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5 Randomization Strategies

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Teaching Methods: Randomization Techniques in the Classroom

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Watch this 7 min clip and respond with which strategy are you currently using and which strategy would you like to try this week?

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I’m  hoping to be able to use ILO and RAN with ease & consistency. Where it’s womething that just happens without even having to plan or think about it.

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I use Popsicle sticks, but not colored ones. If I pull a certain student's stick who needs help or is in one of the categories she mentioned, I will just give them more guidance or wait time. I would like to try the cards.

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I use Popsicle sticks, but not colored ones. If I pull a certain student's stick who needs help or is in one of the categories she mentioned, I will just give them more guidance or wait time. I would like to try the cards.

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I hope to get ideas on how to change things or add to what I do already.

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I hope to get ideas on how to change things or add to what I do already.

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I need to practice more timed thinking and pair share after RAN. 

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I need to practice more timed thinking and pair share after RAN. 

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Cara

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I'd love to hear more ideas with RAN. I do popsicle sticks & have tried chips. 

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I'd love to hear more ideas with RAN. I do popsicle sticks & have tried chips. 

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Cara

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I hope to make the ILO more interactive for the students. We've been echo reading the TPO but I would like to get to where they can share with AB partner what the TPO says. 

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I hope to make the ILO more interactive for the students. We've been echo reading the TPO but I would like to get to where they can share with AB partner what the TPO says. 

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I've used popsicles sticks in previous years. This year I've been using the random app on DOJO. I would like to use the deck of cards. 

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I've used popsicles sticks in previous years. This year I've been using the random app on DOJO. I would like to use the deck of cards. 

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I am still a tad inconsistent with my ILO. Sometimes I find myself just jumping right into the lesson. My goal is for it to become seamlessly part of my daily routine.

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I use sticks as well. My students love it and are always telling me to "draw sticks!!"  I have used their class numbers as well by calling out a random number from 1-20. The cards are pretty cool- I'm ready to switch it up a little.

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Get more ideas of what the ILO should look like.

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I have used the popsicle sticks before, but my students like watching for their names to show up on the DOJO board. We use it for A/B partners now as well. They like having new partners. I was hesitant to try it at first, but it is working well. 

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I have used the popsicle sticks before, but my students like watching for their names to show up on the DOJO board. We use it for A/B partners now as well. They like having new partners. I was hesitant to try it at first, but it is working well. 

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I Want to continue to add to my tools of questions for higher level thinking remembering to always bring it back to our purpose for learning that lesson!

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Getting the Most out of Watching Your Students: Video your TPO/ILO (roughly 10 minutes) to get a clear picture of reality. If you have SIBME, upload into our joint collaboration huddle. If you don't... use your camera to record your video. Post TWO reflections from your video below. Include your name, so we know who has posted. Posts need to be submitted by Friday. 

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Getting the Most out of Watching Your Students: Video your TPO/ILO (roughly 10 minutes) to get a clear picture of reality. If you have SIBME, upload into our joint collaboration huddle. If you don't... use your camera to record your video. Post TWO reflections from your video below. Include your name, so we know who has posted. Posts need to be submitted by Friday. 

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I would like to improve on the delivery of the TPO and vocabulary explanation. Although we have had pretty much the same TPO for 2 weeks, they still stare with blank faces so I paraphrase quite a bit to try to get them to understand it.  They have done fine with the activity, but just going over the TPO with them is sometimes a struggle.
Same with vocabulary. We've talked about the same words and I still have to tell them and show them every time what the words mean.

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This week was very difficult. I've had a lot of trouble with one of my classes. I tried a new challenge with one of our transitions, and it has worked so that is good. They are timed on their transition to the rug with all supplies and next to AB partner. If they are faster at end of week than my other class, they get some free time at the end of the week. I'm definitely continuing this. I did not video but did record myself talking to the class. It was helpful to hear my tone. Sometimes my tone is not as kind as I would like it. I"m working on that. Giving clear instructions in a non emotional way, and reacting to incorrect behavior like a referee - just calling out consequences without emotion and no lecturing. Still working on this!!!

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After watching this video, you'll learn about two kinds and types of questions, open and closed. Opened questions allow for students to share their opinions and thinking, whereas, closed questions check for understanding and can be right/wrong, true/false, etc.

By Friday, Feb. 22nd respond to the following questions: Why do you think it's important to plan for open-ended questions? How do they impact student learning?

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High-Impact Instruction: A Corwin Companion Site

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High-Impact Instruction: A Corwin Companion Site

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I tried something new this week with my ILO. We read echo read the TPO one time. Then I went over over the AVE. I told the AB partners that they would be respsonible for sharing what each vocabulary word meant. We had two in the word catcher. We then echo read the TPO again. Then they did a pair share on the AVE. I then used class dojo to randomly call on two people to share what the AVE words meant to them.

Making the students aware that they would have a job or have to pair share about the TPO made them more attentive.

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I have used popsicle sticks in the past with the inner cup so that the kids think that I put their stick back in after answering, but it’s actually in the inner cup so that I can continue to draw from other students who have not been chosen. This year however, I’ve used the random chooser on DOJO.

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Application - Create Questions using the Question Chart

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Application - Create Questions using the Question Chart

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Here's a way to apply what you've learned about the kind, types, and level of questions.

Doesn't this graphic look familiar (think, rigor and relevance!)? You will fill in the chart, creating your own questions using a word from the rows on the left with a word on the top in the columns. They can be stems or complete questions. Take a picture and post your chart below. We can all learn from each other's questions! Post your response by: Thursday, March 7th.

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Since November we have done the same thing: we echo read the TPO. I paraphrase the TPO because although they repeat it, they have no idea what they are saying. If at all possible, we make hand motions to help them remember. Many of my students are kinesthetic learners. They then share with their A/B partners what we are learning today in their own words. "Today in reader's workshop we will......."  Often they are on task and telling their partners what they think we are learning. (Many of the students were arguing with their A/B partners, so we now get new partners every time via the Dojo grouping tool and they love it, usually.) I also use the Dojo randomization tool to call on 2-4 groups to paraphrase the TPO. Unfortunately, the same students always get it and the same students do not. I have no idea how to change this. I have tried. By the end of the week, they even know many of the words in the TPO without prompting, but they just don't understand what it means. Often they say the product is what they are learning, so I call it progress that we have some recall, but overall it is very discouraging. I think it takes valuable time that could be used to get on with the lesson. We have been told time and time again that the attention span of children is equal to their age. If we are spending 5 minutes (I sometimes spend more, especially if it is new to them) on a TPO, we have lost many of them by the time we get to our mini lesson.

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This is what happened when I tried to watch the video, however, I feel open ended questions allow the students to think more critically about the topic. Often they retain information better when they are able to explain and make connections in their thought processes.

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my TPO and AVE go pretty well, but they are not retaining the info from week to week.
I added visuals to the vocabulary this week, and it helped quite a bit- they also seemed more engaged when matching the pictures with the definitions or terms. Some of the terms are difficult to put visuals with.
My challenge is reflections. I run out of time!!!!
I did do a mentimeter this week for reflection which is slow but engaging. Although I feel like they are more interested in seeing their own response on the board rather than all the reflections.

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I couldn't see the video either, but I think that open ended questions not only expand each child's thinking and thought process, but also serve as somewhat of a confidence builder. I have a few students who (usually) are not able to provide the correct answer to a closed question, but they are able to confidently explain their thoughts to an open ended question.

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It's important to plan for open-ended questions because its natural to ask closed questions if there has been no pre-planning. Open-ended questions allow to students to respond past a basic (yes or no). This allows them to explain and justify their thinking. When students have to justify their thinking the information and content become meaningful or thoughtful.

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Open ended questions get kids talking plain and simple... they are thinking about possible answers and practicing their conversational skills in a setting where they don't feel judged. It's going to create a safe feeling for them which will get them discussing even more the next time. Additionally, they may become more curious about the topic and extend themselves into the upper end off the rigor rubric!

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This is a great video. I often ask too many closed ended questions just in a different way seeking one answer. I need to turn my questioning around so they think pair share more. My second class has a lot of strong personalities and several students with special abilities, so they struggle with relating to each other. I was just researching ways to get them constructively talking. I think by asking more open ended questions on a specific topic and giving them time to think before responding may help. I just listened to this podcast (https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/language-makeover/) and I’m going to try some of these phrases to also help with my questioning in the classroom. Thanks Laura for this discussion!

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Here's some sample question stems to help you generate you own questions. Choose a content area you'd like to focus on.

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Attention getters, do nows, morning meetings, hugs, and high fives. These are often the ways teachers start their days. By now, you probably have your routines in place for how you start your day or class period. But sometimes it's good to mix it up. Or maybe you're looking for an exciting entrance to a specific lesson plan. Just like writers, teachers often need a hook!

Whether you're mixing it up or just curious about what other teachers do, check out these five videos to see five different ways teachers start their lessons.

1. Start with a Video

Everyone loves a good video, especially kids. Video can be a great way to pique interest or teach a simple concept before a lesson. In Coding in the Algebra Classroom, high school teacher Joshua Kwon starts his lesson with a clip from a car racing video game. He hopes by asking his students to watch and wonder about something familiar to many of them, he can warm up their brains for the math concepts in his lesson, where they'll be creating their own computer animations.

2. Start with an Object

Another way to get your students wondering about a topic is to show them objects related to the content. Ready to do some creative writing? Inspire them with sensory objects. Getting ready to read a book? Show them objects from the book and ask them to make connections, predictions, or ask questions. You could bring in actual objects for students to touch and smell, or simply show a set of images. In Scaffolds for Critical Thinking, Sarah Brown Wessling opens a mystery box filled with photos before starting a challenging lesson with a class of fourth graders. Watch as she uses this box to create an environment that encourages her students to be curious.

3. Start with a Question

Find out what your students already know or think about a topic with a question. There are so many ways to do this: ask the whole class, encourage small group discussions, write it on the board and ask students to do a quick write, or try using a poll. To see a poll in action, watch Using Technology to Boost Confidence. In this video, high school teacher Johanna Paraiso explains how she uses technology to build communication skills in her class, including warming up her students for academic discussions with polls using Google Forms. No matter which method you try, questions are a great way to get your students thinking.

4. Start with Movement

Have an early class of tired high schoolers? Are your 1st graders squirmy after lunch? Get them on their feet with Sarah Brown Wessling's Stand Up Game. For this strategy, you start your lesson with a question, but the twist is that you get everyone on their feet to answer it. Students are able to sit down when they share their answer with the class. Take two minutes to watch this fun idea and then give it a try yourself.

5. Start with a Mistake

Make learning from mistakes a natural part of your daily lessons. Next time you're thinking of starting off your lesson with an exemplar, consider what could be learned by sharing student work that's not quite perfect. Take a look at My Favorite No to see how Leah Alcala begins her lesson with a brief formative assessment activity and uses it as an opportunity to teach her students to learn from their mistakes. And for more ways to begin your lessons with formative assessment, be sure to check out our Formative Assessment Deep Dive filled with ideas for you to explore.

How do you like to start off your lessons? Share your thoughts below. And, let us know if any of these ideas sparked your creativity!
Gretchen Vierstra taught middle school for ten years in the San Francisco Bay Area. During her 15+ years in education, she's also been a department chair, new teacher coach, curriculum developer, and policy analyst. She is an Education Content Manager at Teaching Channel. Follow Gretchen on Twitter: @gretchenvee.

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Attention getters, do nows, morning meetings, hugs, and high fives. These are often the ways teachers start their days. By now, you probably have your routines in place for how you start your day or class period. But sometimes it's good to mix it up.