| When developing classroom plans and teaching | | | | different kinds of flowers in the garden. Then ask |
| methods, many teachers use collaborative learning | | | | them to write about them. This provides for the |
| techniques. This generally involves intergroup | | | | leisure and fun time activities. |
| learning and the use of verbal interaction. Where | | | | When passing out tests or worksheets or notices, |
| the teacher is not just teaching, rather giving the | | | | write the names of absent students on the |
| students an opportunity to learn through | | | | papers left. When students arrive to begin the |
| interpersonal interaction. Some use peer groups | | | | day, have them remove everything that will be |
| for classroom management, thereby creating | | | | needed during the day. Have a rule: NO one may |
| more time for personal interaction with individual | | | | get into a backpack during the day. Write a red M |
| students. Others use this teaching strategy to | | | | in the top right corner on all Master copies. This |
| enhance students' motivation by making class | | | | will distinguish the Master from a copy very easily |
| work more "fun." Still others believe that | | | | and prevent accidentally passing out the master |
| collaborative learning can provide valuable | | | | to a student. Always spend the last few minutes |
| opportunities for students to work together | | | | of the day and review: Hopefully, when parents |
| across ethnic and gender lines, thereby facilitating | | | | ask about the day, students will have an answer |
| friendships. All of these reasons for the use of | | | | other than "Nothing!" |
| collaborative group work are worthy goals in | | | | In addition in particular classroom activities can be |
| classroom instruction. Seldom, however, is | | | | assigned to different students individually or in |
| conceptual learning the primary goal behind the | | | | pairs. For instance someone can be made the |
| use of collaborative group techniques. | | | | monitor, to clean the blackboard, someone can be |
| Following is a classroom plan that enables | | | | the chair stacker, someone can be the |
| effective classroom management of time, and | | | | timekeeper etc. This way the small tasks that |
| organization of activities for children. | | | | need to be completed through the class are |
| Prepare a schedule that allows time for learning as | | | | managed by the students enabling them to take |
| well fun and activities. Rearrange the daily | | | | responsibility. |
| schedule, go outside to read, give clipboards to | | | | One key here that adheres to the theories on |
| students and go outside to draw, have a theme | | | | classroom management by Howard Glasser and |
| day. For instance for every first Monday of the | | | | Dreiker, is that of collaborative and verbal |
| Month, students can come dressed in the colors | | | | interaction learning. Throughout the class time |
| of the rainbow, or for older students, they come | | | | students should be involved with verbal interaction |
| dressed creatively in some historical attire and | | | | with the teacher. The day should be planned such |
| bring along something that they have that relates | | | | that it gives time and opportunity for all different |
| to that attire. Discussing these makes a good | | | | students to have a special moment. Some |
| start for the day. These are of course just ideas | | | | experts believe that every student can have a |
| and leave room for the teachers' ingenuity. Begin | | | | focus week, where he/she gets a few minutes in |
| the day with bell work, which is an introductory | | | | the beginning of every class to share his life with |
| task or activity that should get them into the | | | | the students. It not only aids in interpersonal |
| learning mode. From then on the lesson plan can | | | | learning, as well as linguistic learning, but it also |
| be followed with regular fun intervals and breaks. | | | | makes the students feel special. |
| Ask the students to write once or twice a week: | | | | Bibliography |
| What did you learn today? for instance, and also | | | | Chizhik, Alexander W., Collaborative learning |
| take them outside on the school grounds and ask | | | | through high-level verbal interaction: from theory |
| them to study something specific, be it the | | | | to practice.. Vol. 72, The Clearing House, |
| actions of a gardener, a butterfly or even the | | | | 09-19-1998, pp 58(4). |