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1-Engage your students by giving them responsibilities!
2-Create a trusting and safe community!
3-Have students work together and learn from their peers!

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Pass on some responsibility to better your classroom!

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Teaching Technique 5: Make Student Leaders

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A simple method that allows teachers build self-esteem and a feeling for responsibility by giving students specific tasks they then handle in rotation.

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Teachers can learn from their students?

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Teaching reciprocity - you teach, you learn  - The Academy

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Teaching reciprocity - you teach, you learn is an approach where re-engaging and re-igniting the passion for learning is just as important for the teacher as it is for the student. As a learning and teaching institution there are many opportunities to learn from our student body who bring their own experiences, interests and knowledge.

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Students take part in their classrooms!

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Mrs. Stevens' class shares their responsibilities in the classroom.

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Team Building Activities and Exercises

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Effective team building ideas will assist you in communicating important points to your team. Our Team Building At Work guide emphasizes several important leadership topics. For each topic we provide at least two helpful activities that you can use to communicate your expectations and support your team.
Download Free: Team Building At Work eBook
Our first team building ideas are on the topic of accountability. Each team member must understand that he or she is accountable for their personal and professional growth; accountable for being solution-oriented; accountable for being a team player; accountable for demonstrating a commitment to their customers and to the organization; accountable for meeting their goals and helping the team to be successful.
Successful organizations recognize that the more you hold your employees accountable for their results, the more likely it is that the individual will perform at the expected level. People inherently want to be successful and most will rise to the level of expectation if given the necessary guidance and support.
The idea of team members being held accountable for their results, while not new, can sometimes surprise employees. Particularly those employees who have not been held to a standard of performance in the past. This is why it's so important for leaders to take time up front to be very clear about the expectations of the role.

Goals must be realistic and achievable, and should require employees to be fully engaged in order to be successful.

The top performers will far exceed your expectations. Average performers have demonstrated a baseline for success and can be coached upward. Bottom performers are probably in the wrong job to begin with so it's important to help them be successful quickly, or help them find happiness elsewhere.

"Accountability takes place when leaders INSPECT what they EXPECT."

No one should be surprised to learn that if they do not consistently follow through on their commitments to the team, then they become a liability to the team, and top performing teams don't allow members to continually be the weakest link.
However, leaders must hold themselves accountable before they attempt to hold team members accountable. Leaders must balance their message of accountability with supportive actions that help to teach and coach employees to new levels of success. If you haven't taken the time to teach and coach your people, then it's not fair to hold them accountable for not achieving a goal that you haven't prepared them for.
Every team member must understand that in order to remain on the team you must consistently earn your position and demonstrate a commitment to achievement ongoing performance.

Large and small companies are now linking their success in service delivery, employee satisfaction, customer retention and business growth, directly to their ability to hire and retain high functioning employees who thrive on personal accountability.

As the leader, you must establish expectations for your team members in two primary categories... Performance & Behavior.

Be a leader who practices what you preach. Demonstrate daily that you hold yourself to same high levels of achievement that you expect from the team. Doing so will greatly improve the chances of the team being successful.

Try These Team Building Ideas

Purpose: To show team members that they are accountable for continuous improvement. In order to grow and expand their skill-set they must remain open to trying out new ideas and creative solutions.

Putting on their coat

Tying their shoe laces

Combing their hair

Writing their name

Explanation: Ask each team member to identify something very basic, something they are used to doing almost daily. For this team building idea, each task must be something that they can demonstrate right now. Ideas might include:

Once everyone has identified a common task, explain to the group that they need to work in partnership with another team member and they must complete the task using the opposite hand that they are used to using.

Encourage each team member to try his or her best knowing full well that it will be uncomfortable. Instruct the teams to take turns conducting the task and observing the other person as he or she attempts to complete his or her task.
Once two rounds are complete, lead a discussion on the importance of the following:
After the first round, instruct the teams to repeat the exact same task.

Being willing to attempt new ways to solve common problems.

The more you do something different, the easier it becomes.

Knowing that it's fear of the unknown that is our greatest enemy

Challenging ourselves to seek out new ways of improving service delivery and product quality

Holding each other accountable for bringing new ideas to the table versus simply leaning back and being an "order-taker".

After a short group discussion on what was learned from the exercise, identify ways to incorporate the lesson(s) learned with a current challenge or obstacle that your team or team member is facing.

- Margaret Mead

Purpose: Increasing awareness of team members on how they can positively or negatively influence the work environment by how they choose their words. This team building idea holds employees accountable for the words they use in meetings and in the workplace.

Explanation: Too often, employees respond to a newly introduced challenge by using words that reflect poorly on the employee as well as on the team. Without even noticing the impact of their language, they limit their ability to be successful.

Sure, but are you sure we can do that?

I'll try my best.

I can't say for sure, but I'll give it a shot.

I won't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do.

Although the employee may have good intentions, they mistakenly use words such as:

In the above examples, while the overall message may seem to be positive, they still give off a sense of doubt by using the words "BUT, TRY, CAN'T, & WON'T".

Coaching your employees to become more aware of this in their everyday life, and especially when they are in your meetings and on the phone with customers and/or business associates, will aid them in their future success.

Encourage your employees to replace the words BUT, TRY, CAN'T, & WON'T with more positive and constructive words such as AND, WILL, CAN, & WILL.

Ask for examples of negative language they have heard from someone they know. Not profanity, but just statements the reflect what we call "stink'n think'n". Then challenge the group to rephrase the sentence in a more positive way. This team building idea is a fun way to get your people thinking about the impact of the words they use.

"Employees often unknowingly send out messages of doubt, uncertainly and low self-esteem when they respond."

After you've implemented this team building idea, consider holding employees accountable for their words by creating a special item known as the THEM-blem award.

The item can be something as simple as a rubber chicken, a stuffed animal, or a trophy of some sort.

Whenever a team member catches another team member using negative or unproductive language, they get to pass on the award to the offending team member - in effect holding that team member accountable for their choice of words.

The person who holds the Them-blem award is now the person who must identify someone else using language that is either unbecoming or not in the best interest of the team.

Make the point to your team that "negative and unhelpful language is fine for your competitors, but not for US. That's what THEY do, but WE are better than that." Creating an US vs THEM mentality is a team building idea that can do wonders to promote teamwork and a strong sense of accountability.

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Effective team building ideas will assist you in communicating important points to your team. Our Team Building At Work guide emphasizes several important leadership topics. For each topic we provide at least two helpful activities that you can use to communicate your expectations and support your team.

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Trust and Accountability

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Oftentimes, life would be great if it weren't for other people! Yet, it's through relationships with others that you often obtain the greatest rewards. Your office/workplace is where you spend many hours of your life, so getting along and working productively with your colleagues is very important. Unfortunately, many employees experience stress because team members argue, give each other the silent treatment or allow one person to do all the work.

So, how can you find ways to get along and create a successful team? Trust and respect are two essential elements for building relationships in the workplace and beyond. It's all about the relationships you have with people - which doesn't necessarily mean friendships. Relationships are built over time, when one person has respect for another. Gradually, trust beings to build, too. You don't have to be a close personal friend with everyone at work, but you do always need to show each person respect and professionalism.

Here are some guidelines to facilitate accountability and build trust among your team:

1. Define the duties. Eighty percent of the job is specified by your job description and responsibilities. Twenty percent of your time, however, is spent helping colleagues and clients. Create an atmosphere where everyone bends over backward for the other person. A successful, trusted and well-respected team member uses words like, absolutely or certainly when asked for help. Look for things that need to be done and do them without being asked! This is the true definition of teamwork. The Job Description Handbook is a great tool for defining duties.

2. Be clear with prospective employees during the interview process. What are your expectations? Hold your existing employees and new hires to consistent standards, outlined in your policy manual. True teamwork demands that all employees are held to the same standards and, most importantly, do whatever is necessary to take care of the customer!

3. Define your expectations in a workplace policy manual. A personnel policy and workplace manual should cover individual and team responsibilities. If you don't already have one, or if you have one that needs updating, be sure it includes items such as:

1. Job description

2. Office and working hours

3. Leave time

4. Professional appearance, including body piercing, tattoos and hair color

5. Salary

6. Other benefits

7. Outside employment

8. Probationary periods

9. Performance reviews

10. Absenteeism and tardiness

11. Reprimand policy

12. Discipline

13. Termination

14. Leave of absence: disability, maternity/paternity, bereavement, jury duty

15. Sick leave/well pay bonus

16. Holiday

17. Personal days

18. Inclement weather

19. Personal phone calls

20. Smoking

21. Internet and cell phone usage

Check with your attorney on your individual state hiring/employment laws and craft your manual accordingly. Be aware, however, that more important than defining your expectations: You need to be consistent in holding all employees to the same standard or else you will create an atmosphere of favoritism!

1. Outline the time commitment and set aside adequate time for each task. It is not fair to assign or accept a responsibility and then have no time to accomplish the task. Be realistic about the timeframe, and make sure your team members are aware of the deadlines for each project they take on.

2. Be careful to not overload your staff with too many commitments or too many interruptions. They will get discouraged and burned out. Instead, focus on delegating one task at a time, communicating the objective and timeframe clearly.

3. Follow through by putting a note on your calendar to check on progress. If you don't check on progress, the task may not be accomplished. Find out how the project is progressing and show interest. Ask questions about the task, and offer your advice and help if needed. Recognize your employee for taking on the responsibility. It is discouraging for a team member to work hard and not received recognition for a job well done!

4. Avoid showing favoritism toward specific team members. To build trust and accountability, businesses need consistent leadership. One way is to have effective team meetings on a regular basis for feedback and input on projects. With team meetings, allow your staff members the opportunity to volunteer for special tasks and projects. Remember, it's impossible to build trust if one person is favored over others. Ask yourself: Do your staff members believe they are treated fairly, without prejudice? Do some feel excluded from the decision-making process? Does one person "do it all?" When there is no accountability, oftentimes one person will pick up the slack and take on too many responsibilities.

5. Encourage your team members to stand up and lead! Ask them about their concerns and the collective concerns of the team. Often, teams express concerns about drama in the workplace, other team members making personal calls during business hours, and team members bringing personal issues from home to work. Other concerns often involve not enough training on new systems, negativity in the office or people not taking responsibility. As a leader, do what you can to resolve these issues before they become areas of contention or conflict.

6. Open the lines of communication by having an open-door policy. Manage by "walking
around." Know the concerns of your team and deal with them head on. Ignoring your staff's concerns will NOT make them go away! Be positive in your approach and dependable in your attitude. Do not lose your temper. Instead, be reasonable and predicable. If you respond inappropriately, whether out of anger or insult, your team will remember the 10 percent of the time that you were out of control, not the 90 percent of the time that you did well!

7. Ask your team members to bend over backwards for each other. To do this, begin a team meeting session by asking your staff to define the qualities of teamwork that impress them. Ask them to think about someone they've known in the past or present that represents a true team player: What are the attributes of this person? Often you'll hear: Consistency, fairness, general cheerfulness, flexibility, positivity and the willingness to change. How do you rate in these categories?

8. Bonus tip: True teamwork means encouraging individual leadership development. To win in today's market, you need to step up and take a leadership role and ask the same of your team members. Ask your team members to listen. At your team meetings, encourage respectful listening. Allow others to speak, without interruption. Let their voice be heard. There are four things team members need to feel great about their workplace and feel like a team member:

1. Appreciation and recognition

2. A sense of belonging to a close knit team

3. Responsibility and a feeling that their voice matters

4. Money: pay and benefits

Recommended reading: The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything

Sincere listening will increase your level of teamwork! To do this, ask questions. Instead of giving direct orders, ask questions to guide your team members to think through issues and come up with their own solutions. You will find that ownership and subsequent responsibility for the task increase when the team member develops the solution. Lastly, value your staff. Reassure your team members that their contribution and leadership does have a huge impact on your company's growth and survival.

By following these steps and increasing the accountability of your office staff, you create trust and respect in the workplace. With these changes, your sense of teamwork and trust will grow, while decreasing your levels of stress and conflict!

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The secrets to successful teamwork: Trust and accountability

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Oftentimes, life would be great if it weren't for other people! Yet, it's through relationships with others that you often obtain the greatest rewards. Your office/workplace is where you spend many hours of your life, so getting along and working productively with your colleagues is very important.

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Do's and Don'ts

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Accountability is a crucial ingredient of successful collaboration, and it is often underestimated.

For multinational (and other) enterprises, competitive advantage and successful strategy execution increasingly depend on getting cross-company collaboration right. Executives understand that creating a culture of collaboration and trust, and building and leading teams that work effectively across company units has clear benefits (increased agility, higher level of innovative thinking, cost savings, etc.). 'But what about accountability?', I often hear. 'How to ensure that collaboration in my teams is balanced with personal accountability?' And it is a good question! The goal of collaboration, after all, is not collaboration but results (read more about the importance of successful collaboration).

And in order to achieve results, the last thing you need is a team where people hide behind each other and don't feel personally accountable for their actions, where teams are merely brainstorm groups without taking ownership for results. Nevertheless, this is often what happens! You can assign tasks, but you cannot force people to be accountable. Accountability is an act of will.

A prerequisite for successful team collaboration is that team members embrace accountability. Accountability in the sense that they feel ownership for the team's objectives, feel committed to achieve these objectives, and feel personally responsible for their contribution to the team's success. Leaders play a crucial role in stimulating this.

What can leaders do to boost accountability in their teams?

These are 4 essential tips that help you create a culture of accountability, based on years of experience in working with teams in different organizations, business environments, and cultures.

1) Focus on creating a shared purpose

Your team exists for a reason. What is the background/reason for establishing this team? What should be our contribution as a team to the organization and its strategy? What are our objectives? How are others depending on our output as a team? What are our key drivers for successful performance as a team? The more team members feel involved in defining the answers to these questions, the more they will embrace accountability.

2) Be open and specific about expected results

Team members start to feel accountable when they feel they are in charge of their own success. A feeling of being accountable is often hindered by a lack of clarity about the results we expect from each other and from us as a team.

Focus only on tasks (who is doing what)

Allow team members to be vague about what they will contribute to the team ('as long as I have finished my task I'm in the clear')

Allow your team to avoid discussions about mutual expectations

3) Pay special attention to team behavior when things go wrong

When everything goes well, practicing accountability- and taking credit - is easy. But what if things are not going as planned, what if expected results are not met? If you really want to know the level of accountability in your team, watch what happens when something goes wrong, and support your team to respond effectively.

* Is even more important when you have people from Eastern cultures in your team, when loss of face situations can have disastrous consequences (read more about the importance of avoiding personal blame and loss of face)

4) Last but not least: set the right example upfront

Start by being more accountable yourself. Like Carlos Ghosn did, the French-Lebanese-Brazilian CEO credited with turning around the Japanese carmaker Nissan and making the Renault-Nissan alliance a success. When he landed in Japan in 1999, he shook his head in disbelief: 'If the company did poorly, it was always someone else's fault. Sales blamed product planning, product planning blamed engineering, and engineering blamed finance. Tokyo blamed Europe, and Europe blamed Tokyo.' (read his HBR article here ).

How did Ghosn succeed in transforming a blame culture into a culture of personal accountability? By setting the right example, and explicitly assuming his own accountability upfront. When he announced the Nissan revival plan, he publicly declared he would resign if the company failed to accomplish its objectives. 'Judge me', he told the world. The objectives were achieved, a year ahead of schedule.

It is in your own behavior that team members will look for inspiration. Set the right example, and you will be on your way to building a team that embraces accountability.

If you want to receive upcoming LeadershipWatch articles and news in your mailbox, then simply register at the top of this page. Your personal information will be kept strictly confidential.

Photo: shutterstock.com

Aad is a global business advisor, change leader, executive team facilitator, leadership coach, and frequently asked keynote speaker. He is founder and managing partner at HRS Business Transformation Services where he works with senior executives and leadership teams globally in three key domains: 'leading complex change', 'cross-cultural leadership', and 'post-merger integration'. Find out more and HRS' . If you would like to invite Aad to your organization .

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4 Tips to Make Your Team Embrace Accountability

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Accountability is a crucial ingredient of successful collaboration, and it is often underestimated. For multinational (and other) enterprises, competitive advantage and successful strategy execution increasingly depend on getting cross-company collaboration right. Executives understand that creating a culture of collaboration and trust, and building and leading teams that work effectively across company units has clear benefits (increased agility, higher level of innovative thinking, cost savings, etc.).

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Cooperative Learning

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Cooperative Learning

What Is It?

Cooperative Learning, sometimes called small-group learning, is an instructional strategy in which small groups of students work together on a common task. The task can be as simple as solving a multi-step math problem together, or as complex as developing a design for a new kind of school. In some cases, each group member is individually accountable for part of the task; in other cases, group members work together without formal role assignments.

According to David Johnson and Roger Johnson (1999), there are five basic elements that allow successful small-group learning:

Positive interdependence: Students feel responsible for their own and the group's effort.

Face-to-face interaction: Students encourage and support one another; the environment encourages discussion and eye contact.

Individual and group accountability: Each student is responsible for doing their part; the group is accountable for meeting its goal.

Group behaviors: Group members gain direct instruction in the interpersonal, social, and collaborative skills needed to work with others occurs.

Group processing: Group members analyze their own and the group's ability to work together.

Cooperative learning changes students' and teachers' roles in classrooms. The ownership of teaching and learning is shared by groups of students, and is no longer the sole responsibility of the teacher. The authority of setting goals, assessing learning, and facilitating learning is shared by all. Students have more opportunities to actively participate in their learning, question and challenge each other, share and discuss their ideas, and internalize their learning. Along with improving academic learning, cooperative learning helps students engage in thoughtful discourse and examine different perspectives, and it has been proven to increase students' self-esteem, motivation, and empathy.

Some challenges of using cooperative learning include releasing the control of learning, managing noise levels, resolving conflicts, and assessing student learning. Carefully structured activities can help students learn the skills to work together successfully, and structured discussion and reflection on group process can help avoid some problems.

Why Is It Important?

The authors of Classroom Instruction that Works cite research showing that organizing students in cooperative learning groups can lead to a gain as high as 28 percentiles in measured student achievement (Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock 2001).

Other researchers report that cooperation typically results in higher group and individual achievement, healthier relationships with peers, more metacognition, and greater psychological health and self-esteem (Johnson and Johnson 1989).

When implemented well, cooperative learning encourages achievement, student discussion, active learning, student confidence, and motivation. The skills students develop while collaborating with others are different from the skills students develop while working independently. As more businesses organize employees into teams and task forces, the skills necessary to be a "team player" (e.g., verbalizing and justifying ideas, handling conflicts, collaborating, building consensus, and disagreeing politely) are becoming more valuable and useful. Using cooperative groups to accomplish academic tasks not only provides opportunities for students to develop interpersonal skills but also gives them authentic experiences that will help them be successful in their future careers.

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Cooperative Learning: Teaching Strategy (Grades K-12)

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Cooperative learning is an instructional strategy in which small groups of students work together on a common task.

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Collaborative Learning

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20 Collaborative Learning Tips And Strategies For Teachers
contributed by Miriam Clifford

There is an age-old adage that says, "two heads are better than one."

Consider collaboration in recent history: Watson and Crick or Page and Brin (Founders of Google). But did you know it was a collaborative Computer Club about basic programming at a middle school that brought together two minds that would change the future of computing?

Yes, those two were, of course, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the founders of Microsoft.

Collaborative learning teams are said to attain higher-level thinking and preserve information for longer times than students working individually. Why?

Groups tend to learn through "discussion, clarification of ideas, and evaluation of other's ideas." Perhaps information that is discussed is retained in long-term memory. Research by Webb suggests that students who worked collaboratively on math computational problems earned significantly higher scores than those who worked alone. Plus, students who demonstrated lower levels of achievement improved when working in diverse groups.

Collaborative learning teams are said to attain higher level thinking and preserve information for longer times than students working individually.

Many consider Vygotsky the father of 'social learning.' Vygotsky was an education rebel in many ways. He controversially argued for educators to assess students' ability to solve problems rather than merely acquire knowledge. The idea of collaborative learning has a lot to do with Vygotsky's idea of the "zone of proximal development." It considers what a student can do if aided by peers and adults. By considering this model for learning, we might consider collaboration to increase students' awareness of other concepts.

What are some ways to include best practices for collaborative learning in our classroom?
20 Collaborative Learning Tips And Strategies For Teachers 1. Establish clear group goals
Effective collaborative learning involves the establishment of group goals, as well as individual accountability. This keeps the group on task and establishes an unambiguous purpose. Before beginning an assignment, it is best to define goals and objectives to save time.
2. Keep groups midsized
Small groups of three or fewer usually lack enough diversity and may not allow divergent thinking to occur. Groups that are too large create 'freeloading' where not all members participate. A moderate size group of four or five is ideal.
3. Establish flexible group norms
Research suggests that collaborative learning is influenced by the quality of interactions. Interactivity and negotiation are important in group learning. In the 1960's studies by Jacobs and Campbell suggested that norms are pervasive, even deviant norms were handed down and not questioned.

If you notice a deviant norm, you can do two things: rotate group members or assist in using outside information to develop a new norm. You may want to establish rules for group interactions for younger students. Older students might create their own norms. But remember, given their durable nature, it is best to have flexible norms. Norms should change with situations so that groups do not become rigid and intolerant or develop sub-groups.
4. Build trust and promote open communication
Successful interpersonal communication must exist in teams. Building trust is essential. Deal with emotional issues that arise immediately and any interpersonal problems before moving on. Assignments should encourage team members to explain concepts thoroughly to each other.Studies found that students who provide and receive intricate explanations gain most from collaborative learning. Open communication is key.
5. For larger tasks, create group roles
Decomposing a difficult task into parts to saves time. You can then assign different roles. A great example in my own classroom was in the science lab, fifth grade students assumed different roles of group leader, recorder, reporter, and fact-checker. The students might have turns to choose their own role and alternate roles by sections of the assignment or classes.
6. Create a pre-test and post-test
A good way to ensure the group learns together would be to engage in a pre and post-test. In fact, many researchers use this method to see if groups are learning. An assessment gives the team a goal to work towards and ensures learning is a priority. It also allows instructors to gauge the effectiveness of the group. Changes can be made if differences are seen in the assessments over time. Plus, you can use Bloom's taxonomy to further hone in on specific skills.

Individuals should also complete surveys evaluating how well the group functioned. 'Debriefing' is an important component of the learning process and allows individuals to reflect on the process of group learning.
7. Consider the learning process itself as part of assessment
Many studies such as those by Robert Slavin at Johns Hopkins have considered how cooperative learning helps children develop social and interpersonal skills. Experts have argued that the social and psychological effects on self-esteem and personal development are just as important as the learning itself.

In terms of assessment, it may be beneficial to grade students on the quality of discussion, student engagement, and adherence to group norms. Praise younger groups for the following (for digital collaborative learning, for example) standards. This type of learning is a process and needs explicit instruction in beginning stages. Assessing the process itself provides motivation for students to learn how to behave in groups. It shows students that you value meaningful group interactions and adhering to norms.
8. Consider using different strategies, like the Jigsaw technique.
The jigsaw strategy is said to improve social interactions in learning and support diversity. The workplace is often like a jigsaw. It involves separating an assignment into subtasks, where individuals research their assigned area. Students with the same topic from different groups might meet together to discuss ideas between groups.

This type of collaboration allows students to become 'experts' in their assigned topic. Students then return to their primary group to educate others. Strategies here include using clusters, buzz groups, round-robin, leaning cells, or fishbowl discussions.
9. Allow groups to reduce anxiety
When tackling difficult concepts, group learning may provide a source of support. Groups often use humor and create a more relaxed learning atmosphere that allows for positive learning experiences. Allow groups to use some stress-reducing strategies as long as they stay on task.
10. Establish group interactions
The quality of discussions is a predictor of the achievement of the group. Instructors should provide a model of how a successful group functions. Shared leadership is often useful here. Students should work together on the task and maintenance functions of a group. Roles are important in group development. Task functions include:

Initiating Discussions

Clarifying points

Summarizing

Challenging assumptions/devil's advocate

Providing or researching information

Reaching a consensus

Maintenance involves the harmony and emotional well-being of a group. Maintenance includes roles such as sensing group feelings, harmonizing, compromising and encouraging, time-keeping, relieving tension, bringing people into the discussion, and more.
11. Use real-world problems
Experts suggest that project-based learning using open-ended questions can be very engaging. Rather than spending a lot of time designing an artificial scenario, use inspiration from everyday problems. Real world problems can be used to facilitate project-based learning and often have the right scope for collaborative learning.
12. Focus on enhancing problem-solving and critical thinking skills
Design assignments that allow room for varied interpretations. Different types of problems might focus on categorizing, planning, taking multiple perspectives, or forming solutions. Try to use a step-by step procedure for problem-solving. Mark Alexander explains one generally accepted problem-solving procedure:

1. Identify the objective

2. Set criteria or goals

3. Gather data

4. Generate options or courses of action

5. Evaluate the options using data and objectives

6. Reach a decision

7. Implement the decision

13. Keep in mind the diversity of groups
Mixed groups that include a range of talents, backgrounds, learning styles, ideas, and experiences are best. Studies have found that mixed aptitude groups tend to learn more from each other and increase achievement of low performers. Rotate groups so students have a chance to learn from others.
14. Consider demographics
Equally, balanced gender groups were found to be most effective.

Some research suggests that boys were more likely to receive and give elaborate explanations and their stances were more easily accepted by the group. In majority male groups girls were ignored. In majority girl groups, girls tended to direct questions to the boy who often ignored them. You may also want to specifically discuss or establish gender equality as a norm. This may seem obvious, but it is often missed. It may be an issue you may want to discuss with older students.

15. Use scaffolding or diminished responsibility as students begin to understand concepts.

At the beginning of a project, you may want to give more direction than the end. Serve as a facilitator, such as by gauging group interactions or at first, providing a list of questions to consider. Allow groups to grow in responsibility as times goes on. In your classroom, this may mean allowing teams to develop their own topics or products as time goes on.

After all, increased responsibility over learning is a goal in collaborative learning.
16. Include different types of learning scenarios
Studies suggests that collaborative learning that focuses on rich contexts and challenging questions produces higher-order reasoning. Assignments can include laboratory work, study teams, debates, writing projects, problem-solving, and collaborative writing.
17. Technology makes collaborative learning easier
Collaboration had the same results via technology as in person, increased learning opportunities. Try incorporating free savvy tools for online collaboration such as Stixy, an online shared whiteboard space, Google groups, or Mikogo for online meetings. Be aware that some research suggests that more exchanges related to planning rather than challenging viewpoints occurred more frequently through online interactions.

This may be because the research used students that did not know one another. If this is your scenario, you may want to start by having students get to know each other's backgrounds and ideas beforehand on a blog or chat-board.
18. Avoid 'bad group work'
As with any learning strategy, it's important to have a balanced approach. Cynics usually have a valid point. A New York Times article, cites some criticism of collaboration for not allowing enough time for individual, creative thinking. You may allow some individual time to write notes before the groups begin. This may be a great way to assess an individual grade.

19. Be wary of 'group think '

While collaborative learning is a great tool, it is always important to consider a balanced approach. At times, group harmony can override the necessity for more critical perspectives. Some research suggests that groups favored the more confident members. Changing up groups can help counter this problem.
20. Value diversity
Collaborative learning relies on some buy-in. Students need to respect and appreciate each other's viewpoints for it to work. For instance, class discussions can emphasize the need for different perspectives. Create a classroom environment that encourages independent thinking. Teach students the value of multiplicity in thought. You may want to give historical or social examples where people working together were able to reach complex solutions.

By definition, learning is social in nature. Using different mediums, whether it be books, discussions, technology or projects we study and develop new ideas. We impart ideas and share perspectives with others. Collaboration is a learned process. If managed correctly, it is a powerful tool that can allow educators to tap into new ideas and information.
This is a cross-post from opencolleges.edu.au; image attribution flickr user flickeringbrad

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20 Collaborative Learning Tips And Strategies For Teachers

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20 Collaborative Learning Tips And Strategies For Teachers contributed by Miriam Clifford There is an age-old adage that says, "two heads are better than one." Consider collaboration in recent history: Watson and Crick or Page and Brin (Founders of Google).

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Working With Others

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Series Editor: Michael Theall, Youngstown State University
Author: Donna M. Qualters, Northeastern University

Research on active learning demonstrates the efficacy of having students engaged in the process (1). Chickering & Gamson's "7 Principles" (2) extend this notion to include fostering cooperation among students and using active methodologies to incorporate students' diverse talents and styles of learning. On-going research, and the National Study of Student Engagement (NSSE), are beginning to document the value students perceive from working together.

The shift in higher education from teacher-centered to student-centered learning has shown that the role of the teacher has shifted from dispensing knowledge to becoming the architect of the learning environment. This definition goes beyond the facilitator role, to one that encompasses the ability to create environments where students can develop skills and attitudes that go beyond acquiring and critically evaluating knowledge. Concurrent with this research is the emerging study of communities of practice (3), which illustrates how collaboration improves practice and assists participants in reforming information that extends individual and group knowledge. These are powerful arguments for employing active and team-based learning in classrooms.

Aside from the pedagogical rationale for teams, there are additional factors that support the importance of helping students acquire the skills needed to work together effectively. First, the research on the millennial students (those born in the early 1980's who are now in our classrooms), has clearly documented that these students value working together, and that they were educated in a system that increasingly used collaboration and team work for learning. However, their experience may not have explicitly included the acquisition of collaborative skills in the various disciplines (4). A second factor is the reality that as we move to a more global environment, students will be working more frequently in team-based settings that may be virtual as well as real. Lastly, as interdisciplinary knowledge and research become more prevalent, learners will need the skills to work and communicate with partners who are not familiar with the disciplinary language and practices that learners bring to the workplace. Effective teams capitalize on their diversity and become stronger as a result.

In addition, IDEA research has found that objective 5 is moderately related to student progress on a number of other objectives, including 8. Developing skill in expressing myself orally and in writing; 9. Learning to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view; 10. Developing a clearer understanding of personal values; and 12. Acquiring an interest in learning more by asking my own questions and seeking answers. These relationships are more complex and they suggest that the interactions of team work have positive effects on communication skills, critical thinking, and inquiry about ideas and opinions.

Helpful Hints

Through carefully crafted and executed team work activities, students can gain the necessary skills to function effectively in a rapidly changing world of technology, knowledge management, and cooperative practices. The research on effective teams provides several useful strategies. Here are a few. Many of them correspond to the three IDEA methods:

Method 5 Formed teams to facilitate learning

Method 14 Involved students in hands-on learning

Method 18 Asked students to help each other understand ideas and concepts

These are most closely related to student acquisition of team skills and focus on team organization, engaging students actively , and helping students to understand that they can learn from each other.

"COMET" your teams (5). COMET is an acronym developed by Stone & Qualters (5), and its purpose is to guide team process. C represents Clearly defined goals, assuring that teams understand the reason for using teams for learning and for work. O refers to Open communication, stressing the skills needed to communicate effectively. M refers to Member involvement, eliciting equal commitment and participation by all. E refers to Education, ensuring that members understand the talents and skills that everyone brings to the team. T is the most important element, representing T rust, helping teams to build interpersonal trust, and to identify and remedy difficult situations.

Carefully choose the task for teams. Keep course objectives, content demands, and learner skills in mind, and match the task to the situation. Team work is often very productive when the assigned tasks require higher level thinking skills. Tasks should require students to think critically, challenge each other's assumptions (with appropriate feedback skills), explore topics beyond their existing knowledge, and when possible, provide opportunities for creativity. Tasks that are more concrete often do solidify current knowledge, but are not as effective in helping students to reformulate what they already know into something deeper and more complex. Nonetheless, such tasks may be appropriate for introductory courses where mastery of basic content is critical.

Carefully plan team size and composition. Research suggests optimum team size of three to five individuals (6).The make-up of teams can be student-chosen or teacher-constructed. Considerations in team make-up should include: the maturity level (more mature students tend to work well in teams of their own choosing); presence of the skills needed to complete the task (often diverse skills are needed to be successful); and the proximity and availability (especially if team work will require many out of class meetings that cannot be accomplished on-line or via other new technologies).

Take the time to prepare the team BEFORE the work begins. Students often feel they "know" how to work in teams just because they have been in them so often during their secondary education. But time and energy invested in some simple techniques enhance team work. Begin with team building exercises such as having members state their goals for the team apart from those of the instructor; develop, agree, and sign off on a set of expectations and team guidelines, (for example clear language on how the team is going to handle a non-participant); assist the team in determining the roles that will make the team function and how these roles will work, how leaders will be chosen, whether leadership will rotate, and who will act as recorder/scribe.

Educate teams ABOUT teams prior to starting. The more students know about the characteristics and qualities of successful teams, the more positive their experience (7). Making students aware of the stages of development (forming, storming, norming, performing) and the issues that arise in each stage will help teams understand that the difficulties they may encounter, are normal and can be resolved. Take time to have students identify elements of successful and unsuccessful teams from their past experiences. This meta-activity will make them more aware of issues to attend to in the current team. One author suggests that the case be made that dealing with team difficulty is not only essential, but also an ethical and moral responsibility if the team is to function and achieve its goals. Rather than ignoring behaviors or refusing to get outside intervention, the team understands that holding team members accountable is not "ratting out" a member or violating team privacy, but a mature approach to ensuring a functioning team (8).

Demonstrate feedback skills and give assistance on conflict resolution. Providing students with tools and methods for frequent feedback increases the chances of success for the team. The use of an observer role that rotates among team members is one tactic that provides neutral feedback to the team on how it is functioning and what potential areas of difficulty might be. Another tactic is to discuss the elements of effective feedback and then have learners practice giving feedback to team members, particularly if that feedback contains criticism. This is best done prior to the team beginning its actual work. A third possibility is to have an on-going record (virtual or real) of the activities of the team, the assigned tasks, the deadline dates, and the rate of completion for each member.

Provide a written guide for student teams. Elaborate and well-written guides are available on the web (8) and in the literature (9) that can easily be adapted to most situations. These guides enhance team preparation, provide tips and tools for team success, and contain assessment and monitoring mechanisms to help the team stay on track. Developmentally, it is important to have more detailed guides for introductory courses where students are not only new to the institution, but often new to each other and to college-level work.

Use technology to enhance team interaction. Having team work sites on course management systems allows teams the ability to interact more frequently when apart. These sites can also include both private spaces for team usage and public spaces for classmates and faculty to view on-going work. It is even possible for visitors to offer constructive assistance at the publicly accessible locations. Websites also allow students to work more efficiently given their learning and life styles, but there is one caution: not all students are ready for the level of independence that these systems allow. Teachers have to monitor website activity, encourage active participation, and most important, respond to student questions and concerns. A major advantage of course management systems is that they provide a single, central location for all documents and tools the teams may need to complete the assigned task (10, 11).

Successful group work requires careful preparation and preparation requires time. While it may seem that preparation and training use "valuable class time," the payoff is in improved learning and class time saved (6, 12, 13). For example, when students collaborate in class or virtually, they must engage in the analysis of materials and ideas and they must share their thinking with one another. These activities are beneficial in their own right because they contribute to deeper understanding, but they also lessen the need for repetitive presentation of information in the classroom. Time can thus be spent on deeper coverage and integration of course material.

Assessment Issues

Assessment is one of the most challenging tasks in team-based learning, yet it is not impossible. The question which most often arises is whether to grade students separately (which can seem counter to the purpose of forming teams), or to use a single grade for the team (which can lead to frustration among hard-working students if other students do not contribute). A combination of both is often the most productive way to grade, and incorporating peer evaluation is almost essential if a teamwork mindset is to evolve (12).

Teams have been shown to work more effectively when there is "positive interdependency," that is, a mutual understanding that each team member must rely on other members to complete the work successfully (13). This would argue for a single grade for the summative measurement of a team product, thus creating a common goal to do well on the assignment. To assure that there is full participation and that the interdependency is positive, there must be on-going formative feedback regarding team progress. There are a number of ways to accomplish this. It is often helpful to have team work occur in class, thus allowing direct observation of team behaviors. Utilizing tools such as the Analysis of Team Behavior chart (14) lets you observe the interactions of the teams while they are at work, and provide feedback to improve the skills and interaction of the team members.

Interacting personally with teams is also essential. While teams need space to develop self sufficiency, a periodic check to ask questions, to determine understanding of the goals/tasks, to identify stumbling blocks, and to provide occasional guidance suffices to monitor the team's progress. Carefully planned teacher interventions provide a model for students to do their own self-monitoring in the future.

As mentioned above, having teams keep logs, minutes, weekly reports (individual and/or collective) or task lists available allows on-going assessment of the team's progress and timely intervention if needed. This work also demonstrates that functional teams track their accomplishments, tasks, participation and outcomes. Reflective writing assignments encourage self and team assessment and include opportunities for recording affective components or results of team work. This kind of writing can alert teachers and students to interpersonal or other problems early enough to allow correction.

As in all forms of assessment, clear grading rubrics (15) should be provided and explained prior to starting the project. If a single grade and appropriate on-going feedback are the methods to increase positive interdependence, then clearly delineate the criteria used to assess the team's success in a single grade. If using a combination method, clearly outline which items are collectively graded and which are individually graded and what criteria will apply to each aspect of the grade. Is the grade just the final product, or are some of the formative tools being graded as well? Is there an opportunity for individual feedback? If there is a final project or presentation, is the whole class participating in the grading and what tool will they use? Are reports and documentation being graded? Is peer rating a part of the grade?

Essentially, grading team-based learning involves general principles of good grading. There must be clear expectations about the project and about the team. The amount and type of feedback that will be provided must be clearly outlined as well as the criteria that will be used to determine the grade(s). In addition, be sure to create the space to provide non-graded, qualitative feedback on team progress. It is important to create an open climate in the class where students see the instructor as a partner who will not only evaluate their work, but provide on-going formative assessment. Individual team members need to grow continually and to develop teamwork skills in order to achieve personal success.

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Acquiring skills in working with others as a member of a team

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Series Editor: Michael Theall, Youngstown State University Author: Donna M. Qualters, Northeastern University Research on active learning demonstrates the efficacy of having students engaged in the process (1). Chickering & Gamson's "7 Principles" (2) extend this notion to include fostering cooperation among students and using active methodologies to incorporate students' diverse talents and styles of learning.

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Promote Student Engagement

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Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

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Student engagement is another of those buzz phrases popular in higher education. As with many regularly used terms, everyone assumes we are talking about the same thing; but when asked for definitions, either we are hard pressed to come up one or what's offered is a decidedly different collection of definitions. Here's an article that includes clear definitions and, based on a creative synthesis of research, offers 10 ways to promote student engagement.

The authors propose definitions broad enough to include more specific descriptions. For example: engagement is "students' cognitive investment in, active participation in, and emotional commitment to their learning." (p. 168) Or, engagement is "students' involvement with activities and conditions likely to generate high-quality learning." (p. 168)

Based on this synthesis of research, student engagement can be promoted in the following ways:

1. Enhance students' self-belief - There is no agreement in the research literature as to what motivates learners to engage, but the dominant view is that students engage when they act as their own learning agents working to achieve goals meaningful to them. This means that what students believe about themselves as learners is very important. They must believe they can learn, including that they can overcome and learn from failure. Giving students some control over learning processes helps develop this confidence and commitment to learning.

2. Enable students to work autonomously, enjoy learning relationships with others, and feel they are competent to achieve their own objectives - "When institutions provide opportunities for students to learn both autonomously and with others, and to develop their sense of competence, students are more likely to be motivated, to engage and succeed." (p. 170) Not unrelated to the first recommendation, the focus here is on cultivating intrinsic motivation, which fosters the self-determination that leads to engagement.

3. Recognize that teaching and teachers are central to engagement - Much research places teachers at the heart of engagement. For example, one study found that "if the teacher is perceived to be approachable, well prepared, and sensitive to student needs, students are committed to work harder, get more out of the session, and are more willing to express their opinion." (p. 170)

4. Create learning that is active, collaborative, and fosters learning relationships - "Findings acknowledge that active learning in groups, peer relationships, and social skills are important in engaging learners." (p. 171)

5. Create educational experiences for students that are challenging and enriching and that extend their academic abilities - Easy learning activities and assignments are not as effective at engaging students as activities and assignments that challenge them. When students are reflecting, questioning, conjecturing, evaluating, and making connections between ideas, they are engaged. "Teachers need to create rich educational experiences that challenge students' ideas and stretch them as far as they can go." (p. 171)

6. Ensure that institutional cultures are welcoming to students from diverse backgrounds - To become engaged, students must feel they are accepted and affirmed. They must feel they belong at an institution.

7. Invest in a variety of support services - Sometimes it seems as though students don't take advantage of support services like learning and advising centers, but a wide variety of research findings confirms the importance of these support services. They are perceived as part of the institutional culture, and students engage when that culture values and supports their efforts to learn.

8. Adapt to changing student expectations - An institution should never be satisfied with how it is promoting student engagement. As students change and new research evidence emerges, institutional practices should be adjusted. Engagement cannot just be promoted, it must also be maintained.

9. Enable students to become active citizens - "What is needed is a democratic-critical conception of engagement that goes beyond strategies, techniques, behaviours, a conception in which engagement is participatory, dialogic and leads not only to academic achievement but to success as an active citizen." (p. 173)

10. Enable students to develop their social and cultural capital - This kind of capital derives from a sense of belonging, from active relationships with others, and from knowing how things work around the institution. It is especially essential for minority students who need to be successful not only in the classroom but beyond it as well.

Reference: Zepke, N., and Leach, L. (2010). Improving student engagement: Ten proposals for action. Active Learning in Higher Education, 11 (3), 167-177.

Excerpted from Ways to Achieve Student Engagement. The Teaching Professor, 25.6 (2011): 8.

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Student engagement is another of those buzz phrases popular in higher education. As with many regularly used terms, everyone assumes we are talking about the same thing; but when asked for definitions, either we are hard pressed to come up one or what's offered is a decidedly different collection of definitions.

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Start with Real-World Problems that Students can RELATE to

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Begin with a real-world problem that students can attack and possibly solve through small group work. The solution is less important than the fact that the problem demonstrates the importance of the content or concept, that there is immediate engagement in an active learning process, and that the group work helps to reduce anxiety about "getting the right answer." If students do solve the problem, so much the better, because you will have demonstrated that mastering the content is possible. You can devise more complex problems as time goes on.

A second way to stimulate interest is to use examples that clearly connect with students' backgrounds. Ask students to draw on prior learning and personal experience to demonstrate the relevance of the content. Since learning is the sum of each person's experiences, and since success in meeting a challenge is a powerful motivator, blending experience with new content helps students to organize the new content. Neuroscience research(3, 4) has reached similar conclusions. When students succeed, they want to learn more, and they realize why learning is cumulative rather than just the memorization of bits of information. Stimulation comes in part from the realization that their success resulted from effort, the application of previous learning to new material, and the construction of new meaning.

The quality of your questions can lead students to more complex thinking and thus, lead to higher levels of cognitive activity. Questions asking for opinions, observations, or recall are useful to open a discussion or topic, but a stair step process that leads to open-ended questions that pose problems or cases requiring analysis, evaluation, or the creation of new ideas or solutions can be very effective. Leading students through these taxonomic levels (5) also demonstrates metacognitive process and models a thorough approach to learning about new topics. However, you do not always have to be the source of stimulating ideas. Giving students the freedom to generate ideas through brainstorming, review of data or opinions, or reaction to cases, provides a different, but equally useful kind of stimulation. Students' investment in their own ideas will itself provide the motivation to further discuss, analyze, or defend these ideas and prove their worth.

A less common strategy for stimulating students is to use humor. Though it takes time to develop materials and skills, the use of humor can create interest, reduce anxiety, and provide images and other connections that allow easier recall of information (6). Anecdotes, examples, games, or other techniques can all be used to good effect without fear that one's teaching will be jeopardized. Indeed, most successful humor centers on the use of common understandings, uncommon events, or unusual twists of expected outcomes as the basis for the humor. Rarely if ever, does the use of humor mean simply trying to tell jokes, and in fact, such an approach can be dangerous. Rather, the point is finding opportunities to point out incongruity or to provide examples of various kinds of errors are rich fields for exploration. In a similar approach, many teachers introduce new topics by beginning with a contradiction, a paradox, of some kind. The contradictions they pose may be humorous because of the images they suggest or the illogic they contain.

Two final, but important strategies are to use assignments that clearly connect to course content and intended outcomes, and to clearly inform students why these connections are important to learning (7). Students often perceive out-of-class work as irrelevant or "busy work," but when the relevance and usefulness of assignments are clear, students are more willing to do the work and they value it more. The "stimulation" comes from seeing real-life applications and from realizing that the work is useful to their learning.

In sum, the introduction of stimulating ideas does not always mean presenting the most elegant, complex, or newest content. Students are most stimulated when they can connect new materials to existing knowledge, even if the connection is humorous. Making connections demonstrate that there is something valuable and interesting within the subject matter. That realization provides its own motivation for further effort and engagement.

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Introduced stimulating ideas about the subject

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Begin with a real-world problem that students can attack and possibly solve through small group work. The solution is less important than the fact that the problem demonstrates the importance of the content or concept, that there is immediate engagement in an active learning process, and that the group work helps to reduce anxiety about "getting the right answer."

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Stimulate Group Learning

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Call it "active learning," or "classroom participation" -- every teacher wants to know how to motivate students to particpate, and how to nurture more involved students and fewer apathetic ones. With a little extra planning, that is possible.

Below are four common reasons students don't participate and techniques to solve those problems and spice up your lessons.

Maybe it needs to be repetitive because the students don't really "get it," or maybe you're reviewing for a test. In any case, they're tuning out.

Solution #1: Assess their prior knowledge.

This could be as simple as asking students, "What do you know about (topic)?" and writing their responses on the board. You could also try a pre-test or a graphic organizer like a K-W-L chart . The goal is to find out what they already know (or think they know). You create buy-in for the students because they feel smart, and you can tailor your lesson to the information they don't know or don't remember correctly.

Solution #2: Try skills grouping.

Divide the class into groups based on what skills they need to practice - not forever, but for a class period or two, so they can focus on what they really need help with. So have a group that works on multiplying fractions, one on dividing fractions, and one on converting fractions to decimals. Make a group of "already got 100% on the test" kids and give them an extra credit activity or let them preview the next lesson. Then take time to move between the other groups and help them review. You'll have more students engaged in the lesson and they'll get specific, focused practice time.

Solution #3: Let them teach each other.

Especially good when reviewing before a test: divide the class into groups and give each group a topic. Set some guidelines and then let them teach each other. Encourage them to do interesting activities - write tests for each other, design review games, etc. - and evaluate each group on the accuracy of their content, the creativity of their approach, and how well they work together as a team. This is also a great way to discover how to motivate students.

This is really half the problem. The other half - especially with older students - is their fear of "looking stupid" by asking questions.

Solution #1: Allow anonymous questions.

Put out a "question box" where students can submit questions any time. Give each student an index card and ask them to write something about the reading assignment they did for homework. If they don't have a question, instruct them to write a comment on the reading. Collect the cards and use them to lead a class discussion. You'll easily recognize what parts of the reading confused a lot of students and they won't feel embarrassed.

Solution #2: Allow them to work together.

We can't do this all the time; individual students need to be assessed. Ask yourself: is the goal of this activity for them to learn the content, or for them to be assessed? If you want them to learn the content, why not let them work together? When they bring in their homework, do a quick survey for completeness, then put them in pairs and let them review the homework together. Encourage them to make changes if their partner's answer looks right. When they've finished, review as a class. Students may be less embarrassed to share a group's answer than their own and you may be able to complete the review more quickly.

Solution #3: Try a jigsaw approach.

No, we're not talking about puzzles or scary movies. If you're introducing new, difficult content, divide the class into groups and ask each group to master only one portion of it at a time. If, for example, you're teaching the American Revolution, have one group focus on the Continental Congress, one on Washington's Army, one on French support for the war, and so on.

Ask them to do a reading on their topic - to become the class "experts" on that subject. Then split up the class into new groups that include one "expert" on each topic. Ask these new groups to work together to write an essay or complete a worksheet that requires information about all the topics. They will teach each other in the process. Learn more about the Jigsaw Approach.

Problem: There's too much information to present in too short a time.

Sometimes there's no way around it: you simply have to get a lot of information out there in a short amount of time. So you opt for a lecture and just want your students to absorb the content. Instead, they fall asleep or stare out the window. What can you do?

Solution #1: Keep it "bite-sized."

Remember: research shows the average student's attention span is as long as her age. So even high school kids can only handle about 15 minutes. If you have a lot of information to convey, re-arrange your lesson plans so you never lecture for more than 10-15 minutes.

Break up large concepts into smaller sections - give a brief lecture, then do an activity to help it "sink in." Repeat this process over several days. You'll increase participation - and improve comprehension, too.

Solution #2: Keep them busy.

Don't allow students to stare into space while you talk. Give them something to stay connected. Try "fill in the blank" lecture notes. Delete key words and phrases in your lecture notes to create a "fill in the blank" worksheet. Then ask students to fill in the worksheet while you lecture. Another fun variation - lecture bingo .

Solution #3: Look into the future.

Before a lecture, give students a prediction activity. For example, tell them you will be lecturing on Shakespeare and ask them to predict what you will say, or give them a set of true/false statements and ask them to take their best guess.

As you lecture, instruct students to compare their guesses with what you actually say.

When the lecture is over, have a class discussion and evaluate how accurate student predictions were.

Problem: The lesson emphasizes the teacher, not the students.

Solution #1: Keep them busier than you are.

The traditional classroom of yesteryear had the teacher at the front of the room, droning on while students doze. Re-imagine your classroom as a place where students are busier than you are.

Keep the "sit still and let me talk to you" moments as brief as possible; get those kids working! Give them worksheets, activities, discussions, and projects. That doesn't mean you get to sit around -- you will still be busy, moving from student to student or group to group, correcting, evaluating, or providing feedback. But now everyone is busy and involved.

Homogeneous grouping? Heterogeneous grouping? Tracking? Forget the buzz words: having students work in groups is one of the best ways to increase student participation. Don't keep them in the same groups all the time -give them a chance to be the "smart kid" who can help someone one day and the kid who needs help the next.

Take a traditional worksheet or activity and give it to students in groups. Offer a reward to the group who finishes first with the most answers correct and watch them go! Note: it helps to have additional prizes available to keep groups motivated after the first group "wins." Even high school students enjoy these competitions.

Solution #3: Give them a voice and a choice.

Do students ever get a "say" in your classroom? Of course you need to make most decisions, but there must be some things you could leave up to them - whether it's what color chalk you use today or how long they practice a specific activity.

Kids tune out because they feel like their ideas don't matter. Show them their opinions are important and they'll pay better attention and speak up more in class.

There will always be some unreachable student who won't respond, even with these efforts. But if you give these a try, you may be presently surprised at the previously unreachable students who just might join in!

How do you encourage participation in your class? In what ways did you discover how to motivate students? Share in the comments section!

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top 12 ways to increase student participation

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Top 12 Ways to Increase Student Participation

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Call it "active learning," or "classroom participation" -- every teacher wants to know how to motivate students to particpate, and how to nurture more involved students and fewer apathetic ones. With a little extra planning, that is possible. Below are four common reasons students don't participate and techniques to solve those problems and spice up your lessons.