Grouping Students in an English high school class

Office for Leading and Learning

5 Jan 201606:42

Summary

TLDRThis transcript outlines a teacher's approach to collaborative learning in a classroom setting. The teacher emphasizes grouping students based on data to facilitate peer learning and adheres to small group sizes for effective collaboration. They use baseline assessments to understand student needs and tailor group work accordingly. The teacher's role shifts from direct instruction to facilitation, focusing on monitoring and guiding students through complex tasks. Strategies such as nonverbal cues and targeted questioning are used to maintain focus and comprehension.

Takeaways

👥 Collaboration is key to unlocking Florida standards and learning from peers.
👨‍👨‍👧‍👦 Group sizes are kept small, typically no larger than four, to ensure effective learning.
📊 Baseline data from assessments at the beginning of the year helps determine student needs.
📚 Students with IEPs are considered when forming collaborative groups.
📋 Each student is responsible for their own task within a group, promoting individual accountability.
🤔 Groups work on complex tasks for the first time within a unit to understand material complexity.
👀 On-task behavior is monitored, and off-task issues are addressed promptly and non-disruptively.
🤓 Nonverbal cues are used to redirect students who are off-task.
🔍 Teachers check in with students by asking key questions to gauge their understanding and progress.
🏫 The teacher's role shifts from direct instruction to facilitation and coaching during group work.
📖 Today's learning goal is to identify specific behaviors in 'Romeo and Juliet' that illustrate related claims from a pamphlet.

Q & A

What is the key to unlocking some of the Florida standards according to the transcript?
-The key to unlocking some of the Florida standards is the collaboration piece, as students can learn from their peers in a way that might not be possible through the teacher's instruction alone.
What is the ideal group size for students when collaborating?
-The ideal group size for students when collaborating is typically no larger than four, and for students with high needs or low-performing students, the group should not be larger than three.
Why does the teacher not place low-performing students in larger groups?
-The teacher does not place low-performing students in larger groups to leave space for the teacher to provide assistance at their level in an unobtrusive and unintimidating way.
How does the teacher determine the groups for students?
-The teacher determines the groups for students by looking at baseline data from assessments tied to the standards for the semester, as well as considering any students with IEPs.
What is the purpose of students working collaboratively in groups?
-The purpose of students working collaboratively in groups is to help them understand the complexity of the material while completing individual tasks, not to complete one unified project.
How does the teacher ensure that students are accountable for their work within the group?
-The teacher ensures that students are accountable for their work within the group by assigning individual tasks such as a graphic organizer or a written piece that they have to submit at the end of class.
When should students collaborate with their peers according to the transcript?
-Students should collaborate with their peers typically within the unit when they are grappling with complex tasks for the first time, before they have to do it independently.
What strategies does the teacher use to maintain focus within the groups?
-The teacher uses nonverbal cues to redirect students who are off task in an unobtrusive and non-disruptive way to maintain focus within the groups.
How does the teacher monitor students when they are working collaboratively?
-The teacher monitors students by checking in with them, asking key questions, and having mini-conferences while also monitoring for on-task behaviors with other students.
What is the teacher's role when students are in collaborative groups?
-The teacher's role shifts from direct instruction to facilitator of the learning process, coaching and guiding students towards their own discoveries.
What is the learning goal for the day mentioned in the transcript?
-The learning goal for the day is for students to identify specific behaviors of Romeo and Juliet that illustrate related claims from a pamphlet.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Effective Grouping Strategies in Classroom

The speaker emphasizes the importance of grouping students based on data to meet Florida standards, with a maximum group size of four. For students with high needs or low performance, groups are limited to three to allow for personalized assistance without intimidation. The speaker uses baseline assessments to determine students' capabilities and needs, and considers IEPs when forming groups. Each student is responsible for individual tasks within the group, promoting accountability. The speaker also discusses strategies for maintaining focus and addressing off-task behavior using non-verbal cues and regular check-ins with students.

05:03

🔍 Facilitating Comprehension through Collaboration

As a facilitator, the speaker's role shifts from direct instruction to guiding students towards their own discoveries. They monitor groups for on-task behavior and comprehension, moving and rotating throughout the classroom to ensure understanding of the assignment. The learning goal is to identify specific behaviors in 'Romeo and Juliet' that illustrate related claims from a pamphlet. Students are given time to independently identify main claims by underlining or highlighting them, which will aid in group discussions using a graphic organizer.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Collaboration

Collaboration refers to the act of working together with others to achieve a common goal or to complete a task. In the context of the video, it is key to unlocking Florida standards, suggesting that students learn effectively when they work together. The script mentions grouping students based on data to facilitate peer learning, which they might not get from the teacher's instruction alone.

💡Grouping

Grouping in an educational context refers to the practice of organizing students into smaller groups for the purpose of learning. The script emphasizes that groups should not be larger than four students to ensure effective collaboration. It also highlights the importance of considering students' needs when forming groups, such as not placing low-performing students in larger groups.

💡Baseline Data

Baseline data represents the initial assessment of students' skills or knowledge at the beginning of a learning period. The video script mentions administering a baseline assessment tied to the standards for the semester to determine where students stand in relation to expectations. This data is used to form groups and tailor instruction to meet individual needs.

💡IEPs

IEPs stand for Individualized Education Programs, which are personalized learning plans for students with special needs. The script notes that teachers must take IEPs into account when forming collaborative groups, ensuring that these students receive appropriate support within a group setting.

💡Accountability

Accountability in this context means that each student is responsible for their own tasks within a group. The script explains that while students collaborate, they are also individually accountable for tasks such as graphic organizers or written pieces, which they must submit at the end of class.

💡Complexity

Complexity refers to the difficulty or intricacy of a subject or task. The script uses this term to describe the material that students are grappling with, particularly when they are working on complex tasks for the first time. Collaboration is seen as a way to help students understand the complexity of the material.

💡On-task Behavior

On-task behavior is the act of focusing on and engaging with the assigned work or activity. The script emphasizes the importance of monitoring students for on-task behavior and addressing any off-task behavior promptly to maintain focus and control within the classroom.

💡Nonverbal Cues

Nonverbal cues are signals or messages conveyed without the use of words. The script suggests using nonverbal cues to redirect students who are off-task, which can be less disruptive than verbal redirection. This strategy helps maintain a positive classroom environment.

💡Facilitator

A facilitator is someone who makes it easier for others to do something. In the script, the teacher's role shifts from direct instruction to that of a facilitator, guiding students through the learning process and helping them make their own discoveries. This involves monitoring groups for both on-task behaviors and comprehension.

💡Comprehension

Comprehension refers to the understanding or interpretation of something, such as an assignment or material. The script mentions that as a facilitator, the teacher must ensure that students not only exhibit on-task behavior but also comprehend the tasks they have been given.

💡Graphic Organizer

A graphic organizer is a visual tool used to represent information in a structured format to aid understanding and recall. The script mentions using a graphic organizer as part of the collaborative group work, where students are expected to reference main claims they have identified from a pamphlet.

Highlights

Collaboration is key to unlocking Florida standards.

Groups are based on data to enable peer learning.

Groups are kept small, typically no larger than four students.

Students with high needs are placed in groups of three or less.

Teacher provides assistance in an unobtrusive way.

Baseline data is used to determine student needs.

IEP students are considered in group assignments.

Students are responsible for individual tasks within groups.

Collaboration aims to understand complexity, not complete a unified project.

Groups work on complex tasks for the first time within a unit.

Monitoring is crucial for on-task behavior.

Nonverbal cues are used to redirect off-task behavior.

Strategies include checking in with students and asking key questions.

Teacher's role shifts from direct instruction to facilitation.

Monitoring involves multitasking and listening for on-task behavior.

Facilitator ensures groups understand and are on task.

Learning goal is to identify specific behaviors from 'Romeo and Juliet'.

Students are given time to identify main claims from a pamphlet.

Graphic organizers are used for quick referencing of claims.