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In Oder to Create the Concept Must be Grasped

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In Oder to Create the Concept Must be Grasped

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As teachers we run into the issue of merging creativity with ensuring that our students are learning the curriculum. In order to create lessons for other students the student must understand the concept they are teaching.

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Many times we as teachers try to get a message across but fail to find the correct words. When students design the lesson they use the language of their peers. Their peers in turn are more likely to reach that "Ah ha!" moment.

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Students Have Ownership of Their Learning

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Students Have Ownership of Their Learning

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The lesson is no longer simply something the teacher is imparting to the student, rather it has become something that belongs to the student. Something they can be proud of, and something they can feel as though they are the "expert" on.

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Students Have Autonomy in the Classroom 

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Students Have Autonomy in the Classroom 

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How important is this concept to teachers? Autonomy is important to all human beings. Students have control of the methods they are using to teach the subject. There is no "wrong" way to teach it. If their classmates don't grasp what they are trying to relay, they figure out what didn't work and improve upon it.

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Passionately Designed Lessons are Delivered Passionately 

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Passionately Designed Lessons are Delivered Passionately 

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Students are able to use their passions to create lessons. If they are into technology their lesson can be developed through Google and the others can respond on the computer. If they are musically inclined they can write jingles about the concepts they are trying to teach. If writing is a hobby they can relay their lesson through the characters in a story. The sky is really the limit here, and when the lesson they are teaching isn't just them getting up and lecturing, but based in their passions they begin to see the lesson in a whole different way. They make connections on a broader scale.

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Any subject can be turned into a board game. In this case the students create trivia cards that are factual questions, interpretive questions, or equations that they come up with. They are creating the questions their classmates will have to answer. They are also creating the game and the rules for playing. I have done this with my advanced class in English, and they have peer tutored using these games with great success.

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Making an Interactive Worksheet Through Google

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Making an Interactive Worksheet Through Google

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Here again the students are making the questions or problems, they share them with their classmates, and their classmates must answer, and send the responses back.

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In this case students can write jingles about how to solve a problem, or remember a formula, or even summarize the plot of a story.
They can also write a short story where the characters are presented with problems or equations that they must solve throughout the plot.  Students can even write plays modeled on the same concept and have their classmates act them out. (This may seem like getting away from the topic, but in reality it is reinforcing the concepts, and allowing all students see how these concepts connect to other situations).

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In this case the student posses a hypothesis about a concept, and leads a class discussion in debating that hypothesis.

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Indicators Necessary to Make This Practice a Reality

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Indicators Necessary to Make This Practice a Reality

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While this type of promotion of creativity looks good on paper, it requires an environment that supports it. The indicators in the Jefferson Center's Principles are a good place start creating a creative environment in the classroom that would allow this form of reciprocal teaching to take place.
1.  "A good learning environment is one that reflects a clear understanding of how people learn" (Duke, p. 1)  Students need an environment that allows them to test their lessons, reflect on what went right and wrong, make adjustments, and be free of judgement.
2. "A good learning environment is one in which students are not simply prevented from behaving irresponsibly, but where they learn to behave responsibly" (Duke. p. 2). When the responsibility of teaching their peers is stressed, students learn to behave in a manner befitting a teacher. They must take their work seriously, as a great deal depends on them. They are being entrusted with a responsibility and must rise to the occasion.
3.  "A good learning environment is one characterized by pervasive care and help" (Duke, p. 3).  The teacher cannot simply say "Here create a lesson".  The teacher must be constantly present, encouraging good ideas, sympathizing with mistakes, and guiding the students to a finished product.  It is important not to be critical to avoid students shutting down.
4. "A good learning environment is one that inspires and nurtures hope" (Duke, p. 4)  This ties into the previous principle.  Students must feel that even if the lesson didn't go exactly as they planned, they can build from the experience, and create something even better next time.  It is also good to let them know that all teachers go through this.
5. "A good learning environment is one in which the quality of desired learning experiences dictates the quality of the setting (not vice versa)" (Duke, p. 5). It is important that classrooms be designed as much as possible to encourage idea development. There should be open spaces for students who need room to develop their lessons. There should be quiet nooks for students who need the quiet to focus. The classroom should be well-quipped with materials, so the students don't feel limited by a lack of resources.

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Duke, Daniel L., The Jefferson Center's Principles of Good Educational Design, retrieved from
https://padletuploads.blob.core.windows.net/prod/20661874/982642aec47bc8e7fd55b407c859ba2b/Jeff_Center_Principles.pdf