|
General
Guidelines for Teaching with Groups:
- Small-group activities typically consist of two stages. In the first
stage students are divided into groups and given a task to perform and
time to perform that task. In the second stage, the groups come back together
in a plenary session of the whole class in order to report on the outcomes
of their task or to discuss the task. In the first stage, students learn
by doing; in the second stage, students learn by hearing what others have
done and by participating in a discussion of the task guided by the teacher.
- Tasks should be designed so that groups produce something. That "something"
could be a group product (which the group recorder or leader presents
to the whole class during the plenary session) or individual products
(such as peer critiques of other students' draft reports). By making groups
responsible for a product, the teacher encourages groups to stay on task.
Tasks that simply ask groups to "discuss" something often lead
to diffuse, unproductive sessions.
- Tasks should focus on specific learning objectives.
Be sure that students know the purpose of the task in terms of the broader
learning objective.
- Tasks should be manageable within a set time
period. Set aside enough class time so that students are able to perform
the activity and have sufficient time left for full discussion in plenary
session with the teacher as moderator. A time limit should be placed
on the board (for example, "Report in 20 minutes" or "Report
at 1:50").
- Directions for the task should be put in writing
(overhead projector, handout, PowerPoint slide, on a blackboard) and
should specify clearly what the students are to do and what the outcome
should be.
The Teacher's Role in Small-Group Activities:
- To intervene or leave the groups alone? Some people say that teachers
should stay completely out of the groups' work because teachers alter
the group dynamics, even by listening in. Others say that intervention
provides a great opportunity for individual and small-group teaching at
the point where it is most needed. A good rule of thumb is to apply a
judicious combination of both. Signs that suggest intervention:
- a quiet
group (they either don't know what they are supposed to do or they have
not found a dynamic that would allow them to do it),
- a particularly
loud group (they may have a disagreement that is getting out of hand),
and
- a chatty
group (they are often off task).
If you don't
detect any of these signs, wait until someone asks for your attention.
Two important points to remember: resist the temptation to dominate the
groups and don't spend too much time with one group.
- What should the teacher do in the plenary session?
The plenary session is not the time for the teacher to dominate the
class. The authority at this time still rests in the hands of the students;
it is the teacher's job simply to moderate the groups' reports and guide
class discussion. Allow the students to have the authority they have
earned in their collaborative efforts. If the groups come up with a
product that seems to run counter to what you anticipated (and hoped
for), then ask them to explain their position and encourage students
in other groups to offer alternatives. Or you can present the "right"
answer as an alternative. Remember: the point of group work is not just
to find the "right" answer but also to encourage students
to think scientifically.
|
|
