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| Issue 33: Week of January 19, 2009 |
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The
LEARNING-FOCUSED Connections Newsletter is a weekly link to exemplary
practice and ideas that will help you as an educator to increase
achievement in your classroom and school. Some weeks there will be a
mix of articles in the mailer; other weeks we will follow a theme. We
are all working with the same goal in mind, continuous improvement in
student achievement. |
National LEARNING-FOCUSED Conference
February 2-6, 2009
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Atlanta, GA
Registration Fee: $150.00 per person/day
Includes all conference materials (notebooks, flipcharts, handouts)
Session and registration information available at www.LearningFocused.com.
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Building Classroom Organization With Popsicle Sticks
by Debbie Willingham
Most teachers like the idea of having students become the "experts" on a topic and then share their knowledge using the jigsaw strategy. But, many hesitate to try it because it does require some organization up front in order for it to work well. Since classroom management is always an issue, one easy way to organize a jigsaw activity is to use popsicle sticks (actually the craft sticks you can buy in bulk at any hobby store).
The premise of the jigsaw strategy is that students are arranged in "home groups" where they begin and end the activity. Within the group each student is assigned a specific task or topic to research. They meet with students from other groups with the same topic to learn about it. Then, they return to the "home group" to share what they learned and complete the assignment together. Usually this involves having every student complete some kind of graphic organizer that will compile the information from each student. This makes every student accountable for a part of the whole assignment, but no one has to do all the work themselves. The organizer is then used either to complete a group or individual assignment that pulls all the information together and applies it in some way.
The teacher must first determine the number of individual topics that students will be researching and assign that number of students to each group. If, for example, students will be learning about five important events that led to the Russian Revolution, five students are assigned to each group, and each is assigned a different event to research. The popsicle sticks can be used for both grouping students into "home groups" and for individually assigning roles within each group. The teacher would number each stick 1-5 in red, black, green, blue, and purple (or whatever color markers are available!). Each student would draw a stick, with the color representing their "home group" and the number representing one of the events. (The teacher could have the numbers and their designated events listed on the board so students would know their topic. This way the sticks can be used again; or the teacher could just write the topics instead of numbers on the sticks.) The expert groups for each topic would get together at a designated location in some part of the room (another organizational tip-plan ahead of time where each group will work).
Students need to know that they have a limited amount of time to find their information, and resources (books, articles, encyclopedias, specific internet sites, etc.) must be available for each expert group to use. The teacher could rotate among groups, monitoring to see that students are on task and are getting the appropriate information on their topic. Since each student has a popsicle stick with their assignment it is also easy to monitor that everyone is where they are supposed to be working. At the end of the designated time, the teacher would tell students to go back to their "home groups" and each share their new expertise, with all students recording important information on each topic. The teacher should let students know up front that they will have to later use all the information in some way, so the responsibility for writing the information down and staying on task falls back on them, which is where it should be.
The reason popsicle sticks are so helpful in organizing students for a jigsaw activity is that they automatically set up both groupings of students ("home" and "expert" groups), with each student having their assigned roles in writing right in front of them. That eliminates excuses about forgetting what they were to do or where they were to be working. It makes the organization of the assignment more manageable for the teacher, as well, so they do not have to try and remember how they grouped students.
Popsicle sticks can be used in a variety of other ways as well. Simply putting each student's name on a stick, putting them in a jar, and drawing randomly to call on students is successfully used by many teachers. Sticks can also be numbered 1 and 2 in different colors to pair students to work together, letting them draw a stick and find their partner. Teachers need to find as many time-saving and practical strategies as possible to make life easier, and building their organizational skills using craft sticks is one of those easy tricks.
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Using a Modified Jigsaw for Reading
by Jennifer Partrick
The purpose of the modified Jigsaw is to involve all students in reading novels, even those students who are not proficient readers. Many students who read below grade level become frustrated when they are expected to read material that is too difficult for them. On the other hand, the books that these students are able to read are not often interesting or appealing to them. In order to overcome these obstacles, use the modified Jigsaw.
The format for the modified Jigsaw is the same as the original Jigsaw. Students are placed in home groups and expert groups. Members of expert groups meet and complete a task and then take information back to their home groups. With the modified Jigsaw, students who are unable to read the assigned text in the expert group are paired with proficient reading partners who read to them and support them as they attempt to read. Finding the right students to work with the struggling reader is critical.
There are several steps that need to be addressed if the modified Jigsaw is to be a success. The first thing to do is to determine a list of books you want your students to read. Be sure to read the books before hand, so that you know the books are appropriate for your grade level. As you read them, create questions that can be for discussion in the expert groups. List those titles and give each book a specific number. The teacher gives a brief talk on each book. Students then choose their top two favorites and write them on a sheet of paper along with their name. Students know that they will be placed in a group that will read either of their choices. Collect the papers, and create home groups. Pair struggling readers with proficient readers. You can also split up potential trouble makers and students who have personality difficulties. Once the home groups have been created, place the students in their home groups. Each home group member then shares the novel he/she will be reading with the other members of their home group. The job of each member is to bring back a synopsis of the book they read in their expert group to the members of their home group. Students then meet in their expert group to read the assigned novel.
At the beginning of each day the students or the teacher decides the points where students stop to discuss what they have read thus far and to write a summary of what they have read to that point. Students also create questions to ask their team mates. Outlines can be given to students who need additional support so that frustration is never a factor. Scribes are paired with students who have grapho-motor difficulties. The teacher circulates among the groups and asks questions or clarifies for the students as they read. Some teachers remain with one group per day while others may meet with more than one group per day. This is not the time for the teacher to work at her/his desk.
Once they have completed reading the book, students return to their home groups and give a synopsis of the book they read in their expert groups. Only enough details are given to whet the appetites of their home group members, so that they will want to read the books being described. At this point you start the process over again.
Using this model gives all students the opportunity to read, think about, and discuss age appropriate novels, even though they might not all be able to read it themselves. Placing students in pairs requires thought, as you want to be sure to place proficient readers with struggling readers who will be supportive of each other. The purpose of the modified Jigsaw is to give all students the opportunity to read and discuss novels that are pertinent to their age, interest, curriculum, and social issues regardless of reading levels.
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Why AREN'T You Writing in Math Class?
My challenge to math teachers: FACE YOUR DEMONS! As terrified as I am of math, I have it on good authority that math teachers are equally terrified of writing. However, math teachers who use writing in their math classrooms agree that it is an invaluable tool for helping students think more clearly and deeply. It supports the learning by requiring students to organize, clarify, and reflect - all of which contribute to making sense of math.
The purpose for writing in math is vastly different from writing in the humanities subjects. For one, it is not intended for publication and has only the teacher, or possibly a collaborative partner, for its audience. While it is advisable that all writing be in complete sentences and with appropriate capitalization and basic punctuation, the writing does not go through the writing process, because the teacher is more interested in WHAT the writer is saying than in HOW he is saying it. Suggestions for this type of writing might include:
· Learning Logs: Writing about what they understand, misunderstand, or are confused about.
· Explaining Processes: How did you reach this answer? Why did you solve it this way and not another way?
· Reflection: Favorite activity or idea, least favorite, a letter to a parent or classroom visitor
Getting Ready to Write
If you are ready to get started with some writing in your math classroom, you can ease your anxiety with a bit of preparation.
· Explain to your students why they write in the math classroom. (Hint: It supports their learning and helps both of you assess their progress.)
· Remind them that you are the audience or their collaborative partner.
· Model what writing looks like in your classroom with a think-aloud.
· Encourage (insist) on thoroughness. (The more details they provide the better you will be able to help them.)
· Provide time before writing to talk with their partner about their thinking, and allow them to share insights from each other in their writing
· Provide prompts (sentence stems) to help focus their thinking. (I think the answer to this problem is_____ because ______ , or I got this answer by _________.)
Finally, stay focused on the power of writing to provide you with valuable data. Student writing can assist you each day with the important instructional decisions you must make. Remember that often the ability to articulate our understanding is as important as our understanding. I knew a little girl once who never raised her hand when the teacher asked if everyone understood. If, instead, the teacher had asked her to write her understanding, she would have written volumes.
For additional information contact www.LEARNING-FOCUSED.com.
Also, visit National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (http:standards.nctm.org)
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