Re: peers working together -- class discussions

["Melissa Cooper" <mmcooper@alumni.utexas.net>]

Oh yeah, my regular classes are like that too. They don't want to think, 
they just want to be told what to say or write down so they get the answer 
right. My accelerated kids, though, are the ones who just want to shout 
their own ideas, louder than the next guy, rather than thinking about 
others' comments and building on them.

I started using a blog, making them respond to a higher-level thinking 
question, taking the shouting out of the mix altogether. And some  kids 
provided good comments, but many of them either repeated what others have 
said or threw out one general comment and that was it.

Sigh.

Melissa

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Debbie Parker" <debracparker@sbcglobal.net>
To: <middle-lit@interversity.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 8:05 AM
Subject: Re: [middle-lit] peers working together -- class discussions


> Melissa -- my kids are not out-shouting each other in whole class 
> discussion, they are waiting for those few to answer becuase 90% of my 
> kids this year want to be "fed" the info.  When they are all talking 
> though, I use a rainstick to get them to be quiet.  It has an unusual 
> sound that calls attention to itself without one more voice in the mix. 
> Debbie
>
> Melissa Cooper <mmcooper@alumni.utexas.net> wrote:  Ohhhhh, I am so 
> interested in hearing suggestions on this as well. My kids
> can't do this worth a flip this year. Their other problem is sustained 
> class
> discussions--they all want to outshout each other rather than take turns
> building ideas from one another. It's making me crazy, and I'd love to 
> hear
> ideas.
>
> Melissa
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Debbie Parker"
> To: "middle-lit"
> Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 2:34 PM
> Subject: [middle-lit] peers working together
>
>
> > Hi and happy new year! I am having trouble with my 7th graders working
> > together. When I ask them to try to solve a question or discuss
> > something, they are immediately off task. My team teachers agree with me
> > that our kids don't seem to know "how" to work together. I want to do
> > some specific lessons with my kids about working together, but can't find
> > anything online and ideas are not coming to me. suggestions? Thanks,
>
>
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