Does anyone have a suggestion(s) for choosing pairs or small groups for cooperative work?
I have chosen by successive numbering (1,2,3,1,2,3,etc); allowed different students to choose partners; and have "assigned' partners myself.All oftenend with several not being happy with the choices, pouting, refusing to work with another or the partners/small grp members playing and not accomplishing any worthwhile work.
Any really successful methods out there?
Thanks,
teach2005bellsouth.net
Before choosing pairs and partners review the T-chart idea of what co-operative learning looks and sounds like. Sounds like "let's do this together." Looks like "working together". No pouts or hissy fits.
Sometimes I just assign --- pocket charts with popsicle sticks etc. Or elbow partners.
We do "mingle mingle" from SPARKS (PE) curriculum. Basically, the kids all walk around and "mingle mingle mingle" (said like the tune of the conga line dance), and then I call out how they should group up or pair up "3 back to back, birthdays in the same month" or "pairs, wearing the same color shirt." Sometimes they get to choose, sometimes I choose the parameters. The kids love it, for the most part, and if they complain, I do not let them choose their own partners next time. When they have worked together well for many times in a row, I will let them mingle and choose their own partner another time.
OR I will have them line up by age or birthdate or some other line, then pair them with the people next to them, or count off or something else.
I just recently started using "clock partners". I made a clock that has a line next to 3, 6, 9 and 12. Then students went around and chose people to be thier 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock partner. Now it's really easy because I can just say ok, get with your 3 o'clock partner.
To avoid complaning and all that comes with partners, as a class we created "partner rules" that are posted in the room at all times. Whenever I have an issue I refer to the rules and they know if they break one of those rules then they do not get a partner the next time we work together.
I just recently started using "clock partners". I made a clock that has a line next to 3, 6, 9 and 12. Then students went around and chose people to be thier 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock partner. Now it's really easy because I can just say ok, get with your 3 o'clock partner.
That's a really good idea. I think I would fill in two of their partners (to facilitate heterogeneous groups) and then let them choose two. I think I will have to steal that one!
Sometimes I pass out playing cards - all Aces together, all twos, etc.
Make it fun - think of some famous pairs - Peanut butter and jelly, Romeo and Juliet, etc. Pass out the cards. Have them match up the card with it's correct partner.
The clocks are a great idea. I've seen it in action and it seems to go really well.
I have a container with craft sticks. Each child has a stick with their name on it. I pull out sticks. It is mostly random but I can minipulate them if need me. I also use the sticks for giving turns--who goes first to show their diorama, turns at the Smarboard, etc.
I made these neat cards with numbers and four different types of stickers. When they are passed out, I can group by numbers, colors (as the index cards are colored), or by the stickers ( such as the smiles or the baseballs). It really works great.
I copied a world map and gave a copy to each student. They had to find a buddy for each continent. Both partners sign their names on the continent. They hang on to that paper all year--they can do it. So when I call "Africa partners" they immediately who to buddy with.
On the back I put a list of the planets and so they have galactic partners, too.
I usually assign partners, but when I have the kids "choose" partners I am very directed about it. For example, say I want groups of five.
I will pick the first kids (lining up the "team leader" play ground style in the front of the room) making sure to include any "low status" students in the mix. Then they each choose a partner. The second kid picked also chooses a partner. Then I will choose the last two kids for the group. This way, the low status kid doesn't feel like he is picked last. Say he picks Mr. Popular... Mr. Popular may not be too pleased about working with Low Status, but then Mr. Popular can pick a friend too. I then pick the rest of the group to 1) ensure a good gender mix, and 2) make sure the groups have a decent ability mix, and to make sure that low status kid is not left in the dust by the group. This way, there is also about a third of the class left for me to divide up, so it's not like there is one kid left that no one has picked.
This has worked well for me. I do it quite often. For groups less than 5, will have the kids pick someone of the opposite gender. So again, I will pick the first kid, then she picks a boy, and he picks a girl. I think I got this idea from Survivor. They are not necessarily picking friends (since 3rd and 4th graders are usually friends with their own gender) but they are picking people they know they can work with.
I planned on doing clock or continent partners this year, but never managed it! Maybe next year.
03-06-2008, 08:24 PM
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