Cooperative Learning

http://www.utc.edu/Administration/WalkerTeachingResourceCenter/FacultyDevelopment/CooperativeLearning/index.html
This is a great website not only to learn about cooperative learning but also for many other useful topics and resources. Cooperative learning is used more everyday because it brings out so many positive outcomes in the classroom. Students use pro-social behaviors to complete the tasks needed. Students recieve feedback not only from the teacher but also from other peers. Therefore students become more motivated when they work in groups.
This website also talks about cooperative learning structures and techniques, which I found interesting because there are so many things you can do than jsut putting the students into groups.
The one I like the most was One Minute Papers. It is almost a form of assessment which is so important to do now a days in a classroom. Basically students comment on the following questions: What was the most important or usefull thing you learned today? What tow important questions do you still have; what reamains unclear? What would you like to know more about?
And this great because a good teacher always focuses on high expections and should always know if their students actulally learned and gain from the lesson. You do not just cover the material.