Flexing the Environment: Get them Engaged, Keep them Engaged

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Flexing the Environment Get them Engaged, Keep
them Engaged
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Gradual Release Review

• Focus lesson Explicit Instruction and modeling
• Guided Practice
• Cooperative groups
• Individual practice

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We Learn About

• 10 of what we READ
• 20 of what we HEAR
• 30 of what we SEE
• 50 of what we both SEE and HEAR
• 70 of what we DISCUSS with others
• 80 of what we EXPERIENCE personally
• 90 of what we TEACH to others

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Do any of these statements sound familiar?

• Whenever I put my students into groups they spend
  most of the time off task.
• One person ends up doing all the work, while the
  others goof off.
• My groups are so low that no one will take the
  lead and no work is produced.
• My students are mean to each other in a group
  format and put down others ideas.
• It take so much planning to put students into
  groups.

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TEACHER A, B, AND C
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Collaborative Groups vs. Group Work

• Has no clear definition of individual roles.
  Students just come together to complete a task.
• Students will not necessarily feel responsibility
  or accountability towards the product or the
  outcome.
• One student may end up completing most or all of
  the work, while others watch or misbehave.
• Students may be slow to start, unsure of how to
  begin.

• Set expectations ahead of time and model what a
  discussion should sound like or what the activity
  should look like
• Make clear who starts the activity/discussion
• Assign roles or tasks so that there is equal
  participation for all students
• Teach students to praise good ideas and to
  celebrate successes.

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4 Basic Principles of Cooperative Learning

• Positive Interdependence
• Individual Accountability
• Equal Participation
• Simultaneous Interaction

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Positive Interdependence

• This is a feeling of being on the same side and
  working towards the same goal. Feeling like the
  team has the same purpose and that each person in
  the group is needed to be successful.

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Individual accountability

• Making sure that each person has to perform and
  that you know who is responsible for what.
• Students could receive an individual grade as
  well as a group grade.

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Equal Participation

• Equal time, turns, and opportunity.
• Students could have the same role but rotate the
  role or each student could have a different role
  that they are responsible for.

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Simultaneous Interaction

• Students feel engaged and are working
  collectively at the same time.

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Number Draw

• The number to draw is 17.
• All table members must reveal a number from zero
  through five on one hand on the count of three.
• NO PLANNING is allowed.
• If the team total reaches 17, celebrate by doing
  the Arsenio Hall.
• If the team does not reach 17, start all steps
  over again.
• Take turns counting the total. Person with the
  birthday closest to today, starts.

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Brain Breaks What are they?

• Opportunities for students to stand or move away
  from their desks.
• Can be academic or team building
• Help create a sense of unity
• Help get blood and oxygen flowing to the brain.
• Help create an optimal learning environment.
• A good rule is 10 and 2.

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Why Brain Breaks?

• The brain needs oxygen and glucose to learn
  efficiently.
• Movement increases the amount of oxygen and blood
  flow to the brain
• Student engagement is key to making learning
  meaningful. (Spencer Kagan)
• When the male brain gets bored, some of the brain
  function shuts down and then goes into what
  neurologists call a rest state.

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Key Parameters for Collaborative Groups

• Set expectations ahead of time and model what a
  discussion should sound like or what the activity
  should look like
• Make clear who starts the activity
• Assign roles or tasks so that there is equal
  participation for all students
• Teach students to praise good ideas and to
  celebrate successes.

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Who Starts?

• Colored shirt (darkest/lightest)
• of pockets
• of buttons
• Longest/shortest hair
• Tallest/shortest socks
• Street address
• Most/least letters in name
• Name starts closest to start/end
• of the alphabet
• Dark/lightest eye color
• Dark/lightest hair color

• Longest/shortest shoe laces
• Most/least siblings
• Most/least pets
• Birthday is closest to
• Sitting closest or farthest from
• teacher or other focal point
• Tallest/shortest writing utensil
• First letter or last letter of first or last name
  is closest to A or to Z
• First or last digit of their phone number is
  closest to zero or nine.

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Praise

• Trucker Whoo, whoo!
• Cowboy Yeehaw!
• Sparkles
• Parrot Raah! You did a good job!
• Elvis Thank you, thank you very much.
• Microwave (Wave with pinky finger)
• Seal of approval
• Opera Clap
• Firecracker
• Sprinkler
• High five
• Wow (Make the W with your fingers and the O
  is your open mouth)
• Cool (Make a C and L with hands, your eyes
  are the Os)
• Hip Hip Hooray!
• Saturday Night Fever

• Arsenio Hall (Hoot, hoot, hoot)
• High Five or Fist Bump
• Roller coaster
• Standing O
• Verbal message decided by teacher
• It was nice working/discussing with you
• Have a nice day.
• You have a lot of great ideas.
• Thank you for your help.
• I really liked your answer.
• You are a genius!
• I learned something new from you.
• Thank you for your time.

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Why is Praise Important?

• It helps create a safe environment where student
  feel comfortable participating.
• It builds confidence.
• It teaches social skills.
• It teaches students to treat others the way you
  would want to be treated.
• Its contagious.

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Kagan Structures

• WHOLE CLASS

• SMALL GROUP

• Find someone who
• Inside-outside circle
• Mix-Freeze-Group
• Mix-Pair-Share
• Quiz-Quiz-Trade
• StandUp-handUp-pairUp
• Round tables

• Fan-n-pick (cards)
• Numbered heads together
• One stray
• Rally coach
• Rally robin
• Timed-paired-share
• Round robin
• Showdown
• Team Stand and Share
• 3-step interview

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In Conclusion

• I dont have all the answers. There is no magic
  charm to make cooperative groups work in the
  classroom. However, there are starting points,
  simple things we can put in place to make them
  more manageable. If we are expected to flex the
  learning environment, then we might as well make
  life easier on ourselves by thinking of PIES when
  we plan.

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Works Cited

• Spencer, K. (2009). Kagan Cooperative Learning.
  San Clemente Kagan Publishing.
• For more information on cooperative learning
  check out Kagan training, products, and research
  available at www.kaganonline.com