Collaboration
Do you find that most students have difficulty working in groups or sharing their thoughts amongst their peers? I have especially struggled every year with finding equitable ways for students who are extremely shy or anxiety ridden to meet speaking standards. Therefore, I wanted to spend some time- sharing ideas and examples of some things that have worked for me, and more importantly for my students. Afterall, most business journals reference the importance of viable job applicants to show the ability to reason and think critically.
https://www.extension.harvard.edu/professional-development/blog/10-emerging-skills-professionals
Dry Erase Boards
Unplug your classroom for a moment and give those kids’ eyes a break from the screens. My go to for getting students to interact has always been to use dry erase boards (white boards). I don’t know what it is about these easily erasable board, but the kids love using them and tend to lean in to being interactive with each other while using one. Maybe it is because they are used to having a screen—tablet or phone.
Fishbowl or Socratic Seminar
By now most of us have used a Socratic seminar. No worries if you don’t know what this student-centered lesson looks like. In a nutshell, the idea around a Socratic Seminar falls closely to Socrates quote that “the unexamined life is not worth living”. Like the Greek philosophers, students generate both verbal and written conversations with each other over a topic or book. If done right, the teacher has the pleasure of listening to their students delve into deep conversations and examinations.
The Fishbowl is just like it sounds—a determined number of students sit in the center of the room while their conversation is observed by their peers (like looking into a fishbowl). I don’t know about you, but I don’t like it when my students are just sitting there listening for too long without an opportunity to engage.
I created a lesson plan that allowed students to be a part of an evolving conversation. First, 4-6 students would sit in the middle of the room (I guess these are my fish in the bowl). I would place white boards around the room for anyone (not in the center circle) to add their thoughts with a written response. There are continuous options to be a part of the conversation either by responding to what someone wrote on the board or to tap out someone in the center circle to join the verbal/speaking response. This way students are joining in the conversation or leading it when they feel like they have something to say. It is less forced or awkward. Meanwhile, students are expected to take Cornell notes if they were not at the board or in the center circle.
What is nice about this configuration is that there are multiple ways for students to respond to the conversation. If a student has anxiety about speaking in public, or amongst their peers in an academic setting, they have a chance to show me their critical thinking in other ways. Often, I would have the students work in small groups first to begin creating questions and supportive details for their thoughts before we began. Think of this as a turn-n-talk, so that students would feel confident about what they wanted to discuss once the Fishbowl got started because they had already started bouncing their thoughts and ideas around in a more intimate setting.
Mix it up in the classroom and take a risk in finding ways for your students to collaborate and interact with each other. If you want to use dry erase boards but don’t have access to them, you can find some creative ways to get the same effect. I used to have a wall of windows in one of my classrooms, so I bought some window markers for the students to use. They loved that. I have seen teachers allow their students to write on their desks with a dry erase marker and then wipe it off. Special note, I would test it out first. 😊 Ask your department chair or principal if there is some money in the budget to get white boards. You could write a grant or join a Facebook group for a teacher’s wish lists like Bless a Teacher, Bless a Classroom. I have even gone to my local dollar store to buy them.
Let me know ways that you have used dry erase boards or any other OG supplies in your classroom to get those kids talking.
See You Real Soon,
Erin
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