CPO Users Forum Managing Group Work in the Classroom Managing the Equipment Between Teachers

Working in Groups  This is a dynamic classroom setting  You are the facilitator  It is essential to know your students  Know different ways to align your students for success  Have roles for each student

The Plan  Know how you are grouping students when planning the lab  It is important to be able to circulate in the room and measure each groups progress  Inquiry learning is about letting the students discover for themselves – a guided discovery  Alleviate down time – Keeping them busy means less problems.

Choosing the Groups  Students choosing their groups can sometimes be successful  If you let them pick their own groups you need to know which groups to challenge and which to help  Use different labs for different level groups  Have strategies for assigning groups – it is wise to have different ways of grouping students

Have Roles for Students  Each student should have a role – have as many roles as you need  Examples for a basic group of four: Recorder – Records data Calculator – Performs all calculations Material manager – Handles the equipment and accounts for the materials Project manager – Encourages others and communicates all findings with you

Problem Solving  In planning for the activity try to anticipate problems before they occur  Be aware of the following items More problems can occur if the students pick their own groups – but they may enjoy working with their friends Grouping strong students with weaker students has many advantages Remember you are the facilitator of learning

Managing all the Equipment  Communicate with other teachers!!! Work as a team in sharing the lab room or move the equipment, and do the labs on different days.  There is a pacing guide with rotation to use in the reference guide  I like splitting the curriculum in half (Physics and Chemistry)

Recapping the Basics  Communicate and work with your fellow teachers to share the lab room and equipment  Plan to avoid down time in labs, busy students means less trouble. Assign roles for each student  Be prepared to make immediate changes  Facilitate the learning process