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How might these help groups function independ

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

1. How does Ms. McPhillips decide what hints to use?

2. What are the effects of using hint cards?

3. How does Ms. McPhillips use hint cards to scaffold understanding?

School Details

John F. Deering Middle School
2 Webster Knight Drive
West Warwick RI 02893

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Teachers

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Middle school math teacher Audra McPhillips explains how she uses hint cards to support her students and encourage independence. Audra explains how she writes probing questions on the hint cards to help scaffold her students' understanding. Audra shares how she has noticed her students benefiting from the extra support of the hint cards.

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Consider the ideas in this Blog Post

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How To Use Flexible Grouping In The Classroom
Groups and group work are woven into the fabric of many classrooms.

Having students interact with one or more peers can build community, increase engagement, and make learning more active. But deciding whether and how best to form groups can daunting.

Because grouping can be challenging and complex, many teachers either avoid using groups altogether or keep students in the same groups. This practice of "static grouping" keeps students in the same groups for weeks or months at a time. They don't "switch up" often according to task purpose and assessment evidence. This can rob students of opportunities to learn from-and develop relationships with-all of their peers.

Flexible grouping, by contrast, organizes students intentionally and fluidly for different learning experiences over a relatively short timeframe (e.g., two weeks). Groupings are well-matched to task purpose and fueled by classroom assessment results and other student characteristics.
The Benefits Of Flexible Grouping
Practiced well, flexible grouping has three benefits over static grouping.
1. Flexible grouping brings students together.
Any time students work in a small group they are separated from the rest of their classmates. With flexible grouping, separation is temporary. Over the course of days, weeks, and months, students come together to work with a wide range of peers in new ways prevented by continuous whole-group work, independent work, or interaction in a static small group. Flexible grouping strengthens rather than threatens classroom camaraderie.
2. Flexible grouping exposes students to new and divergent perspectives.
Like adults, children of all ages gravitate toward people who are like them-who share their points of view, have similar experiences and interests, and seem to value the same things. Wanting to stick with friends is normal, and sometimes helpful. But students can also get too comfortable or stuck in a rut working with the same peers day in and day out. Flexible grouping pushes them out of their comfort zones and into interactions with peers they might not otherwise choose or get a chance to learn from.
3. Flexible grouping combats status differences.
Teachers' grouping decisions send powerful messages to students about their roles in and value to the classroom community. When they are put into a group, most students "size up" the learning situation (Who's in my group? Who's in that group? What are we doing? What are they doing?).

They are conducting a kind of status check, gathering clues about what the teacher believes about their abilities. Flexible grouping makes it difficult for students to pigeonhole one another (or themselves). Groups are sometimes based on students' readiness or skill level, but they are interspersed with groupings based on interest, learning preference, experience, etc.
Planning for Flexible Grouping
Planning for flexible grouping isn't difficult or time-consuming, but it does take some thought.

Should students stay in whole group or work in partners? Is it better if they read alone or in a trio? Are groups of four too big or too small for a Jigsaw? Can students choose their own teams, or should the teacher? Does skill level matter most for the group task, or interest?

This Grouping Planner shows the factors a teacher weighs in the decision-making process.
Thinking About Flexible Grouping
When planning flexible grouping, among the first considerations are purpose and duration: what students will be doing in the group, why they will be doing it, and for how long? Will students be practicing or applying a skill? Exploring new content or ideas? Analyzing a poem or data from a survey? Working on a short- or long-term project? Whatever the "reason," it should be a good fit for group work-that is, a task better-accomplished with others, rather than independently.

Equally important to consider are student characteristics and group composition. What patterns of traits "matter" for the particular task? Are students in different places in their mastery of a certain skill (e.g., reading complex text, solving equations, or conducting experiments)? If so, it makes sense to place students in groups of like-readiness and give each group work that targets their particular areas of strength or weakness.

Does the lesson topic need more "spice"? Perhaps placing students in groups of similar interest to explore the topic through that "lens" will increase motivation. Following their initial exploration, students could get into groups of mixed interest to explore the topic in more breadth. Students' preferences for accessing content (e.g., reading about it, watching a video about it) can serve as another way to form homogeneous groups. Heterogeneous groups work well when a mixture of perspectives and backgrounds-genders, beliefs, extra-curricular endeavors-is important.

The configuration or size of the group should be strongly tied to the purpose of the groups. Splitting the class into two groups might work for a class debate. Three or four circles of 6-8 students could be optimal for discussing short stories students have chosen by interest. For a Jigsaw task, smaller groups of 3-4 may work best. A lab that has been differentiated for readiness could be best-suited to partners.

Another consideration is who or what will actually form the groups. In one sense, the teacher is always in control of the formation, even if he or she decides to let students choose their own groups, or to let "random" criteria (e.g., birthday month, height) decide. While task purpose and student characteristics should be at the forefront of decision-making, for flexible grouping to actually occur, teachers must keep a close eye on configurations over time. Over the course of several weeks, students should have opportunities to work in a variety of groups with a range of peers.
Laying a Foundation for Flexible Grouping
Of course, simply plopping students next to a variety of partners every week doesn't automatically create close or instant bonds. The teacher must take deliberate steps to prepare students to work interdependently with classmates whom they may or may not consider "friends."

To set the tone for flexible grouping, let students know at the year's outset that they will be switching groups frequently. Then, begin using a wide variety of "random" groupings for brief activities like Think-Pair-Share, brainstorming, or responding to a question or prompt.

Here's one example that can be implemented five days in a row-or for five days over a two-week period.
Flexible Grouping "Warm Up"
Day 1/Grouping 1: Students line up according to birth date (month/day) and the teacher divides them into partners

Day 2/Grouping 2: Students receive a playing card and form "same suit" trios

Day 3/Grouping 3: Students use the same playing card (or a new one) to form "like number" quads

Day 4/Grouping 4: Students form "four corners" groups by reporting to the area of the room that corresponds to their favorite food: pizza, burgers, tacos, or smoothies; they subdivide into trios or quads

Day 5/Grouping 5: Students line up in ROY G BIV order according to clothing color. The teacher "folds" the line to give students a partner from the opposite end of the spectrum. This sets the expectation and tone for flexible grouping by getting students used to moving around and working with different peers.

As students become accustomed to this constant state of flux, they worry less about who is in their group and why. Their focus shifts to what they are supposed to accomplish in their groups and how best to do so.
Conclusion
Ideally, flexible grouping creates an environment where students are more collaborative, empathetic, and more willing to take risks - with the content and with one another. This sets the stage for their development as people, not just as students.

At its best, flexible grouping increases students' capacity to behave as responsible, respectful, contributing citizens: something that will serve them - and our country - well for years to come.

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How To Use Flexible Grouping In The Classroom -

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How To Use Flexible Grouping In The Classroom Groups and group work are woven into the fabric of many classrooms. Having students interact with one or more peers can build community, increase engagement, and make learning more active. But deciding whether and how best to form groups can daunting.

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This this school's approach to improving collaboration

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Using Collaborative Learning to Build Student Agency

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Making group work not just helpful but necessary fosters student-led learning.

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In 7th grade I received the best group role in my science class. I was bestowed with the title and responsibilities of "The Encourager." From what I could tell, I was expected to provide supportive comments to each group member and find ways to support their efforts. I was thankful that I had not received the ominous, distinctive, and elusive "leader" role. Every student dreaded this title except for the Type A's that saw it as the best way to get through the task at hand. The rule for leaders was: Usurp the slackers and get it done by yourself. Other roles were clearer: "the writer" and the "note taker."

These roles have the purpose of increasing efficiency, to divide and conquer, and to get the tasks done faster. They reproduce our image of work and of people.

As such, students usually walk away with the belief that groups are a part of the machinery of work, leaders are task masters, and group members are more "hands" than "minds." Moreover, many students miss the opportunity to engage in reading and writing as the role is solely assigned to one member. Learning is lost. Beyond reading and writing, talking is virtually absent except for discussing process and product management. Discussions on content are like water in the desert. Collectively, groups can go through an entire unit without thinking, which is counter to what is needed in today's economy and in the psyche of how adults view collective work.

The challenge is that the groups and teams we need today are associated with ideation, implementation, and inspection. Ideation requires understanding others, balancing advocacy of ideas while engaging in inquiry, taking a stance of empathy, questioning assumptions, and listening. Implementation is associated with prototyping, trial and error, being patient, and giving and receiving feedback. Inspection involves facing the brutal facts with a sense of optimism. In addition, contemporary leadership is better understood as shared, developed, and multifaceted. This is not a distinctive role but rather a set of collective responsibilities.

Groups and teams are a beneficial structure for this type of work. They can yield a collective solution that may be greater than an individual's solution. They leverage the power of peer perspective and feedback and they challenge students to be transparent in their thinking, resulting in the exploration and shaping of new ideas.

Groups can and should be 'ad-hoc' and used to serve the thinking and actions required during ideation, implementation, and inspection. Sometimes people need to work by themselves, form staff and triads, and other times a group should form for a sustained period of time. Often the task sheds light on duration, but ultimately flexibility is key.

Groups would be served well with collaborative roles that aim to cultivate thinking and transition from idea to inspection of action. One suggestion is to consider using the 3 D's: "Dialogue," "discovery," and "decisions" to help students see the purpose behind groups. Dialogue engaged members in discussing divergent and convergent ideas. Discovery is about seeking and understanding everyone's perspective, that of experts, and testing assumptions. Decision making is related to committing to an action, implementing said action, and inspecting the action.
The following roles may assist in structuring the groups next go around:

1. Viewpoint coach: One student takes the responsibility of paraphrasing ideas shared, relating similarities and differences, and checking for understanding. This role is foundational for collective sense making.

2. Process observer: One student takes the role of observing the group members behavior and how that behavior adheres to agreements that have been made between members and the goals established by the group. Process observers bring forward observations and questions for the group to reflect on their performance towards goals and their relationship with each other. This role is foundational for strengthening relationships and enhancing collaborative problem solving.

3. Question generator: One student continues to infuse questions in group conversation to support the group in thinking deeply and thoroughly about an issue through conversation. This role is fundamental for developing and sustaining dialogue and discovering information.

Next time a student sits with another, ask yourself, "Do they know their role, the role of groups, of leaders?" I would do the same in a staff meeting. We are not hands but minds. Groups must leverage the meeting of the minds...we are ripe with the meeting of the hands. That is not the role we want to serve nor should we prepare our little ones for that type of work.

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In 7th grade I received the best group role in my science class. I was bestowed with the title and responsibilities of "The Encourager." From what I could tell, I was expected to provide supportive comments to each group member and find ways to support ...

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What might you recommend/borrow/ adapt from this clip?

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Using group work to help students learn about Math and Algebra topics. Watch as 2 middle school Math teachers incorporate group work into lessons on Algebra.

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Once you've read the posts, examined the handouts, and watched most of the clips, develop a list of "How-to" tips for making sure group work is productive. Consider using Google Docs for ease of sharing with your colleagues.

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Once you've read the posts, examined the handouts, and watched most of the clips, develop a list of "How-to" tips for making sure group work is productive. Consider using Google Docs for ease of sharing with your colleagues.

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What might you recommend/borrow/ adapt from this clip?

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

1. How could you use literacy partners in your classroom?

2. What kinds of questions might you ask on a literacy self-assessment?

3. How does Ms. Banks set partners up for success?

School Details

John Ehret High School
4300 Patriot Street
Marrero LA 70072

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Literacy Partners in the Science Classroom

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High school physics teacher Shelia Banks has students work with literacy partners when analyzing scientific texts. Shelia begins by having students fill out a literacy self-assessment to determine their levels and preferences for group work. Literacy partners then work together to support each other in understanding scientific articles.

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NOTE: Use the "Check, Please!" protocol in the Group Work materials packet in combination with this strategy

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What might you recommend/borrow/ adapt from this clip?

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

1. How is responsibility for learning transferred to the students?

2. How does the use of "lifelines" provide support to students and add a positive feel to high expectations?

3. How does Ms. Dhanani assess and help struggling students?

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A math class at the President Kennedy School in Coventry are placed in mixed ability groups and set a challenging problem that involves turning data into simultaneous equations. The students are told they only have three chances to seek help from the teacher.

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What might you recommend/borrow/ adapt from this clip?

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

1. How does this strategy hold students accountable?

2. When might you randomly call on students and when might you pick certain students to call on?

3. How could you adapt this strategy for use in your classroom?

School Details

Prairie Vista Middle School
13600 South Prairie Avenue
Hawthorne CA 90250

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Teachers

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David Cooper calls on 6th graders in his Social Studies class by rolling dice. David rolls two dice, telling him what table and what seat to call on to participate. David shares how this strategy has increased accountability and engagement.

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What might you recommend/borrow/ adapt from this clip?

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Easy to implement technique for improving student participation. One instructor uses a simple technique to randomly improve student participation at all times during class.

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Examine these materials and be prepared to share those you believe to be most helpful.

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Examine these materials and be prepared to share those you believe to be most helpful.

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Read the following Edutopia blog post and make note of important suggestions:

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Read the following Edutopia blog post and make note of important suggestions: