We know group work can help middle schoolers learn, but what about their concerns? Who does what? How do they meet outside of class? How will they be graded? Laurie Hornik details four ways teachers can amplify the positive effects of group work and minimize the negative ones.
During this reading activity, partners think out loud, supported by active listening, to deepen their individual and shared understandings. Rather than reading without focus, this strategy teaches students to attend to their reading by stopping to “say something” at intervals.
Collaborating on complex tasks builds relationships, a positive classroom culture for learning and a sense of accomplishment for each student. When the team wins, everyone is a winner! Deep learning expert Karin Hess shares tools to create authentic, time-sensitive projects.
As math coaches and other instructional leaders begin to think about the upcoming school year, they may want to consider Nicora Placa’s teacher team-building activity. It sets the foundation for a successful year of learning collaboratively and improving student group work.
While there are times when consensus makes sense, collaborative experiences are often most beneficial when they center on open-ended questions that invite students’ thinking. Teaching coach Gravity Goldberg shares ways to encourage exploration and creative expression in groups.
This year Katie Durkin and her fellow ELA teachers will add a Question of the Day – built from state assessment stems – to their whole-class novel unit. As 7th graders discuss best answers they’ll learn to think collaboratively AND prep for mandated tests. See how it works!
Future of History / Pandemic Learning
by Sarah Cooper · Published 06/14/2020 · Last modified 10/19/2022
With her eighth graders’ online history podcast project now complete, Sarah Cooper shares six takeaways that have helped her imagine not only how to improve this assignment in future iterations, but how she can continue to grow as a teacher facilitating remote learning.
Thinking Like a Scientist provides strategies to encourage students to explore and understand how scientists approach problems, investigations and research. The detailed lessons can be used in grades 5-8, writes educator and former research scientist Laura Von Staden.
Classroom Goals / Meaningful Math
by Michelle Russell · Published 08/06/2019 · Last modified 08/07/2024
As the school year begins, Michelle Russell has plans to take Geoff Krall’s Necessary Conditions to class. She shares the norms, structures and routines she’ll implement starting day one, from establishing guidelines for group work to assuring academic safety.
In Group Work That Works, Paul Vermette and Cynthia Kline draw on research and experience to provide a thorough plan, supported by extensive resources, for implementing collaborative learning. Educator Linda Biondi recommends the book to hesitant secondary teachers.
