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A Word
to the Teacher
Students can be told that grouping assignments will change and that they will
ultimately have
the opportunity to work
with everyone, or nearly everyone, in the
class.
Jigsaw/Expert Group
Jigsaw is a cooperative learning activity in which each student in a group is
assigned a task to complete for the group.
Each student becomes an “expert”
on the
designated portion of the topic or concept.
Just as in a jigsaw puzzle, each piece
is needed for completion of the puzzle.
Each student’s input is also essential for
completion and full understanding of the learning experience.
Think-Pair-Share
Students may pose a question or pick a topic, or the topic may be chosen by
the
teacher and presented to the students (Kagan, 1989).
Students are directed to:
Think about what you know. Write it down.
Pair with a partner to share what you know and gain more information. Write it all
down.
Share with the whole group.
Make a group listing of what is known.
Gallery Walk
A gallery walk is a learner-centered activity that can be used in a variety of ways.
It can be used as a connection to learning, review activity, or a closing celebration.
A gallery walk connects students to the learning experience in interactive ways.
The teacher assigns a direction to move
and the activity can be done as individuals
or in small groups.
Music is optional as students walk around the room to record
responses or observations.
Anticipation Guide
Anticipation guides (Herber, 1978;
Buehl, 2009) are an effective way to activate prior
knowledge about a concept before reading a selection.
Based on past experiences,
students respond to several statements that are related to the concept or reading
selection.
Students either agree or disagree with each statement prior to reading and
are able to explain their choices with a partner or a group. This strategy provokes
students’
curiosity to find out if they are correct or wrong and to investigate further
through reading the selection.
After reading, students go back to the statements to
decide whether or not they still agree with their original choices. These guides can
be used with a variety of learning materials, including video clips.
Strategies for Organizing Information
Learning is more powerful when students routinely take information presented in
one format and represent it in an alternative way.
Learning and retention can be
improved by
integrating information from both the verbal and the visual-spatial
forms of representing and organizing information.
