I have a huge double blackboard in my classroom which I will never give up.
When my SMART Board was installed in my classroom, I wanted it to be installed on another wall because I didn't want it to interfere with my beautiful blackboard.
One of the ways that I use my beloved blackboard is for Board Practice (I didn't really have a name for this, I just made it up for the purposes of this blog, and to get it in print, because this is my first homework assignment for the MTBoS). For my students, I usually refer to it as the-thing-that-we-do-with-the-board-split-into-sections. Or I split the board into sections and they get all excited: "Miss, are we doing the thing with the groups and the practice, and the coaches?" Yes, we are.
My students work in groups, and have been since the beginning of time. Since before it was a thing. I've always asked my students to talk, share and coach. I think it may come from my teacher beginning as a science teacher, and my love of labs. I've carried this forward to my math classes.
So the Board Practice works the following way in my room. I've taught/reviewed the skill, I split the board into sections, they get excited, I throw a problem on the board, they work it alone (without calculators, "...but Miss..."), then they turn around and talk, share, coach in their groups of four. When my gut tells me they're ready, I pull a number from 1 to 4, and that person, one from each group, goes to the board and shows work for the problem. When it's particularly difficult, or when we're at the very beginning of the skill, they get to bring a coach, if not they go alone.
The photos above show the board split into sections, labelled A through G for their groups, and the problem (simplifying powers).
Board Practice is one of my students' favourites because they get to practice in a "fun" way.
For me, it is so much more than fun. Students are practicing, talking about math and being coaches to their peers. I believe I have created a safe environment for this practice, in which students are allowed to make mistakes and correct with the help of their peers. I like the way the same problem is to be simplified, but often small differences occur, or even mistakes. At the end, when each section is full, and the students are re-seated, I tell them: "Ok, there is a mistake in one of these, who can find it...".
Once de-briefed from the current expression, I erase a section, write the next expression, and say, "You're up, copy, get to work."
And they're off again.
This sounds great! I try something like this in groups with some students at the big whiteboards and others working on smaller whiteboards at their desks, but I like this idea of creating roles within the groups and give them titles like coaches. Good idea to have them bring a coach along for tougher problems when they're presenting their solutions as well! I like it.
ReplyDeleteWhiteboards are the next thing on my list I need to get out and buy. I want the really big ones. Thanks for the reminder!
DeleteThanks for sharing! I've used a similar activity called "Numbered Heads Together" from Spencer Kagan's cooperative learning book. I love activities that get all of the students talking and working together. I especially like this one because the number called up to the board is responsible for representing the group. That means that everyone is motivated to coach and help each other because you don't know who is going to have to go up to the board to share their work and and talk about it. If you haven't read his book before, I highly recommend it because he has lots of activities like yours and they aren't tied to any specific subject area.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you understood that "you don't know who is going to have to go up to the board to share..."
DeleteI've been to the Kagan Summer Institute in Florida (2004) and it changed the way I teach. I would recommend that if you are able.
I love this! I don't use my board enough, partly because I'm not used to it, but partly because I can't put chalk in student hands without having my board being covered in penises. When they installed my Promethean board, they put it right in the middle of my chalk board instead of on the giant, blank ugly brick wall.
ReplyDeleteYou can see from the pictures above that my students still try to sneak in a little unique-ness into their section (see the smiley face above!). Put the chalk into their hands, with instructions and a little joking about "un-necessary body parts, like penises, drawn", and let them loose. I find that drawing attention to what they'll probably do diffuses the situation each time.
DeleteDo the students put the work up on the board together and then you call on a person at random or do they write and talk at the same time? I think that second part would be a bit more challenging.
ReplyDeleteHi Leigh,
DeleteMy students work on the problem alone (i.e. no talking, no calculators) first. When I feel like about 80% of them are finished, I call "check" and they turn around in their groups of four and see what's going on. I encourage them to go through line by line what each person is doing to find any errors.
When all of the groups are ready (i.e. I'm circulating, coaching some groups, pointing out issues to other groups who are really struggling), I then choose a random number (1, 2, 3, 4) which corresponds to a group member, and that person, from each group, goes to their section on the board.
This is where the extra layer of coaching comes in because the students who were called, who still don't quite grasp it, can be coached while writing down their steps.
Thanks for your comment, because it forced me to make it more clear in my mind too!