BENEFITS OF TEACHING SOCIAL

SKILLS

In the Context of Cooperative Learning

IN YOUR GROUPS

Two articles (one print and one is linked on blackboard)

ANSWER:

According to the articles, what are the

benefits of teaching social skills to students

during cooperative lessons? Do you feel this is

important in HS and MS?

L I N K T O M AJ O R SK I L L S R E Q U I R E D I N T HE W O R L D O F W O R K

Enhance employability, productivity and career

success

Most important skills (especially for high paying

jobs)• Getting others to cooperate• Leading others• Coping with complex situations• Helping solve people’s work-related problems

QUALITY OF LIFE

Everyone need good, close, intimate relationships in life

Employees who are dual-centric or family-centric

exhibit significantly better mental health, greater

satisfaction with their lives, and higher levels of job

satisfaction than employees who are work-centric *

(*Families and Work Institute and American Business Collaboration. (2002). National study of the changing workforce. New York: Families and Work Institute.)

PHYSICAL HEALTH

High-quality relationships are

linked to longer lives and quicker

recovery from illness and injury.

INCAPACITY FOR POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS LEADS TO:

Anxiety

Depression

Frustration

Alienation

Loneliness

PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH

Strongly influenced by positive and

supportive relationships with others

Reduces psychological distress and

increases autonomy, self-identity, and

self-esteem

ABILITY TO COPE WITH STRESS

Decrease number and severity of

stressful events and reduce anxiety.

Coping by the provision of caring,

information, resources and feedback.

TYPES OF SKILLS:

Forming skills: • The basic skills needed for a functioning, cooperative learning group (taking turns, using quiet voices, etc.)

TYPES OF SKILLS

Functioning skills: • The skills needed to manage the group’s activities to complete a task and to maintain effective working relationships among members

TYPES OF SKILLS

Formulating skills: • The skills needed to

understand the material being studied at a deeper level, to stimulate the use of higher quality reasoning strategies, and to maximize mastery and retention

TYPES OF SKILLS

Fermenting skills: • The skills needed to rethink the

material being studied, manage cognitive conflict, search for more information, and communicate the rationale behind one's conclusion

OBSTACLES TO DEBRIEFING SOCIAL SKILLS IN A LESSON:

BIG piece when you are

frequently working in a

kitchen group!

NOT ENOUGH TIME.

• Debrief during the activity or send a checklist or questionnaire home that is reviewed the following day.• Do a thumbs up, thumbs

down, or arms crossed signal as you ask the class how they did on the skill(s) during the last 3-4 minutes of the class period.

DEBRIEFING IS VAGUE.

• Give specific questions to answer about the group.• Identify key pieces of the

activity or key “happenings” that must be spoken to in the evaluation.• Assign a “student observer.”

STUDENTS UNINVOLVED.

• Include a written report with strengths and weaknesses.• Require all members to complete a

survey.• Assign one student the debrief (rotate

each time).• All members sign the summary.• Bonus points for a good debrief.

WRIT TEN DEBRIEFS ARE INCOMPLETE.

•All members read and sign each one before turning in.•Bonus points for completeness

POOR COLLAB ORATION DURING DEBRIEFING.

•Assign specific roles for debriefing.•Observe another group and discuss.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

What is the importance of teaching Social skills in the

FCS classroom? Is it worth the time?

From your observations and visits to FCS classrooms in

MS and HS, do you feel students can benefit from being

taught this piece of the PIGS Face (or PIES) strategy? 

What are some specific ways you can incorporate this

into your FCS classroom?