CB> Finally, there's the issue of "cooperative learning" in which we 
 CB> encourage the slower kids to steal from the brighter kids.  Students 
 CB> are assigned to groups and each child is given a special role - one 
 CB> serves as group leader, another serves as recorder and yet another 
 CB> serves as monitor - keeping everyone on task.  *BUT*, as we all 
 CB> know, some kids work harder than others so one or two in the group 
 CB> have all the ideas, do all of the work, and the others get the same 
 CB> grade as everyone else.  Some teachers badly 
 CB> overuse this teaching strategy.
Any teacher that gives the whole group a group grade for "cooperative 
learning" isn't teaching. It is very easy to make a check list to monitor the 
groups and individuals in them. Any teacher fully trained in the process of 
cooperative learning would never give everyone in the group the same grade 
unless the work and its quality were equal for each person in the group. 
Also, each member of the group would be able to take turns at the different 
roles so that skills may be developed. 
--- Maximus 2.02
---------------