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My key takeaway for today’s session is when using small group teaching/learning strategies it is important to take note of group dynamics. One way to ensure effective active learning for the students is being clear about the different roles and responsibilities for each group member and making sure that every student has a role in the group. Formation of groups should also be intentional so that students can learn with minimal diversions.

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Small group teaching

I always think that incorporating activities is always troublesome and time consuming

But there are so many advantages to these strategies

I have done learning centre activities in school before and i am able to relate to the challenges that were mentioned

I saw the significance of these strategies and I hope I can use it in my lessons in future.

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I have learnt about Jigsaw, Learning Centre, Scouting for Info, Whiteboarding and Group discussions for Lesson Prep and Teacher Talk in today’s lesson. I especially enjoyed Learning Centre and hope I get to incorporate this into my classroom in the future.

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Small group learning is an effective teaching tool. Students are provided with opportunities to dig deeper into concepts, share diverse perspectives, and emerge with richer understanding. Jigsaw, information scouting centers, white boarding, and discussions are tools in the my toolbox that I can utilise to gradually progress the learning potential of my students.

In my group discussion, we worked on Jigsaw classroom. We sieved out that Jigsaw classroom facilitates development of critical thinking, provides an opportunity to work on effective communication and work collaboratively as a team. We anticipated the potential challenges and mitigating solutions for the interim.

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One key aspect is setting clear rules and expectations before students begin their small group activities. This ensures a positive learning environment. Teacher should actively walk around to observe students' progress and interactions. By doing so, the teacher can observe and appreciate instances of good teamwork and collaboration. When the teacher acknowledges these commendable behaviours at the end of the activity, it also reinforces the importance for students to continue working together effectively.

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Groupwork may not be always meant for imparting new knowledge. You might have to start with very simple tasks and the objective for that lesson would be learning to work together. Once they master that, you can use group work as a means for them to acquire new knowledge.

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Small group teaching is effective in promoting socialisation and collaborative learning. Sometimes students learn better within smaller groups, especially for those who might not be comfortable clarifying during whole class teaching.

Rules and expectations must be emphasised before breaking the students up into their groups to carry out their activities, so that the students know what is expected of them and the rules that they will have to abide to.

During small group teaching, it's important to provide clear instructions and guiding questions as this will reduce confusion.

Knowing your student dynamics matter as well, as it will determine whether the group activity runs smoothly, reducing any friction between students.

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I learnt about small group approaches where differentiated learning takes place. In using such ways, teachers play a crucial role in being a facilitator giving feedback to the students. Instead of merely teacher talk taking place, these small group approaches allow collaborative learning to take place.

Types of small group approaches.

1. Learning centers

2. Jigsaw

3. White boarding

4. Scouting for Information

5. Group discussions

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Whole Class Teaching approaches - choice of approaches depend on your class’ learner profile and the complexity and nature of the concept to be taught

Small Group Teaching - different group work opportunities for students to learn concepts in a more engaging manner; look out for different group dynamics and learn how to facilitate them such that learning of each student is not compromised

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Small group teaching and big group teaching have common teaching areas which address the core ideas in planning a lesson. Readiness, Engagement and Mastery.

Regardless of which approach we decide to use, we need to identify the purpose of why we are using that specific strategy.

Furthermore, it is important for us, as teachers, to plan our lessons beforehand to ensure effectiveness.

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I have learned

the different small group learning

1. learning centres

2. scouting for information

3. whiteboarding

4. group discussions

5. jigsaw

It is crucial to reward certain moments/actions that the student has done --> to encourage them to act or behave in a certain way

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Group Discussions - We must plan out our instructions before the lesson and ensure the instructions are clear. During the lesson, we need to give clear instructions before dispersing the groups. Ensure we know our learner’s profile so that we can plan for unexpected situation (DI). It can be difficult to control but allows students to learn how to work collaboratively.

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I learnt about the various small group approaches that can be used in our lessons. One common thing across the different approaches is the role of the teacher in making the lesson a successful one for instance through intentional grouping and making sure that instructions are simple and clear for students (especially for those in the lower primary). It all relates back to understanding your students well and knowing their needs.

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My key takeaway is that it is important to take into considerations to encourage and sustain learner engagement during small group learning. Small group teaching is helpful in supporting differentiation and accommodating individual needs. It also allows everyone to have a voice but teachers would need to manage the groupings with thought to ensure that it works out effectively.

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I have learnt about the 5 different forms of small group teaching strategies involving jigsaw, group discussion, whiteboarding, learning centres, and scouting for information. These 5 strategies are to be considered and implemented if applicable, and tailored, if needed, according to student profile and lesson objectives.

Some common problems include students who may overdominate other group members, crowding their ideas like how plants can block sunlight from other plants if they grow too large, or about group dynamics. We will have to be aware of such considerations to best bring out lesson objectives.

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I learnt about the different whole class teaching. I also learnt about small group teaching strategies which are scouting for information, jigsaw, whiteboarding, learning centres and group discussions. We have to be mindful of our class profile when implementing the different approaches and customise them accordingly to cater to the different needs of our learners.