Mike’s Blog
Strategies, Ideas and Insights for Teachers and Leaders
Tag: group work
-
Understand and use the power of group dynamics to support differentiation in your lessons
General Introduction This blog is part of my Differentiation and Adaptive Teaching Knowledge Base. I use the terms differentiation and adaptive teaching synonymously. To me, they are the same, as…
-
How to take the basics of learners working together and use it to build effective differentiation into your activity choices
General Introduction This blog is part of my Differentiation and Adaptive Teaching Knowledge Base. I use the terms differentiation and adaptive teaching synonymously. To me, they are the same, as…
-
Question Stations and Question Cards: a pair of planning intensive questioning activities that reap big rewards
Question Stations Create six or seven stations around your room (this is working on the premise that you have around thirty learners). Each station should be focussed on a different…
-
One activity you and your learners can benefit from repeatedly, and a second that delivers collaborative learning that is almost guaranteed to work every time
Question Set Work with your class to develop a set of questions that can be used again and again when doing a specific type of task. Learners can then use…
-
Five powerful strategies expert teachers use to practice exam-style questions with their learners
Practicing exam-style questions is one of the key steps to assessment success. Here are five activities you can use with your students. Give every pupil a slip of paper and…
-
Why is assigning group roles a gamechanger for improving the quality of classroom discussion?
One of the difficulties inherent to group discussion is the teacher’s ceding of control. This can result in learners using the opportunity to talk socially or do no work. Another…
-
What is the round table classroom discussion strategy, how does it work, and how can you use it to motivate your learners?
Round Table Discussion Strategy: Explanation Round Table is an unstructured discussion activity in which learners take the lead. In terms of numbers, I’d suggest the following: The deciding factor will…
-
Channel the power of continental café culture to create wonderful discussion opportunities for your learners
Café Culture Discussion Strategy: Explanation This activity takes its inspiration from café-style culture. The room is set-up in a series of pods. These are made up of one or two…
-
Use ‘rotating stations’ to get learners motivated to learn about new ideas and information in your lessons
Rotating Stations Discussion Strategy: Explanation Set up six or seven separate stations in your classroom. Each should have something that will stimulate discussion. Examples include: In addition to the stimulus…
-
Why is radio phone-in a great discussion tool any teacher can use to develop oracy and collaborative learning?
Radio Phone-In Discussion Strategy: Explanation This activity uses the set-up of a radio show to create committed, in-depth discussion. Begin by dividing the class into four or five groups then…