Randomizing Class Choices: Breaking Up the Monotony

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