Classroom Seating Arrangement
Collaboration is an essential part of the Problem-Based Learning process. The classroom seating arrangement should allow for students to work together to achieve their goals. The arrangement shown below will be used when implementing this PBL unit. This setup will allow students to work in close proximity, utilizing the teacher on an individual group basis. After getting to know students and listening to their brainstorming ideas, educators will group students according to ability, compatibility, and topic interest.
Ensuring Students' Engagement
At the beginning of the year students will collaborate to create classroom rules and expectation which will help establish a PBL climate. These rules and expectations can be revisited and edited throughout the year.
A few techniques that will be used to engage students includes occasionally starting class (first 5 minutes) with a debriefing and ending class (last 5 minutes) with exit tickets. During the debriefing, student groups will collaborate to formulate a list of 3 goals to achieve during the class period. Student managers will check off each goal as it gets accomplished. Exit tickets will be utilized on various days to check for understanding of concepts explored in activities and laboratory investigations.
Teacher will move from group to group questioning students about the details of their projects. Examples of questions include:
To reflect on their roles within the group, each student will evaluate their partners using TEAMMATES feedback website. Examples of questions that can be found on the TEAMMATES site are:
Using this site, students will have the opportunity to share their comments and feedback to the educator and the rest of the students in their group.
Educator will encourage student self-questioning by modelling effective questioning methods, such as the questions listed above. Teachers can also participate in the reflective toss, in which questions will be answered with more thought-provoking questions. Pointing students in the direction of new resources will also guide students without giving answers.
A few techniques that will be used to engage students includes occasionally starting class (first 5 minutes) with a debriefing and ending class (last 5 minutes) with exit tickets. During the debriefing, student groups will collaborate to formulate a list of 3 goals to achieve during the class period. Student managers will check off each goal as it gets accomplished. Exit tickets will be utilized on various days to check for understanding of concepts explored in activities and laboratory investigations.
Teacher will move from group to group questioning students about the details of their projects. Examples of questions include:
- What do you need to know?
- How would you find that out?
- What do you already know about that? How could you find out more?
- How else could you explore that?
- How does your model explain nanotechnology?
- How will your proposal benefit the community?
- What resources have you already used?
To reflect on their roles within the group, each student will evaluate their partners using TEAMMATES feedback website. Examples of questions that can be found on the TEAMMATES site are:
- How is your team dynamic?
- How is your group working together to achieve your goals?
- How did you contribute to group work?
- How can you increase productivity in your group?
- What strategies are you using to ensure all group members participate equally?
Using this site, students will have the opportunity to share their comments and feedback to the educator and the rest of the students in their group.
Educator will encourage student self-questioning by modelling effective questioning methods, such as the questions listed above. Teachers can also participate in the reflective toss, in which questions will be answered with more thought-provoking questions. Pointing students in the direction of new resources will also guide students without giving answers.
Working Effectively in Groups
To ensure group members are contributing equally, individuals in groups will list off at least one goal to accomplish by the end of the class period that helps progress the group's overall final project. This individual goal will be additional to the three overall group goals. Individual work will also be graded through peer evaluations and teacher observations that will affect students' final grades.
Student Roles
Students will be appropriately assigned into groups of 4. Each person in the group will choose which role they would like to fulfill.
These roles and responsibilities are as follows:
TEAMMATES
Peer Evaluations
These roles and responsibilities are as follows:
- The manager will ensure that all members are engaged, involved, and are contributing to the work until the goals are accomplished.
- The scribe will be in charge of writing down observations during laboratory investigations and compiling the group's ideas and research together into a proposal.
- The analyst will be given the responsibility of using the technology effectively. This is especially important in classrooms in which computers are not 1:1. The analyst will also be the global thinker.
- The designer uses their creative ability to ensure the visual presentation and model are, not only up to par with the rubric but, portraying the central idea of the proposal in an effective and visually appealing manner.
TEAMMATES
Peer Evaluations
Reflecting on Progress
Students will answer questions on exit tickets (will be linked) which will keep them focused on the main content, as well as their group proposal. Exit tickets will have varying questions styles in order for students to reflect on their progress in learning the content. Mini quizzes (will be linked) at the end of each week will specifically cover content area and basic 21st century skills.