C.L.A.S.S. Powershot C.L.A.S.S. Powershot ProceduresProcedures• If there is more than one person

viewing, use organization and determine who will type if you choose to chat.

• Use responsibility and make sure you have a pen and paper to write notes.

• During and after the Powershot, practice teamwork and creativity with your colleagues to determine how to use these structures across all disciplines.

Welcome MessageWelcome MessageBatman and RobinBatman and Robin, Sonny and Sonny and

CherCher, John, Paul, George, and John, Paul, George, and RingoRingo…what do these characters have in common? They worked together! When we work together to learn, process, and practice it makes school richer, more meaningful, and fun. Groups interactions build memories.

Task: Think about famous duos or groups. Who comes to mind? See if any of the pictures on the following slides spark your memories.

Collaboration Collaboration StructuresStructures

Today’s Powershot will focus on what we call Collaboration Structures. These are structured activities that give students an opportunity to share, learn, process, and practice together.

Say it, Play itPlay it, Relay it, Weigh it

Collaboration is Collaboration is important!important!

You can be a gifted, brilliant scholar. You can pass every test with flying colors. You can have an IQ that is off the charts. However, if you can’t communicate your ideas and work together in a team, your ideas may never see reality. Working together is important, and currently that skill is one that the business world tells us that students do not have when they enter the workforce. Our are designed to connect with each other and when we do it is HARMONIOUS.

Collaboration builds rich Collaboration builds rich experiences!experiences!

By having students work collaboratively in your class you are tapping into best practices and brain based learning:-intrapersonal intelligence-episodic and emotional memories-constructivism -contextualizing knowledge into their own world-combining everyone’s schema to make the outcome rich and meaningful

Set the Set the expectations!expectations!When you are a part of a

group, everyone must take responsibility. If this doesn’t happen, the group falls apart.

Even the teacher has a huge role, setting

expectations, reviewing procedures, and

helping students to evaluate how well they

work as a team. That doesn’t mean you give up. You just identify where you need to get better…and do it!

Our group never gives put downs.1 2 3 4 5

Our group encourages one another, and is honest AND caring at the same time.

1 2 3 4 5

Our group is productive, and works well together.1 2 3 4 5

Group Reflection Group Reflection RubricRubricNames:______________Names:______________

Our group gives attention to the teacher when needed.

1 2 3 4 5

Our group never gives put downs.

Our group helps each another, is honest, and caring.

Group Reflection Group Reflection RubricRubricNames:______________Names:______________

Our group gives attention to the teacher.

Structures for Pairs

• Some structures work well for

finding a partner and collaborating in groups of two.

These can be used either

heterogeneously or homogenously.

Cell Phone BuddiesCell Phone Buddies• Give each student a cell phone.

On each cell phone is a either a number or text message that has a match on another phone. Students find their “cell phone buddy” and a spot in the room where they get the best reception. There they can process, practice, and collaborate the skill you have chosen for them to work on.

Talking PencilsTalking PencilsStudents are put in pairs

to process. They are not allowed to talk. Their only way of

communication is to write their ideas and thoughts back and forth to each other.

Then they can share an insight from doing this with the class that was

interesting.

Moving to Moving to MusicMusic

• Music is played and the students move around the room shaking hands or giving high fives. When the music stops the students gather in pairs or small groups to process questions from the teacher.

Quiz, Quiz, Quiz, Quiz, TradeTrade• Make a set of question

cards with answers on the back. Each student gets a card. Students find a partner, ask their question, the partner answers, and they check the answer. The other partner gets a chance to do the same, then they switch cards and find another partner.

Several of these are made for you in the Balanced Literacy books by Kagan, sold by our office.

Structures for Groups or Whole Class

• These structures involve collaboration in small groups, or with the whole class.

Challenge Challenge EnvelopesEnvelopes

• Questions are generated and written on the outside of an envelope. The answer is placed inside the envelope. Envelopes can be checked by the teacher as a part of the assignment. Learning Clubs exchange and answer the question together or students trade with a partner and answer their question in their presence in order to give assistance to the answer.

Triangle TalkTriangle Talk• Students are given a

triangle shape. On each corner of the triangle they are to write three things, answer a question, or write three important ideas they will discuss with a partner.

To Tell the TruthTo Tell the Truth• After reading a story

students write one true statement and one false statement on a piece of paper about the characters, setting, plot, etc. Then in Learning Clubs or with a partner, the students decide which one is not true. The students then make the false statement true. This can be done with primary students in looking at cards and saying what is true. The cards says cake. This is a short a word. This is a long a word.

Give Me Three L’sGive Me Three L’s• List: Learning clubs brainstorm

a list of words, items, or information about a topic.

• Label: label and organize lists into categories or topics.

• Learn: Join with one other group and put your lists together. Share your ideas and discuss. Be ready to share your lists with the whole class.

• Examples: rhyme words, words about plants, parts of speech, etc.

Me, You, and UsMe, You, and Us Me - Write one thing that

fits a certain category (noun, rhyming word).

• You - With a partner share and then together write two more words or sentences on a white board or paper.

• Us - With the learning club write four more on a white board or sheet of paper. Share with the whole class.

Words in a BagWords in a Bag• Learning Clubs or reading

groups read text about a topic. After reading they choose important words or events and write them on small cards numbered in order. Then they create a bag and decorate it connected to the topic. They put the cards in the bag and take turns sharing information using the cards. At the end each group can share information to be compiled on a class list.

M&M ProcessingM&M Processing• Use the following slide or

make an overhead with m&m pictures of different colors and questions to go with each color. Before seeing the chart, students choose two colors of m&ms. Reveal the chart and students must answer one of the questions from the colors they have chosen.

M & M Processing

Choose two colors of the candy.

mm mmmm

mm

mm

mm

mm

mm

mm

Don’t like M&Ms???

• Try:

ss

s Sharing with Skittles

Gabbing with Goldfish

Learning with Lifesavers

Pair-a-Dice Processing

Your Number is Your Number is UpUp

Number off students in each group. Pose a question to the group. Everyone in the group discusses the question sharing their answer. Call one number and they share out to the class the information shared in the group’s discussion.

Roundabout Roundabout ConversationsConversations

Students sit in chairs in a circle. More students make a circle around the outside.

Each student faces a partner to discuss the topic or answer a question asked

by the teacher or other students. Students can

move around the circle as directed by teacher to meet

a new partner.

So… • Do your students

sometimes seem like they are in The Land of the The Land of the LostLost?

Does the idea of collaboration seem like a FantasyFantasy?

Try some of these ideas and your students will

think they are experiencing their Wonder YearsWonder Years.

Maybe you’ll create a few

Dynamic DuosDynamic Duos.

School really should be a place where Everybody Knows Everybody Knows Your NameYour Name.

Collaboration …Can Bring Can Bring Us TogetherUs Together!

Sooner or later we all have to realize that

even though we may all look different and

have different backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences we CAN work, learn, and

experience life

TOGETHERTOGETHER.