¤ positive interdependence

¤ individual accountability

¤ simultaneous interaction

¤ play

¤ humor

¤ connections to previous learning

¤ theme-based learning

¤ need based learning

¤ brain compatible environment

Cooperative Learning

Celebratory Learning always contains the elements of cooperative learning as defined by David and Roger Johnson and Spencer Kagan. These elements include positive interdependence, individual accountability, interpersonal and small group skills, group processing, simultaneous interaction, equal participation and the use of cooperative structures.

Play and Humor

Laughter is a light-hearted gift we can learn to model in our work. Humor is one of the skills that has been documented to add to our students' resiliency as well as our own. Positive humor and play promote a positive attitude in the learner and the learning environment as well as other benefits: increased feeling of hopefulness, pleasurable learning, promotes new insights, enhances self esteem, increases retention, builds rapport, pushes us to divergent thinking, relieves stress, and adds to a better attention level.

Connects to Previous Learning

If our brains are to make any new learning our own then the new learning must be linked to previous knowledge. Celebratory Learning looks for ways to connect what we already know to what we are learning now.

Theme-based Learning

Choosing themes which encompass a topic or concept for intended study makes learning fun and inviting. Themes can be organizers that interest the learner while putting learning in context and/or creating an enriched learning environment as well as linking a skill to the real world of living and working. Themes may be chosen as catalysts for learning, bridges to other learning, or organizing umbrellas. Themes open up wonderful opportunity for metaphor development and push the learner to a higher level of thinking and creativity.

Need-based Learning

As learners we benefit most from learning opportunities that meet our needs both in content and process. Celebratory learning promotes choice, life-long learning individual problem solving, independence as a learner, situations which are meaningful for the learner, self-identified needs as well as learning that is important for the entire community.

Brain Compatible Environments

Schools and classrooms that are restructured according to our current knowledge of how the human brain learns will enable participants to learn the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are important to be a successful and contributing citizen. Components of brain compatible learning environments include: absence of threat, meaningful content, choices, adequate time, enriched environments, collaboration, immediate feedback, and mastery.

Learning Community

Building a collaborative learning community is the foundation of Celebratory Learning experiences. A sense of belonging and caring for others moves members along a continuum that has isolation, competition, winners and losers toward cooperation, equality, membership, ownership, empowerment, and responsibility.

Celebration

Celebrating the individual in the learning process actively promotes understanding, acceptance, and affirmation of the individual and their individual perspective. The Celebratory Learning environment offers the learners opportunity to contribute in meaningful ways while promoting mutual respect and trust. Recognizing progress and encouraging any step in that direction is what is aimed for rather than perfection.