
But remember, you should always model what the strategy looks like and what your expectations are. I have found that showing quick videos can go a LONG way. My students love to be in videos, but the Teaching Channel or TeacherTube has many great videos you can show as well (make sure you preview them before showing them to class)
1- Think-Pair-Share: Probably the most widely known and used way of having students ‘share.’ However, it takes time, and practice to really have students share in ways that are both meaningful and effective. How many times have you ask students to share and they share N O T H I N G? I have learned to take a step back and actually give my students time to think. I know…those 20-30 seconds may seem like an eternity, but they count. Also, I cannot stress enough the importance of modeling what this type of sharing looks like. Are we teaching students to take the time to turn (completely – not just their heads) and talk? Are we modeling what listening looks like? Paraphrasing? There is much more science behind ‘think-pair-share’ than just saying those words. I my classroom I make sure that students are always sitting next to someone, because chances are they will be turning, talking and sharing.
3-The 3 Minute Pause: After watching a video, reading an article, or listening to a lesson, students take a 3 minute pause (even though any amount of time 1-2 minutes may also work) to talk about what they just watched, read or listened to respectively. During this pause, students are expected to:
- Summarize what they learned
- Identify something they found interesting (a fact for example)
- Ask a question they may have (clarification)
Images thanks to The Department of Education and Enokson
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