Drawing a Blank

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Drawing a Blank

• Learning Activities with a Blank Sheet of Paper
• RTC Instructional Improvement

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Madeline Hunter says

• The most creative think you can hand your
  learners is a blank piece of paper.

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Put another way

• A blank piece of paper is an unlimited,
  open-ended, learner-centered information
  generator.

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A blank piece of paper makes learners work with
new information in ways that personally connect
them with what they are learning.
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A blank piece of paper can be

• Left-Brain (analyze, evaluate)
• Right-Brain (synthesize, create)
• Or both

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With a blank piece of paper you and your learners
can find out

• what they know
• what the they learned
• what they are still puzzled about
• what they plan to do with what they learned

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With a blank piece of paper

• You can
• check for understanding
• correct misconceptions
• better modify your training to meet your
  learners needs

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Besides

• Activities with paper take very little
  preparation time
• No complicated worksheets
• No trips to the copy room

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Lets try some!

• Just grab a piece of paper

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Bingo

• Fold the paper into 8 boxes
• Write a word, phrase, concept in each box--from
  notes or overhead slide
• Walk around to upbeat music
• Collect signatures of people who can define the
  terms

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Variation

• In teams play at selecting and defining terms
• As a review have students generate the list of
  terms

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Pass the Paper

• Each student takes a piece of blank paper and
  writes her name and something shes learned so
  far.
• Pass the paper to a person sitting next to her
• He adds what he has learned.
• Students keep passing and writing for at least 5
  or 6 turns.

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Play Music

• When the music stops students find their original
  papers and read the comments written on it for
  review

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Variation

• With each pass tell them what to write
• Write one fact you remember from the lecture
• Write a question about something youve learned
• Write the answer to the question written on the
  paper youre holding
• Write one thing you can do with the information
  you learned
• Write this person a compliment

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Another Variation--right after lunch

• Participants stand and trade papers to write on
  as they move around the room to upbeat music.
• When the music stops, or when you give a signal,
  they find their own papers and sit

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Or line them up!

• Have the students stand in a line. After
  writing, they pass their papers down the line.
• The person at the end of the line runs to the
  other end to pass the paper.
• Keep writing and passing until they get their
  papers back!

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Four Square --good before break or lunch

• Fold papers into four squares.
• Copy the following sentences, one per square
• My feelings about this topic are
• The most important thing Ive learned so far is
• One thing I plan to do with the info is
• A question, idea, or comment I still have is

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Ticket out

• Have students write three things theyve learned
  so far
• Questions they want answered
• What they plan to do with what theyve learned
• And pass them in at the end of the class or
  session

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People Hunt-An ice-breaker

• Fold Paper into 8 squares
• Write something about themselves in each
  square--favorite foods, movies, books, vacation
  places, car.
• Walk around and get signatures of people who have
  the same favorites

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Map It

• Show the students how to Mind-Map and have them
  take notes in a mind mapping or clustering form.
• Central ideas in the middle of the paper, related
  ideas fanning out and connecting.

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On the Wall

• Write an idea, comment, question, aha,
  suggestion.
• Have students post each type of feedback on a
  different wall

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Advanced Organizers

• Have students divide paper into columns or
  squares
• Label each division with a heading related to the
  subject matter
• Use the paper as a note taking tool

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Musical Questions

• Each student writes a question about the
  information just covered on a card.
• While music plays pass the cards to the right and
  keep passing until the music stops.
• Each answers the questions on the cards they
  ended up with, using resources.
• They share their questions and answers with the
  whole group

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Coin Toss

• Divide paper into squares
• In each square write a term from the material.
• Take turns tossing a coin onto the paper.
• The tosser has to define/explain verbally the
  term the coin landed on.

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Snowball Fight

• Each student writes an action plan--what he plans
  to do with what shes learned--on the blank piece
  of paper
• All students crumple up their action plans into
  snowballs.
• When you say snowball fight they throw them.
• Each person reads the one they pick up
• If the group is really large form smaller
  standing groups of 4-6 to read the snowballs

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Snowball Variation

• Introductory Review Activity
• Students write facts they know or questions about
  the material.
• Catchers read the facts or answer the questions
  they get.

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Blizzard Balls

• Groups make up a question or statement on the
  blank paper.
• Participants wad up paper and teacher collects
  them.
• She turns her back to the participants and tosses
  the blizzard balls over her shoulder all at
  once.
• Small groups or triads catch the balls and
  proceed to discuss and agree on answers to the
  question they caught.
• Present to the group.

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A blank piece of paper

• How ordinary!

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What a simple thing to use to make your lesson
extraordinary!