OER4Schools/Supporting reasoning and managing group work: Difference between revisions

|title=When to use group work and how to manage it

* three different aspects of managing group work:

** '''group composition''' and formation  

** '''ground rules''' during group work  

** group size and seating arrangement

* '''"carousel"''' group work (sometimes called a circus of activities) where different groups do the same activities but in a different order

*  work as part of a small group on one aspect of managing group work and prepare and deliver a presentation on it to the whole group

Place three containers (or sheets of paper) on the table. Label them ‘same task’, ‘different tasks’ and ‘both’.

{{activity|practical activity|: Indicating your progress with group work.|5}} Write your name on a slip (small piece) of paper and fold it. Drop your name slip in the ‘same task’ container if you are confident about carrying out same task group activity in the class. Similarly, drop it in the container ‘different tasks’ if you are confident about carrying out different tasks and ‘both’ container if you are confident about ‘both’.

{{activity|otr|: Video on classroom organisational strategies and carousel group work.|10}}

 

The video below shows some classroom organisational strategies mainly around group work.  We will watch the first 10 minutes of the video now and the rest can be watched after the session in participants' own time. Although the video describes science teaching in the UK context, the principles are generic and can be applied in various curriculum areas and contexts. The organisation called the ‘circus of activities’ is commonly known as a ‘carousel’ because the children move around the classroom like the hobby horses move around a carousel (see image).

{{:OER4Schools/ICT/include}}

{{fup|A}} Try the magic microphone activity with '''reasoning '''in your class. Form an open question that is related to the topic that students are learning followed by ‘why’. Encourage students to answer the ‘why’ question.

{{fup|B}} During the second activity you read one document on managing group work. Read the other two documents. Make a note of any questions that you might have about them.  List examples of objectives that can be achieved through different types of groups in the document ‘Group composition and formation’.

{{fup|C}} Try one new organisational strategy that you saw in the video in your classroom, in any curriculum area.

{{fup|D}} Watch the rest of the video on carousel group work and complete the remaining questions.

We are grateful to '''Prof Tina Jarvis and colleagues''' for permission to use their [[ Video/Primary_Science_-_Classroom_Organisation.mp4 | Primary Science - Classroom Organisation ]] video, produced by the SCIcentre (National Centre for Initial Teacher Training in Primary School Science).