Complex Instruction simplifying the problems in groupwork Jeremy Hansuvadha tinyurl.com/UCIci

About me IMP teacher (Interactive Mathematics Program) I’ve taught in 3 states at a healthy variety of schools

About you How many non-math teachers are here? Elementary school teachers? Middle school? High school? Special ed?

Today’s goal To understand some common problems associated with groupwork and how they can be solved using Complex Instruction.

Handouts All of today’s handouts can be viewed/ downloaded at tinyurl.com/UCIci. Feel free to edit and improve them.

Sample Activity a simple problem made complex WARNING: optimal learning may not occur due to time constraints

The problems caused by some grouping strategies teacher-chosen groups (STATUS WARNING!) high-achieving students low-achieving students too many students per group groups of 3 and the odd one out

Status a hierarchy that undermines group interaction academic status societal status reading racial/ethnic math class gender social status language attractiveness abled/disabled athletic/artistic talkative “studies of groups show that members who start talking right away, regardless of their status, are likely to become influential” (Cohen, 1994)

Assigning competence a weapon used to fight status “Assigning competence is a form of praise where teachers catch students being smart” (Horn, 2012). Praise must be: public specific to the task intellectually meaningful

Establishing a Multidimensional Classroom there are many ways to be smart An Expert Mathematician… … can restate a problem in their own words … can begin to work on a problem independently … organizes a plan of attack … spends more and more time stuck without giving up … creates models/diagrams/pictures or uses manipulatives … checks reasonableness of answers … discovers new problems (i.e. extensions) … asks creative, outside-the-box questions … communicates clearly, concisely, and convincingly (see file “An Expert Mathematician…” for full list)

Group Roles If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. - African proverb Emperor Ambassador Designer Spy (see file “Group Roles”)

Group Norms Part I – Starting them Listen before speaking. Everybody does the work together, but each person writes it in their own notebook. No one is done until everyone is done. Help other group members without doing the work for them. Answers aren’t as important as understanding. Learning takes time (i.e. “I don’t get it… YET!”). Before insisting that you’re right, listen—truly listen—to others’ ideas. Question each other. Resist groupthink. (see files “Group Member Qualities” and “Group Norms”)

Group Norms Part II – Reinforcing them GNotW task cards (see files “Group Norms of the Week” and “GNotW – BIG”)

Groupworthy Tasks the essential ingredient are complex enough that they can’t be done alone are open-ended and require complex problem solving offer multiple entry points require the use of multiple representations can be ambiguous with regards to directions

Groupworthy Tasks (pt I) Some traditional problems with only one answer can be made groupworthy simply by asking for multiple solution paths. For example: What is 71 – 34? Without using a calculator, create as many different algorithms as you can. Here are three ways: 71 – 41 = 30, but 34 is 7 farther from 71 than 41 is, so 30 + 7 = 37 34 x 2 = 68, but 71 is 3 past 68, so 34 + 3 = 37 70 – 40 = 30, but add 1 (because 71 – 70) and 6 (because 40 – 34), so 30 + 1 + 6 = 37 (see folder “Examples of groupworthy tasks”)

Groupworthy Tasks (pt II) Another example: Build a triangular prism with a surface area between 450 and 500 cm2. Do not use right triangles for any faces of your prism. CHALLENGE: Build a triangular prism with a surface area between 350 and 400 cm2 that has a volume between 350 and 400 cm3. Do not use right triangles for any faces of your prism. MEGA-CHALLENGE: Build a pentagonal prism with a surface area between 350 and 400 cm2 that has a volume between 350 and 400 cm3.

Groupworthy Tasks Task cards (see file “TASK CARD 1-2-3-4 Puzzles”) develop autonomy develop group interdependence reinforce roles and norms to support positive group interaction list abilities needed to be successful at task (so that students can recognize skills they’re acquiring) explain how all group members contribute to final product (see file “TASK CARD 1-2-3-4 Puzzles”)

Group Tests different styles, depending on topic dividers up/down 1 pencil, 1 calculator, 1 ruler, etc. you may communicate verbally groupmates papers stapled together one member’s test is selected at random and graded all members receive the same grade (see tests and videos of students taking test in folder “Examples of groupworthy tasks”)

HINT cards & Group Huddles can be used to clarify directions refocus students on a particular aspect of a task increase individual accountability provide a delivery system to communicate important messages to every group remind ambassadors of their role

Students talking and working together Complex Instruction managing status assigning competence multidimensional classroom roles & norms groupworthy tasks Students talking and working together Learning goals

Thoughts for ponderment About assigning competence: “If I were to have a teacher concentrate on one aspect of CI, it would be to focus on learning how your students are smart.” – Ruth Tsu, complex instruction expert “Addressing and being aware of… status issues is what, for me, differentiates complex instruction from just ‘regular’ group work.” Clint Chan, math teacher and friend “It’s easy to think that teaching is going on only when you are talking to kids. But it’s happening when you are listening, too.” - Laura Evans, complex instruction educator

Resources Horn, Ilana. Strength in Numbers: Collaborative Learning in Secondary Mathematics. 2012. Cohen, Elizabeth. Designing Groupwork: Strategies for the Heterogeneous Classroom. 1994. tinyurl.com/UCIci

Any questions? jeremy.hansuvadha@ocsarts.net tinyurl.com/UCIci