I have used peer collaboration to encourage a student (functional) to try a new task or to work on a task they are not confident in. It helps to have a "partner. I have also used peer collaboration when students are presenting for a final in a gen ed class. Unfortunately, there is usually one who rides on the coattails of the others.
This helped me with one of my students too. As simple as potty training: it was so hard to get him to go to the bathroom. So we turned his bathroom time into a whole class break, lining up together, walking down together. It began with the students encouraging him to go with them, then we had the student being potty trained as the leader. He got to tell everyone it was time to line up and made sure they all ready before they walked down the hall. This was definitely team work and helpful from the students!
I use it in this way also. I have a little guy in math who just loves to help me with the students who are having a hard time grasping a new concept. He is working on his own skills that are at a higher level but he enjoys taking a break to help. And the students enjoy it too.
I use it that way too, but not just with other sped students I try to get regular ed students to help with my lower functioning students. The only warning I have is to not use the same student(s) every time, you don't want to burn out certain students by over relying on them!
Because my students often take longer to complete tasks, when they are partnered with a reg ed peer on a classroom collaboration project, I start a day or two early. During their study period we look up information on their topic so they have some "talking points" or notes to share with peers and they are therefore contributing to their group. Otherwise, eventually kids do not want to partner with my students because they are not able to contribute.
I have used general education peers to help others gain an understanding of a lower functioning student. I a popular senior cheerleader is seen with a low functioning speical education student it sends a message that the speical education student is just like one of them. Sounds silly but it has made a real difference with the students!
Excellent idea - to use peer collaboration as partner time. I'd imagine that the other student is more willing to work/learn with a partner, and the more advanced student gains confidence when he's the teacher!
I work with small groups but working as pairs is usually successful. It requires people skills and listening, some of which are not used so much in our society today. Students have to learn to agree to disagree, which can be difficult. I feel it is a life long skill all students need to have.
Agree to disagree! This has come up in my classroom a few times and has turned into some great discussions and learning moments. Talking about both sides and how both can be right, both can be wrong, both sides can have pros and cons. etc. Highlighting that differences are awesome things and there is usually more than one right answer to questions that arise in life! Agreeing to disagree is an important skill adults need in the workplace!
I have used it for partner work as well. I have two students who are not so good with social interactions and I have loved watching them grow through partner work!
After reading your post, it made me think of one of our students who has had a rough time with social skills. I think sometimes when kiddos are identified as Gifted, people think that ALL areas of the student is advanced, when really that might not be the case. Even though the time you spend with that student probably isn't designated as a time for her to learn social skills, I know it's been a great environment for her to be able to practice and develop those areas where she's struggled (i.e. agreeing to disagree ;-) ), and it's really been awesome to see the progress she's made year after year.
My students love the opportunity to work together and I do too. I have some students that work well with math centers and they work hard and check with each other to see if they are getting the correct answers. I also like reading teams; the students read the same book together and guide their own discussions talking about what just happened and making new predictions. I definitely think I could implement peer collaboration more. It is hard or stressful for me sometimes when I feel like I am constantly trying to play catch up with them, getting them caught up in math; so I tend to want to teach them the skills and have them practice. I think maybe if I was a regular ed teacher and wasn't so intervention based for basic skills, it might be easier for me to give more control to the students, guess this is something I need to work on!
I even use this for regular assignments and tests. At times I will allow students to use their books and each other to help find answers. Research and collaboration are big in Common Core and peer collaboration is a great way to make those connections! It is an important life skill to be able to access and use available resources and that includes other students.
I use peer collaboration in many ways! I have a little guy in my math class who is much higher than the others. I "use" him to help me re-teach some of the more challenging concepts. He loves it because it's helping him stretch his skills to explain it to another student and my other students like it because they enjoy his help. We do a lot of moving around and I also like to watch the students help each other when gathering their materials and getting to their next station. It's an awesome tool.
I have done something similiar with kids who go to reg ed class for math. I pre-teach a unit so when the reg ed class starts the unit, my students have already been doing the skill for a few days. They then go around and help their peers. My students really like being able to be classroom experts on something and the teacher likes it because he has an extra set of hands to help answer questions. We definitely do not do this for every unit, there is no way time wise that we could, but the times I have the students have done amazingly well.
I like your idea of using it as a way to have students helping other students. Your situation is really similar to another teacher's of mine (Her kiddos are in HS though). Anyway, there's this one student who can be an absolute nightmare in the way he behaves, but he really, really enjoys helping other students in the classroom who are lower than him and struggling. I've seen him on numerous occasions volunteer to work 1:1 with others so the teacher could do whatever else she was needing to do. And he does so, so, SO well with them. Whenever I see him acting like this, I just want to shake him and go, "Why can't you act like this all the time?!?!" Haha! Oh well... Baby steps, right??? :-)
I use peer collaboration in different ways. One way that works well in my classroom is planner time. I have a huge planner layout on my board. One student is in charge of leading the planner talk. That student gathers the other students together and through collaboration they work together to fill in the wall planner for their homework and upcoming projects. This always takes everyone to help get it all down right, to get proper due dates, and to get specific assignment questions answered. I also use work time questions as collaboration time. When questions are asked about something during a certain class I have the students work on coming up with the answer together using what each of them know from the class period in question.
In my classroom, I have used peer collaboration when we are reading a novel. I pose a challenging question, usually one that there is not a clearly stated answer to. For example, at the end of about ch 4 of Hunger Games, I ask my students why Haymitch drinks? The kids always look at each other and say "I do not remember that page, do you remember reading it?" We end up discussing that there is nowhere in the book that says "Haymitch drinks because. . . .", that they will have to think of everything they have learned about him and the Hunger Games and make an inference. They list what they know and start talking about how that would affect someone. Eventually they get to the conclusion he is not a jerk, but is really screwed up. It is funny to watch as one student has an "ah-ha" moment the others will play off of it and expand on what the first said or come up with a completely different thought. It is almost like watching dominoes fall--once one goes, the rest fall too.
Peer collaboration in my class occurs when we are working on any assignment/project that is not specified as indivdual work. Every book we read in class we read aloud together, these are small group reading instruction classes. When students struggle with words I allow other students to help them, it does not always have to be me- plus it helps me to track who is really paying attention during oral reading. When they have questions regarding assginments I allow them to ask other students. I also stress that they use their resources such as the book or their journal. It is important for students to be able to learn from others as well as know how to access available resources. I have desks in my room along with 2 tables. I allow furniture to be moved around to accommodate whatever the students are doing. Peer collaboration is an important life skill. I can not even remember how often daily that I consult with other teachers. Students often learn more from their peers than the teacher plus the flip side is when students assist others that helps cement the information for them too! If they can "teach" other students then they really do understand the concept(s).
My students really enjoy helping others and having the opportunity to be the one with the information that is needed. It builds self-esteem as well as teamwork
I like peer collaboration because sometimes in those small groups you find out that a student did not understand the way the teacher taught a particular concept, but discover their peer can explain it in a way that makes sense.
I like peer collaboration because it allows kids to work together as a team. Sometimes the student who struggles in other areas gets to be a leader and show others how to do something and this helps to build self-esteem. It also puts some responsibility back on them where they have to stay on task and get things done.
I try to structure my time with students so we work in small groups. It isn’t always possible, though. When I do have a small group, I try to have students working on more open-ended tasks that allow them to work together and collaborate. I try to position myself as a resource rather than the expert, which can be difficult sometimes.
That sounds familiar. I try to do that in my classroom too. My students always try to go straight to the "expert" rather than thinking it through themselves. "Isn't that like googling it?" I am trying to get better at helping them think instead of helping them be right.
I use peer collaboration in my classroom for daily assignments. Sometimes I will tell the students to divide up the work, for example if they have 4 questions to answer in math they will each answer two and then explain the other student how they arrived at the answer. I also use it foe clarifying concepts form novels that are being read and checking for understanding.
The more the students are able to think and advocate for themselves and each other, the better. I am always so concerned about getting through things quickly and efficiently that I don't let the students truly learn how to think about the concepts.
This one is harder for me to answer since I don't have a classroom, but I'm a believer in the Kagan's cooperative learning structures, where the accountability for the group members is built in. Peer collaboration helps students prepare for the real world, where you must be able to work with others, invite and listen to their ideas and feedback, and "pull your own weight" to be effective. It fits in well with the 21st century skills "collaboration and communication" as well.
I use a lot of informal peer collaboration with my students. During work time, I often tell them to ask their neighbor for help before they ask me. Most of the time, this is all that the student really needs to get back on track. However, I have not trained or given students much dedicated, formal practice in collaborative learning. When I have used peer collaboration in my classes, I feel like I have always given too much or not enough direction. I could be much better at nurturing this in my classroom.
I try to use peer collaboration in my classroom but as stated before it's hard with the numbers I have in my room at one time. I work quite a bit in classrooms with the teachers and try to implement peer collaboration when possibe. I have a 3rd grade student that struggles socially and pairing him up in the classroom has made a world of difference with his confidence, listening skills, and interest in other people. I think it is important for students to work together and learn skills from one another.
I have used peer collaboration to encourage a student (functional) to try a new task or to work on a task they are not confident in. It helps to have a "partner. I have also used peer collaboration when students are presenting for a final in a gen ed class. Unfortunately, there is usually one who rides on the coattails of the others.
ReplyDeleteThis helped me with one of my students too. As simple as potty training: it was so hard to get him to go to the bathroom. So we turned his bathroom time into a whole class break, lining up together, walking down together. It began with the students encouraging him to go with them, then we had the student being potty trained as the leader. He got to tell everyone it was time to line up and made sure they all ready before they walked down the hall. This was definitely team work and helpful from the students!
DeleteI use it in this way also. I have a little guy in math who just loves to help me with the students who are having a hard time grasping a new concept. He is working on his own skills that are at a higher level but he enjoys taking a break to help. And the students enjoy it too.
DeleteI use it that way too, but not just with other sped students I try to get regular ed students to help with my lower functioning students. The only warning I have is to not use the same student(s) every time, you don't want to burn out certain students by over relying on them!
DeleteBecause my students often take longer to complete tasks, when they are partnered with a reg ed peer on a classroom collaboration project, I start a day or two early. During their study period we look up information on their topic so they have some "talking points" or notes to share with peers and they are therefore contributing to their group. Otherwise, eventually kids do not want to partner with my students because they are not able to contribute.
DeleteI have used general education peers to help others gain an understanding of a lower functioning student. I a popular senior cheerleader is seen with a low functioning speical education student it sends a message that the speical education student is just like one of them. Sounds silly but it has made a real difference with the students!
DeleteExcellent idea - to use peer collaboration as partner time. I'd imagine that the other student is more willing to work/learn with a partner, and the more advanced student gains confidence when he's the teacher!
DeleteI work with small groups but working as pairs is usually successful. It requires people skills and listening, some of which are not used so much in our society today. Students have to learn to agree to disagree, which can be difficult. I feel it is a life long skill all students need to have.
ReplyDeleteAgree to disagree! This has come up in my classroom a few times and has turned into some great discussions and learning moments. Talking about both sides and how both can be right, both can be wrong, both sides can have pros and cons. etc. Highlighting that differences are awesome things and there is usually more than one right answer to questions that arise in life! Agreeing to disagree is an important skill adults need in the workplace!
DeleteI have used it for partner work as well. I have two students who are not so good with social interactions and I have loved watching them grow through partner work!
DeleteAgreeing to disagree....with civility is a lifelong skill that is good for students (and adults) to learn how to do.
DeleteVery true that when students work in pairs, they have to communicate with each other. Listening is so important in those situations!
DeleteKim-
DeleteAfter reading your post, it made me think of one of our students who has had a rough time with social skills. I think sometimes when kiddos are identified as Gifted, people think that ALL areas of the student is advanced, when really that might not be the case. Even though the time you spend with that student probably isn't designated as a time for her to learn social skills, I know it's been a great environment for her to be able to practice and develop those areas where she's struggled (i.e. agreeing to disagree ;-) ), and it's really been awesome to see the progress she's made year after year.
My students love the opportunity to work together and I do too. I have some students that work well with math centers and they work hard and check with each other to see if they are getting the correct answers. I also like reading teams; the students read the same book together and guide their own discussions talking about what just happened and making new predictions. I definitely think I could implement peer collaboration more. It is hard or stressful for me sometimes when I feel like I am constantly trying to play catch up with them, getting them caught up in math; so I tend to want to teach them the skills and have them practice. I think maybe if I was a regular ed teacher and wasn't so intervention based for basic skills, it might be easier for me to give more control to the students, guess this is something I need to work on!
ReplyDeleteI even use this for regular assignments and tests. At times I will allow students to use their books and each other to help find answers. Research and collaboration are big in Common Core and peer collaboration is a great way to make those connections! It is an important life skill to be able to access and use available resources and that includes other students.
DeleteI use peer collaboration in many ways! I have a little guy in my math class who is much higher than the others. I "use" him to help me re-teach some of the more challenging concepts. He loves it because it's helping him stretch his skills to explain it to another student and my other students like it because they enjoy his help. We do a lot of moving around and I also like to watch the students help each other when gathering their materials and getting to their next station. It's an awesome tool.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason it's showing unknown... This is Shaina Gohl :)
DeleteI have done something similiar with kids who go to reg ed class for math. I pre-teach a unit so when the reg ed class starts the unit, my students have already been doing the skill for a few days. They then go around and help their peers. My students really like being able to be classroom experts on something and the teacher likes it because he has an extra set of hands to help answer questions. We definitely do not do this for every unit, there is no way time wise that we could, but the times I have the students have done amazingly well.
DeleteI hadn't really thought of preteaching from that angle - to extend it for the students to be the teachers. Sounds like a great confidence builder.
DeleteShaina-
DeleteI like your idea of using it as a way to have students helping other students. Your situation is really similar to another teacher's of mine (Her kiddos are in HS though). Anyway, there's this one student who can be an absolute nightmare in the way he behaves, but he really, really enjoys helping other students in the classroom who are lower than him and struggling. I've seen him on numerous occasions volunteer to work 1:1 with others so the teacher could do whatever else she was needing to do. And he does so, so, SO well with them. Whenever I see him acting like this, I just want to shake him and go, "Why can't you act like this all the time?!?!" Haha! Oh well... Baby steps, right??? :-)
I use peer collaboration in different ways. One way that works well in my classroom is planner time. I have a huge planner layout on my board. One student is in charge of leading the planner talk. That student gathers the other students together and through collaboration they work together to fill in the wall planner for their homework and upcoming projects. This always takes everyone to help get it all down right, to get proper due dates, and to get specific assignment questions answered. I also use work time questions as collaboration time. When questions are asked about something during a certain class I have the students work on coming up with the answer together using what each of them know from the class period in question.
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom, I have used peer collaboration when we are reading a novel. I pose a challenging question, usually one that there is not a clearly stated answer to. For example, at the end of about ch 4 of Hunger Games, I ask my students why Haymitch drinks? The kids always look at each other and say "I do not remember that page, do you remember reading it?" We end up discussing that there is nowhere in the book that says "Haymitch drinks because. . . .", that they will have to think of everything they have learned about him and the Hunger Games and make an inference. They list what they know and start talking about how that would affect someone. Eventually they get to the conclusion he is not a jerk, but is really screwed up. It is funny to watch as one student has an "ah-ha" moment the others will play off of it and expand on what the first said or come up with a completely different thought. It is almost like watching dominoes fall--once one goes, the rest fall too.
ReplyDeletePeer collaboration in my class occurs when we are working on any assignment/project that is not specified as indivdual work. Every book we read in class we read aloud together, these are small group reading instruction classes. When students struggle with words I allow other students to help them, it does not always have to be me- plus it helps me to track who is really paying attention during oral reading. When they have questions regarding assginments I allow them to ask other students. I also stress that they use their resources such as the book or their journal. It is important for students to be able to learn from others as well as know how to access available resources. I have desks in my room along with 2 tables. I allow furniture to be moved around to accommodate whatever the students are doing. Peer collaboration is an important life skill. I can not even remember how often daily that I consult with other teachers. Students often learn more from their peers than the teacher plus the flip side is when students assist others that helps cement the information for them too! If they can "teach" other students then they really do understand the concept(s).
ReplyDeleteMy students really enjoy helping others and having the opportunity to be the one with the information that is needed. It builds self-esteem as well as teamwork
DeleteI like peer collaboration because sometimes in those small groups you find out that a student did not understand the way the teacher taught a particular concept, but discover their peer can explain it in a way that makes sense.
Delete....and the peer strengthens their understanding by explaining it too. :)
DeleteI like peer collaboration because it allows kids to work together as a team. Sometimes the student who struggles in other areas gets to be a leader and show others how to do something and this helps to build self-esteem. It also puts some responsibility back on them where they have to stay on task and get things done.
ReplyDeleteI try to structure my time with students so we work in small groups. It isn’t always possible, though. When I do have a small group, I try to have students working on more open-ended tasks that allow them to work together and collaborate. I try to position myself as a resource rather than the expert, which can be difficult sometimes.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds familiar. I try to do that in my classroom too. My students always try to go straight to the "expert" rather than thinking it through themselves. "Isn't that like googling it?" I am trying to get better at helping them think instead of helping them be right.
DeleteI use peer collaboration in my classroom for daily assignments. Sometimes I will tell the students to divide up the work, for example if they have 4 questions to answer in math they will each answer two and then explain the other student how they arrived at the answer. I also use it foe clarifying concepts form novels that are being read and checking for understanding.
ReplyDeleteThe more the students are able to think and advocate for themselves and each other, the better. I am always so concerned about getting through things quickly and efficiently that I don't let the students truly learn how to think about the concepts.
DeleteThis one is harder for me to answer since I don't have a classroom, but I'm a believer in the Kagan's cooperative learning structures, where the accountability for the group members is built in. Peer collaboration helps students prepare for the real world, where you must be able to work with others, invite and listen to their ideas and feedback, and "pull your own weight" to be effective. It fits in well with the 21st century skills "collaboration and communication" as well.
ReplyDeleteI use a lot of informal peer collaboration with my students. During work time, I often tell them to ask their neighbor for help before they ask me. Most of the time, this is all that the student really needs to get back on track. However, I have not trained or given students much dedicated, formal practice in collaborative learning. When I have used peer collaboration in my classes, I feel like I have always given too much or not enough direction. I could be much better at nurturing this in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteI try to use peer collaboration in my classroom but as stated before it's hard with the numbers I have in my room at one time. I work quite a bit in classrooms with the teachers and try to implement peer collaboration when possibe. I have a 3rd grade student that struggles socially and pairing him up in the classroom has made a world of difference with his confidence, listening skills, and interest in other people. I think it is important for students to work together and learn skills from one another.
ReplyDelete