Creating Interdependence in the Classroom

The Two Dimensions of Positive Interdependence                                                                                                     Upon reading "The Two Dimensions of Positive Interdependence" by Dr. Spencer Kagan I had decided to focus on interdependence with my fifth grade students.  This week, my fifth grade students have been working on learning about proportion, one part in comparison to the whole.  Students are asked to use quite a bit of measuring for this assignment and it can be a difficult task.  This project presents an interesting challenge for me every time I teach it, because it is important that I offer help to those who need it, however with a class nearing 30 it can be difficult for me to get to everyone during work time in class.  This week, while students were introduced to proportion and measuring, I had them pair up with another person at their table.  With this partner, students were able to ask for help while figuring out certain measurements and measuring their boxes for their comic project.  It was beneficial for students to have inter-dependency with their partner because they were not at a 'stand-still' while waiting for me to get around to their table.  They were able to ask their partner, as well as others at their table for assistance in figuring out their measurements for their boxes.  I like to see students asking each other questions and interacting with other students in the class before coming to me; not because I don't want to help (I love that part!), but it gets them communicating with one another in a positive manner.