Cougar Communication: Flexible Grouping, Reciprocal Teaching, Internet Stats

Ideas for the Classroom: Grouping

Again, I’m taking a question from the December faculty meeting and doing my best to answer. Add your suggestions/comments by visiting the blog.

How should students be grouped for cooperative learning assignments? 

Flexibility reigns supreme.

It depends.

As a teacher, my students sat in quads with a high performing student, 2 middle level performers and one low achieving student.

Seating Quad-Arrangement Continues Throughout Classroom

High	2nd Highest
2nd Lowest	Lowest

This seating arrangement gave me a great amount of flexibility. Depending on the assignment’s purpose I could use any of three groupings. Sometimes, like when reading, I might group students with like partners (horizontal pairings). If we were summarizing the day’s lesson, I might use vertical pairings because they may offer more peer tutoring support. Rarely did I make use of diagonal pairings.

The above seating arrangement, which was repeated throughout the class, also gave me whole class flexibility. For example, I could direct all of the red students to come together to complete a more complex task, while I’d ask the orange students to work on a different task. This was an easy way of differentiating instruction.

The possibilities with this seating arrangement are limitless, but by doing so I was able to meet the diverse needs of my students and the assignment.

Ideas for the Classroom: Reciprocal Teaching

I’ve seen several teachers use various forms of reciprocal teaching to improve comprehension of a reading assignment or to summarize a lecture or video. It lends itself very well to the above grouping strategy, so it’s a logical time to give props to the teachers who have used it and to let everyone else learn this research-proven strategy that puts students in charge of their learning.

Students are given one of four roles: summarizer, questioner, clarifier or predictor.

           

After reading a few paragraphs or watching a video or listening to lecture, the students meet as a group. The summarizer does just that, he/she highlights the key ideas. The questioner asks questions to his/her group. He/she focuses on unclear or complex parts and tries to connect the material with previously learned material. The clarifier answers these questions or alternatively listens to the group’s responses to the questions and then answers. Finally, the predictor makes predictions about what will happen next.

Students can stay in the same role or they can rotate as the reading or lecture continues.

Why does this work?

• Every student is actively engaged in the learning process
• Students become more independent and responsible for their learning
• Every student is involved
• Reading comprehension improve
• The teacher serves as a guide and by listening to the students can formatively assess student understanding

Administrative Notes

You’ve experienced our great edcamps. Wouldn’t you like to share that experience with teachers from other schools? Why not go to an upcoming edcamp?

            March 29: EdCamp Arlington (Washington-Lee HS)

            April 5: EdCamp MetroDC (Stone Ridge School, Bethesda)

I’ve signed up for both. Let me know if you’re interested in going/carpooling. I’ll see if we can get PD/Opt-Out credit as well.

Oh yeah, the organizers of these events often drum up lots of great sponsors with free gifts and prizes!            

Evaluations

For those of you on the Comprehensive Cycle, please submit your finalized goals.

If you’re on the Annual cycle, your final goal statements are due today. 

**First term, I asked for each of you to invite me to observe a lesson that stood out for its creativity and student-centeredness. Thank you to those of you who invited me to observe some wonderful lessons. If you haven’t yet extended an invitation, please don’t forget to do so.**

Stat of the Week (click for source)

72% of all Internet users are now active on social media

89% of those between 18 and 29 years old are social media users

72% of individuals aged 30 to 49 are engaged in social media

60% of people between 50 to 60 years old are active on social media

43% of those 65 years old and above are engaged in social media

71% of users access social media from a mobile device

What I’m Reading

A Day in the Mastery Centered Classroom

Simple Student Motivation Techniques to Remember 

What’s Holding Back American Teenagers: Our High Schools Are Disasters

Students Say Schoolwork is “Too Easy”—But They Still Balk at Doing It. What Gives?