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                                                        Need to remember something for later? Use Microsoft Sticky Notes. They're the simple way to quickly save something for later, so you can stay in the flow. With Sticky Notes, you can create notes, type, ink or add a picture, add text formatting, stick them to the desktop, move them around there freely, close them to the Notes list, and sync them across devices and apps like OneNote Mobile, Microsoft Launcher for Android, and Outlook for Windows.

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Get Microsoft Sticky Notes from the Microsoft Store

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Need to remember something for later? Use Microsoft Sticky Notes. They're the simple way to quickly save something for later, so you can stay in the flow.

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Screenshots

Use Post-it® Notes anywhere and anytime. Post-it® App brings the simplicity of Post-it® Notes to your Mac, iPhone and iPad. Whether you use Post-it® Notes for teamwork and collaboration, or for reminders and personal note taking, Post-it® App helps you keep the momentum going.

If you work from home or as a student in remote learning, use the Post-it® App to share your ideas with co-workers, structure your assignments and share them with your teacher, or create colorful calendars and share them with your friends.

Simply capture analog notes from a photo, or create new digital notes right on your device. Arrange, refine and organize ideas anyway you see fit. Collaborate and share notes with co-workers, teachers and friends, or export to your favorite apps and cloud services-including Miro, Trello, Dropbox, iCloud, PowerPoint, Excel, PDF, and more.

Post-it® App features:

* Connect and share ideas from anywhere with co-workers and friends, whether it be a workshop, a brainstorm or you simply want to share notes with each other.
* Capture more than 200 Post-it® Notes at a time from a photo taken with your smartphone or other device. All our popular note sizes are supported.
* Transcribe your notes automatically using Handwriting Recognition. Great for search and exports.
* Draw, erase, type and change the color of your notes using powerful editing tools.
* Organize your way-group your ideas by thought or simply organize on a grid.
* Share to your favorite formats and cloud services to continue working on your ideas digitally-supports Miro, Trello, Dropbox, PowerPoint, Excel, PDF, and more.
* Use our widget to put your most important notes directly on your home screen.
* Keep your notes and boards in sync across all your Apple devices with iCloud. You can capture Post-it® Notes with your iPhone and edit the board on your Mac before you share with your team.

Learn more about Post-it® App at post-it.com/app

- Important Notice: After August 31st, we will be discontinuing the Brainstorming Session feature. Look out for a notification within the app for more details.

- To ensure smoother performance and keep things running seamlessly, we have updated dependency libraries.

Great app yet lots of potential

Post-it is the best sticky notes app to have on the MacOS. The developers have done a great job creating this minimal yet practical application using the new Catalyst tool, which has allowed the application to make a bold appereance on its debut in the App Store.

However, my only concern is the fact that the user cannot interact with the post-it notes on the desktop, the way its done with Apple's 'Stickies'. I personally would love to be able to use and view these sticky notes on the desktop, with the option of writing and resizing them directly from the home screen. Consequently, I find myself using stickies more to group my ideas although I have been wanting to switch to another sticky notes app, as I feel that Apple's Stickies is quite outdated.

I hope the developers would take this suggestion into consideration. Thank you for your continous efforts to improve this app.

Great for speech writing

I love using this app to collect tidbits of information as I do research. One per post-it note. Once I've gathered enough of them or I've read all the research material, then I start to organize them into a structure. The ability to group notes and either automatically or manually arrange them comes super handy at this point. I'll add a few missing pieces, then practice giving the speech extemporaneously. After practicing a few times and refining, I'm ready to go.

That being said, there are a few rough edges with the app. I would say they're usability or UX issues. Creating a note for example can sometimes just be a bit weird. Where does it go? Into a group? No, it gets its own group at first. Unless you had a group selected. Things like this are a bit of a bummer but I don't know of a better alternative. Hopefully they continue to do some user research and improve this app.

Not bad but. (Also AppleWatch Support app Please!)

I like the simplicity and boldness. But for the Mac version I wish there was more I can control/customize. For example when in the board view, I can't right-click notes and manipulate them that way, Just to delete a note (and get that satisfying crumble up animation)I have to open each individual note --> Click the delete button --> "are you sure you want to delete"--> Yes. That's like a 3 step process that can be so much easier. I don't need to be asked if I'm sure I want to delete, if I accidentally delete a note, I'd rather just have an undo option (or a trash bin).
Also Apple Watch support would be the Perfect platform for this!! Post-it's on my watch for a shopping list!?! that would be fantastic. it's literally a square screen PERFECT for a post-it note to be on.
Agree with alot of the Reviews--> SOOO much potential

The developer, 3M Company, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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‎Use Post-it® Notes anywhere and anytime. Post-it® App brings the simplicity of Post-it® Notes to your Mac, iPhone and iPad. Whether you use Post-it® Notes for teamwork and collaboration, or for reminders and personal note taking, Post-it® App helps you keep the momentum going. If you work from ho...

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In this video, the Instructional Leadership Team at Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., uses protocols to analyze data and identify strategies for effective school improvement. A data-based culture focused on impact is evident throughout the school. Grade-level teams and even students regularly set goals and create action plans based on data.

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Collaboration is an essential skill that students need to develop in order to succeed in school and in life. As teachers, we need to provide opportunities for our students to work together, learn from each other, and solve problems together. The following are my favorite collaborative classroom activities that will let your students build a community of learners.

Group or Student-Centered Projects

Group projects are a great way for students to work together and collaborate. Divide your class into groups of three to four students and assign them a project to complete. Encourage them to divide the work and work together to create something they are proud of. This will help students learn how to work together, communicate effectively, and respect each other's opinions. Consider inquiry-based projects that allow students choice!

Think-Pair-Share

This is a simple but effective activity that can be used in any subject. Pose a question to your class and ask them to think about it individually for a minute or two. Then, have them pair up with a partner and share their thoughts. Finally, ask a few pairs to share their combined ideas with the rest of the class. This activity helps students collaborate, share ideas, and learn from each other. And thy these great variations on Think-Pair-Share to make it more fun!

Peer Editing & Presentations

Peer editing is a great way for students to collaborate and improve their writing skills. After students have completed a writing assignment, pair them up with a partner and have them exchange their papers. Encourage them to read each other's work and provide feedback. This will help students learn how to give and receive constructive criticism, and improve their writing skills. I did this with simple assignments, too! Example: Write a thesis statement on today's lesson. Edit with your table.

Jigsaw & Response Group Activities

The jigsaw activity is a cooperative learning technique that can be used in any subject. Divide your class into small groups and assign each group a specific topic or subtopic to research. After they have completed their research, have the groups mix and match so that each group has a member from each topic. Encourage them to share what they learned and create a cohesive presentation or report. This activity helps students collaborate, share ideas, and learn from each other.

Gallery Walks, Walking Tours, or Big Paper Activities

A gallery walk or walking tour is a great way to get students moving and collaborating. Hang up posters or papers around the room with different questions or topics. Divide your class into small groups and have them walk around the room, stopping at each poster to discuss the question or topic with their group. Encourage them to write down their thoughts on sticky notes or index cards and stick them on the posters. This activity helps students collaborate, share ideas, and learn from each other.

In conclusion, collaboration is an essential skill that students need to develop in order to succeed in school and in life. By providing opportunities for our students to work together, learn from each other, and solve problems together, we can help them develop this skill and prepare them for the future. Try out some of these activities in your classroom and see how your students benefit from collaborating with each other.
Happy Teaching!

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How To Boost Student Success: 5 Engaging Collaborative Classroom Activities

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Collaborative Classroom Activities will help you build a great classroom climate, and will also increase student success!

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ThePhysicalEducator.com * PE Best Practices

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Since 2010, ThePhysicalEducator.com has helped physical education teachers worldwide adopt PE best practices. Let's raise the bar for PE together!

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Grade level: 2-6 Equipment: Scooters, pins, skipping ropes, cones Game Description: Sinkerball is a PHYSEDGAMES original game that combines teamwork with throwing, rolling, kicking, goaltending/blocking, balance, speed, and finesse. 2 teams face-off against each other in either a "who-can-last-the-longest" set of rounds, or point-scoring game.

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The resource uses the term "cooperative" but they are collaborative. The goal of a these games is to reduce
emphasis on competition and increase emphasis on the social aspects of working in teams and groups.

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20 Examples of Different Small Group Discussion Protocols. (LS, MS, HS)

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From Washing University - St. Louis, this offers some suggestions on best ways to facilitate group work in your classroom.

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Often, students do not have the skills or expertise needed to work effectively in small groups (Shimazoe and Aldrich 2010). By applying facilitation strategies such as those described below, instructors can help students learn to work collaboratively and ensure that group work improves learning for all.

Establish classroom ground-rules or expectations that can promote respectful, inclusive interactions in the classroom. These ground-rules or expectations should be determined at the start of the semester and guide students' interactions in groups. Groups that develop shared expectations on how to approach and accomplish a task tend to have higher levels of helping behaviors (Gonzalez-Mulé et al., 2014).

Define group member roles and rotate these frequently. Groups often function most effectively when members have designated roles (such as recorder, manager, or reporter) which can promote positive interdependence among group members, as well as maintain individual accountability. Roles are also critical in minimizing the possibility that students will take on, or assign one to another, roles that adhere to gender and racial stereotypes. For example, Hirshfield and Chachra (2015) found that in first-year engineering courses, females tended to undertake less technical roles and more communication roles than males. By having students' alternate through different roles, you can help students learn the value of each role.

Develop and communicate a set of clear instructions. Explain why and how students are completing the activity.

What are the content knowledge and skills that this assignment is designed to help students learn and practice?

Explain how to accomplish the activity in a PowerPoint slide or handout. Set time limits, e.g., 5-7 minutes for shorter activities, or 10-12 minutes for longer, multi-step activities. Breaking up a complex task into smaller pieces with timed checkpoints helps groups better understand how to work on complex problems and make sure they are on track to finish during the allotted time.

Indicate group size and composition. Should students work with two or three neighbors? These instructions help students better understand how they will work in groups (Barkley et al. 2014).

Provide careful discussion prompts. Ask students to answer specific questions but also to focus on the rationale behind their answers and be prepared to share the rationale. This prompt influences the quality of student discussions by creating a "reasoning-centered class" where students employ more reasoning rather than just trying to achieve the correct answer (Knight et al. 2013).

Maintain your role as a facilitator and be an active listener during the activity. Move throughout the room to monitor group conversations without interfering or participating in the groups' conversations. Watch for uneven participation in a group. What common mistakes are you observing in groups? Silently note these, but do not interfere or interject. Groups need time to develop group norms (i.e., their group work behavioral style) and allowing them to work this out is an important learning step. Therefore, let groups negotiate their own group dynamics.

Be flexible. You don't need to wait until everyone has finished the assignment before asking groups to report out. If necessary you can ask managers how much additional time is needed for their group. If students are struggling with the assignment, stop and provide assistance or direction to help them get back on track with the assignment.

Provide closure. Bring the groups back together as a whole class to report out and discuss the results of the activity. Use your previous observations of groups to determine which groups you might ask to report out. Ask a group's spokesperson to report on one piece of information or an idea generated during the group work.

Follow up by asking the spokesperson to explain their reasoning behind the group's response.

Promote participation by asking other groups to respond as well. Ask questions to help the students connect and understand the ideas brought out during the discussion.

Write the ideas generated by group work on the chalkboard so that all students can learn from the contributions of each group. Doing so underscores the importance of the knowledge generated by group work and encourages everyone to pay attention and record this knowledge in their notes.

You may not have time to hear from all groups but can then call on those groups who did not have the opportunity to report that day during the next class period.

Include time for reflection and feedback. Acknowledge the progress made and good group behaviors observed. Discuss opportunities for improving group dynamics. During the semester, occasionally ask students to reflect on their learning experience in groups. You can use these responses as feedback to assess and revise group work as needed. For example, you can ask students to answer the following (Ash and Clayton 2014):

I learned....,

I learned this because (what aspect of this experience helped them learn this)

This learning matters because (how might knowledge or skill help them in the course or in a larger context?)....

Issues that might arise during group work. Working in groups can be a particularly challenging experience for students who are introverts or dominating types (Taylor 2011). Having clear ground rules to explain the process of group work and instructions on how to accomplish the assignment can help alleviate angst in both groups. It can also be useful to remind students of their roles to help ensure that all group members are fully engaged.

Questions to help facilitate groups

Does your recorder have questions from the group that you need to address?

Does the manager have ideas that were suggested but not yet discussed?

What will the spokesperson report for their group progress at this point?

Ask the reflector for each person's contribution or what the consensus is on their progress so far.

Creating successful group work activities in your class requires some preparation, but the benefits to you and your students can be gratifying. Check out our workshop schedule for more information on teaching with group work.

References

Ash, S. L., & Clayton, P. H. (2004). The articulated learning: An approach to guided reflection and assessment. Innovative Higher Education, 29(2), 137-154.

Barkley, E. F., Cross, K. P., & Major, C. H. (2014). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty. John Wiley & Sons.

Gonzalez-Mulé, E., DeGeest, D. S., McCormick, B. W., Seong, J. Y., & Brown, K. G. (2014). Can we get some cooperation around here? The mediating role of group norms on the relationship between team personality and individual helping behaviors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 99(5), 988.

Hirshfield, L., & Chachra, D. (2015, October). Task choice, group dynamics and learning goals: Understanding student activities in teams. In Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), 2015. 32614 2015. IEEE (pp. 1-5). IEEE.

Rienties, B., Alcott, P., & Jindal-Snape, D. (2014). To Let Students Self-Select or Not That Is the Question for Teachers of Culturally Diverse Groups. Journal of Studies in International Education, 18(1), 64-83.

Shimazoe, J., & Aldrich, H. (2010). Group work can be gratifying: Understanding & overcoming resistance to cooperative learning. College Teaching, 58(2), 52-57.

Sweet, M., & Michaelsen, L. K. (2012). Team-based learning in the social sciences and humanities. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Taylor, A. (2011). Top 10 reasons students dislike working in small groups... and why I do it anyway. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 39(3), 219-220.

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Facilitating In-Class Group Work - Center for Teaching and Learning

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Often, students do not have the skills or expertise needed to work effectively in small groups (Shimazoe and Aldrich 2010). By applying facilitation strategies such as those described below, instructors can help students learn to work collaboratively and ensure that group work improves learning for all.

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Based on the book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics.

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Visible Random Groups: Why This Is The Next Thing You Need To Do For Group Work In Your Classroom - Powerful Learning

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Group work... it has its benefits in the classroom and it has its headaches. But the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, and we know that collaboration is a key competency our students need for the future. We want our students to be able to collectively ...

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This strategy for flexible grouping mixes whole class, small group, and individual practice in one lesson and helps build a classroom community.

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This strategy for flexible grouping mixes whole class, small group, and individual practice in one lesson and helps build a classroom community.

It's the first week of school, and I'm asking myself, "Should I focus on building my classroom's culture, knowing I'll be behind in my curriculum, or jump into teaching and learning at the expense of community-building?"

Grouping Cycles-our school's approach to flexible grouping-allow students to engage with curricular content while building community in the early weeks of school and beyond. When students collaborate, relationships form. And when that collaboration is connected to curricula, we meet relational and instructional goals in tandem.

Grouping Cycles blend whole class, small group, and individual practice in one lesson by strategically grouping and regrouping students. Flexible grouping is not a new concept: Marguerite Radencich and Lyn McKay noted the effectiveness of students moving fluidly through elementary reading groups in 1995, Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe noted how groups could be used flexibly to differentiate instruction in academically diverse classrooms in 2006, and as recently as 2022, Kristina Doubet wrote a book on the topic.

Our twist requires beginning and ending a lesson with the same type of grouping, which can have immediate impacts on students' sense of belonging and engagement with classroom content.

Prompt students to actively forge relationships

When teachers use Grouping Cycles, they are deliberately grouping and regrouping students in a short amount of time. In a traditional cycle, the lesson begins with a whole group activity, you provide students with time to practice individually, and then groups of students share their thought processes.

When the teacher ends the lesson by reconvening the whole group, students have a wealth of information to draw upon as they discuss their own practice and that of their small groups.

In a geometry class, the lesson might begin with a whole group demonstration of how to use a compass. Students might then work individually on a performance task related to acute and obtuse angles. Next, the teacher would move students into groups of four to continue their work and discuss the results. When the class reconvened, the teacher might ask a student, "What was one question that you asked your group, and what did your group tell you?"

Here, students are relying on one another to cocreate knowledge rather than focusing all of their attention on the adult in the room or the piece of paper in front of them.

Encourage knowledge revision

We all relish "aha" moments. But how can those moments occur naturally? If a teacher begins a lesson with independent practice, moves to homogeneous small group practice and then whole group instruction, and culminates by returning to independent practice, the chances of students realizing and fixing their mistakes grow exponentially.

In a language arts class, students are tasked with drafting the introductory paragraph to an essay. The teacher, engaging in Grouping Cycles, can move students into groups of three and ask them to score sample paragraphs.

Next, the whole class can convene to discuss the merits, flaws, and scores of each sample. And finally, students can return to their initial paragraphs and revise their work given the small group and whole group learning that occurred.

Enhance differentiated instruction

A Grouping Cycle is a way for teachers to personalize instruction. When a teacher is deliberate, not only about how students are grouped, but also about when they're grouped, it becomes easier to fully mobilize the power of differentiation.

Consider, for example, a health sciences class with vastly diverse student needs and abilities. Using a Grouping Cycle, a teacher might divide students into pairs and ask them to organize a list of medical terms. They might organize the terms alphabetically, by body region, or in a simple "know/don't know" chart.

Individually, students may have an opportunity to complete a formative practice by defining a few key terms from the list. The teacher can then gather the results and discuss with the class the most common errors. To culminate, the teacher can re-partner students and provide them with a more complex task related to the terminology.

When groups aren't working well

The beauty of using a Grouping Cycle is that it is a quick strategy. In the same hour, students are transitioning into new groupings at least three times. They may start with a 10-minute individual task, improve their work in a data-driven small group for 20 minutes, debrief their group conversation with the whole class for 10 minutes, and then engage in a new task to show how their thinking has changed.

Here, the teacher is leading the whole class for just 10 minutes. The rest of the time, they are monitoring and tweaking groups based on what they see and hear. A great chef doesn't stir, poke, and prod your dinner the whole time she is preparing it. She also tastes it along the way and makes small adjustments. So, too, does the teacher using a Grouping Cycle make these real-time changes: Individual students are swapped because one group is too quiet; tasks are changed on the fly because the whole group needs a moment of remediation.

The timing of each step in the cycle is adjusted based on the needs of the class. And the teacher remains the best resource students have, implementing Grouping Cycles as a tool for delivering high-quality instruction.

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This strategy for flexible grouping mixes whole class, small group, and individual practice in one lesson and helps build a classroom community.

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When creating and assigning roles, consider how they will foster quality interactions between students.

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While collaborative learning through group work has been proven to have the potential to produce stronger academic achievement than other kinds of learning environments (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 2006), it can be challenging to implement successfully because many students come to college without the tools they need to automatically succeed in collaborative learning contexts. One way of providing supportive structures to students in a collaborative learning environment is through assigning roles within group work.

Potential Benefits of Using Assigned Roles in Group Work

Assigning group roles can be a beneficial strategy for successful group work design for a number of reasons:

Group roles offer an opportunity for high quality, focused interactions between group participants. Participants are more likely to stay on task and pay closer attention to the task at hand when their roles in the collaboration are clear and distinct.

Group roles provide all students with a clear avenue for participation. Students are less likely to feel left out or unengaged when they have a particular duty that they are responsible for completing. Along the same lines, assigning group roles reduces the likelihood of one individual completing the task for the whole group, or "taking over," to the detriment of others' learning.

Group roles encourage individual accountability. Group members are more likely to hold each other accountable for not completing work if a particular task is assigned to them.

Group roles allow students to strengthen their communicative skills, especially in areas that they are less confident in volunteering for.

Group roles can help disrupt stereotypical and gendered role assignments, which can be common in group learning. For example, Hirshfield and Chachra (2015) found that in first-year engineering courses, female students tended to undertake less technical roles and more communicative roles than their male colleagues. By assigning roles during group work, and by asking students to alternate these roles at different points in the semester, students can work past gendered assumptions about themselves and their groupmates.

POGIL: A Model for Role Assignments in Collaborative Learning

One small group learning methodology where the use of group roles is well-defined and researched is the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) method. The POGIL method calls for groups of three or four students who work in a team on process-oriented guided inquiry activities in which students construct their knowledge through interactions with others. Traditional POGIL roles for group members are provided below (POGIL, 2016).

Manager or Facilitator: Manages the group by helping to ensure that the group stays on task, is focused, and that there is room for everyone in the conversation.

Recorder: Keeps a record of those who were in the group, and the roles that they play in the group. The recorder also records critical points from the small group's discussion along with findings or answers.

Spokesperson or Presenter: Presents the group's ideas to the rest of the class. The Spokesperson should rely on the recorder's notes to guide their report.

Reflector or Strategy Analyst: Observes team dynamics and guides the consensus-building process (helps group members come to a common conclusion).

Other Highly Adaptable Roles to Consider

You can adapt roles for different kinds of group tasks. While the POGIL model is a useful place to start, you may find that the tasks associated with your discipline require other kinds of roles for effective group learning. Adding to or reframing POGIL roles can be beneficial in these contexts. Below are some suggestions for additional roles that might be valuable to a variety of learning situations.

Encourager: Encourages group members to continue to think through their approaches and ideas. The Encourager uses probing questions to help facilitate deeper thinking, and group-wide consideration of ideas.

Questioner: Pushes back when the team comes to consensus too quickly, without considering a number of options or points of view. The questioner makes sure that the group hears varied points of view, and that the group is not avoiding potentially rich areas of disagreement.

Checker: Checks over work in problem-solving contexts before the group members finalize their answers.

Strategies for Effective Facilitation of Group Roles

The following suggestions are strategies for effective facilitation of group roles. These strategies are helpful in a wide variety of group work situations, but are essential for group work that will last beyond a single class period, or constitute a significant portion of student grades.

Be transparent about why you are assigning group roles. This kind of transparency can increase student buy-in by helping them recognize the value in establishing group roles

Provide students with a list of roles and brief definitions for each role at the beginning of the group work activity. Make it clear which tasks are associated with which roles.

Alternatively, you may find it helpful, especially in advanced-level classes, to encourage students to develop their own roles in groups based on the tasks that they feel will be critical to the group's success. This strategy provides the students with a larger level of autonomy in their learning, while also encouraging them to use proven structures that will help them be successful.

Roles can be assigned randomly through a variety of strategies, from who has the next birthday to color-coded post-it notes, or a place card that points out roles based on where everyone is sitting.

Circulate early in the class period to be sure that everyone has been assigned a role, and that everyone is clear about what their responsibilities include.

Be willing to reinforce the given roles throughout the activity. For roles to work, students have to feel as though they will be held accountable for fulfilling those roles. Therefore, it is critical for you to step in if you see someone taking over someone else's role or not fulfilling their assigned role. Often gentle reminders about who is supposed to be doing what can be useful interventions. For example, if someone is talking over everyone and not listening to their other groupmates, you might say something like "Remember, as a spokesperson, your job is to represent the ideas of everyone in the group."

Talk with students individually if their speech or conduct could be silencing, denigrating, or excluding others. Remember: your silence on this issue may be read as endorsement.

Changing things up regularly is imperative. If you use group roles frequently, mixing up roles throughout the semester can help students develop communication skills in a variety of areas rather than relying on a single personal strength.

If this is a long-term group assignment, be sure to provide structures for individual feedback for the instructor and other group member on group dynamics. This could be a formal or informal check in, but it's critical for students to have a space to voice concerns related to group dynamics-especially if this assignment counts for a large portion of their final grade. This feedback might be provided through an anonymous survey in paper form or through a web-based tool like Qualtrics or a Google form. These check-ins can reduce student anxiety about the potential for uneven group participation.

Overall, using assigned roles in group work provides students with a supportive structure that promotes meaningful collaborative learning. While group learning can be challenging to implement effectively, using roles can mitigate some of the challenges associated with learning in groups, while offering students the opportunity to develop a variety of communication skills that will be critical to their success in college and their future careers.

References

Burke, Alison. (2011). Group work: How to use groups effectively. The Journal of Effective Teaching, 11(2), 87-95.

Beebe, S.A., & Masterson, J.T. (2003). Communicating in small groups. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Cheng, W. Y., Lam, S. F., & Chan, C. Y. (2008). When high achievers and low achievers work in the same group: The roles of group heterogeneity and processes in project‐based learning. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 78(2), 205-221.

Eberlein, T., Kampmeier, J., Minderhout, V., Moog, R.S., Platt, T., Varma-Nelson, P., White, H.B. (2008). Pedagogies of engagement in science: A comparison of PBL, POGIL and PLTL. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 36(4), 262-73.

Hale, D., & Mullen, L. G. (2009). Designing process-oriented guided-inquiry activities: A new innovation for marketing classes. Marketing Education Review, 19(1), 73-80.

Hirshfield, L., & Chachra, D. (2015). Task choice, group dynamics and learning goals: Understanding student activities in teams. 2015 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference: Launching a New Vision in Engineering Education Proceedings, FIE 2015, 1-5.

Johnson, C. (2011). Activities using process‐oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) in the foreign language classroom. Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German, 44(1), 30-38.

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., and Smith, K.A. (2006). Active learning: Cooperation in the university classroom. Edina, MN: Interaction.

Moog, R.S. (2014). Process oriented guided inquiry learning. In M.A. McDaniel, R. F. Frey, S.M. Fitzpatrick, & Roediger, H.L. (Eds.). Integrating cognitive science with innovative teaching in STEM disciplines (147-166). St. Louis: Washington University in St. Louis Libraries.

The POGIL Project. (2017). https://pogil.org/

Springer, L., Stanne, M.E., & Donovan, S.S. (1999). Effects of small-group learning on undergraduates in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 96(1), 21-51.

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Using Roles in Group Work - Center for Teaching and Learning

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Assigning successful roles within groups so that students have what they need to succeed in a collaborative learning environment.

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Teachers plan for, model and help students establish norms for desired group communication.

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Getting Started with Establishing Ground Rules | Center for Teaching Innovation

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Establishing classroom norms sets the tone of a class, provides clear guidelines on how to behave, decreases instances of incivility, and enables students and lecturers to feel safe expressing their ideas or points of views. Below are just a few techniques instructors have used when establishing and…

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“Accountable Talk” (2010) encompasses

the nature and quality of classroom talk, how teachers set up and model discussions and how students can participate in evidence-based collaborative conversations.

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Use this resource to help you plan how you might present a structure for student groups to make decisions, especially for project or problem based learning experiences.

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Audio version of "Group decision making" tip sheet (MP3)
Because the performance of a group involves taking into account the needs and opinions of every group member, being able to come to an equitable decision as efficiently as possible is important for the functioning of the group. There are a variety of ways to make decisions as a group; the seven-step decision-making model presented below offers an effective structure for choosing an appropriate course of action for a particular task or project. It can also be an effective method for dealing with a problem or interpersonal conflict that arises within the group.

1. Identify the decision to be made. Before beginning to gather information and list alternatives, it is important for you as a group to understand clearly what you are trying to decide so you have a goal on which to focus your discussions. Potential questions to ask are: What are the particulars of the assigned task? What are we being asked to do? What conflict is affecting our group effectiveness? What barrier to effective group work are we facing?

2. Analyze the issue under discussion. Once you have defined your goal (i.e., the decision to be made or the problem to be overcome), examine the data and resources that you already have, and identify what additional information you may need. Ask yourselves: What is causing the problem? For whom is this a problem? What is wrong with the current situation? Why do we need to deal with this issue/decision? Where else can we find resources?

3. Establish criteria. Identify the criteria or conditions that would determine whether a chosen solution is successful. Ideally, a solution will be feasible, move the group forward, and meet the needs of every group member. You may want to rank the criteria in order of importance (for example., circumstances may be such that some issues may not be fully resolved). Consider these questions: What would make a solution/decision successful? What issues need to be dealt with in the solution? What criteria will help us determine whether everyone is happy with the solution/decision? Are some criteria more necessary than others?

4. Brainstorm potential solutions. Using the resources and information collected above, brainstorm for potential solutions to the problem or decision identified in step 1. This involves collecting as many ideas as possible. At this stage, ideas should not be criticized or evaluated. Some questions to ask include: What are some possible solutions that would meet most of our established criteria? Are there any options that we may have overlooked? What could we do in the absence of constraints?

5. Evaluate options and select the best one. Once you have a list of potential solutions, you are now ready to evaluate them for the best alternative according to the criteria identified in step 3. Remember that you may be able to combine ideas to create a solution. Ideally, everyone would agree with solution (a consensus), but it's possible that not everyone will. In this case, you will need to use a different decision making methods (see methods in next section). Additional questions to ask when evaluating alternatives are: What are the pros/cons for each option? Which option is the most realistic to accomplish for now? Which option is the most likely to solve the problem for the long-term?

6. Implement the solution. This involves identifying the resources necessary to implement the decision, as well as the potential obstacles, then taking action. Decide: What should be done? How? By whom? By when? In what order?

7. Monitor and evaluate the outcome. Based on the criteria identified in step 3, evaluate whether the decision was successful. If not, revisit step 4 to evaluate the other options or generate new ones.

Decision-making methods

In order to make the jump from brainstorming potential solutions for solving a problem to evaluating and selecting the best solution, group members need to make decisions. There are several possible methods of decision making that a group can use. A few of them are briefly described below, with advantages on the left and disadvantages on the right for each one:

Decision by authority

The group generates ideas and holds open discussions, but the final decision is made by one person.

Appropriate when there is a clear expert in the topic at hand

Very fast

Does not maximize the strengths of the individuals in the group

The group may not be dedicated to implementing a decision made by one person

Decision by majority

The group holds a vote on a particular issue following a period of discussion. The majority wins.

Uses democratic participation in the process

Fast

Tyranny of the majority often overwhelms minority views, perhaps encouraging factions to form within the group

Decision by negative minority

The group holds a vote for the most unpopular idea and eliminates it. They repeat this process until only one idea is left.

Democratic

Useful when there are many ideas and few voters

Group members may feel resentful at having their ideas voted as unpopular

Slow

Decision by ranking

Group members individually write down the 5 (or fewer) ideas they like best, then rank each idea from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. The votes are recorded on the board and totalled. The idea with the highest total is selected.

Includes a voting procedure and, therefore, gives the impression that the final decision represents each person's opinion.

Not suitable for issues

Takes time

The numbers game can result in a decision that no one fully supports

Decision by unanimity

All group members must agree that the decision is the best one.

Everyone will be on board with the decision and resulting course of action

Unanimous agreement might be impossible to reach

Decision by consensus

The decision is discussed and negotiated until everyone affected by it understands and agrees with what will be done. Consensus in decision making means that all members genuinely agree that the decision is acceptable. After a group has identified a decision to be made, each member is asked how he/she feels about the proposed decision by selecting one of the following responses:

1. I can say an unqualified "yes" to the decision.

2. I find the decision acceptable.

3. I can live with the decision, but I'm not especially enthusiastic about it.

4. I do not fully agree with the decision, but I do not choose to block it.

5. I do not agree with the decision, and I feel we should explore other options.

If all the responses from the group members are 1, 2, 3, or 4, you have a consensus and are ready to move on.

All members feel that they have had an equal opportunity to influence the decision and will continue to support the group

The best way to make decisions, if you have the time

May be difficult to reach a consensus

May be very time consuming

Combining ideas

Instead of dropping one idea in favor of another, the group searches for possibilities of implementing both or combining them into one solution.

Polarizing (black-and-white) decisions are avoided

Implementation may take longer since more than one idea is being considered

A decision that combines two solutions can sometimes be worse than either of the original solutions

Example:

1. Identify the decision to be made.

When should our group meetings be scheduled?

2. Analyze the issue under discussion.

Determine each member's current schedule of prior commitments (e.g., classes, activities). Are weekends and nights a possibility? How much time we will need for each meeting? How often should meetings be scheduled?

3. Evaluate the options and select the best one.

Mondays 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.

Would get the meeting over with early in the week.

Have the week-end directly beforehand to prepare for the meeting.

Since it falls during the lunch hour, group members would need to eat during the meeting.

Wednesdays 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

After dinner, group members will be refreshed from their dinner break.

Having the meeting in the middle of the week allows for additional time before or after Wednesday to complete any necessary "last minute" project tasks.

One group member has a tutorial to attend at 7:30, so he may have to leave the meeting a few minutes early.

Fridays 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.

None of the group members have classes or activities scheduled until 11:00 a.m. on Fridays, so there would be ample time to conduct the meeting.

If there are social events scheduled for Thursday night, some of the group members are not in favour of having a meeting early the next morning.

Best solution:

Wednesdays 6:00 to 7:30 is determined to be the most favourable time and chosen as the meeting time based on the criteria. The group decided -- by consensus -- that this would be the time during which they would be the most productive, having just finished their dinner break. This meeting time is not in agreement with the third criteria (that is, the ideal meeting would be during daytime working hours), but this was ranked as the least important, so a compromise was made.

Support

If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help. View the CTE Support page to find the most relevant staff member to contact.

Resources

Group Roles: Maximizing Group Performance. Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) teaching tips.

Teamwork Skills: Being an Effective Group Member. CTE teaching tips.

Making Group Contracts. CTE teaching tips.

Moore, C.M. (1987) Group Techniques for Idea Building. Newbury Park: Sage Publications

Parker, G. (1998) Teamwork: Action Steps for building powerful teams. Aurora, IL: Successories

Shalinsky, W. and S. Snider (1985) Working in Small Groups: How to Do It Better. University of Waterloo: TRACE

Wilson, G.L. and M.S. Hanna (1986) Groups in Context: Leadership and Participation in Small Groups. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.

This Creative Commons license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us and indicate if changes were made. Use this citation format: Group Decision Making. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo.

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Group Decision Making | Centre for Teaching Excellence

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Audio version of "Group decision making" tip sheet (MP3) Because the performance of a group involves taking into account the needs and opinions of every group member, being able to come to an equitable decision as efficiently as possible is important for the functioning of the group.

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This hierarchy may be used to model effective communication with students and evaulate the quality of interactions in collaborative groups.

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This strategy helps building student agency into the peer feedback process and encourages students to provide feedback through a specific lens.

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A strategy to collectively remember and summarize learning.

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A strategy that aids reflection by helping students organize and integrate information they are learning about a concept or topic of study.  This could be done as an individual or small group reflection.

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This discussion strategy helps students practice being both active speakers and active listeners in a group conversation.

Advisory

Civics & Citizenship

English & Language Arts

History

Social Studies

Most teachers are willing to tackle the difficult topics, but we need the tools.

- Gabriela Calderon-Espinal, Bay Shore, NY

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This discussion strategy helps students practice being both active speakers and active listeners in a group conversation.

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If you have several children at home there's bound to be times when conflicts arise. Sometimes they are easily ended with a few words, but other times they can escalate out of control. This is certainly true in the classroom too.

With many more children and many more interactions it is even more likely there will be conflicts in the classroom. This is where Montessori's Peace Rose shines.

A Montessori classroom includes a small table with two chairs and an object on top of it. Sometimes it is a tissue paper rose, but it can just as easily be another object. It is used as a visual aid to help de-escalate a heated situation so both children can express their views.

One child holds the peace rose and shares what happened and how they feel. It is not accusatory, but a chance to truly express their frustration, anger, or hurt. After they've had their say, the first child passes the rose to the other. They also have their chance to share and express how they feel.

This continues until the two children come to some sort of a resolution. This could be a simple apology between them, a new way to approach the situation, and just an agreement that they should forget it and move on.

Eventually, the children come to understand that the peace rose means it is time to slow down, catch their breath, and talk calmly instead of yelling and fighting. They learn self-conflict resolution, a valuable skill that they can draw on throughout their life.

If you're considering a Montessori education for your child, please contact us. You are more than welcome to schedule a tour at Sunset Montessori Community or we can answer any questions you have about our center, programs, and pricing.

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The Peace Rose and Self-Conflict Resolution

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If you have several children at home there's bound to be times when conflicts arise. Sometimes they are easily ended with a few words, but other times they can escalate out of control. This is certainly true in the classroom too.

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Shared attention facilitates focused attention.

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This thinking routine scaffolds perspective taking especially in situations and dilemmas. Students develop the thinking dispositions to slow down and self-reflect, explore
and engage with others’ perspectives, seek and evaluate evidence, and envision options and potential
impacts.

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This strategy promotes active discussion by using role cards and uses colors to differentiate for different reading skill levels.

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Description:
This strategy promotes active discussion by using role cards and uses colors to differentiate for different skill levels. The example below assumes that you are using blue for the less able and green for the more able students.
How to Use the Strategy:

1. Make one poster-sized copy of the Pointer/Signal Words Chart (located to your right) and post it in the classroom for student reference.

2. Copy, laminate, and cut the Blue Role Cards for Expository Text and the Green Role Cards for Expository Text (both are located to the right). Make enough copies so that each student will receive a card that is appropriate for his/her readiness level.

3. Divide the students into homogeneous readiness-level groups of four and give each student in each group one of the individual cards from the reproducibles. (Make sure each group has cards for all four roles).

4. Tell students to read their cards to find out what their individual role will be for the group discussion.

5. Students read the chapter or section of the book.

6. Provide time for group discussion. Each group member should participated based on the role on his/her card.

7. Give each group a large sheet of paper and some markers.

8. Ask each group to figure out a way to show the key elements of its discussion by making a graphic representation on the large sheet of paper.

9. Have each group present its graphic representation to the rest of the class.

10. Display the posters.

Resources
Download these resources to use in your classroom.

Directions for printing Toolbox Cards
1.Download the toolbox card
2. Select the save button in the right hand corner
3. Open the saved document
4. Select File>Print
5. Change Page Scaling setting to Booklet Printing
6. Change Booklet Subset to Both sides
7. Press OK

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Description: This strategy promotes active discussion by using role cards and uses colors to differentiate for different skill levels. The example below assumes that you are using blue for the less...

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This thinking routine reconstructs the group discussion that we have in our classrooms.  Micro Lab is designed to ensure equal participation within a group discussion with rounds of sharing that are timed by the instructor. Regular use of this routine helps the students to become better listeners and learn how to make connections with others’ ideas.

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Resources
Download these resources to use in your classroom.

Being a middle school math teacher, one of the biggest challenges I face is student participation. There are always a few students who are willing to share their ideas or answers, whether in a whole-class setting or in a group, and those who are afraid of being incorrect in front of their peers. The7/8 grade Math Teacher Micro Lab Protocol has changed student participation in my class, and is making a big impact on students' comfort level because it requires all students to share their thinking. When asking my students how they feel about the Micro Lab Protocol, many of them comment that it's better than regular group work because there isn't one person telling everyone else what to do. This routine has changed my classroom for the better!
Reuther Middle School
-Natalie James

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Resources Download these resources to use in your classroom. Being a middle school math teacher, one of the biggest challenges I face is student participation. There are always a few students who are willing to share their ideas or answers, whether in a whole-class setting or in a group, and those who are afraid of being incorrect in front of their peers.

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We want students to work well in teams and address problems when they arise without outside assistance. But students need coaching on team dynamics as much as they need it in developing an in-depth understanding of course content.

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We all want the same thing. We want students able to work well with others. Every learner should be fully invested in the collaborative needs of their team so that the work is evenly balanced and highly productive. But the secret truth for most educators is that when a team becomes dysfunctional, we'd like for students to work out the problems themselves, and not need teacher assistance. Because if they could just resolve conflicts themselves, there is a higher likelihood that work quality can flourish.

We want students to work well in teams and address problems when they arise without outside assistance. But students need coaching on team dynamics as much as they need it in developing an in-depth understanding of course content. From my early travels among schools that developed strong team culture, one particular standout was a collection of schools from the New Tech Network. They called their protocol "The Firing Clause".

The intent was not for teams to fire members who underperformed. No one envisions boardroom scenes, like on the shows The Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice, where students play Trump-like role of pointing a finger at a peer and shouting, "You're Fired!"

Interviewed students said that few students got "fired" because issues were addressed early in the Project-Based unit. Some students stated that they got fired from a team only once because they did not want to go through the experience again. The great news is that in these cultures, students learned how to address problems early, and mediate the concerns. The problem is that some teachers who adopted this idea and created a process found that the term "Firing Clause" became a focus of their students and community. The steps for addressing issues seemed more like documentation of an impending firing, instead of mediating concerns before they grow into deep seeded conflicts.
The Mediation Protocol
The key to a successful protocol for such a sensitive and serious matter of team functions is to frame it in concrete steps that promote communication while presuming positive intentionality. Here's how these four steps work.

One to One meeting by a team member and the student (May occur 2-3 times).

When an issue arises, such as someone not getting their work done or showing disruptive behavior, a team member has a one to one conversation with the person. The intent of this personal approach is to avoid the perception of the individual feeling ganged up on. The focus of the conversation is to find a solution that address the team need, such as "What help do you need to complete work or get it done on time" or "How could the "joking" (aka sarcasm) be reduced because it's affecting teammates?" Once an agreement is made, the meeting ends. If the terms are not met, there will be another meeting either by the same team member or a different person to help the individual. Many times the problem can be resolved at this step.

If the problems persists where the student is not following through on the agreed upon solutions, then there is a team meeting. The group reflects on the concerns, sharing each person's perspective with the intent of finding a viable approach to resolution. The focus is on how the team can support the team process and the person who is struggling. Once a solution is agreed upon, the meeting concludes.

During the previous stages, the teacher may facilitate the sessions, but not be an active participant in the discussions. If the team cannot resolve the issue(s) with the first 2 steps, then the teacher joins the team meeting as an active participant. It's important that the teacher not take sides. Ensure that all voices are heard and the team norms are followed. Make suggestions for possible solutions where appropriate. In the end, a plan is crafted for how the team will resolve the issue so that they can function appropriately together.

This final step is one that should rarely be reached. If the team fails to find adequate resolution, then it's time to decide if a person needs to be removed or relocated from the team. This is not a "firing." There are variations to this final step:

Option One: The teacher removes from the team the student who is unable to work with the team, when the first 3 steps have not worked.

Option Two: The team decides if the student who struggles with the team should remain or be relocated. The student has a say as well. Sometimes the gravity of the situation is enough to find resolution.
Coaching through Facilitation
When using this protocol, the teacher will likely facilitate the initial meetings that occur. Students will need guidance on "how" to speak in a constructive and positive way, without appearing to antagonize or put down a team member. Having classroom Norms is helpful when facilitating. Often, the teacher may reword what's said into positive and professional language. For example:

Student raising the concern: "You slack off too much. We can't get anything done with you around."

Teacher, facilitating: "What she means is, the team is feeling stressed about the work, and count on you to take care of your part."

The teacher facilitates, and does not participate in the discussion and decisions made. Only at step three does the teacher become a participant in addition to facilitating.
Team Norms
Establishing team norms is an important need so that students are empowered to communicate and collaborate in a constructive and positive way. Facilitate the class crafting up to 7 norms that describe the behaviors that will support teamwork and learning. Here are resources to explore this important step. The 3 rd link offers an effective strategy for developing the norms and having group buy-in.
Student Empowerment: Keeping the End in Mind
With teacher facilitation and team norms, the Mediation Protocol empowers students to take ownership of their learning environment. No longer are students waiting "helplessly" until the teacher deals with the team's problem. Following the protocol, students develop communication and collaboration skills that will help them in every phase of their lives, from school settings to the workplace.

Establishing the Mediation Protocol is embedded in coaching students how to work as a team, which uses time efficiently to establish the structure. Culture building takes time. Yet when done well, the long term benefits out weighs the set up process. All it takes is posting the protocol on the wall, alongside the team/class norms, and coaching students through the Mediation Protocol until they are confident with handing situations themselves. That-is the ultimate goal.

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Four steps to stronger and more independent teams

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Four steps to stronger and more independent teams by John McCarthy, Ed.S. We all want the same thing. We want students able to work well with others. Every learner should be fully invested in the c...

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Grace and Courtesy Songs and Teacher Reflection (Montessori)

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Grace and Courtesy Songs and Teacher Reflection (Montessori)

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The Grace and Courtesy lessons are the means by which the teachers create a peaceful and cooperative classroom.

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This cooperative learning strategy has been around for decades, but how well do you really know it?

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This cooperative learning strategy has been around for decades, but how well do you really know it?
Say "Jigsaw" in some teaching circles and no one will bat an eyelash. It's one of those techniques that has been with us so long, it is no longer seen as new. When considering methods to share in my collection of instructional strategies, I ignored it for a long time because I assumed most people already knew how to use it. Still, I figured it was worth including at some point.

When I finally sat down to review the steps of Jigsaw, I came across a few surprises.

Although Jigsaw is typically presented as just one in a number of cooperative learning strategies, its origin story has little to do with academics. The strategy was developed by social psychologist Elliot Aronson in 1971 in response to the racial turmoil caused by recent school desegregation in Austin, Texas. "Long-standing suspicion, fear, and distrust between groups produced an atmosphere of turmoil and hostility," Aronson recalls on his website, The Jigsaw Classroom. "Fist-fights erupted in corridors and schoolyards across the city. The school superintendent called me in to see if we could do anything to help students get along with one another."

Rather than take a crisis management approach to the situation, which they believed would only put a band-aid on the problem, Aronson and his colleagues wanted a solution that was more organic, something built into the structure of students' everyday learning. What they came up with was Jigsaw, an instructional approach that required students to learn from each other, rather than from the teacher. Because students in a Jigsaw classroom could not succeed without one another, they had to learn to get along. "Learning from each other gradually diminishes the need to try to out-perform each other because one student's learning enhances the performance of the other students instead of inhibiting it, as is usually the case in most competitive, teacher-oriented classrooms."

For a more thorough understanding of the strategy and its history, read the Jigsaw Classroom's Jigsaw Basics white paper.

Although cooperative learning in general has been proven to have a strong positive impact on learning (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001), researchers have found that Jigsaw in particular improves students' social-emotional learning. In studies comparing Jigsaw with traditional direct instruction, students taught with the Jigsaw method demonstrated increased feelings of autonomy, competence, and intrinsic motivation (Hänze & Berger, 2007). Another study comparing Jigsaw with cooperative learning that didn't include interdependence (a hallmark of Jigsaw) found that the Jigsaw students demonstrated improved attitudes toward their peers and reduced indicators of racial prejudice (Walker & Crogan, 1998).

Many teachers are looking for ways to help students become more independent learners who also function well in groups. If done correctly, Jigsaw can fulfill all of those needs without ever losing academic rigor.

As a teacher, I never received any formal training in this strategy, and when I tried it, I found it didn't work quite as well as I'd hoped. After studying the steps again, I realized I was organizing my groups the wrong way. Plus, I never bothered to give the quiz at the end.

Anyway, here's a video overview of the steps. If you're new to the strategy, this will show you how to do it. If, like me, you've tried it without success, this may help you fine-tune:

Want these steps written down? Click here to download a free copy (will open in a new window).

I had no clue about this! Since the original Jigsaw strategy was developed, other educators have improved on it with their own variations (Coffey, n.d):

Jigsaw II has all students read all of the material, but then specialize in one area for their expert groups. Then, when quiz time comes, students' individual scores are averaged within each group to arrive at a group score, which is then compared with other groups. This encourages groups to work harder to ensure that all members learn.

Jigsaw III builds in a group review before the final quiz.

Jigsaw IV adds a few extra components to Jigsaw III: The teacher starts by introducing the material, quizzes are given to the expert groups, and a re-teaching period is built in to address material that wasn't taught well in cooperative groups.

I should mention that clear information on these three variations was very challenging to find; with that in mind, I believe there's a need for a well-written set of instructions to help teachers give each variation a try.

So how do you like them apples? Kind of makes you want to get Jiggy with it, no? (Sorry, I couldn't help it. It was sitting right there.) If you have experience with Jigsaw and have insights or tips to add, please comment below. If you have questions about implementation, let's hear those, too.

Jiggy. ♥

References:

Coffey, H. (n.d.). Jigsaw (Educator's guides: North Carolina digital history). Retrieved from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-eg/4584#noteref5

Hänze, M., & Berger, R. (2007). Cooperative learning, motivational effects, and student characteristics: An experimental study comparing cooperative learning and direct instruction in 12th grade physics classes. Learning and Instruction, 17(1), 29-41. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959475206001174

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Silver, H. F., Strong, R. W., & Perini, M. J. (2007). The strategic teacher: Selecting the right research-based strategy for every lesson. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Walker, I. (1998). Academic performance, prejudice, and the jigsaw classroom: New pieces to the puzzle. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 8(6), 381-393. Retrieved from http://uwf.edu/svodanov/AS/Jigsaw.pdf

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4 Things You Don't Know About the Jigsaw Method

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This cooperative learning strategy has been around for decades, but how well do you really know it?

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This activity, presented by reDesign, is a method of collaborative problem solving through the context of mathematics literacy and proficiency.

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reDesign - Creating learner-centered communities where all young people thrive.

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This activity, adapted from Barton and Heidema’s Teaching Reading In Mathematics (2009), helps students to develop their ability to solve math word problems by collaborating on problems as a group, and then communicating as a group the steps and thought process they followed. By describing their pro…

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This case study, furnished by the International Baccalaureate, presents a student-driven method of discussion in which students can monitor and reflect on their collaborative participation.

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Spider Web Discussion (A meaningful student-driven method of inquiry and understanding)

Spider Web Discussion is an approach developed by Alexis Wiggins, a high school English teacher.

It is a unique student-driven method of fostering intellectual curiosity, inquiry and understanding. Essentially, it is a style of teaching in which the students guide themselves in their learning and understanding of content through the asking, answering and assessment of their own questions. The teacher is a passive guide, initially providing the students with a topic or theme of study, who merely encourages independent thinking and learning by not dominating the discussion or lecturing.

The name is an acronym, describing the specific aspects of the discussion and its process:

synergetic-a collaborative, group effort with a single group grade

process-a process that must be practised and honed

independent -students work independently; teacher observes and gives feedback

developed-a developed, sustained discussion that aims to "get somewhere"

exploration-an exploration of ideas, texts, or questions through discussion

rubric-a clear, specific rubric against which the students can self-assess

The word "web" describes two aspects of the method. Firstly it describes the physical map of the discussion, which looks like a web. Secondly it is a metaphor for the process-like a web, all participants must pull their own weight equally, or the web cannot be strong.

Tips for putting Spider Web Discussions into action (adapted from "Spider Web Discussion over a Year", Alexis Wiggins)

At the beginning show a "model" Spider Web Discussion, either video footage or by modelling it with other teachers or students.

Have the students self-assess against the rubric ("Did everyone participate?").

Keep discussion webs (I date them, put a grade on the assessed ones, and jot down a bit of feedback to summarize each one). Keep them accessible in your classroom so students can watch their progress over the year.

Debrief after every discussion. Show them the webs and ask students to self-assess against the rubric. Give them feedback for how to do better each time.

Throughout the year, and especially at the end, spend some time showing them their progress by flipping through the webs and asking them to self-assess their individual and class growth. Always remember that it is a process that needs to be practised.

The hardest thing to do is find a balance between when to let the conversation go on and when to jump in and provide more direction. Most of us work on this throughout our careers. I have been doing this for 25 years and I still have to remind myself not to dominate class discussions. If students are looking to me after each comment, they are too dependent on me. I work every day to encourage their independence.

Richard Hardej , Quote from Wiggins, A. 2011. "A High School Math Program with Discussion at the Heart of Learning". (Interview between Alexis Wiggins and Richard Hardej)

Richard Hardej is the Head of Maths at Phillips Exeter Academy, NH (USA). Exeter is a Harkness school (a school that uses a style of discussion similar to Spider Web Discussion as the basis of learning in all of its classes).

[Spider Web Discussions] are my favourite! I understand things so much better when I can say them out loud and listen to what my classmates think.

DP student

Main benefits

Students take pride in their learning and feel as though they have ownership over their own learning process and understanding (creates a more meaningful learning experience).

Creates camaraderie and a sense of community within the classroom. It is collaborative and encourages students to support one another as opposed to compete with one another.

Provides opportunities for natural student leaders to experience what it means to be active "listeners" and it allows the more shy and soft-spoken students the chance to speak up and contribute without fear of judgment or teacher criticism.

Allows the teacher to better assess authentic student understanding and gain a better understanding of individual students' strengths and weaknesses.

Main challenges (and how they were overcome)

Occasionally students will veer too far off track and turn the discussion into a debate or battle of opinions. It is a challenge for the teacher to know when to step in and re-direct the conversation and when to let the students save themselves. This challenge is overcome through time and experience. Each class is different-some need saving and some are able to pull themselves back up.

With larger class sizes (20+) these discussions can be less successful because it becomes a challenge for the students to moderate themselves and speak up equally. The best way to deal with this is dividing the class in half and having an inner and outer discussion (inner students speak, outer students sit silently and take notes/assess SWD and provide feedback, then switch).

In my classes, I'd say the total time spent on SWD is somewhere between 40-80%. I have seen the power of pushing students to do the heavy lifting themselves and I love how SWD encourages and requires that.
Alexis Wiggins

Reflections

Most students report loving these discussions and will often request that they are done more often in class. Collecting and charting the class discussions is also an incredible way for teachers to see genuine student growth over time.

When used regularly and frequently in class, these discussions are a very powerful way to help students gain more confidence in their speaking and listening skills. Over time, it is amazing to see those shy students start to speak up more and more, and as a teacher it is an incredibly rewarding experience to see your students take pride in their learning and support one another.

This approach fosters real-life skills of communication and leadership and creates a sense of community (allowing for more effective behavioural management). There is nothing more powerful than seeing students make discoveries and come to understandings on their own. As a teacher, it is also exciting and humbling to be able to learn from your students and gain fresh or unique perspectives on your subject of expertise.

For further resources on Spider Web Discussion, please visit Alexis Wiggins' wiki, loaded with documents, articles, and a FAQs page: http://alexiswiggins.pbworks.com/

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Spider Web Discussion is an approach developed by Alexis Wiggins, a high school English teacher. It is a unique student-driven method of fostering intellectual curiosity, inquiry and understanding. Essentially, it is a style of teaching in which the students guide themselves in their learning and understanding of content through the asking, answering and assessment of their own questions.

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This video from the International Baccalaureate presents how a Language A (Literature) teacher provides feedback to promote collaboration during a Socratic seminar.

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This article from "Teach Hub" provides cooperative learning games with specific participation guidelines that foster both cooperation and collaboration through experiential learning.

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8 Awesome Cooperative Learning Games - TeachHUB

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Getting students to engage with each other while still engaging with content can be tough. Explore our six awesome cooperative learning games.

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This article from ASCD presents the "Collaborative Inquiry Plan", a tool that can collaborative groups think though a complex task for deeper learning.

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Most educators can agree that asking students to engage deeply with the content they are learning is quite different from asking them to recall surface-level information. Knowing what deeper understanding looks and sounds like will help teachers employ collaborative discourse as a go-to strategy for almost any lesson.

This approach requires first knowing what rigor is and dispelling some common misconceptions ("All students cannot think deeply"; "Rigor just means doing more or harder work"; "Deeper thinking should not require scaffolding"). When adults engage with complex tasks, they don't simply do more or harder work. They develop a deeper understanding of the work, benefiting greatly from scaffolding (such as seeing exemplar models) and collaborative discourse with peers. There is no reason to think that children cannot do the same.

In my work with Depth of Knowledge and cognitive rigor, I've uncovered six ways we can move students' thinking to deeper understanding. I've applied these ideas to the design of teacher-friendly tools that facilitate classroom implementation. The Collaborative Inquiry Plan is one such tool.

We can observe evidence of deeper thinking when:

1. Students make connections to consolidate their learning.

New information has to a) connect to something you already know, even if it challenges something you think you know; and b) be meaningful, relevant, or personally useful (Sousa, 2015).

2. Students apply what they've learned to novel situations.

The ability to transfer knowledge and skills effectively involves the capacity to take what we know and creatively, flexibly, and fluently apply it in different situations or to new problems (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005).

3. Students have "just right" support and can productively struggle.

Strategic scaffolding is the purposeful use of supports to achieve a balance between cognitive complexity and student autonomy as a task becomes more challenging (Hess, 2018).

4. Students apply higher-order thinking (analyzing, evaluating, and creating) to interact with content.

We frequently use verbs ( analyze, synthesize) to talk about rigor without considering students' depth of interaction with, or the complexity of, the content. For example, analyzing the data in a graph is not the same as analyzing potential flaws in the experimental design that generated the data. To determine task complexity, we should always ask, "What comes after the verb?" (Hess, 2018)

5. Students engage in collaborative discourse that makes thinking visible.

Collaboration and teamwork can be powerful instructional vehicles for learning and support creative thinking (Hess & Gong, 2014). When small, collaborative groups take on a challenging task, they can understand more complex material, engage with content more deeply, and learn at a faster pace (Hess, 2018).

6. Students ask questions that indicate a shift in teacher-student roles as they learn to construct their own meaning.

After you give an assignment, your students shouldn't only be asking procedural or clarifying questions ( Where do we get the sign-out sheet for the microscopes? How long does this have to be?). They should be asking more rigorous questions that address the quality of their work ( Can we use both primary and secondary sources? Do we have choices about the form of our final product?). Rigorous questions spark deeper understanding and lead to both metacognitive thinking (strategizing while engaged in a task) and reflective thinking (evaluating effectiveness of learning processes afterwards). Student-generated questions are clear indicators of who is directing the learning (Hess, 2018).

Make Thinking Visible

From the early work of researchers through today, we find compelling support for thoughtfully designed small-group work. Robert Slavin's research (1991) on "team learning" identified two essential elements of collaboration: shared group goals and individual accountability of all group members. The work of Nottingham, Nottingham, and Renton (2017) stresses the power of group dialogue to move student thinking from surface-level knowledge to deeper understanding of concepts.

It is the structure of small-group investigation combined with collaborative discourse that teaches students how to think, how to express ideas clearly, how to respectfully listen for divergent viewpoints and give critical feedback, and most of all, how to formulate their own reasoning.

The research is clear: Collaboration activities that are intentionally structured for shared goals, individual accountability, and focused discourse drive deeper thinking within groups and can have a major positive effect on each student's learning.

Designing Learning for Collaboration, Engagement, and Meaningful Discourse

The Collaborative Inquiry Plan (see table) is designed to assist teams in thinking through the first phase of completing a complex task. Thinking through the task requirements together helps students to clarify and take responsibility for monitoring their own progress. When students learn to organize how they will work to accomplish their goals, they become more independent learners.

So, how do we thoughtfully design small-group work for collaborative discourse and deeper thinking? An activity I call "Picture Search" can illustrate how a teacher might introduce use of the Collaborative Inquiry Plan to students. Small groups are presented with a photo or historical artifact and given a few questions to answer. Unlike yes-no or fact-based questions, the answers require investigation and must be supported with evidence from multiple credible sources.

Before students can begin their investigation, they must develop a plan: clarify the task, determine how they will approach the task, identify resources needed, assign a role to each member specifically describing what each will contribute, and restate the success criteria.

Sample Collaborative Inquiry Task Using Picture Search

Students first need to draw upon their collective prior knowledge ( Does anybody know what this is?), use investigative skills to determine which clues in the picture might lead them to the answers ( What monuments are there/not there? What kinds of transportation are depicted/not depicted?), and determine how to check credibility of sources.

Then, students must develop their inquiry plan and get approval from the teacher. Some teachers might want to codesign a plan with students before giving students more control over developing their own plans.

STEP 1: Start with a task worth doing.

Most students can do many familiar routine tasks (recall facts, apply basic skills) on their own. You want groups to do something more challenging than what individual students can accomplish independently. This is an opportunity to allow them to take risks, struggle through a problem, and learn together as they construct their own meaning.

To teach students how to use different text structures in their writing, have teams select a topic of interest and create a magazine with short articles that apply different structures to convey information (compare-contrast, description, cause-effect, chronology, proposition-support). Another team challenge might be developing an infographic to show relationships among historical, literary, scientific, or cultural influences on an event or time period. A special education teacher told me she uses the collaborative inquiry planning tool with her students to help them decide what snack to make and sell in their school store.

STEP 2: Be sure this is a task where everyone has a job.

We maximize simultaneous engagement when we structure group work that integrates multiple skills and concepts. To determine group size, answer two questions: 1) What is the purpose of the learning task? and 2) How many people should it take to complete the task? Consider the specific roles needed and how you will hold students individually accountable. For the Picture Search example, if each student researches a different aspect of the photo (types of transportation, monuments, land use), the teacher can ask for evidence from each individual about how they completed their role.

At first, you may want to assign and model each role. Later, shift this responsibility to students, asking them to plan how they will accomplish the task and who is taking responsibility for each aspect. Roles that are more task-specific lead to simultaneous engagement and positive interdependence: Researcher #1 will find out when steamboats and trains were the most common modes of transportation, Researcher #2 will develop a timeline of when each monument was constructed, and Researcher #3 will compare current land use with earlier maps reflecting what is depicted in the painting. Students should discuss what questions they are trying to answer and what each person will do to contribute.

STEP 3: Establish parameters and success criteria for completing the task.

Sometimes we give students too much time and too little direction. Saying, "Discuss this with your partner" is not as clear as, "You have one minute to discuss and write three reasons why___." Whether it is short, informal group sharing or a longer, project-based task over several days, giving students a set amount of time and clear success criteria holds everyone accountable for monitoring progress. You can always give groups more time if they need it, but giving them too much time initially is usually a recipe for impending chaos.

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Deepening Student Understanding with Collaborative Discourse

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Most educators can agree that asking students to engage deeply with the content they are learning is quite different from asking them to recall surface-level information. Knowing what deeper understanding looks and sounds like will help teachers employ collaborative discourse as a go-to strategy for almost any lesson.