Collaborative Work

Hi Royce,
I’m so excited to have you join our faculty. You will love working here. As a graduate of the University of Florida, I am sorry that you had to suffer through the University of Alabama’s program. I’m certain we can work together -Proud Gator and red elephant – to develop a well-rounded, Gator-centered environment in you classroom.
Okay, in all seriousness, I’m thrilled you are interested in having children work together. It’s a teaching style I personally utilize for most subject material. When designing collaborative activities preparation is essential. Have all materials and know exactly what you want your kids to accomplish. Then take the time to write a W.I.L.F.(What I’m looking For) for your students. It’s a three step list of what is expected of them – MUST /SHOULD/COULD. The first step is the basic requirement for the project. The second step goes a little deeper and may be a bit more complicated and then use the “could” level for those students who really want to excel. Post the WILF so that all children can see it. I often give it to the group in printed form so they can write on it. I also give the group or team a rubric, stating what is expected and how many points each step or requirement is worth. The children need to understand that you hold very high expectations for the group’s work.
Another hint with collaborative activities is to assign jobs to each student. Depending on the activity, you may try to limit the number of jobs to the number of students in the group. Everyone needs to feel a part of the activities. Jobs may include: materials person, captain, monitor, secretary or writer. Tailor the jobs for the subject.
Sometimes you will want to keep your collaborative groups down to only two students -other times, the more the merrier. It’s up to you.
Now the fun part is coming up with the activities. Groups work well when they are excited about their project. My kids love to collect information from books and the Internet. One year, they created group presentations on different chemical and physical changes after doing scientific research on the Internet. Teams of two performed scientific experiments for the class, showing the two types of changes. An exploding soda bottle was great fun.
Writing projects lend well to group collaborations. Have your kids write a narrative story together and then collectively illustrate the pages for a class book.
Our book clubs involve four children reading the same book and then getting together with me and talking about the plot, word choices, characters and other narrative elements. If the group enjoys the book, they will organize and present a book project to the class.
Designing collaborative activities requires some preparation, training for the kids and imagination. Children love to talk about their learning. Group work is a wonderful opportunity to allow them to teach each other. Experiment a little with room arrangement. You students may want to sit on the floor or at tables.
The most important element to remember when designing collaborative activities is to be open-minded. The kids will show you what works best for them. Don’t be afraid of a noisy classroom. Noise is good when it is coming from children who are enthusiastic and engaged in their learning.

Yell if you need me. I’m here for you.
Take care,

Kim Lester