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Games, activities and teaching ideas > grouping techniques.......
grouping techniques.......
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don�t know how to CANCEL this account
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grouping techniques.......
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Hi Teachers,
I �d like to ask you for some advice in regards to grouping students differently to the way they group themselves in the classroom.
I work at a public school and I have classrooms of 30 - 35 students and although students are always grouped in subgroups, I have found that some groups work really well, and others are not productive at all and cause disruptions all the time. So the question is: How can I rearrange those groups?
By using a game? or something for them to find new pairs for the class without feeling it is being imposed by the teacher.
Thank you! I hope I made myself clear... hoping to hear from you!
Greetings from Patagonia!
Mariana
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11 May 2009
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Dianasuzuki
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Dear Marianrw,
You could use some Group-dynamic games and activities. There are some exemples on this website:
Hope that helps you!
All the best,
Diana |
11 May 2009
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don�t know how to CANCEL this account
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Hi! thank you. I had a look at the web page you suggested but it �s about group work and I �m asking about how to re - arrange groups using a very short game or activity.
thank you anyway,.
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11 May 2009
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melise
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Hi !
here are a few techniques I sometimes use, I hope they suit your needs:
* if you want to rely on chance, there is this very quick way of making groups I like : let �s say you want four groups, you can just ask your students to count to 4 aloud until all the students have said a number.
for instance s1-"1" s2-"2" s3-"3" s4-"4" s5-"1" s-6-"2" and so on. In group 1 you �ll have the students that said "1", group 2 students that said "2" and so on.
The things I really like about this is that it �s really quick, easy and you can adapt it to any number of groups.
* You can also have 4 pupils choose in turns who will be on their team (but I find it hard on the last pupils to be picked !).
* You can use a deck of playing cards (kings together, or diamonds together... depending on how many pupils you want in each group). It takes a little more time but it also gives you the opportunity to "help" chance...  (giving cards from the top of the deck or from under the deck for instance... ).
* Of course you can make this last longer and hand out papers with vocabulary (anything you �re working on really, it could be with food, nationality...) and have them ask questions to each other until they find the rest of their team (team Europe, team I live in a house, team I am 12 years old...).
* If this is more about where your students should sit to create a better working environnement then you can ask them on a piece of paper the names of 3 people they �d like to work with and the names of three people they don �t want to work with. I tell my pupils I �ll respect their + wish if it �s sensible and that I will definitely respect their - wish. This takes a lot of time for the teacher but it is very interesting to understand the dynamics of the class...
Anyway, hope this helps !
Elise
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11 May 2009
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don�t know how to CANCEL this account
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Melise,
Thank you very much for your ideas! I thought about the first option before ( the one about the numbers). I think it would be the best option so as not to lose too much time. The main purpose of making them pair up with new classmates is to help them concentrate and work, because they make groups with their close friends in the class and talk too much and this makes us waste time in the class. I love when students feel comfortable their groups but sometimes, some groups are not productive.......
Thank you very much for your help!
marian
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11 May 2009
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Vickiii
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My old class use to love this:
Each child in the class was assigned a card.
Girls were hearts and diamonds e.g. Lisa = Qhearts, Tina = khearts
The boys were all spades and clubs.
At the beginning of the week I would shuffle the cards and deal them onto the tables.
The children liked this as it was completely random. It takes about 2 minutes for everyone to clean out their desks and move.
If you wanted to - you could get the kids to create their own playing card with personal information on it. These could then be used for some sort of conversation game.
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11 May 2009
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amicableann
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Hi!for Pair work : try this technique : buy colorful long shoe laces ( there are fluo ones that are "in" these days ) if you need to work in pairs just take half the number of students :lets say 22 stdts , 11 shoelaces .You grab the shoe laces in the middle and make the stdts catch just one end then you just loose them and they �ll be aorganized in pairs , those holding the same lace work together !1 Its fun and quick!!! Good night!!ana L�a |
15 May 2009
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