Brainstorming
Situations for use:
v Generate ideas ( quantity is more important that quality)
v Students have some level of experience
Planning Required:
v Formulate the question
v Plan for recording ideas
Brainstorming Steps
v Pose question to class
v Generate ides with group
v Accept all ideas (do not criticize)
v Go back to summarize discard unacceptable‖ or unworkable ideas
v Determine the best solutions
Supervised Study
v Common technique used in problem solving instruction, but certainly not
the only technique appropriate for problem solving instruction
v Also a major technique used in competency-based education programs.
v Often misused technique. A really bad form of this technique is: read
the chapter‘s the textbook and answer the questions at the end of the chapter.
v Classified as an individualized instruction technique
Situations Appropriate for Use
v Discovery or inquiry learning is desired
v Access to good reference materials (textbooks, extension publications,
web resources, industry publications, etc.)
v Students may need to look up‖ information
v Alternate answers may be acceptable
v Many structured lab activities are actually a form of supervise study
Strengths:
v Provides skills in learning that are useful throughout student‘s lives.
For they need to know how to locate and analyze information
v Recall is enhanced when students have to look up‖ information, rather than being lectured to.
v Students have to decide what information is important and related to the
question posed
v Opportunity for the students to develop writing and analytical skills.
Weakness:
v Easy for students to get off-task
v Students may interpret questions differently and locate incorrect
information
v Unmotivated students will do the absolute minimum
v Students tend to copy information from sources rather analyze and
synthesize information
v Requires more time than lecture
v Relies on students being able to read and comprehend information at the
appropriate level.
Procedure in Conducting Supervised Study:
v Teacher develops a list of a study questions for students to answer
v Resources and reference materials are located or suggested to students
as possible sources of answers
v Students are given time in class to find answers to questions and to
record the answers in their notes
v Due to time constraints, however, teachers may want to assign different
questions to specific students, so that every student is not looking for the
same information.
v Summary consist of discussing the correct answers to the questions with
the entire class
v Teachers must be careful to emphasize that incorrect answers must be
corrected
Role of the Teacher:
v Develop a list of study questions that focuses on the objectives of the
lesson
v Develop the anticipated answers to the questions-it is important that
the teacher has a firm idea of what are correct
or incorrect answers
v Establish a timeframe for completing the activity. Students need to feel
a sense of urgency, so don‘t give them more time than you think they will need.
v Supervise during this activity. THIS IS NOT A TIME GRADE PAPER, MAKE
PHONE CALLS, PLAN FOR THE NEXT LESSON, OR LOCATE THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS
IN THIS LESSEON!
v Assist students in locating information, but do not find it foe them
v Keep students on task and eliminate distractions
v Plan foe reporting of answers
Small group Discussion also called:
v Buzz groups-is a small, intense
discussion group usually involving to 3 persons responding to a specific
question or in search of very precise information. The full plenary group is
subdivided into the small groups. It's called a 'buzz' group because it mimics
the sound of people in intense discussion
v Huddle Groups - makes it easy for anyone looking for support to talk openly, ask
questions, and give or receive guidance.
v
Philips 66
§ 6 people per group
§ 6 ideas to be generated
§ 6 minutes
Advantages:
§ Increased participation
§ Good foe generating ideas
§ Cooperative activity ( students learn from each other)
Planning Required
v Clearly from question or topic
v Develop a plan for grouping the students
v Plan for reporting
v Summarize the activity (what they should have learned)
Conducting Small group Discussion
v Write question or topic on the board or handout
v Give specific instructions on how the group will operate
v Establish time limits
v Circulate among the groups to help keep them on task (Not as a
participant)
v Give warning near end of time allocated
v Reports: Rotate among the groups for answers
Games
Situation for Use:
v Motivates students
v Reviews
v Check for understanding
Strengths:
v Active learning technique
v Appeals to competitive students
v High interest level Planning Requires
v Game must be develop by teacher
v Rules must be establish. Try to anticipate all potential situations that
may occur. You do not want the effectiveness of the activity to be destroyed by
arguments over rules.
v Develop a plan for determining teams
v Develop plan for keeping score
v Determine rewards- make them appropriate (usually very minor in nature)
Types: games may take a variety of forms, but most often are modeled
after.
v TV game shows
v Sports
v Home board games
Field Trips and Resource Persons
Situation Use:
v First hand experiences are needed
v Need expertise
Planning Needed:
v Objectives
v Trial run/visit
v Special considerations (safety, grouping, etc.)
v Summarize (don‘t give up responsibility!). It is critical to know what
the students have learned from the activity.
Tips:
Provide advance organizers (e.g. report forms, fact sheets)
v Plant questions among students
v Assign students to begin the questions
With-it-ness - the teacher knows that what is going on in the classroom at all times.
Seemingly, the teacher has eyes in the back of his/her head. This is not only
when the teacher is in a small group setting, but when he/she is presenting a
topic or students are working as individuals. It can be as simples as looking
around the room frequently or making sure your back is never turned to the
class. It is not necessary to know what the teacher know is going on- it is
what the students believe she knows.