tribe way of thinking… Check it out. Hopefully, it is helpful for you! http://www.tribes.com/about/

I love using groups within my classroom. I feel that using groups enables students to learn so much more because they are able to bounce ideas off of one another. I plan lessons where I allow the groups time to discuss and expand their knowledge through collaboration. Cooperative learning allows struggling students to feel successful because they are working with others to achieve a particular goal. I know that when students are working in groups they can get loud at times, but I feel as long as they are staying on task then they should be able to talk and share as long as they are not disrupting other groups.

Group learning, as is any method, reflects what we want to see happen in our classrooms. Having taught children of different ages for many years and now working with teachers have shown just how group learning can offer the forum for children to think together, pool their ideas, and extend their thinking. But working in groups doesn't come naturally to all children. Many times I have seen group work fail or yield little. What seemed to be missing in these cases was a process for productive group work. In my recent book, OUT OF THE CLASSROOM AND INTO THE WORLD, I show how teachers can develop a working sense of community in their classroom, even with children who seem hard to teach.
Sal Vascellaro

The first day of school, my students know they will be working in groups. Their groups are formed within the first week. These groups are actually called teams and students create team names and flags and participate in team building activities throughout the year. I have found that when students have a "core" group I get the most bang for my buck in terms of high quality work and positive collaboration skills. Everyone will still mingle to work, but they always come back to their core group for reflection and presenting their new learning.
I have the groups develop their own group norms and consequences - they can be pretty harsh on themselves. Every once in a while competitive natures come out and we address those issues as a class.
Students must work in groups - this is the only way to learn how to work with people who are different from us. They should be learning these skills earlier in life. Even as an educator with my own classroom, I do an awful lot of collaborating with my colleagues. Collaboration skills need to be developed and this is a great time for kids to be practicing that.

I completely agree with MrsMRoom405 . Collaboration skills are absolutely essential -- but the key is that we need to teach them. They aren't natural.

An interesting and relevant article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lilli-schussler/assigning-group-work-with_...

I also use cooperative groups. My problem is I have many more lows than highs or averages. Any suggestions?