Flexible Grouping for Collaborative Work

Students are grouped and regrouped according to specific goals, activities, and individual needs. It can be done at different levels of instruction. At German-Kazakh University, where I work, students are grouped according to their majors and years of study. In Language Center we group them according to their level of proficiency for General English course and their major and proficiency for English for Specific Purposes. Moreover, inside the group students can be devided into smaller groups for different activities and other purposes.

Groups in the classroom can be organised by a teacher or students. Catherine Valentino in her article "Flexible Grouping" calls them teacher-led and student-led groups respectively. Teacher-led groups are an effective and efficient way of introducing material, summing-up the conclusions made by individual groups, meeting the common needs of a large or small group, and providing individual attention or instruction. Student-led groups can take many forms, but they all share a common feature-students control the group dynamics and maintain a voice in setting the agenda for the group to follow. Student-led groups provide opportunities for divergent thinking and encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning.

Students can be divided into groups in many different ways. Brame and Biel (2015) in their article "Group work: Using cooperative learning groups effectively" and Masley and Paranto (2008) in "Collaborative Group Work Protocols" suggest many interesting ideas about ways of grouping students for different needs.

Janelle Cox in her article "Flexible Grouping as a Differentiated Instruction Strategy" claims that "the key to successful grouping is to be flexible so you can meet each individual’s needs." Here are a few things to consider while creating flexible groups:

• Ask yourself, “What is the best type of configuration to meet my learning outcome for this activity?” Consider a teacher-led group (whole-class, small group, or an individual teacher-directed activity), or a student-led group (collaborative, performance-based, or pairs). 
• Evaluate all assessment data and look over student-leaning profiles to help you form groups.
• Identify the most effective grouping design. For example, group students by gender, previous group, student selection, or teacher selection.
• Differentiate engaging activities for each group.

Successful grouping does not happen overnight. It take a little bit of planning and classroom management skills. When teachers group students for differentiated instruction, they should consider the following tips:

• Create a color-coded system or chart to help you (and students) know which group(s) they are in.
• Give specific instructions about the tasks groups must perform.
• Post written instructions and expectations so you don’t have to repeat yourself.
• Model and practice routines and procedures for getting into and out of groups. Develop a routine so your classroom isn’t utter chaos after a group task is complete.
• Set a specific time limit for students to complete their group work. It’s best to set an alarm so students know when the alarm goes off, they must proceed to the next activity quietly.
• Implement a student learning log for each group they are in. A color-coded one works best for students to keep track and record what they completed in each group.

Flexible grouping is a strategy that is developed over a period of time. To ensure successful grouping and promote maximum learning, it is essential that assessment is frequent, and that students are moved into appropriate groups regularly. To avoid any classroom chaos and disruptions, effective classroom management skills must be set into place.

Finally, not always flexible grouping can be successful and a teacher should take into account student's personality and preferences or dislikes as well. Otherwise, the results would not be positive. Teacher should be really attentive and use flexible grouping wisely.

Reference: Flexible Grouping Module

Lesson Study. A new look at a familiar term

Nowadays people talk more and more about improving educational system, implementing changes to curriculum, and using new technology in the classroom. However, one more aspect we should not forget is improving teaching.

James Hiebert, an education researcher at the University of Delaware, says to improve education we need to shift from thinking about how to improve teachers to thinking about how to improve teaching. Hiebert talks about the Uninted States, but this can apply to any country. The idea that improving education is about improving teachers is common for Kazakhstan as well. It is much easier to fire "bad" teachers and recruit "good" ones than train teachers to let them become "good".

What we need is to imrove teaching, not to improve teachers. We should stop asking "Is this teacher effective?", but ask "Are the methods they are using effective, and could they use other methods?" This is where the concept of lesson study becomes a valuable asset to a solution of ineffective teaching.

Lesson study is a form of professional development which Japanese teachers use to help them improve and to incorporate new ideas and methods into their teaching developed by Akihiko Takahashi, who is a professor of math education at DePaul University. “If there’s no lesson study,” Takahashi says, “how can teachers learn how to improve instruction?”

Emily Hanford from American RadioWorks in her article "‘Lesson Study’ Technique: What Teachers Can Learn From One Another" writes about successful use of this technique in the United States. There are some challenges that teachers face when they start using this technique:

• It is very time consuming;
• The are no immidiate results;
• It is diffiult to assess the impact of lesson study to student's achievements;
• Not all authorities support this idea, etc.

However, this approach is spreading in the US and teachers mention its positive influence on their development. It works much better than one-day workshops that we are used to. It is said that teachers are not always able to use ideas from workshops in their classroom, that is why they end up teaching in the same way they were taught.

Lesson Study gives an opportunity to try something in the classroom, let other teachers observe it and then discuss alltogether whether it worked or not. I think, it is a great way to see your own methods from a new perspective and start implementing changes in teaching.

Katrina Schwartz in her most recent articles "Lesson Study: When Teachers Team Up to Improve Teaching" and "Lesson Study? There’s an App for That" talks more about a growing trend of Lesson Study in the US. Increasingly education leaders are seeing lesson study as a powerful way to grow teacher-leaders willing to try new things and continually improve. The process helps to create a supportive environment within a building that encourages the hard work of teaching. But it requires leadership from principals and districts. Teachers need time to plan their lessons together, observe one another’s classes and to report after the lesson. In order to give them the time they need, the school or district has to pay substitute teachers and allocate planning time. The best way to do that is if the principal decides to allocate professional development money and time to implement lesson study school-wide as a central part of its professional development.

Kazakhstan is similar to the US in the way that all changes in education are promoted by the Ministry of Education and Science. It becomes a top-down approach to implementing new issues. It is time now to provide teachers with an opportunity to facilitate progress and use bottom up approach because, I think, the best ideas for improving education come from teachers.

References:

Hanford, Emily. (2015). ‘Lesson Study’ Technique: What Teachers Can Learn From One Another. American RadioWorks. Retrieved from: http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/09/14/lesson-study-technique-what-teachers-can-learn-from-one-another/


Schwartz, Katrina. (March, 2016). Lesson Study? There’s an App for That. MindShift. Retrieved from: http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/03/10/lesson-study-theres-an-app-for-that/


Schwartz, Katrina. (May, 2016). Lesson Study: When Teachers Team Up to Improve Teaching. MindShift. Retrieved from: http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/05/25/lesson-study-when-teachers-team-up-to-improve-teaching/

How can teachers use video?

I discovered several ways how to use video as a teacher to make our lives easier.
The ideas below are represented in the following video "Innovative Education Think Tank - Using Video In The Classroom":

USING VIDEO FEEDBACK

• Personal connection;
• Good for online students;
• Easier to say and explain orally than in writing;
• Less time than typing. 

GUEST SPEAKERS

• Remote location;
• Support theory in the classroom;
• Interesting through a video;
• Easier to access busy people whom students will not see in real life;
• See things from different perspective;
• Make things real (alive) to students;
• Different way of presenting.

COMPACT INFORMATION-PACKED VIDEOS

• Answers to repeating questions; 
• Very fast on-demand piece of information; 
• Accessible; 
• Review for exams; 
• More time for interaction in the classroom; 
• More activity among students; 
• Clear delivery, chance to re-watch if necessary.  

SCREENCASTS

• Available lectures; 
• Better than just power-point presentation; 
• Less pressure with note-taking; 
• Hard first time, much easier later; 
• Visual learning. 

Teachers can also make videos more interactive and use them as a form of assessment with the help of such resources as EDpuzzle and TedEd.

Here are very quick and simple tutorials for these two.

First is ED Puzzle Tutorial.

Second is TED-Ed Website Tour.

And TED-Ed Tutorial.

I hope this information will be useful to you all. If you have any questions or something to say, you can add it in the comments below.

Video in the Classroom. Project-based learning

In this post I would like to summarize information from Cambridge University Press webinar "Putting students in the director's chair" by Anna Whitcher. She suggests some great ideas for project-based learning, where students should create a video.

If you want to watch the whole webinar, you can find it here:

Before looking deeper at the process of video creation, Anna Whitcher discusses some general information.

These are main types of video we typically use in the classroom:

• VoxPops (voice of the people - on the street, interviews);
• Documentary (stories guided by narratives);
• Situational (dramas. real or created, usually with actors);
• Instructional (instructions with visuals and narrative);
• Interactive (video which elicits viewer's involvement);
• Student-generated (how-to videos, documentary, YouTuber).

Do you use video in the classroom? How? All of us mainly use the following way:

THREE-STEP APPROACH TO WATCHING

• Before-watching activities
• While-watching activities
• Post-watching activities

These are some resources to provide more ideas for these activities:

Using Video in and outside the Classroom, Odcinek 1: Fostering Communication
Using Video in and outside the Classroom, Odcinek 2: Focusing on Language Structure
Using Video in and outside the Classroom, Odcinek 3: Going Real
Using Video in and outside the Classroom, Odcinek 4: Going Cross-Curricular

GO BEYOND THESE STEPS!

MACRO TASKS = PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

Five-step approach to video creation:

• Topic and type of video to create (don’t give TOO much choice, give direction);
• Time limit for length of video and time they can spend on it (2-3 minute video = about 6 hours of work);
• Select a role (let students choose a comfortable role): scriptwriter, director, actor and/or narrator, camera person, video editor;
• Access to devices and materials: mobile device, film editing software or app, photos/footage storage, Internet access, music;
• Let them run with it! 

Tips to give order to creative process:

• Time to get organized; 
• Time limit; 
• Make sure they have devices; 
• Let them use pen and paper, don’t force them to use devices simultaneously. 

These are some ideas for student projects:

CHOICE 1: A tour of your town (documentary with narration only)

CHOICE 2: A tour of your town, or description of some element, or where you live (more YouTuber style with you in it)

CHOICE 3: How-to video explaining something you know how to make or do that you find fun and relevant

For teacher’s and students’ comfort:

• Manageable size of groups (3-5 people);
• Plenty of class time;
• Work on one/two elements of the video at a time;
• Checklists;
• Timing enough for narrative, music match, careful choice of footage/photos;
• Be patient! Take 3 shots;
• Don’t be a perfectionist;
• Overcome fear of actually making it. 

How to evaluate:

• Set clear parameters at the beginning; 
• Don’t concentrate on quality of video; 
• Look at checklist; 
• Succeeded in their roles? 
• Evaluate process rather that product. 

FILM FESTIVAL OR COMPETITION IN THE END 

Using Video in the Classroom. Be a Producer

When we work with a video, there are two roles which we can have:

• Consumer
• Producer

Being a consumer is our habit. This is what we normally do: we choose a video, create some exercises for it; we bring to the classroom and show it to students. In this case:

- teachers are passive;

- class is quiet because they are busy with watching and doing exercises;

- it is time for a teacher to relax a bit.

Being a producer is completely different. It is not typical for our classrooms but it is more engaging and highly practical. In this case:

- teacher and students are active;

- the class is very noisy because everyone is involved;

- there is lots of activity in the classroom.

In this post, I am going to share ideas of Ceri Jones from her webinar "Integrating video in our secondary classroom", which I personally found amazing and innovative, but simple at the same time. If you are interested in more details, you can watch the whole webinar below:

I will summarize Ceri Jones's practical suggestions below.

MICRO TASKS = in class, one take, use immediately

Example 1: Silent movies (2-3 people)

• Choose a verb or different part of speech;
• Make a short, silent video illustrating this word (10 seconds);
• Swap phones and show your clips to another pair;
• Guess word and write it down;
• Put it in a sentence (personalize);
• Think about what happened before and after that and write two more sentences;
• Extra: create a story, record further short scenes.

STUDENTS CAN SHARE THEIR VIDEOS IMMIDIATELY
“NO PHONE RULE” – ASK PERMISSION TO USE IT AS A CAMERA or LET THEM DO IT AT HOME

Example 2: #OOTD - Outfit of the day (pair work)

• Shoot a video (no longer that 1 minute) – selfie or with your partner;
• Self-dictation (transcript of your speech);
• Self-correction (it is becoming more visual);
• (Optional) exchange and transcribe each other (more objective);
• Recast the script (make it more formal and complete) – third-person voice over.

Example 3: Generating writing (writing reviews)

• Choose your favourite TV program or TV series;
• Instead of brainstorming on paper students videotape their ideas for reviews
• Good for shy students – they become more confident during the process;
• Everyone listens to one person, teacher is a camera man;
• Students list what she/he said independently;
• Share your lists and choose most appropriate facts for the review;
• Students go and write a review.

Example 4: Oral Exam Preparation

• Watch example of the oral exam on YouTube;
• Set up a classroom as a mock exam room;
• Group students (3-4 people: examiner (or two), examinee, cameraman);
• Students film each other taking mock exam;
• Students watch each other’s videos and grade their performance;
• Dig Deeper: What else could you say? What could you say differently? 

Example 5: Video as audio
Students create their own tasks for each other (like listening tasks at an exam):

• Share personal anecdotes on a given topic; 
• Choose one and write it as a short text; 
• Create 1-3 multiple-choice questions to accompany the story; 
• Record the story on the phone; 
• Exchange phones and complete the listening task. 

VIDEO IS NOT A FINAL PRODUCT
MINIMAL TEACHER SUPPORT IS REQUIRED
PEER FEEDBACK ON CONTENT AND COMPREHENSIBILITY
TEACHER'S FEEDBACK ON PRONUNCIATION, BODY LANGUAGE, ETC.

Example 6: Videos as homework

• PADLET page - share your videos on your own wall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuzciL8qCYM
• CERTAIN TIME – 10-15-second video at particular time, then in class show and say where they were, what they did, what happened just before or after it; 
• ROLE PLAYS – where, who, problem – show to others and let them guess.

Some of these examples are described in many details at the webinar so, if you want to watch some examples and hear clearer explanations, you can find them in the original webinar.

I hope these ideas will be very helpful to make your classes more engaging and student-centered.

Literature Circles are great for engaging students in reading

Some of you may be surprized, but today is actually the first time I learned about Literature Circles! Previously I heard this concept but had no idea what it is and how amazing it is! I would like to thank Assem Izmukhanova, my groupmate, for her inspirational presentation this evening during our Genious Hour. You can read more about it her blog Ms. Assem's Classroom.

In the following video you will see how to introduce Literature Circles to kids, but I think it would be somehow similar for students at university.

Teaching Strategies for Introducing Literature Circles 

to a 4th Grade Class

I loved how easily the teacher presented the main idea of literature circles. It is easily seen that learners got envolve in the activities very quickly.

Literature Circles Defining Student Roles

The main roles are introduced here and short comments for each role are given.

Literature Circles: 

Fostering Critical Thinking and Oral Communication 

More detailed description and some practical tips for a class during literature circles

Now I feel more confident about Literature Circles. I can't wait to go and try it with my students in September. I am quite sure that they will enjoy their roles and pace.

What can we do to increase students' engagement in the classroom?

How much are your students engaged?

SHORT DESCRIPTORS OF FIVE LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT

What is your classroom like?

Investments into Students' Learning via Engagement

REDEFINING ENGAGEMENT

Module from Early Adolescence

Engagement of students during the learning process is very important. Teachers should not force learners to study but engage them in different activities which lead to successful learning. High and Andrews (2009) in their article "Engaging Students and Ensuring Success" state very clearly that engagement is a key to successful learning. When students are engaged, they are really interested in what they are doing and concentrate on the material and task which provides deeper understanding and consolidation of what they are learning.
It is worth noting that engagement is not entertainment. Some teachers are performers by nature, but an entertaining personality alone will not necessarily create sustained engagement. Engagement requires students to be emotionally and psychologically invested in their learning. Lessons should be designed to engage and challenge every student in the room. This can be accomplished by getting to know your students and incorporating their personal interests in the lessons. When teachers neglect the personal needs and concerns of their students, they harm the sense of community in the classroom. Therefore student's voice and relationship between students and a teacher should be considered.

Engagement in the classroom creates a new type of Educational Institution which is not driven by rules, but by shared beliefs and values, and which is flexible and responsive. The video below promotes an idea that profound learning is likely to happen when students are engaged, when they see meaning in their work. Teachers should become facilitates of profound learning in and out of the classroom.

According to Phillip Schlechty in the handout "Our Commitment to Engagement" there are several types of students in the classroom. There some characteristics of each type below.

Students who are engaged:

• Learn at high levels and have a profound grasp of what they learn.
• Retain what they learn.
• Can transfer what they learn to new contexts.

Students who are strategically compliant:

• Learn at high levels but have a superficial grasp of what they learn.
• Do not retain what they learn.
• Usually cannot transfer what they learn from one context to another.

Students who are ritually compliant:

• Learn only at low levels and have a superficial grasp of what they learn.
• Do not retain what they learn.
• Seldom can transfer what they learn from one context to another.

Students who are in retreat:

• Do not participate, and therefore learn little or nothing from the task or activity assigned.

Students who are in rebellion:

• Learn little or nothing from the task or activity assigned.
• Sometimes learn a great deal from what they elect to do, though rarely that which was expected.
• Develop poor work habits and sometimes develop negative attitudes toward intellectual tasks and formal education.

Teachers can enhance the prospect of students’ being engaged in the tasks and activities they want them to be engaged in by attending carefully to building into the work they provide those qualities that are most likely to appeal to the values, interests, and needs of the students involved.

Downes and Bishop (2012) in their article "Educators Engage Digital Natives and Learn from Their Experiences with Technology" claim that traditional measures of engagement should be stretched to include the “meaning and signifcance the student attaches to the tasks he or she is assigned” (Schlechty, 2001, p. 68). Even the best educators sometimes feel at a loss to help students see the meaning, excitement, and authenticity in what they are learning. Many assert that the key to engaging learners is to bridge the gap between students’ in-school and out-of-school lives by integrating more technology into the classroom.
Students report that learning in a technology-rich environment is engaging because, in addition to allowing them to use familiar technologies in new ways, learning this way is fun and collaborative, affords them opportunities for creativity, enables effcient use of their time, and provides them with helpful organizational tools.
Authors of the article have learned that preparing schools for 21st century learning is less about designing engaging activities for students and more about unleashing the learning potential of students and the technologies with which they are familiar.

References:

"Redefining Engagement" Module from Early Adolescence

Downes, John M. & Bishop, Penny. (2012). Educators Engage Digital Natives and Learn from Their Experiences with Technology. Middle School Journal, 43:5, 6-15. Retrieved from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4-yDe2y5kw3dFZ0SGEzeGtDQUk/view

High, Janet, & Andrews, P. Gayle. (2009). Engaging Students and Ensuring Success. Middle School Journal, 41:2, 58-63. Retrieved from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4-yDe2y5kw3em1LeGZiVVo5aEk/view

Lattimer, Heather, & Riordan, Robert. (2011). Project-Based Learning Engages Students in Meaningful Work. Middle School Journal, 43:2, 18-23. Retrieved from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4-yDe2y5kw3Sm5VeE5EdTZ4dVk/view

Schlechty Center Video. (2011). Fable Vision. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1NzX6mDOWU

Schlechty, Phillip. (n.a.). Our Commitment to Engagement. Retrieved from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0kJUUs48nTbaHFxYzdSb1RQSWc/view 

The Neuroscience Behind Stress and Learning

Here are some quotes from this article. If you find them interesting, please express your ideas in comments below.

Full article "The Neuroscience Behind Stress and Learning" by Judy Willis is here.