Re: peers working -- class discussions -- fishbowl

[Pam <readersnracers@aol.com>]

Debbie wrote: Has anyone had success with fishbowls in 7th grade? I did 
them several years
ago with 8th graders and had limited success but they have a lot more 
maturity
than 7th graders -- especially these millenials.

Pam writes: Yes, I've had one year of success in 6th grade. That group 
of 6th graders is now in 8th grade & their 7th-8th grade teachers just 
rave about how wonderful they are, how mature, nice, etc. I think it 
was luck of the draw. One thing that I did with them that they said 
helped was I videotaped a staged fishbowl activity with several super 
good students. I then showed the video of the fishbowl to all my 
classes as an introduction of the activity we'd be doing. They said the 
visual of how it actually worked really helped.

I didn't even try with last year's kids. I was just happy I survived - 
they were the roughest bunch I've had so far, INCLUDING my first year 
of teaching self-contained EH!! I don't think I'll try this year 
either. A much nicer bunch of kids, but lacking maturity. Maybe...as an 
activity in 4th quarter....maybe. They have matured quite a bit in just 
a semester, but...I'm doubtful.


 :o) Pam/6th gr./FL
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how 
much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do 
know and what you don't.
Anatole France (1844 - 1924)


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