Abe

=** Collaborative Classroom **=

What does a collaborative classroom look like at Springfield High School? In many classrooms at SHS, a collaborative classroom is just 2 or 3 students doing their work together.

What changes or implementations do we need to make to move toward a collaborative high school? Perhaps some professional development would educate teachers as to the difference between simply working together and collaboration.

What does YOUR classroom look like as a collaborative classroom? At the beginning of the year, I group students by passing out a "stacked" deck of cards. I believe that groups should be made up of no more than 3 or 4 students. So I determine ahead of time how many groups I want, as well as how many students I want in each group, then "stack" the deck accordingly. I prefer this method, rather than allowing them to choose their own groups, for a couple of different reasons. First of all, it takes them out of their "comfort zone" and compels them to work with someone other than their own friends. Also, it hopefully gets the point across to them that I'm in charge of the classroom - rather than them. I begin by giving each member of each group a "job". For example, one person retrieves a binder in which to keep the group's work. A second person picks up a paper that lists "Norms of Cooperative Behavior". A third person, then reads the list to the group. The group is to discuss, and possible amend, the list until the group agrees to accept it. Their first task as a group is to come up with a name for their group. I assign them a letter of the alphabet, and they must come up with a name that starts with that letter, and has something to do with math. Depending on time constraints, the fourth person either comes to me for an actual sheet of work to do, or is responsible for putting the group's binder back.