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How do you form groups of students for group work and why do you take this approach? Based on your experience what strategies of forming groups work and which do not work?

My experience grouping children in the classroom is very limited other than basic numbering or using colours. I will give a few examples of ones which I have used and that have went well.

Picture Cards:

This method of grouping involves handing out different images with various pictures on them like Ladybirds, Butterflies, Worms, Dragonflies, Caterpillars, Bees (this can be varied depending on age). The children would first have to find all of their fellow Ladybirds etc... then they would next have to find the area in the classroom with the same image/label on it as this will be their work station for the task.

Picture Puzzle:

The next method is similar, however this time you select a few images and cut them into different shapes and divide them into the number of group members you want per group (So 4 pieces = 4 people per group). Mix all the pictures together in a hat first of all and then ask the children to take a piece and then it is their job to figure out who is in their group by matching the different pieces of the picture together.

Why group work?

One of the most important methods of learning is through group work. This allows excellent community building, it enhances collaboration, increases engagement and improves critical thinking skills. Allowing children to actively engage with their peers on a regular basis establishes a welcoming learning environment for all. It will give the children the capacity to be successful in groups when they are faced with a more long-term project. Within my planning I often ask students to talk to their partner or someone in a pair, this method is convenient, however there proves to be more creative ways that could be used. Mixing the class in way that allows the children to engage with peers out with their friendship groups.

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How do you keep your students focused and on track during collaborative projects?  How do you ensure all students contribute to the task?

One of the first notions within this module is that collaboration is one of the key 21st Century skills and pretty much is essential to modern life. However true collaboration is more than just simple group work and in fact quite difficult to achieve. So therefore it is vital that children stay focused and are on track during collaborative projects. When children are working on projects together on tablets or in the classroom I find it essential that there are clear goals set in place for the learners to aim for. This allows for a common ground where all children are at the same level of understanding as to what is expected. With my experience in the classroom I find that one of the main ways of keeping children focused is by assigning roles throughout the groups. This way each child has a focus on his/her role and their attention is set mainly on the task at hand with their role in mind. The roles can vary depending on the teacher and task but these are some basic roles which can easily be assigned to collaborative projects to keep children on task and ensure they are contributing to their group.

The Reporter - this is the person who will report the findings back to the class and they will have the role of speaking on behalf of their group.
Discussion Leader - this is the person who will be in charge of the conversation flow within the group and they will have the responsibility of making sure each member contributes and does so in a fashion they see fit.
Messenger - often referred to as the 'Resource Manager' who will be collecting the items that are required for work.
Volume Control - the person who is in charge of the noise level within the group and this can be useful for children who do no like their ideas being shared before the task is finished.
Time keeper- the clue is in the name as this is the person who takes charge of time management and makes sure there is enough time to complete the task and report back.

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Collaborative Learning in Scotland!

Our ideas about the role of talking in the classroom have changed radically over the years.

We no longer consider that a 'good' classroom is necessarily a quiet one; we understand that learning is frequently most effective when learners have the opportunity to think and talk together, to discuss ideas, question, analyse and solve problems, without the constant mediation of the teacher.

Most of our thinking has been heavily influenced by the work of Lev Vygotsky, and his concept of learning as a social process. In recent years, his ideas have been reflected in a number of learning and teaching approaches, including:

co-operative learning

critical skills

dialogic teaching.

Although these approaches vary to some extent, essentially they all promote the idea that young people's learning is best served when they have opportunities to learn with and from each other, and are shown how to do so effectively.

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These roles will help keep the children on track!

To avoid distraction in class, certain apps should be blocked. Students should also be informed that while teacher or other classmates are speaking or presenting, tablets or smartphones must be laid on their desks.

One more challenge could concern students' mixed abilities and the participation in the group of students with additional support needs. Tablets could be useful in this case, since they allow personalisation and differentiation of learning processes. Students with disabilities, who usually tend to be neglected in class, can do well in teamwork especially in the role of "journalists", "investigators" or "photographers".

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Keeping the children safe while using their tablets is another concern that Scotland has considered and therefore devised an action plan:

Scotland's Child Internet Safety Action Plan

The first UK Child Internet Safety Strategy was launched in December 2009. In February 2010, the Scottish Government launched its own specific Action Plan to help address some of the child internet safety and responsible use issues in Scotland.

The Scottish Action plan specifically uses the words 'responsible use' following any reference to 'child internet safety'. We believe in Scotland that one of the ways to keep our children safe online is through education in how to use the internet responsibly.

The report makes reference to the fact that internet safety and responsible use is the responsibility of all staff.

Internet Safety Teachers' Network

The Internet Safety Teachers' Network is a secure online community where teachers who are involved in internet safety education can update, share and discuss with each other information and approaches to teaching and learning.

Features include:

useful resources for primary and secondary

monthly conversations on hot topics using OneNote

video discussions – an area where you can view and discuss videos used to teach internet safety

a calendar of relevant activities and events

relevant web links

career long professional learning

newsfeed.

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What strategies have you used to assess group work?

Within my practice in class at home state I found that for effective assessment to take place then the success criteria must be shared with pupils, next steps are essential, and are central to the children improving their work. It is imperative as a teacher to try and give the children an idea of their next steps, for continuous improvement through self-evaluation as the success criteria is available and this can be done naturally on their own or by talking to a partner.

Therefore one of the key tools needed in assessment is communication. Communicating the expectations of the lesson and making children aware of the steps required to achieve the overall learning intention is very empowering for low achieving children as they see their success within their work and they will be motivated to achieve continuously throughout their school life.  In terms of strategies for assessment, enabling self and peer evaluation would be considered valuable with almost any lesson.

As Shirley Clarke offers a valid reason for peer assessment because children often give and receive criticisms of their work more freely than the traditional teacher-pupil interchange.  So therefore the language children use towards each other is one they would naturally use rather than “school” language which allows for a more honest assessment of their work. An example of this in the classroom would be after a writing lesson, allowing the children to peer assess and use the two stars and a wish system; this would give the children honest peer assessment of their work.

Peer - Self - Teacher

The example below is a common one for schools that I have worked in, it is called Two stars and a wish.

Students identify two positive aspects of the work of a peer and then express a wish about what the peer might do next time in order to improve another aspect of the work. 'I want to give you a star for the start of your story and a star for the way you described the house. I wish that you will tell us more about Billy.' Teachers model this strategy several times, using samples of student work, before asking the students to use the strategy in pairs on their own. They check the process and ask pairs who have implemented the strategy successfully to demonstrate it to the whole group.

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What are the main challenges when assessing groups?

There are a variety of challenges when assessing groups as judgements about children’s learning need to be dependable. This will mean that assessments are valid and reliable.

Validity in assessment depends on assessing the breadth of learning in the curriculum using a range of evidence so that staff can draw conclusions about what learners can do. Assessments need to measure what they intend to measure. They need to be fair, fit for the purpose of describing the intended learning and based on sound criteria. Validity is improved when assessment tasks and activities closely match the intended outcomes and allow learners to produce evidence of their knowledge and understanding, skills, attributes and capabilities. The assessment activity should be designed to enable the learner to demonstrate ‘how well’ and ‘how much’ they have learned through the breadth, challenge and application of learning. Reliability is the extent to which the assessment would give the same result if repeated. Reliability in assessments means that they provide high-quality evidence and information that is comparable (ie they stand up when compared to judgments across learners, contexts and settings – for example, departments or schools).

Many factors affect the reliability of an assessment including, for example, the clarity of instructions to learners about how to demonstrate their learning, the timing in relation to programmes of study and consistency of marking from one teacher to another. Reliability and consistency of teachers’ judgements is improved through participation in moderation, which is the process by which teachers share standards and expectations (see section on Ensuring quality and confidence in assessment). It is also important that assessment is proportionate and that arrangements do not place excessive burdens on learners and teachers which divert their time and effort from learning and teaching. Further, the costs for the education community of high-quality assessment must be achievable within reasonable constraints of time, effort and resources.

Below is the AfL tooklkit - Assessment for Learning Toolkit - which has lots of great and different methods of assessment that can be used and adapted to classes and teachers alike!

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Here is a slideshow of the various methods used for Assessment.