# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Want your classroom discussions to go a bit more smoothly? Train students to use a few simple phrases and it'll make all the difference in the world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Working together on their notes empowers middle and high school students to see how they contribute to constructing meaning in the classroom.

There's a large body of research that supports a shift in the role of the teacher from the traditional lecturer to that of facilitator, where students become co-constructors of meaning as the class engages with the content. In the rapid move to online learning, many educators turned to innovative means to involve students in cocreating knowledge in virtual learning environments.

This cocreation can continue as we head back to the classroom, and whether students are participating in online or in-person learning, cocreated notes are a helpful tool to increase ownership and empower students to take part in meaning-making in the classroom.

How Cocreated Notes Work

The teacher and students generate cocreated notes as class unfolds. The structure and format may vary, but the fundamental principle remains the same. As the teacher delivers content, they utilize questioning and discussion to elicit connections and synthesis from the students. For example, rather than simply presenting a new vocabulary word, the teacher may ask students to share any background knowledge they may have as to the word's meaning and include a student-generated definition in the shared notes.

As students reveal their thoughts, they contribute information to a shared document that the class organizes together. The teacher highlights important pieces of information to ensure understanding, and this results in teachable moments that the teacher can utilize to clarify important concepts.

The following guidelines can ensure success with cocreated notes.

Select a format: There are many viable options for note-taking to share with students. For example, teachers can create blank Cornell notes through a T chart on a Google Doc. The teacher then shares this with students so they can make contributions throughout the class. Another option for shared note-taking is Lucidchart, which allows for shared creation of mind maps or Explain Everything shared whiteboards for visual note-taking together.

As the class creates notes, the teacher uses the chosen format to organize the information into reader-friendly chunks, adding bulleted lists or boldfaced headings to sections of the notes, for example. It's even better if the students suggest strategies for organizing and chunking information.

Communicate expectations: Teachers know their students. Some classes will be able to responsibly share editing rights for the note-taking document in real time. Clear expectations can set the stage for success during shared editing. Guidelines might look like: include appropriate information only, try not to type over each other's text, and no one should worry about spelling errors. Some classes will need to receive the notes in a view-only format and make verbal suggestions throughout class to create the shared notes.

The key is that this is a living document that's created, edited, and revised using student ideas, direction, and voices.

Plan ahead and be purposeful: In addition to planning for the format of the notes, the teacher can identify the essential content they wish to add to the notes. Then, they can craft questions that will encourage students to provide this information as the class explores the content. These questions may vary based on the desired responses. A range of question types may best engage students, including open-ended inquiries whenever possible. Question stems aligned to Bloom's Taxonomy can help elicit critical thinking and discussion. Bloom's Taxonomy offers teachers the chance to craft questions that invite critical thinking, elaboration, and inferential reasoning.

The idea is to invite student-to-student discussion about the material. After the students chew on the content together for a bit, the main question is "What should we include in our notes?" This allows for student-led synthesis and increases the likelihood of retention.

Share and revisit: Once the class has polished the final product, the teacher makes sure the notes are shared with all students. The teacher can credit the class with helping to create the notes and revisit the notes often as everyone makes their way through the content together. As students become masters of cocreated notes as a classroom routine, they can divide into smaller groups to create shared notes with greater independence. The groups submit their notes to the teacher, who pulls them together into master notes for the class to study. The intent is that the teacher and the students create the notes in a collaborative format with a focus on student voices, not the sole voice of the teacher.

Encourage simultaneous note-taking: Some students may elect to take their own notes, and this can be a positive. For these students, the cocreated notes become a backup resource to bolster their own collection of information. It's crucial to encourage student autonomy in note-taking so that the teacher doesn't own the knowledge. The teacher and students delve into the material together and harvest the main nuggets together. Whether this means the students rely on the cocreated document or they create their own using another medium, all participants have a shared interest in finding the key points embedded in the body of content.

Sharing ownership in the classroom involves a bit of risk. Teachers must let go of the expert role and understand that students do best when they have the opportunity to take part in meaning-making. Strategies such as cocreated notes offer a structured approach to collaborative learning in the classroom, inviting students to work with their teacher to construct meaning from content knowledge.

When students understand that their background knowledge, perspective, and critical lens are welcome in the classroom, there's a much greater likelihood that they'll stay engaged at a high level.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Collaborating on Note-Taking Boosts Student Engagement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Working together on their notes empowers middle and high school students to see how they contribute to constructing meaning in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.headline
Pineapple Charts - Inviting Other Teachers into Your Classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
Pineapple Charts - Inviting Other Teachers into Your Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. If you click these and make a purchase from Amazon, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.

Professional Development: The phrase has a way of striking dread into the hearts of teachers. But not because teachers don't WANT to improve. Not because we believe we're done growing and learning. Far from it.

In fact, so many teachers bristle at the thought of PD because most of the time, it's executed so poorly. Although the typical one-size-fits-all format-where every teacher in the building is herded together to listen to an expert speak-has been widely denounced, it still persists as the default model. Sometimes, if the speaker happens to be engaging, some teachers will walk away with a small tidbit they can apply to their own work. For most teachers, though, it feels like a waste of precious time, time that could be spent developing skills that would make a real difference in their specific practice.

But things are starting to change. More and more schools are experimenting with personalized approaches to professional development; this guide from EdSurge takes a comprehensive look at all the different shapes this can take. And as new unconferences pop up every week all over the world, teachers are seeing just how easy it can be to learn from each other, without the need for any kind of outside expert.

And now, taking PD to an even simpler, more local, more affordable level, we have the Pineapple Chart.

What is a Pineapple Chart?

A Pineapple Chart is a system that allows teachers to invite one another into their classrooms for informal observation. The chart is set up in some location where teachers go on a daily basis: the teacher's lounge, the copy room, or wherever teacher mailboxes live in your school. On the chart, teachers "advertise" the interesting things they are doing in their classrooms, activities they think others might want to observe. The activities could be as complex as a science lab, a history simulation, or a Skype session with a school in another country. Or they could be as simple as a read-aloud or a lesson on badminton.

The chart represents one week of school. Along the top, five columns are labeled Monday through Friday. Along the side, rows assigned to various chunks of each school day. In a middle or high school, these would be class periods. In an elementary school, the rows could be divided by hours or half-hours.

When a teacher sees something on the chart she (or he) is interested in, she goes to that classroom at the designated time, sits down in an out-of-the-way spot, and watches. That's it. No note-taking is required, no post-observation conference, no write-up. Just a visit. She can even grade papers or catch up on email if she wants, paying closer attention when the moment calls for it, but getting work done in the meantime. She can stay for five minutes or a whole class period. The key word here is informal, and it's the best way for teachers to learn lots of skills and techniques just when they need them.

The reasons the visiting teacher might come in are endless: It could be that she wants to start using Google Cardboard, but would like to see another teacher do it first. Maybe she's struggling with classroom management and knows this teacher runs a tight ship. Or maybe she's there because she always wanted to learn more about World War I. Regardless of the initial reason, what she ends up learning is likely to be far more than she expected. During that Google Cardboard visit, she'll also notice a cool bulletin board in that teacher's classroom and decide to try something similar in her room. While watching the lesson on World War I, she'll pick up a questioning technique she ends up using in her own teaching. Every teacher in your building has their own unique blend of skills and talents, but the only way you'll ever learn about them is to see your colleagues in action.

The Origins of the Pineapple Chart

The pineapple has long been a symbol of hospitality; it's used in the chart in the spirit of welcoming one another into our school "homes."

But that's just the beginning. Here's how the Pineapple Chart came to be: In early 2015, Mark Barnes and I were compiling innovative teaching "hacks" for our book, Hacking Education: 10 Quick Fixes for Every School. I remembered my sister, who teaches science in Massachusetts, telling me about her attempts to start a "Pineapple Welcome" initiative at her school, where teachers would hang a picture of a pineapple outside their classroom doors, indicating that any other teacher who wanted to visit was welcome to stop by.

When I asked her how the whole pineapple thing went, she said, "Eh. Some people came in, but usually I would hang the pineapple and nothing would happen. I stopped doing it after a while."

This bothered me, because some of the most valuable skills I have picked up as a teacher came from informally observing my colleagues in their classrooms. I feel strongly that some of the best professional development available to teachers lives right inside the walls of our schools, and if we could just watch each other teach more, we would all grow exponentially.

Just hanging the pineapple on the door, I realized, had two shortcomings. One, it was only visible to teachers who happened to pass by that door on that day. And two, it didn't offer enough information: Just seeing a pineapple on the door tells the visitor nothing about what's going on inside. If a teacher is going to spend time visiting another teacher's classroom, he wants to know that the thing he's coming to observe is something he's actually interested in. A chart posted in a central location, with a bit of information about the day's activities, solves both problems.

We asked my sister to pilot this centralized system at her school, and the first Pineapple Chart was born. Since the publication of Hacking Education, the Pineapple Chart system has taken off in schools all across the world, and the results have been fantastic.

Two Schools Where Pineapple Charts Are Making an Impact

Gator Run Elementary, Weston, Florida

"The Pineapple Chart has been a game changer for the staff at Gator Run," says Intern Principal Cyndi Felton, who initiated Gator Run's first Pineapple Chart in January of 2016. "We have some of the very best PD available under our own roof. Now teachers have the opportunity to get into each other's classrooms and learn from one another."

Since the chart has been going, Felton has seen teachers trying new things more quickly. "Last year we noticed tools and strategies spreading throughout the building after Pineapple Chart visits. Kahoot, Nearpod, Plickers, in-class flipped lessons, SeeSaw, and performance scales in addition to unique procedures, classroom management and teaching strategies."

Maple Avenue Middle School, Littlestown, Pennsylvania

In January of 2016, when Assistant Principal Cortney Golden first launched the chart in her school, she worked hard to keep it full. "I was very aware that if we lost momentum, and the chart was blank, it would die. I sent staff-wide emails, group emails, personal emails, face to face requests, and even had my secretary appealing to teachers to sign up. Getting teachers to sign up was my first priority....then, once that became more automatic, we began to 'push' visiting."

Since then, informal observation and an open-door policy have become part of the school's culture. So much so that the word "pineappling" has become a verb:

"Collectively, we embrace pineappling now more than ever," says Golden. "As teachers desire to grow their craft, to foster 21st century skills, and to help students discover and pursue their passions, it becomes clear to all that teachers need each other. Pineappling gives teachers the permission they feel they need to collaborate, observe, ask, and reflect. It is a 'safe' and powerful professional development opportunity. Pineappling is free, fits within the school day, and has proven to be the BEST professional growth experience."

Tips for Making Pineapple Charts Work

Find creative ways to make the time.
The simplest way to squeeze these visits in is for teachers to do them during their planning time, or part of it. Remember, we're not talking about a whole class period necessarily; a 15-minute visit may be all that's needed to pick up a new strategy. In cases where teachers want to see something that doesn't coincide with planning time, the staff will need to be more creative:

A floating sub can be arranged for a day (or a few days) and teachers can "sign up for the sub" in order to visit another room.

Administrators (or other certified personnel) can step in to cover a class. This solution does double-duty, as it gives the principal some time to interact more closely with small groups of students. Instead of covering the teacher's regular material, the administrator could use this time for having discussions about school issues or just getting to know the students.

Teachers can team up to cover each other's classes. Imagine a scenario where teacher A agrees to cover teacher B's class while teacher B observes in teacher C's room. Then everyone switches roles two more times. A motivated school might even experiment with a second chart (beside the Pineapple Chart) where teachers post a need for coverage and other teachers sign up to cover for them.

Keep it voluntary.
Administrators, be warned! The quickest way to suck the life out of this initiative is to make it mandatory for all teachers. By keeping visits informal and strictly voluntary (for the host teacher AND the visitor), you'll ensure that the Pineapple Chart is always seen as a positive thing, a learning opportunity initiated by the teacher.

Skip the documentation.
An equally fast way to drain people's enthusiasm for visits is to force them to do some kind of write-up afterward. Please don't turn the chart into another reason to require teachers to document. If they know paperwork is expected of them, they will be far less likely to visit.

Start with the bold and the brave...
When you first launch the Chart, many teachers will be shy about posting lessons. Get things going by having your most extroverted teachers sign up first. If you get a group of 5-10 teachers willing to put themselves out there, this will eventually help others step forward as well.

...but set the bar low.
Make sure teachers know they don't have to be doing something 'impressive' in order to post a lesson to the chart. "The hardest part is getting teachers to understand it doesn't have to be an extravagant lesson to sign up," says Felton. "Their everyday strategies and standard procedures can be incredibly helpful to someone who has never seen or thought of it. You really never know what you might learn whether it's a 5- or a 25-minute visit."

Sell it.
Especially when you first get started, encourage those who do the observing to share the good things they saw by talking about it in faculty meetings, sharing a compliment on a teacher "brag board" or posting about it online. At Maple Avenue, Golden encouraged teachers to tweet about their experiences using the hashtag#MAMSLearning. "This helped keep the excitement high, and the pressure low," she says. "Although I still have to harass teachers every once and again (I call it "gently wooing") to showcase the teaching and learning in their classroom, it has become very much part of our culture."

Share Your Story

If your school has already started using a Pineapple Chart, tell us about it in the comments. I would love to hear about tweaks you've made to the system and how the system is impacting teacher relationships and student growth.

Learn More

The Pineapple Chart is just one of the 10 hacks Mark Barnes and I share in our 2015 book, Hacking Education: 10 Quick Fixes for Every School. Get your copy today and start hacking tomorrow! ♦

Learn something new every week.
Join my mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration all geared toward making your teaching more effective and fun. You'll also get access to my members-only library of free resources, including my e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, which has helped thousands of teachers spend less time grading!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Pineapple Charts Revolutionize Professional Development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As one-size-fits-all PD fades into obscurity, more personalized professional development models have emerged. The Pineapple Chart may be the greatest of them all.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teaching is simultaneously one of the hardest and one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. We often say that students make it worth it, but there's something else that can make or break your happiness as a teacher: your colleagues.

In this article, " Research Shows Teacher Collaboration Helps Raise Student Achievement," researcher Carrie Leana writes about the missing link in school reform: teacher collaboration. In her study of over 1,000 4th and 5th grade teachers in New York City, Leana found that, "students showed higher gains in math achievement when their teachers reported frequent conversations with their peers that centered on math, and when there was a feeling of trust or closeness among teachers."

Collaboration begins with finding time to connect with colleagues, to share thoughts, and provide support. Here are 3 tips for successful collaboration:

1. Build Relationships: Teaching is emotionally draining, and the best colleagues can be there for you in all types of situations. A student erupted in anger? Go next door at lunch time and get a hug. A student said a wildly funny thing in the middle of class? Pop your head into a colleague's classroom and let your laughter loose.

Remember to ask your colleagues to share their trials and triumphs with you, too. Sometimes just asking fellow teachers how their day is going opens up the doors for productive and bonding conversations.

The relationships you build with colleagues aren't just good for your mental well being; they're also the foundation of collaboration that can result in increased student achievement. Just like building relationships with students lays the groundwork for academic success, building relationships with colleagues lays the groundwork for effective collaboration.

2. Find Time to Collaborate: Shared planning time allows teachers to collaborate during the school day. With shared planning time, teachers are able to make strides in planning rigorous and appropriate lessons for their students.

Ideally, your school provides you time within the school day to collaborate with colleagues. If this is not possible, consider lobbying to use some of your school's professional development time for grade level or department teams.

Consider ways that you can collaborate both in and outside school. Sneak a few minutes before or after school to check in with colleagues. Think about collaborating virtually using Google Docs, Skype, or email.

Watch these videos to see examples of collaborative teams in action:

Teaching as a Team Sport (Video Playlist)
Algebra Team: Teacher Collaboration
Leadership Teams (Success at the Core Learning Module)

3. Share Responsibility: The best teacher teams complement each other. Share the responsibility for planning by dividing tasks based on your strengths and interests. When deciding how to share responsibility, consider these questions:

What do I enjoy planning? What does my colleague enjoy planning?

How much time do we have?

What makes sense to plan together? What could we plan separately?

How can we share our plans and get feedback from each other?

Successful collaborations happen when teachers work together to share the workload instead of doubling their efforts. From the delegation of tasks, teachers are also able to learn more from each other as they come back together to review and assemble their separate assignments into a cohesive lesson plan.
Download a printable version of this blog. Lily Jones taught K/1 for seven years in Northern California. She has experience as a curriculum developer, instructional coach, teacher trainer, and is also a contributing writer for Teaching Channel.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teaching is simultaneously one of the hardest and one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. We often say that students make it worth it, but there's something else that can make or break your happiness as a teacher: your colleagues.

# data[].attributes.headline
Skype in The Classroom - Virtual Field Trips an Experts Across the Globe

# data[].attributes.subject
Skype in The Classroom - Virtual Field Trips an Experts Across the Globe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Educator Center Overview - Microsoft Learn Educator Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Microsoft Learn for Educators takes the best of Microsoft Learn online learning paths and helps you to bring instructor-led training materials from Microsoft into your courses. This program provides members with access to Microsoft ready-to-teach curriculum and teaching materials aligned to industry-recognized Microsoft Certifications.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
DOGO News - Kids news articles! Kids current events; plus kids news on science, sports, and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
DOGO News has fun articles for kids on current events, science, sports, and more! There are also lots of stories, pictures, videos, games and the DOGO news map for kids! Add your comments, read reviews of cool websites, and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For this weeks blog post I wanted to focus on ISTE Standard 7 Global Collaborator "Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally". I especially wanted to focus on 7a "Students use digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, engaging with them in ways that broaden mutual understanding and learning". To begin my research on becoming a global collaborator I asked myself "How can Kindergarten students use digital tools to collaborate with classrooms around the globe?"

Ever since I have started working at my current school, my team and I have become passionate about our students learning about different cultures within school community. I think having students become global collaborators allows them to make greater connections outside of our school.
Benefits of Global Collaboration
According to ISTE article 5 ways students benefit from global collaboration by Julie Randles "Exposing students to global collaboration builds cultural understanding, communication skills, and knowledge and awareness of the wider world, experts say".

"It just makes the world real to them," Killian says. "It opens their eyes to the world out there and helps them realize they can do and be so much."(Randles)
Starting a Global Partnership
Global collaboration projects, which allow students to work with peers across state and national boundaries, aren't just fun. They can also address several of the ISTE Standards for Students, including Digital Citizen, Global Collaborator and Empowered Learner. Pernille Ripp the founder of Global Read Aloud has 7 steps to set yourself up for success in ISTE article 7 steps to starting a global collaboration project by Team ISTE.

Ripp's success tips include:

"Find your passion and purpose. Passion drives the energy and dedication you'll need if obstacles present themselves during the course of the project. Consider where something will naturally fit into your day because you already have a lot of passion for it.

Pick a focus. Will your project support reading, writing, speaking or another component of instruction? Narrow your focus to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Similarly, decide in advance how much time you have to dedicate to the project. First-timers should start small.

Check in with students. Make sure that your students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts with others outside their classroom or school. There are times when students don't want others involved, and educators should respect that.

Similarly, be sure students are actually ready to collaborate and can mind their manners.

"You need to have community in your classroom before you set them loose on the world," Ripp says. Do they know how to behave on a Skype call? Have you practiced working together, say with an in-class project, to avoid student embarrassment or awkward situations during a live collaboration?

You gotta believe. Believing in your idea is essential for getting others on board. Your conviction will convince others to spend time doing the project.

Find your people. Educators should be connected so that their students can be connected, Ripp says. To make your project work, reach out to your PLN on Twitter, Facebook, Skype in the Classroom, email or even just a face-to-face conversation. If no one jumps on board, it's time to rethink your idea.

Dream a little. If your project concept is a little loose when you start seeking collaborators, that's OK. True collaboration means all partners have a say in the project. As the creator, you should be prepared to figure out the details with your partners. "So you have to have a dream and an idea of what it may look like, but do leave room for others' dreams as well," Ripps explains.

Let go. There will be times when things don't go according to plan. Count on it. That happens with learning and teaching. Allow your project to take its own path and resist the urge to shut it down if it takes unexpected twists and turns. " (Team ISTE)
Global Read Aloud-One Book to Connect the World
One great site for introducing students to connecting with a variety of learners of different backgrounds and cultures in the Global Read Aloud. With Global Read Aloud teachers pick a book to read aloud to their students during a set 6-week period (October to Mid-November) and during that time they try to make as many global connections as possible. Each teacher decides how much time they would like to dedicate and how involved they would like to be. Some people choose to connect with just one class, while others go for as many as possible. The scope and depth of the project is up to the teacher. While there are official tools you can use such as Skype, Twitter, WriteAbout or Edmodo, you choose the tools that will make the most sense for you. Teachers get a community of other educators to do a global project with, hopefully inspiring them to continue these connections through the year (Global Read Aloud). Since Global Read Aloud has started more than 4,000,000 students from more that 80 different countries have participated. Using a site like Global Read Aloud would allow for my students to share their ideas with students who might not have the same experiences as them. The possibilities with this program are limitless. I really like the idea of making connections that could last longer than the initial 6 week period.

This program will enhance read aloud experiences and show students to draw upon a variety of resources and experiences in order to become more knowledgeable and responsible citizens.
Sources
7 steps to starting a global collaboration project. (2017, August 8). Retrieved March 19, 2018, from https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=608

Iste.org. (2017). ISTE Standards For Students. [online] Available at: https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students [Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].

Randles, J. (2018, January 12). 5 ways students benefit from global collaboration. Retrieved March 19, 2018, from https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=2129&category=Personalized-learning&article

Ripp, P. (n.d.). The Global Read Aloud. Retrieved March 19, 2018, from https://theglobalreadaloud.com/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Preschool and Kindergarten by Rara Theme.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For this weeks blog post I wanted to focus on ISTE Standard 7 Global Collaborator "Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally".

# data[].attributes.headline
Three Ways to Encourage Student Collaboration

# data[].attributes.subject
Three Ways to Encourage Student Collaboration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Three Ways to Encourage Student Collaboration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here are some ways you can encourage collaboration amongst students. Tips include allowing students time to think alone, pairing students in a strategic way, and assign roles during lesson.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
ELA.RL.11-12.3

Common core State Standards

ELA: English Language Arts

RL: Reading Standards for Literature 6-12

11-12: 11th & 12th Grades

3:
Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and
relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

|

ELA.W.11-12.2b

Common core State Standards

ELA: English Language Arts

W: Writing Standards 6-12

11-12: 11th & 12th Grades

2b:
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.

a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so
that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified
whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and
multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant
facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information
and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic.

c. Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections
of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex
ideas and concepts.

d. Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as
metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.

e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to
the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports
the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or
the significance of the topic).

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

|

ELA.SL.11-12.1a

Common core State Standards

ELA: English Language Arts

SL: Speaking and Listening Standards 6-\x80\x9312

11-12: 11th & 12th Grades

1a:
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one on
one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-\x80\x9312 topics,
texts, and issues, building on others'\x80\x99 ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under
study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts
and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well reasoned
exchange of ideas.

b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision making,
set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as
needed.

c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe
reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a
topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote
divergent and creative perspectives.

d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims,
and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when
possible; and determine what additional information or research is required
to deepen the investigation or complete the task.

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

PLEASE CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT OR LOG IN TO ACCESS THIS CONTENT

Enjoy your first three pieces of content for free. Subscribe for unlimited access.

Have questions about subscribing? Click Here to learn more.

PLEASE CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT OR LOG IN TO ACCESS THIS CONTENT

Enjoy your first three pieces of content for free. Subscribe for unlimited access.

Have questions about subscribing? Click Here to learn more.

Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

1. How does the "Interrupted Passages" strategy encourage deeper analysis?

2. What kinds of collaboration strategies do Mr. Olio and his students discuss?

3. How does Mr. Olio interact with his students as they work?

School Details

South Windsor High School
161 Nevers Road
South Windsor CT 06074

Data Provided By:

Teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Author's Choices: Collaborating in Close Reading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Students in David Olio's literature class analyze passages from Beloved, discussing and reading closely before writing their own analysis of the text. David begins by reviewing close reading strategies and going over Interrupted Passages. The class reviews collaboration techniques before groups work together to analyze passages.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We can all agree these are welcome advances, but the question is how can schools -- each with its own budgetary constraints, time issues and tech limitations -- hope to achieve these lofty goals? Fortunately, a number of web-based platforms and educational programs have emerged in recent years that were designed with these goals in mind.

International Education and Resource Network

One of the most prominent of these platforms (composed of 30,000 schools and youth organizations in more than 140 countries) is iEARN. They offer a wide range of global projects for students from elementary through high school based on different subjects, such as science, social studies and math. Throughout the range of projects, one central question always remains part of the dialogue: "How will this project improve the quality of life on the planet?" iEARN's 15-week Learning Circles project is the most comprehensive of their offerings. These highly interactive, project-based partnerships bring schools from around the world together to address educational, environmental or social issues. The teams work together to focus on media creation and then present their findings to the other schools. iEARN also offers face-to-face and online professional development courses for educators interested in becoming comfortable with these types of projects.

Going Global

Another major player is TakingITGlobal for Educators. TIGed uses technology and social issues to engage students and connect them with other schools through international learning projects. In doing so, they seek to empower classrooms to understand the issues and collaborate to find solutions for some of the world's greatest social issues. Through their online portal, TIGed assists teachers to incorporate technology to "create transformative learning experiences for their students." All of their educational resources are free for teachers, and these platforms bring diverse perspectives on social issues into the classroom. Teachers can also enroll in free e-classes that allow them to create lesson plans and connect with international learning projects, electronically uniting schools from around the world. In order to create globally aware students, TIGed focuses on three strategies:

1. Global citizenship

2. Environmental stewardship

3. Student voice

They currently draw upon almost 65,000 students in 4,500 schools in nearly 150 countries. One of the benefits of TIGed is the way they not only unite schools, but also add exclusive content to the dialogue through live webinars with guest speakers, virtual classes with graduate school mentors and international video conferences with experts in the field. Their Global Encounters projects, DeforestAction and Sprout (Social Innovation) are just a few of their fantastic programs.

Learning While Doing

A newer addition to the game, but no less impressive, is Flat Connections, created by Australian educator Julie Lindsay, which unites schools from around the world to participate in global collaborative projects. In some cases, each school forms its own team, like their Global Youth Debates, which can be asynchronously conducted between schools around the world. Their Global Project, on the other hand, creates heterogeneous teams of students from different schools that are able to collaborate instead of competing against each other. Each of these six-month projects focuses on current events or real-world topics. Teams do their own research and create ongoing blog posts that include audio or video components and forum discussions. Using tools such as wikis, blogs, social bookmarking sites and media creation programs and apps, they then develop a written collaborative eBook as well as a personal multimedia response to the theme. Flat Connections also offers professional development courses for teachers to become versed in the tools and techniques needed for implementing successful global projects in the classroom. In addition, they offer conferences where students and teachers can come together and practice their collaboration.

All of the programs mentioned here are free to participate, and while access to basic classroom technology is required, in many cases, a simple Internet connection with access to blogs, wikis and Skype is sufficient. These programs can be integrated into present curriculums (as part of science, IT or social studies classes, for example) or designed in an extracurricular space. Once students become connected with stimulating projects that reach around the globe, they become more engaged with the learning process and gain a valuable understanding about the world as a whole and their role in a global society.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tear Down That Wall: Joining the Global Classroom Community to Instill Global Citizenship | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guest blogger, traveler, teacher and speaker Adam Carter introduces three web-based platforms for connecting classrooms around the world, which he calls the first step in the hands-on communication and collaboration of global citizenship.

# data[].attributes.headline
Great Resources for Global Education curated by  Edutopia

# data[].attributes.subject
Great Resources for Global Education curated by  Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Fostering Global Competence

How Do We Educate Global Problem Solvers? by Zoe Weil (2014)
Weil, co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education, offers two strategies to help students become conscientious about and connected to the global problems they'll one day be called upon to solve.

Five-Minute Film Festival: Developing Global Citizens, by Ashley Cronin (2014)
Looking for resources to foster students' global competence and develop global citizen leaders? This playlist of videos and other resources provides ideas and inspiration.

Joining the Global Classroom Community to Instill Global Citizenship, by Adam Carter (2014)
Traveler, teacher, and speaker Carter introduces three web-based platforms for connecting classrooms around the world, which he calls the first step in the hands-on communication and collaboration of global citizenship.

Five-Minute Film Festival: Teaching Kids about Global Poverty, by Amy Erin Borovoy (2013)
Teaching your students about poverty and hunger can be a powerful experience for them. VideoAmy shares a series of videos that explore the issues encountered by four college students who lived on one dollar per day in Guatemala.

Teaching Students How to Make Global Impact, by Edutopia Staff (2013)
The John Stanford International School has been a model for developing global-awareness curricula. Now they've expanded their lessons to teach students how to take action to help others. Read all about the research, and explore resources and downloads related to this school's efforts.

Global Classroom Strategies

5 Ways Literature Can Teach Global Lessons in Elementary Classes, by Becky Morales (2014)
Morales, creator of Kid World Citizen, offers five ideas for using literature about children and families in other parts of the world to broaden the minds of U.S. elementary students.

3 Great Films for Teaching About Globalization and Modernization, by Eileen Mattingly (2014)
Mattingly, Director of Education for Journeys in Film, discusses methods for teaching about globalization and modernization, including foreign feature films that tell compelling stories of modern life in other parts of the world. For more film suggestions, you may also want to check out Mattingly's other post on " Summer Learning Through Film" and Homa Tavangar's post, " A Global View: The Adventure of Kid-Friendly Foreign Films."

Experiential Learning Journey From the Virtual to the Real, by Homa Tavangar (2014)
Tavangar, Education Advisor to the Pulitzer Center, presents journalist Paul Salopek's 21,000-mile Out of Eden Walk as a goldmine of experiential learning for connected students of every age.

5 (Recent) Historical Events You Should Discuss With Your Students, by Josh Work (2014)
Work reminds us that history is alive and unfolding, and that some of our young students now require full explanations of major events that still loom large in our adult memories.

Make Earth Day a Global Learning Day, by Homa Tavangar (2014)
Tavangar identifies Earth Day as a celebration of global learning and offers collaborative STEM activities relating to water, climate and agriculture from diverse organizations such as NASA, iEARN and the Peace Corps.

Pen Pals in the 21st Century, by Lisa Mims (2013)
While many consider the pen pal an analog age artifact, teacher Mims demonstrates how this very human form of communication is alive and well in her classroom -- and relevant to her curriculum.

Global Student Leadership and Service

Students Put Global Skills to Work, by Suzie Boss (2014)
Boss highlights how high school students from 26 U.S. states, 16 cities from across China, plus a smattering of other locations come together to tackle global issues.

Young Global Leaders Put Innovative Ideas Into Action, by Suzie Boss (2013)
How are you preparing your students to become global leaders who can make good things happen locally? Boss shares reflections from participants in the Global Student Leaders Summit.

A Teaching Moment: The Peace Corps as a Source of Inspiration, by Maurice Elias (2013)
Elias remembers the origins of the Peace Corps and shares some ideas for related service-learning activities.

Environmental Education Through Environmental Action, by Philippe Cousteau (2013)
Explorer, social entrepreneur, and environmental advocate Cousteau suggests that, with young people already aware of the environmental crisis, the next step is youth-driven environmental action.

Stove Project Sparks Global Youth Action, by Suzie Boss (2013)
Boss describes how middle-school students in suburban Massachusetts team up with Brazilian, African, and Indian students to design and build efficient cook stoves.

21st-Century Projects Inspire Global Citizenship Plus Creativity, by Suzie Boss (2013)
This post, the second in an Edutopia blog series about developing 21st-century skills through project-based learning, takes a look at a real-world project that has inspired students to think more creatively about their role as global citizens.

Other Resources From Edutopia

Education Everywhere: School Success Stories From Abroad, by Edutopia Staff (2014)
Edutopia's video series Education Everywhere profiles innovative school systems all around the world. Here you'll find links to the videos and additional resources for learning about education systems in various countries.

Mix It Up! Authentic Activities for the World Language Classroom, by Sarah Wike Loyola (2014)
Teaching world language through the interpretative, interpersonal, and presentational modes, Sarah Loyola uses edtech and social media to keep it authentic for her students. For more content about the teaching of world languages, visit Edutopia's World Languages page; be sure to +Follow the page for updates.

Supporting New Teachers to Make Global Connections, by Lisa Dabbs (2012)
With help from guest blogger Michele L. Haiken, Dabbs looks at ways that teachers can expand their classroom walls using global collaboration projects.

Five-Minute Film Festival: Travel for Teachers, by Amy Erin Borovoy (2012)
Whether you have the resources to travel internationally or just take a short trip, traveling can be enriching both personally and professionally for educators. Watch the videos in VideoAmy's playlist for some ideas! For more ideas, you may also want to check out Matt Davis's " Apply for a Teacher Travel Grant This Summer" and " No-Cost Summer Travel for Teachers," by Suzanne Acord.

Additional Resources on the Web

Asia Society Deeper Learning Series From Teaching Channel (2014)

"Global Competence: Changing How Students Think About and Value Education," Every Classroom Matters, BAM Radio Network (2014)

"Four Steps for Jumpstarting Global-Collaboration Projects," by Ben Curran, Education Week Teacher (2014)

"Where Are You From? Connecting Students to the World," by Lee-Ann Meredith, The Educator's Room (2014)

"Going Beyond Your Classroom Walls," by Isaac Pineda, SmartBlog on Education (2014)

"Empathy and Global Stewardship: The Other 21st Century Skills," by Jackie Gerstein, User Generated Education (2013)

"5 Ways to Inspire Students Through Global Collaboration," by Katrina Schwartz, KQED's MindShift (2012)

Educating for Global Competence: Preparing Our Youth to Engage With the World, Council of Chief State School Officers' EdSteps Initiative & Asia Society Partnership for Global Learning (2011)

Classroom Resources From the Peace Corps

Lesson For All Curriculum, Global Campaign for Education, United States Chapter

Resources From Journeys In Film

Resources From TeachUNICEF

Global Learning & Diplomacy Collection, PBS LearningMedia

Global Education Conference Network

How do you help students to develop a global perspective? Share tools, experiences, or advice in the comments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How Do We Educate Global Problem Solvers? by Zoe Weil (2014)Weil, co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education, offers two strategies to help students become conscientious about and connected to the global problems they'll one day be called upon to solve.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching Grade School Students How to Make Global Impact

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At John Stanford International School in Seattle, teacher Nicole Silver offers a Festivals of Light unit to encourage global perspectives in her students. For more information and tips, visit http://www.edutopia.org/stw-global-competence-classroom-tips

# data[].attributes.body
Each color shows what that student contributed to the collaborative document. This can be seen in Version History of a google doc.

# data[].attributes.headline
Actively Learn - See How students can interact while reading

# data[].attributes.subject
Actively Learn - See How students can interact while reading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out the video below to see how easy it is to get started with Actively Learn! It covers, how to join a class, answering a question, and adding a note!

# data[].attributes.headline
FaceTime with an Expert - 5th Grade Students

# data[].attributes.subject
FaceTime with an Expert - 5th Grade Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sunflower Elementary Students Design Prosthetic Dolphin Tails

# data[].attributes.headline
Dollar Street - Look at how families live across the world!

# data[].attributes.subject
Dollar Street - Look at how families live across the world!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As the world becomes increasingly connected, so should our schools. It's a matter of bringing global collaboration experiences to the classroom and getting comfortable with handing over the reins of learning to students.

Exposing students to global collaboration builds cultural understanding, communication skills, and knowledge and awareness of the wider world, experts say. And while global learning isn't new, it is reaching a new level of maturity as more educators come to understand the value of learning in a global context.

Plus, today's free and low-cost videoconferencing tools, including Skype, Zoom and Google Hangouts, make it easy for students to collaborate on research, tackle an issue of concern and solve problems with their peers around the world.

"My kids see me once every 12 days and they ask if we are Skyping today. They love the learning experience, and I can't replicate it in any other way," explains Karey Killian, library media specialist for Milton Area School District in Milton, Pennsylvania.

But there's more benefits to global collaboration than just engagement, say Killian and colleague Erin Dowd, a global education specialist and consultant.

"It encourages students to look at themselves, their communities and their own culture and ask 'who am I and where do I fit in this world?'" Dowd says.

Killian and Dowd point to other benefits of global collaboration they've seen firsthand:

Showing students we're more alike than different. You might think meeting kids in a classroom in another country would lead students to identify differences. Not so, says Dowd. In her experience, students focus on similarities, like singers they all know or enjoying pizza. "It humanizes the whole situation and they connect to another person they would never be able to talk to otherwise."

Giving students the opportunity to learn through inquiry. When students are given the opportunity to ask experts and other students questions, they'll come up with some doozies. Some questions might even seem silly at first, like What kind of shoes do you wear? Or, what do you like to eat? But the little questions lead to bigger ones and send learners down exciting paths that can lead to global project-based learning opportunities or social justice projects.

Allowing students be the experts. When students work with learners in other classrooms, they can become the teachers. Killian saw just that when high schoolers in another state taught her third graders about STEM fields and 3D printing via videoconference.

Introducing students to careers they have never imagined. Imagine Skyping with a park ranger who works in a castle or talking about STEM careers with employees at Microsoft. Killian's students have done just that and used the opportunity to ask questions that go beyond what they can learn on the internet.

Teaching empathy. When American students Skyped with students from Africa who had gathered in a traditional hut, they saw firsthand what real students and real teachers looked like in a faraway place. And they learned that their distant peers needed books. Just like that, the U.S. kids decided they wanted to send books to Africa and they spent a year gathering enough books for every student in the school, not just the kids they had met.

"It just makes the world real to them," Killian says. "It opens their eyes to the world out there and helps them realize they can do and be so much."

Killian and Dowd share their ideas on getting started with global collaboration projects in their recorded ISTE Expert Webinar, " Bring Global Experts to Your Students " which covers:

How to use Skype or Google hangouts for global collaboration projects.

Tools and resources for connecting students to other classrooms and to global experts.

Tips for designing meaningful collaborations.

Julie Phillips Randles is a freelance writer and editor with 30 years of experience writing about education policy, leadership, curriculum and edtech.

This is an updated version of a post that originally published on Jan. 12, 2018.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 ways students benefit from global collaboration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As the world becomes increasingly connected, so should our schools. It's a matter of bringing global collaboration experiences to the classroom and getting comfortable with handing over the reins of learning to students. Exposing students to global collaboration builds cultural understanding, communication skills, and knowledge and awareness of the wider world, experts say.

# data[].attributes.body
Students complete form on their books choice, share with partner, and then record partner discussion on form.

# data[].attributes.body
Students worked in pairs to find evidence from text to show motif and added the quote to the table.  All students could use the doc as a resource for their paper.

# data[].attributes.body
Created by District in Iowa

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Use Google Docs and Drive to Motivate Group Collaboration.

# data[].attributes.headline
Communication and Collaboration go Hand in Hand

# data[].attributes.subject
Communication and Collaboration go Hand in Hand

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our mission is to realize the power and promise of 21st century learning for every student-in early learning, in school, and beyond school-across the country and around the globe.

As the pioneers in this movement, champions of the 4Cs (Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity), and creators of the Framework for 21st Century Learning, P21 is the premier organization ensuring every child-without exception-experiences 21st century learning.

Thank you to our members for their support of our mission.

Now Creating Even Greater Impact

And now, as a part of Battelle for Kids, P21 has even greater ability to make tangible and immediate impacts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As the pioneers in this movement, champions of the 4Cs (Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity), and creators of the Framework for 21st Century Learning, P21 is the premier organization ensuring every child-without exception-experiences 21st century learning. And now, as a part of Battelle for Kids, P21 has even greater ability to make tangible and immediate impacts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
To make this approach work, teachers must be willing to "cede the floor" to the students. Other things to consider are the need to create an effective classroom geography, focus on the process, build accountability, let students teach one another, and encourage students to be in tune with one another.

How It's Done

Building Strong Collaborative Learning

Teachers at the College Preparatory School encourage classroom collaboration by assigning students to groups to review their homework, do daily class worksheets, participate in moderated discussions, and complete hands-on projects. Often, teachers give students group tests, which, like the class worksheets, are designed to be harder than the individual assignments. Students quickly realize that they are able to solve problems as a group that they would not be able to solve as individuals. Some of the other ways teachers foster a collaborative-learning environment follow:

Creating an Effective Classroom Geography

In math classes, the students sit face-to-face in groups of four tables to collaborate. In English classes, students sit around a Harkness table (a large wooden table capable of seating the entire class), which allows every student to see the teacher and all the members of the class as they speak. The foundation is that students come prepared to discuss and collaborate.

Focusing on the Process, Not Right Answers

In math, four times a year, each student is given a set of values or codes to substitute in the equations so that even though the students are working together, they have to focus on the mathematical process and not just the "right answer." In English, the discussions are open-ended, allowing for multiple right answers.

Building Accountability

In math classes, students frequently take group tests and can consult with one another on the answers, but the teacher chooses only one test at random to grade for the group. Because the group work is intentionally more difficult, this process keeps individual students accountable for full participation in group work. To measure how well the groups work together, the teacher also gives out a group-collaboration grade for each unit, which is worth 10 percent of a student's grade.

While students participate in the group discussions around the Harkness table in English, the teacher selects one student to be the moderator and another to be the discussion tracker who records the flow of the conversations. The moderator can look at the discussion tracker's notes and see which students he should invite to chime in.

Letting Students Teach One Another

In math and English, teachers cede the floor to students so they can teach one another. In math class, students are given challenging class problems that encourage them to seek ideas and advice from their group members.

In English, juniors are grouped with seniors, which helps the younger students learn how the process works by watching and learning from the older students. Additionally, pairs of students are invited to lead the discussions. The English discussions are also held online, and students are required to participate and comment on at least two other student comments.

Encouraging Students to Be In Tune With One Another

In math classes, students are grouped intentionally to provide a mix of skill levels, which helps them to be more sensitive to group members' needs. The teacher provides feedback on helping the groups interact well, which helps the more vocal students to step back and let the other students participate more.

Every English class starts with a moment of quiet after which students are asked to share their energy and stress levels. Often teachers assign different roles that allow students to focus on the discussion: the scribe takes notes for the entire class, the moderator ensures a smooth discussion, and the discussion tracker maps the flow of the discussion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Building Collaborative Problem Solvers | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To make this approach work, teachers must be willing to "cede the floor" to the students. Other things to consider are the need to create an effective classroom geography, focus on the process, build accountability, let students teach one another, and encourage students to be in tune with one another.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teaching is simultaneously one of the hardest and one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. We often say that students make it worth it, but there's something else that can make or break your happiness as a teacher: your colleagues.

In this article, " Research Shows Teacher Collaboration Helps Raise Student Achievement," researcher Carrie Leana writes about the missing link in school reform: teacher collaboration. In her study of over 1,000 4th and 5th grade teachers in New York City, Leana found that, "students showed higher gains in math achievement when their teachers reported frequent conversations with their peers that centered on math, and when there was a feeling of trust or closeness among teachers."

Collaboration begins with finding time to connect with colleagues, to share thoughts, and provide support. Here are 3 tips for successful collaboration:

1. Build Relationships: Teaching is emotionally draining, and the best colleagues can be there for you in all types of situations. A student erupted in anger? Go next door at lunch time and get a hug. A student said a wildly funny thing in the middle of class? Pop your head into a colleague's classroom and let your laughter loose.

Remember to ask your colleagues to share their trials and triumphs with you, too. Sometimes just asking fellow teachers how their day is going opens up the doors for productive and bonding conversations.

The relationships you build with colleagues aren't just good for your mental well being; they're also the foundation of collaboration that can result in increased student achievement. Just like building relationships with students lays the groundwork for academic success, building relationships with colleagues lays the groundwork for effective collaboration.

2. Find Time to Collaborate: Shared planning time allows teachers to collaborate during the school day. With shared planning time, teachers are able to make strides in planning rigorous and appropriate lessons for their students.

Ideally, your school provides you time within the school day to collaborate with colleagues. If this is not possible, consider lobbying to use some of your school's professional development time for grade level or department teams.

Consider ways that you can collaborate both in and outside school. Sneak a few minutes before or after school to check in with colleagues. Think about collaborating virtually using Google Docs, Skype, or email.

Watch these videos to see examples of collaborative teams in action:

Teaching as a Team Sport (Video Playlist)
Algebra Team: Teacher Collaboration
Leadership Teams (Success at the Core Learning Module)

3. Share Responsibility: The best teacher teams complement each other. Share the responsibility for planning by dividing tasks based on your strengths and interests. When deciding how to share responsibility, consider these questions:

What do I enjoy planning? What does my colleague enjoy planning?

How much time do we have?

What makes sense to plan together? What could we plan separately?

How can we share our plans and get feedback from each other?

Successful collaborations happen when teachers work together to share the workload instead of doubling their efforts. From the delegation of tasks, teachers are also able to learn more from each other as they come back together to review and assemble their separate assignments into a cohesive lesson plan.
Download a printable version of this blog. Lily Jones taught K/1 for seven years in Northern California. She has experience as a curriculum developer, instructional coach, teacher trainer, and is also a contributing writer for Teaching Channel.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teaching is simultaneously one of the hardest and one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. We often say that students make it worth it, but there's something else that can make or break your happiness as a teacher: your colleagues.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How It's Done

The seventh-grade curriculum at University Park includes a strong focus on building foundational group-work skills. A lot of students are self-conscious when they come to UPCS, observes math teacher Kathy Murphy. "They don't want others to know if they're having trouble with solving a problem, and they're shy about speaking," says Murphy.

UPCS' middle school grades introduce students to the roles and expectations of group work and build their comfort around participating. By high school, the teachers can step back to let students direct their own group work.

Here's how UPCS educators teach group work:

Step 1: Help Students Experience Group Work Through Warm-Up Activities

Warm-up activities can increase your students' awareness about what makes good and bad group work.

"Students think that they do good group work, but then you see students who aren't talking to each other," says Murphy. "They're like, 'Here, let me read that,' and they do it on their own. That's not group work."

In Murphy's seventh-grade class, her students do the following warm-up activities to help them better understand what doing good group work feels like:

1. Without talking, have your students line up by height. "All students understand what height is. It's definitely accessible to all," explains Murphy. Time your students to see how quickly they can do this activity.

2. Without talking, have your students line up by birthday. Time them.

3. Have your students line by the number of their street address. This time, your students can say only their street number.

4. Reflect with your students. Murphy asks her students, "What do you notice?" They realize that when they talk and listen to each other, group work is easier, and they are able to achieve their goal more quickly.

Step 2: Share How People Learn in Different Ways

Share a personal example of how you have learned from a student to show that everybody has a unique perspective, something to contribute, and that there are many ways to come up with one solution.

Murphy shares a story with her class about assigning a problem to a previous class. "I myself, being a college graduate and a math major, had this big, elaborate way to solve it. But a ten-year-old did the same exact problem, and I couldn't believe how fabulous his answer was. We got the same answer, and we got to the solution differently. He drew a picture, and it was fabulous."

Step 3: Build Comfort Around Speaking in a Group

At the beginning of the year, assign problems that every student can access and feel comfortable about contributing his or her ideas. By incorporating low-stakes writing or verbal prompts (such as, "What do you notice?"), you encourage kids to feel safe in participating. "Even if they don't know the answer, they can say, 'Well, I noticed there's a pattern that is increasing by two,'" says Murphy.

Step 4: Give Students Roles

In middle school, teachers at University Park lay out more defined roles for their students. Having these specific roles helps students feel more comfortable with participating and prompts them with ways to participate. By the upper grades of high school, students no longer need roles defined for them and are able to jump into group work without guidance.

Roles vary depending on the subject and assignment. "In a literature circle, one person may have the researcher role, one person the facilitator role, and one person the wordsmith role," suggests Principal St. Louis.

In Murphy's seventh-grade math class, she has her students take on the group roles of a questioner, summarizer, and clarifier.

To help her students follow through with their roles, Murphy gives them a sheet of paper with their role description and verbal prompts. This builds comfort in speaking up because they're following directions, instead of having to know what to say or how to contribute on their own.

Here's a sample of what their role directions and prompts look like:
Your Job as Questioner:
Read the problem to the group. After the summarizer takes a turn:

Determine what questions to ask about what you read.

Explain what you were thinking while the problem was read aloud.

Describe a possible strategy and ask your group if it will work.

You can start your conversation with:

I wonder what it means when the problem said _______?

How can we _______?

Could we use _______ to start to solve this problem? ( _______ could be a table, chart, picture, equation.)

In solving the problem:

Check all math calculations for accuracy.

Make sure each group member participates in completing the work.

Ask questions about each step of your work to make sure everyone understands how to solve the problem.

"It's like a baby learning to walk," offers Murphy. "They need a little stroller to hold onto or a ledge to brace themselves. And until they can do that, you can't take that away. It's easing them into being able to do great group work on their own."

Download UPCS' directions and group work prompts for the roles of questioner, summarizer, clarifier, designer/artist, reader/checker, and writer/questioner (PDF).

Step 5: Create a Strong Group-Work Problem

Created by UPCS, here are the characteristics of a good group-work problem:

It involves a goal that would be difficult to accomplish alone.

The roles that students take on to solve the problem are interdependent.

There are multiple interpretations on solving the problem.

It includes an element of discovery and curiosity.

It connects to a piece of literature.

It needs to be rigorous. The expectations for a group problem are set higher than a problem that a student would solve alone, and the end product must be something more rigorous than drawing a picture and making a poster.

Students should explore and synthesize unfamiliar sources (for example, as if preparing for a debate).

Students should understand the content deeply enough that they're able to teach it.

"One of my favorite group-work activities when I taught Orwell's 1984 was a jigsaw where, for example, five groups of five students might each read a different news article about the modern world," recalls St. Louis. "Then, each student would join a new group of five where they need to explain their previous group's article to each other and make connections to each. Using these connections, the group must then construct a definition of the word 'Orwellian.' I certainly could have simply told passive students the definition of this term and what it means, but by enabling them to actively construct their own knowledge, they internalize the ideas more deeply -- as well as internalize their ability to have voice and agency in an academic setting."

Step 6: Group Students by Their Complementary Strengths

If a group problem requires different skills, choose students with those skills so that they can solve the problem together and rely on each other for their different strengths. "Sometimes I'll group students together because I know that this particular kid is good at drawing one thing out of another, or that one of them might have strong spatial skills, and another might have strong symbolic skills, and if we could have them working together, they can try to bridge that," explains Shannon Hammond, a University Park ninth, eleventh, and twelfth-grade teacher. "If I know a kid is particularly going to struggle with some construction aspect, they're going to be balanced with somebody that isn't as challenged by the construction aspect."

Help parents and students understand that every student has something to contribute.

Sometimes parents will tell you that they want their student to be challenged and question how group work can do that. Sometimes you'll get students with a strong understanding of the content who want to work on their own without classmates slowing them down.

When students or parents share these concerns with Murphy, she tells them about the three levels of understanding and explanation:

1. You know enough to convince yourself.

2. You know enough to convince a friend who loves you.

3. You know enough to convince a skeptic.

"That's what I talk to the high fliers about," says Murphy. "They're solid in their understanding and can do the work, but how well can they explain it to others? Explaining what you know to others raises your level of understanding, and a lot of kids struggle with that."

Murphy often has students who at first don't see the value in working with others. They may be good at putting what they know into an equation, but when she asks them to show their understanding in another way -- with blocks, for example -- they have a hard time with it. When this happens, often the students whose ability they doubted are able to help them. "Even the kid who thinks they are the top student can learn something from the other students," states Murphy, "and they learn that we all have different strengths and different things that we can contribute."

Step 7: Assess Group Work

A big part of assessing group work is watching the group in action and seeing how they work together, says Murphy. When her students work in groups, she has every student write in his or her own notebook. Knowing what her students should be able to accomplish by the end of class, such as completing three math problems, she can look at their notebooks and see how far they have gotten. If they've only completed one problem, she knows that she should check their understanding or how they're working with other students.

Here are some of Murphy's formative assessments to check student understanding:

Quick quizzes: She gives each student one to two problems (similar to problems that they've solved within their group) to check their individual understanding.

Exit tickets: A group work rubric (PDF) is an exit ticket for students to grade themselves on how they worked in their group and how their group worked as a whole. Her students are honest with their reflections, and if they rate themselves a one or a two, she asks, "How can we improve that?"

Daily check-ins: Five to seven minutes before class ends, Murphy's eighth-grade students reflect on how they each did that day (What was good about today? Any ah-ha moments?). "Even though I'm hopefully meeting every group multiple times during the class, individually, each student can say how they think the day went, " says Murphy. "They'll say if they are confused about something. They'll say if they thought it worked great."

"Student voice is really important to us," declares St. Louis, and the student voice and agency that University Park fosters in their students flows outside of the classroom. "I have kids come to me as a group every single day. I had four seventh-grade students come to me the other day. They want to do a bake sale to raise money for the Lymphoma Society." His students set up a fundraiser competition between seventh and eighth grade. St. Louis concludes, "They see the value in teamwork."

Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Using Collaborative Learning to Build Student Agency | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The seventh-grade curriculum at University Park includes a strong focus on building foundational group-work skills. A lot of students are self-conscious when they come to UPCS, observes math teacher Kathy Murphy. "They don't want others to know if they're having trouble with solving a problem, and they're shy about speaking," says Murphy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Collaborative Learning: Preparing for the Future

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A collaborative learning environment in the classroom can help students to learn more, and prepare them for the real world. Watch as one teacher demonstrates a lesson in a collaborative learning environment.