I am going to discuss High-Leverage Practices as mentioned
on the CEC website
organized around four aspects of practice. I hope you will join in the
conversation!
HLP17 Use flexible grouping
When I was growing up, I remember most of my teachers
lecturing to the whole class. All of the lessons were taught to the class as a
whole. After the lesson was taught, we worked independently in our seats. Many times,
I would finish early and then read a book or do something to entertain myself
until the rest of the class was done. Others were not so well behaved and as
soon as they were finished, they would disrupt the class and get into trouble.
I didn’t like to ask questions when we were in a large
group. I was afraid someone would make fun of me or the teacher might be mad
that I didn’t understand something. I would try to figure it out or sometimes
ask a friend for help if the teacher wasn’t looking.
Now I see that sometimes smaller groups are more appropriate
and conducive to learning.
I might group students according to ability levels so that
they stay challenged in their learning. This will keep them from being bored
and will stay on task.
I might group students according to interests. Students who
have the same interests might enjoying learning about the same topic together.
I might pair up students that are different ability levels
so that one student may help the other. This will help both of them learn and
retain information.
Another group may be some who have the same opinion to
debate another group with an opposing opinion.
All of these types of grouping will help the students stay
engaged in learning. Students may feel more comfortable asking questions or
stating that they don’t understand something. Others might feel like they don’t
have to compete for attention when they are in smaller groups. Being in a
smaller group may also be less distracting and help the student focus on the
new material easier.
What other small groups do you use? Please share.
No comments:
Post a Comment