| Much has been said and written lately
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| | and then have students draw their own
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| about providing students with choices.
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| | place in the waiting line. Whoever has
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| I'm all about any methods which will
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| | the slip #1 gets first choice of topics,
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| improve student involvement in class,
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| | #2 chooses second, and so forth. No one
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| giving them ownership in their learning.
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| | can claim a biased order of selection!
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| There are many ways to give students
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| | This is great for research paper topics,
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| choices, options, or just to provide
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| | where you don't want students choosing
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| random results and change up the
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| | the same topics.
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| monotony. This article will discuss how
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| | We will also use small slips of colored
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| to use random results in typical class
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| | paper to form random groups of students.
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| situations.One technique I use is drawing
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| | If I want four different groups, figure
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| from a hat (or mug, box, basket, or other
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| | how many students you want in each group
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| container). You can choose anything to
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| | and tear that many small slips of colored
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| put in the hat, and decide if you or the
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| | construction paper. Do this for each
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| students will do the drawing. You can
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| | group, using different colors. I find
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| draw, or let your students pick. I try to
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| | this is a good use for scraps of paper
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| keep the 'hat' above the chooser's head
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| | left over after an art project (the thick
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| so there is no possible way to cheat on
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| | paper holds up better). Then go around
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| the draw.In the hat I like to use
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| | the room and let the students 'choose'
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| different colored poker chips: white,
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| | their group. Collect the slips back after
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| red, and blue. We will use these for many
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| | recording the groups & names so you can
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| applications, or at least any that
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| | re-use the slips again.You could use all
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| involve three different outcomes. When
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| | sorts of everyday items to get random
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| grading freewrites, for example, drawing
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| | choices. Flip a coin in a two-choice
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| a blue chip means I take an immediate
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| | situation. A die or pair of dice can give
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| grade on the assignmentA white chip means
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| | you even more choices. You could even use
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| "thank you for writing today", but we
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| | a deck of playing cards.To randomly call
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| aren't going to grade it, just file the
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| | upon students, we utilize note cards
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| writing into your folder. A red chip
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| | filled out with student names and
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| indicates I'll collect the papers, read
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| | personal information. At the beginning of
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| over them, grade them, and select a few
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| | the year, students write their name,
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| to write comments upon. By drawing a
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| | parents' contact info, text book numbers,
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| chip, the students don't know if the
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| | hobbies/interests, and other information
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| assignment will be graded or not, so they
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| | on a regular 3 x 5 index card. I then
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| must do their best. However, for the
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| | collect these and pull them out, shuffle,
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| teacher, the students are writing more
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| | and select a random card (with the
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| but you don't have to grade every
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| | student's name on it.) Voila! Random
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| paper!We will also use the chips for
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| | selection of students.And if you want to
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| minor homework assignments. Same idea -
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| | ensure you call upon everyone equally,
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| white is a no grade, blue goes
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| | just don't shuffle the cards, and place
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| immediately to the grade book. But on red
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| | the used card at the back of he deck. You
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| chips, I'll allow a minute or two to fix
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| | can cycle through the card deck over and
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| mistakes before I collect them. It
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| | over, ensuring you're calling upon every
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| depends on the situation. It's that
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| | student equally.Cards, dice, coins, poker
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| simple. And the students never know if
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| | chips and simple slips of paper can be
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| the assignment will be graded or not, so
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| | easily used to make random selections in
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| they have to do their best just in case.
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| | class. We'd love to hear any other
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| Another technique is to use strips of
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| | 'random acts' ideas and techniques you
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| paper in a coffee mug for completely
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| | may have. We'll add them to this article
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| random choices. This is great for games
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| | and post them on our website with credit
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| like charades where students draw random
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| | to you!-------------
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| words, topics, or choices. This could be
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| | For this article, and more on teaching
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| used to randomly discuss class topics or
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| | and education, be sure to check out our
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| answer questions.I like to use this for
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| | website:
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| choosing project topics. Put slips of
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| | Holes, Jr. is the editor of the
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| paper numbered 1 through however many
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| | StarTeaching website and the bi-monthly
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| students are in the class. Fold the slips
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| | newsletter, Features for Teachers.
|
