1. Session Two March 2004

2. Sharing Experiences n In your team, share your experiences trying out the strategies shared in February in your own classroom. Be prepared to share with the large group –at least one success; –at least one “be careful”; and –at least one question.

3. Focus for today n Effective Group Work n Classroom Management Strategies

4. Small Groups vs Cooperative Groups n Key attributes for cooperative groups –Positive interdependence –Group processing –Individual and Group accountability n Small groups do not have all of these attributes; they can still support student learning.

5. Ways to Form Student Groups n Random grouping –Students are grouped by a random method such as counting off. n Heterogeneous grouping –Students are grouped to create intentional variety within the groups. n Homogeneous grouping –Students are grouped to create intentional similarity within the groups. n Jigsaw groups –A mix of strategies is used.

6. When do I use each group formation strategy? n Random grouping –Short term assignments –Students are all on a fairly level playing field n Heterogeneous Grouping –Students bring a variety of relevant backgrounds to the assignment –The assignment will be stronger with a wide range of student attributes.

7. When do I use each group formation strategy? n Homogeneous Grouping –Student background greatly influences success on the task –Different groups can approach the same content from different perspectives n Jigsaw Grouping –Create homogeneous expert groups, matching content assignments to group strengths and skills –Create random or heterogeneous sharing groups to use the expertise developed.

8. Effective Group Tasks n The task is too big for any one group member to do alone. n Everyone brings something unique to the group. n Everyone learns something from the group.

9. Individual & Group Accountability n How do you know who did what? n Individual accountability n Group accountability

10. How do you know who did what? n Each student has a clear role and responsibilities. n Each student knows his/her part in depth. n Each student understands the parts of others.

11. Group Roles and Responsibilities n Leader or facilitator -- coordinates group work n Materials person -- handles lab equipment or gets supplies n Recorder/reporter -- keeps track of data and reports to the class n Researcher -- gathers background information for the team n There are many possible roles; these are examples.

12. Group Rules n Everyone must have the same question before the teacher is asked. n Everyone must do the job assigned n In long-term groups, jobs should rotate so all have opportunities for all roles.

13. Individual Accountability n The student knows his/her part of the assignment in depth. n The student successfully completes the responsibilities of his/her role.

14. Group Accountability n The student contributes to the success of the group by completing the responsibilities of his/her role. n Each student understands the contributions of the others in the group.

15. Grading Group Assignments n Grades can be assigned as a combination of individual and group assignments. n Students can complete an in-depth assessment on their own part (see student-directed test differentiation) and a broader assessment of the larger project.

16. Grading Group Assignments n Consider peer assessments as a component of the grade. n At first, think about having these only help students or dropping the highest and lowest peer assessments from a larger group. n Teach the students before the task what the peer assessment criteria are.

17. It’s Your Turn n Discuss with your facilitator ways in which you can use these strategies in your own classroom. n Each site will be asked to share at least one potential application.

18. Guidelines for Classroom Management n What procedures and routines do you need to have in place? –Getting the teacher’s attention –Working in small or cooperative groups –What to do if you don’t know what to do? –Classroom rules

19. Getting the Teacher’s Attention n Red/green cards –red side up means “I need help” –green side up means “I’m OK” n Name on a list –Students sign up on a list when they need help n Three before me rule –Ask your question of three other students before you ask the teacher.

20. I don’t understand! n What to do when students don’t know what to do and you can’t get to them right away? n Anchoring activities

21. Five students need you at once. n Remember, your ways of getting attention should mean no one loses an arm to exhaustion waving a hand in the air. n Three before me and the need for the whole group to share a question should reduce the number of questions you have to answer. n Provide a safety net.

22. Anchoring Activities -- Classroom Safety Nets n Anchoring activities are things students can do when they are stuck on the current assignment and can’t go on until you can help them. n Examples… –Read a book –Work on another assignment –Solve one of the logic puzzles on the bulletin board.

23. Anchoring Activities n You choose your own activities which are acceptable. n For example, is it OK to work on homework from another class? n Is it OK to work on an available computer? n Is it OK to work with a partner?

24. Classroom Rules n You are responsible for your own learning. n You may not interfere with anyone else’s learning. n Don’t draw attention to yourself. n Don’t disturb others. n All school/district rules and regulations apply.

25. It’s Your Turn n Discuss with your facilitator ways in which you can use these strategies in your own classroom. n Each site will be asked to share at least one potential application.

26. Input for April n Given the discussion we’ve had today, what questions do you have about how you will assess and grade students in a classroom of this type? n Each facilitator should collect questions from their team and email them to Sara for possible inclusion in the April session.

27. Assignment for April n Apply at least one of the assessment strategies shared today in your own classroom. Be prepared to share work samples and your reflections at our next meeting.