Student Collaboration and the Common Core
KEY IDEAS FROM CCSS TRAINING
Why?
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Students retain:
o 20% of what they learn through visual and auditory means
o 50% of what they learn through a demonstration or an exhibit
o 70-90% of what they learn if they are giving a presentation, actively participating in a
class discussion, actually doing the real thing, or teaching someone else
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21 century skills: Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Creativity
Collaboration = Gradual Release of Responsibility (I do it—We do it together—You do it
together—you do it alone
How?
Explicit Expectations
1) Purposely establish groups. Determine if you want them heterogeneous or homogeneous,
depending on your outcome. Vary the group size and duration to maintain novelty.
2) Require students to sit face-to-face with other group members. This will keep them
focused.
3) Define roles within the group and have them practice with a less-taxing cognitive activity
before asking them to do more demanding cognitive activities with the group.
4) Structure the task to promote interdependence for any group product. One student alone
should not be able to do the entire project without collaboration of the other group
members.
5) Provide directions for the task both orally and in written form. This will allow the group to
review the requirements of the task if they have questions.
6) Provide a rubric for the product before the group gets started. This will provide a guide for
the group.
Positive Facilitation
1) Monitor groups throughout the activity to prevent conflicts.
2) SOAR (stop, observe, assess, react).
3) Ask open ended questions to refocus the group to the task at hand.
4) Acknowledge emotions (“I see that you’re upset,” or “I understand that this is a powerful
topic for you”).
5) Focus dialogue on academic concepts rather than personal opinions.
6) Listen and restate perspectives, especially if one student is receiving all of the heat (“What I
think ____ is trying to say is…”).
7) Meet individually with students if necessary.
Group AND individual accountability
1) Require some form of group accountability at the end of each group meeting and individual
accountability at given time throughout the activity (half-way and end, or when there seems
to be a conflict starting). Some might include:
2) Exit tickets—ask one or two key content or reflective questions (group or individual)
3) Process analysis reflections (group or individual)
4) Self-reflection (individual)
Where?
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Setting the Stage
Explaining to Students what to do
Modeling for students what to do
Guided practice
Closure and Assessments
Ways to Collaborate
From Various Other Sources:
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From
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CRLP
Choral Responses
Echo Talk
Think-Pair-Share
Talking Stick
Lines of Communication
Give One, Get One
From SIOP
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Dinner Party
Group Response with White Board
Reader-Writer-Speaker Response
Triads
Inside-Outside Circles
Find Your Match
Jigsaw What You Know
Gallery Walk
Take a Stand
Frozen Moment
You Are There
Great Performances
Role Playing
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Five Card Draw
I Have the Question, Who has the
Answer?
Idea Share
Partner Share
Group graphs
Overheard Quotes
True-False Sorts
Magnetic Quotes
Photo Analysis
Content Links
Take a Stand
All Hands on Deck
Stir the Class
Walking Tour
Possible Sentences
Partner Responses
Jigsaw
Numbered Heads
Teacher Read
Partner Reading
A-B Partner Teacher
Ambassadors
Brain Bank
Four Corners
Give One and Get One
Increasing Focus During a Lesson
Idea Wave
Outside/Inside Circles
Inside/Outside Circles
Showdown
Q&A Match
Circle the Sage
Team Chant