Demonstrations
If doing a demonstration in class should you as a teacher pick the groups or should you let the students pick who they would rather work with?
I've found the run with who you are sitting with method to work best. Sadly it facilitates the process the most efficient way giving the most amount of time to solve the problems.
Sharon,
Thank you for your comments about grouping students together for cooperative projects. You are right about us needing to get to know them so we can better assign them to groups that will compliment each other. It takes a little while for us to learn this.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I also tried random placement, however I have found that it wil occasionally result in one group of over-achievers and another group that is totally struggling. I like to pair up the students in teams that will compliment each other. At the beginning of the class it is not always possible but later I find it works very well.
Dahlia,
This is how I put my students into groups as well. The result is random placement so they don't complain about what group they are in. It is what it is.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In many of the demonstrations I have encountered, there are multiple methods to intergrate the students but many like choosing their own. However, many times this method is not as successful so I use the flip coin or 1,2,3 grouping method. If the class size is small(4-6) then the flip method works well. On the other hand, if larger than 10 students then the 1,2,3 method works great. All 1's are in a group, the same with the 2's and 3's perspectively.It seems to work pretty efficiently.
Amy,
I use random numbering so this way the students know they are in the group as a result of numbering rather than any selection process. It helps to get things going quicker and with less discussion.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
