Reflect after reading Chapters 2-4:
How do we form collaborative groups and where will these groups work? Why does room arrangement matter?
Consider the following questions:
- What is resonating with you from the reading?
- What caused you to pause and think during this section?
Respond and Interact
After reading these chapters, please post your response to one {or more} of the prompts above. Read our colleagues' reflections. Feel free to respond to someone by sharing a comment, insight or interesting possibility.
These 3 chapters went by quick as I was reading them I really enjoyed these chapters because it made me think about my classroom. I really like the VNPS idea too. I tried the white paper idea on the floor/ carpet because I could not find any space to put them along the wall ( I really wanted them on the wall but could not). Also, the picking partners was really interesting and it made me giggle a little because I know that at least for me it is true. Trying to split up kids, put certain kids together, let kids choose, and so forth. I have tried a lot of these and it does make it a lot of work and I never thought about how the kids felt. It really made me stop and think about all those years of partner work/ group work. These chapters have been great and very informative, I can't wait to read more.
ReplyDeleteThese chapters have really pushed me and I'm still wrestling with some of the ideas presented. The chapter about randomized groups was interesting. I can definitely see students falling into 'roles' when working in groups, and I know students can infer why certain groups were made. I am excited to try truly randomized groups beyond popsicle sticks. Knowing where to go with your group was a light bulb, it would cut down on transition time. I was really surprised in chapter 3 to see vertical flip chart paper produce similar results to notebook or horizontal paper. The non permanence of white boards makes sense, I was just surprised how big of a difference it makes! I related to seeing students produce parallel work when each have a marker, rather than working together. I appreciated the tips for managing markers, who scribes, etc. I can see using those teaching moves beyond math. I'm struggling a bit with chapter 4 and the classroom set up. I wholeheartedly agree that the environment plays a HUGE role in the way students operate within the classroom. As I apply this philosophy to a 3rd grade classroom I'm left wondering if it would be sacrifice of classroom management/behaviors. In elementary there is so much that goes into the classroom environment; I wonder if applying classroom set up K-12 is realistic. The reality of a kindergarten room is vastly different than a high school classroom. I'm still processing everything and these chapters have given me a lot to think about. I'm excited to continue being pushed in my thinking and outside my comfort zone.
ReplyDeleteI had the exact same thoughts about the classroom set-up, Angie. I kept thinking, "He surely isn't referring to elementary classrooms, right?!" Like you said, there is so much that goes into our classroom layout, but maybe we can adapt some of his ideas for math instruction.
DeleteDefronting a classroom sounds completely asinine to someone who might be a little OCD {like maybe me 😂} But I like how Liljedahl pushes me to think. We can't expect different results if we always do the same thing. If we want a different/better outcome, then we have to change something. Sigh. Change is hard.
ReplyDeleteYes, and that is the nerve wrecking part of it but it also makes me want to try it. It encourages me and at least I can say that I tried it and it worked!
DeleteI really enjoyed Chapter2. I was pleasantly surprised to find out how successful visibly random groups were! This is definitely something I want to try in my classroom in the fall. I usually favored strategic grouping or student choice grouping. Sometimes these groups would work great, but other times not as much. There was always a student or two who would be upset that he or she was not working with their best friend during strategic grouping. However, with random grouping, I think that students will really enjoy the anticipation of seeing who their partner will be and getting the chance to work with a different person every time. I found the experiment in Chapter 3 to be very interesting. I was surprised to see that standing up and working on a vertical white board was produced the significantly higher results across almost all of the variables. Normally, I am the only one who writes on the large whiteboard in the classroom, but now I am thinking I might have students try it out next year!
ReplyDeleteI just loved this chapter about random groupings. Liljedahl wrote about how this removes social barriers and increases a willingness to take a risk and join in. I spent the last month of the 21-22 school year changing table groups each week with visible random assignment using their namesticks. They were so enthusiastic to see their groups and I noticed that they went well nearly every single time. I am definitely going to try more visible random groupings to see how that affects my classroom next year. Another area that I would like to try are VNPs. I've noticed that when I push students away from their desks to do a task that there is a different energy in the room. Trying VNPs sounds like a great way to visually track student work and be able to move around the room and push thinking. I liked how Liljedahl suggested to use one color for the teacher and give out just one pen for each workspace. These are small moves that could add to better tracking of student thinking vs. me monopolizing the conversation.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading about creating thinking classrooms, knowledge mobility and “pondering” the power of defronting – all great topics! I also appreciated the discussion about intentional grouping to create a balance of redundancy and diversity. I do incorporate randomized grouping in my classroom and I’ve seen the benefits, particularly when coupled with the use of VNPSs. The first time I saw this in action was at a math PD with Renae a few years ago. I remembering feeling such relief when our group was able to look around the room at the other groups’ dry-erase posters as a source for ideas and to support our thinking, especially when we were “stuck”. When I’ve used them with my class, I see more engagement, collaboration, and inclusivity. One strategy I’ve tried is giving each student in the group a different color marker, allowing me to quickly see who has contributed as I observe & provide support. We’ve also done “museum walks” where we visit the other groups’ posters silently, and then go back to our own posters and add to/modify our thinking before our whole group discussion. I’m still rolling around the idea of defronting from Chapter 4. As I begin the process of mapping out my classroom for the fall, I’m definitely going to try some of the micro-moves suggested. Liljedahl’s statement about how the placement of the furniture shapes the teacher’s intentions and their actions really resonated with me. Honestly, I’m not sure about the suggestion of every chair facing a different compass direction (!), but I’m excited to shake things up a bit, especially if it leads to increased student success.
ReplyDeleteThese chapters, once again, resonated with me and made a lot of sense! The idea that groups should be random was not new to me, but I did not realize how much more affective they were. The idea of having three in a group also made a lot of sense. I was especially struck by the idea of de-fronting the room and having a more random arrangement. I always have felt pride in being well organized, I now will spend more time organizing my planning and lessons around student thinking instead of how students can better focus on me and my teaching. I loved how these chapters provided well researched strategies to having a more student focused classroom.
ReplyDeleteOne section that made me pause and actually stop reading was when they talked about using whiteboards for group thinking tasks. I have always felt that using sheet paper and working around the room in collaborative groups would be valuable, but after reading why erasable surfaces were better for thinking, I put the book down and started researching availability on Amazon. I found several options and am excited to try them out in my class!
I really enjoyed these 3 chapters! I have tried all different types of grouping and the randomized grouping has always been most successful for me! The times when I try to be in charge of grouping has always backfired as I was so afraid of putting certain students together that I actually realized I was pairing them in the same groups over and over! I really liked the idea of students knowing exactly where they are going. I usually do that after assigning groups but before would be very helpful.
ReplyDeleteThinking about where students work in chapter 3 was very informative to me. Although I used vertical paper last year, I didn't know that paper was not as effective as whiteboards, but it totally makes sense. I had so many students that were afraid to jump in without validation first. The idea that you can fix your mistakes was comforting to them and the whiteboard helps with this. I also really enjoyed the idea of only having one marker per group and a different marker for my use. I can't wait to try that out!
The last chapter definitely made me a little more nervous. As a very organized person at work and at home, I really like to keep things very tidy in the classroom. I want to try a different set up and will need to make time to think about how this would work in the constraints of my class. With this being said, the line that resonated with me the most in this section was “Is the classroom layout for you or your students?”
I'm not really a non-fiction reader. I usually get uninterested very quickly, and end up either skimming, or re-reading paragraphs over and over again to get the gist. However, these three chapters captured my attention immediately. I was fascinated by the difference having random groupings made. I never really thought of all those components before and how they are affected by groupings. I will likely continue using popsicle sticks, and I'll add the use of creating groups more regularly from them.
ReplyDeleteThe other high interest section for me was how the classroom was arranged. I'm a firm believer that "When you're basically messy, neatness is a pain," as my poster behind my desk says. I always thought I was doing a disservice to my students by not placing them in rows. I can't stand how it feels like you are sitting, waiting to be called for jury duty. I do more fishbowl or groups of 3-4, and I am going to even tweak that further with changing where the chairs point. (And in actuality, that may help students not ram their chairs into each other.) I didn't see a lot of carpet talk in the chapter, which left me with questions. I typically do all of my lessons on the carpet, then have them move around the room for group/partner/or individual work. Our desks (although prime real estate-- must look into that as well) are really our launching pads. It seems I have quite a bit to figure out as I continue reading and planning for the future.
These three chapters were really fascinating to me and really got me thinking about my current practice teaching math (and even other content, too). There are elements that I wanted to jump up and down and say "Yay! I do that" and other points where I was thinking, "Oh heck no!" This would be the defronting the classroom as so much of our lessons are in slide decks that my team shares. Then I really got thinking about the fact that the level of thinking that has been happening is really not what I want my students to be doing, so that means I have to make a change to help them be better mathematicians, thinkers, problem solvers, and collaborators. I am already thinking about how I am going to set up my classroom (another move, so moving things is already in store) to promote more collaboration within groups (random 3s for math), pulling out my Wipeboards (I couldn't believe the difference in engagement and on-task behaviors in the chart in the book!), continuing to facilitate discussions among groups of learners, and I think the hardest part will be some kind of element of defronting my classroom - at least for math instruction. I already am a 'wanderer' (Liljedahl calls it "circulating the room" but I just can't stand still) but I truly want to get to the point where my students are doing the heavy lifting and I am there to support and guide when needed. I am really excited to try some of the Try This activities (p. 69 & 81) the first week of school as a way to try it out and see how students engage - even so early in the school year. I am intrigued to continue reading to see how he suggests more direct teaching (there has to be some element of this still, right?!?).
ReplyDeleteSo much to ponder, I'm glad it's not August yet!
I went through a similar thought process as I was reading, especially in the FAQs section, in thinking about how my practices have not consistently led to the kind of student thinking and engagement I was hoping for and what that means in terms of change. Thank you for sharing Christel and I am also very glad there is more time to ponder!
DeleteI am so curious about defronting when we just are getting so good at using slide decks and technology to higher quality levels. Pushing us to be more thoughtful about the "front" of our room has definitely made me think and rethink my classroom and kinda giving me the itch to get in my room and play around with design.
DeleteIn these three chapters, I found that the idea from the first section of reading about not asking if something is good or bad, but what is it good for resonating with me consistently. Personally, I prefer organization and order to my classroom environment. When I think about it through the lens of what is my desired outcome, it is to make my teaching life easier and to allow students to know what to expect. Neither of those things are bad and at the same time do they inherently promote thinking and risk taking and problem solving? No, they do not. Liljedahl's assertions about arranging furniture, in addition to forming groups and where they work, have me confronting some of my own beliefs and desired outcomes and how my choices lead to outcomes that may be different from my beliefs. Certainly things I will continue to ponder!
ReplyDeleteAs a strong advocate for choice and agency in the classroom, shifting to solely randomized grouping was a bit unnerving. I want each of my students to find enjoyment in the process of collaborating with their peers and not to feel coerced into working with others. Though with the frequency and visibility of random grouping throughout the day, it is evident that such an arrangement does in fact allow for choice in that students now enter into active roles rather than resorting to the passive roles to which they are accustomed in self-selected groupings. Further, students experience choice in the means why which they play out their empathetic capacities. They can choose to learn more about a peer with which they may have had little prior interactions and choose to demonstrate kindness as they support and encourage one another despite not already being friends. The idea of knowledge mobility and randomized grouping as a vessel to facilitate mobility was particularly profound and is a concept I want to explore and develop with my students from the very start of the school year.
ReplyDeleteNon-permanent surfaces and increasingly the mobility of groups during tasks and activities is one area I hope to improve on in my practice this year. With an unusually large class in a restrictive space, movement with groups proved difficult last year. However, with a (hopefully) smaller class size and less restrictive classroom space, I hope to scatter large whiteboards around the room and encourage students to work standing up. An undergraduate professor of mine used to have us work this way every lecture and called it "graffiti". This term pushed all of us to want to write and contribute, as it felt rebellious to be "writing" on the walls. I want to inspire the same sense of excitement with documenting our thinking among my students and am thinking through how I might rearrange my classroom to ensure my space is conducive to this collaborative practice. I am excited to play with desk and chair arrangements as soon as we are back in our classroom spaces. I want to continue using desk clusters but I plan to look at the angles at which these desks are placed and where each student's line of sight is naturally drawn to keep to focus away from the traditional "front" of the room. Excellent reading this week!
I like the idea that visible random groups allow students to enter their groups not knowing what their role will be which can lead to different students stepping forward to think. Another idea that stood out from Chapter 3 was, “when students are sitting, they feel anonymous. And when students feel anonymous, they are more likely to disengage.” This made me think critically about my classroom space and how I can set it up so students are likely to have high engagement. However, this quote and chapter also made me think of some of my learners who really prefer to be sitting, or like to contribute to the group but not be the writer with the marker. I think it is important to set these class norms from the beginning so that it is a safe space for all my students. In the FAQ for Chapter 4, I enjoyed reading the questions about teacher desks/projectors and where it could be, the ideas definitely make me think I want to try something new in the Fall!
ReplyDeleteThe quote about students feeling anonymous resonated with me, as well. Anything I can do to engage those students who would prefer to blend into the background is key. These are the students I tend to hand the pen to first when using Wipebooks, for example.
DeleteI am really LOVING this book! As MHuizenga stated, I am not a big non-fiction reader either, but these chapters are so easy to read, I love the format and the FAQ/Micro/Macro moves sections. Probably because we have such a connection to the content. These chapters really hit home and I am so glad we are reading them in summer, prior to classroom set-up. The frequent random groups really resonated with me. I do tons of partner work during math, and I often let them pick partners but also randomly would pair 2 students. There were a large number of students who preferred that I paired them randomly instead of choosing their own partner, I can see why. I think using frequent random grouping from the start will help all students realize that it is for a short time and build community from the start. Also, groups of 3! YES, instead of partners groups of 3 makes so much sense! I wonder, if I don't have a multiple of 3 is it better to go bigger (4) in the last group or smaller (2)?
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 3 I was not surprised by the success of VNPS over notebooks, but I was surprised that chart paper was not as effective. That ability to erase is huge. I really appreciated Liljdahl's tips to keep kids from erasing too much to see their emerging thinking. I have WIPE boards but have lost a couple to damage, I will definitely be setting up my classroom to allow for space to hang the "wipe boards" around the room.
As far as chapter 4, I am with everyone else so far, "defronting" the classroom when my projector and slide decks are clearly the front will take some thought on how to move myself (and computer hook-ups) to other areas. I feel like my desk groups lean toward a defronted classroom, it is more where I position the focal points of our day, schedule, calendar, learning targets, etc. I can see moving our daily schedule to a horizontal format (maybe?) or to the "back" of the classroom. I think this would be easier if we had white boards in more than 1 location in our rooms, they are all (3) across "The Front!". This is the trickiest idea so far. Working on it though.
Jill, I love the layout of the book as well. The summary is so helpful, it gives such a clear and concise wrap up of the chapter. Also, in each of the Q & A sections there have been questions listed that I had rolling around in my head!
DeleteI loved what I read in these chapters. I have always used randomized groupings with popsicle sticks or cards, but it was amazing to see how powerful they are compared to other groupings. I always just did it to bring fresh partners and get them working with new people in the room that they wouldn't necessarily choose, event though those partnerships do happen at times. I loved the non-notebook conversation. I love using the wipebooks as vertical surfaces in the classroom, taping them to tables and standing tables vertically. It is so engaging and the kids love them. Set up is a bit of time but well worth it. The idea of 3 in a group versus 2 in intermediate makes complete sense, as does rarely letting kids pick their own partners. As for "defronting" the classroom, the focal point like everyone else's classrooms is the projector, but I have my easel in the back of the room to change their "horizon" and focal point. Funny, because being in a portable we only have 1 side with boards and such in the classroom and that is the "front". I am hoping to use the easel even more to achieve "defronting".
ReplyDeleteMy takeaway from chapters 2-4 was that building a thinking classroom will dramatically change the way that teachers and students engage with one another, as well as teacher-student dynamics in problem solving. I continue to be inspired by the practical and sensible implementation tips, and just in time, for back to school.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about the classroom culture that I am trying to foster for my students, the only grouping that makes sense is frequent, visibly random groups. Prior to this, I utilized a combination of student-selected or strategic grouping. I often felt discomfort with student-selected groups, as the social structures of my classroom were evident, and craving a bit of fluidity. I appreciate that random groups create a space where barriers are broken down, which is one catalyst to promoting student thinking.
Differentiation is the core of my teacher-heart, and I was eager to hear how this might happen with random groups. The “forms of knowledge mobility” put my mind at ease, as I pictured each of my students having what they needed to be successful with the activity. I was very inspired to hear that with this process, groups make that important shift from relying on the teacher to intragroup or intergroup reliance. Thinking classrooms differentiate by the hints and extensions given, while the base task remains constant. The picture of inclusivity is random groupings of children, having access to the tools they need to be successful, working collaboratively to solve the same problem.
Most students yearn to collaborate with their peers and the formation of groups happens often in my classroom. I have tried many different methods of forming groups, including randomized groups. I've done this using technology, craft sticks, playing cards, etc. The one challenge I find is that forming these groups takes time and disrupts the flow of learning as compared to pre-determined groups. I appreciated the practical suggestion that the "method of randomization doesn't just tell them what group they are in, but it also tells them where to go to meet their group." I'm open to any suggestions for making this transition happen more efficiently.
ReplyDeleteI am thankful for previous professional development opportunities to practice using non-permanent vertical surfaces. Prior to the pandemic, I used our team's set of Wipebooks while a parent was volunteering in my room, and she was so impressed with student engagement that she bought me my own set as an end-of-year gift! I do find it time-consuming to set these up in my classroom with a lack of empty vertical space. This chapter, and the following one about de-fronting the classroom, had me drawing diagrams and thinking about different ways I can use NPVS more efficiently. (For example, I thought about cutting them smaller and/or using velcro to quickly hang them up.) I know that working around the room and with groups encourages thinking in my classroom. I'm not sure about de-fronting the classroom, but I believe there are forms of this that do increase engagement such as teaching from different spots in the room.
I was so pleased to see the positive findings of the visibly random selection of groupings. I have always tended to randomly group my students using popsicle stick names, but I usually let them choose their own place in the room to work. I might try mixing it up and assign spots ahead of time to decrease the transition time, though. I am also thinking about how to use NPVS in my classroom this year. My students use whiteboards every day for math, but I haven't tried putting them vertically before. Time to invest in some shower curtains! :)
ReplyDeleteI loved these three chapters! Truly forming random groups that are visible to the kids was so helpful. I found the author's research so interesting regarding this. I am excited to model forming random groups with the staff that I work with and see how it goes! The use of vertical non-permanent surfaces was interesting to me as well. It really made me stop and think about me as a teacher writing on VNPS's constantly, yet the kids don't. But when they do, it's so exciting for them. The author provided so many tips and tricks for doing this with students that I really appreciated. I found dry erase peel and stick paper at the store not long after reading this chapter, I was so excited that I picked up a couple to try them out before ordering more! The chapter on physically organizing a thinking classroom was such a relief to me when the author said that students think better in a classroom with some clutter and where things are NOT super neat and tidy (my classroom must have really lended itself to thinking, LOL). So much of the information in this chapter will be helpful when I'm working with teachers.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of random grouping and use this strategy in my classroom quite often. It was interesting to me that the researcher found that students actually enjoy random groups instead of being placed with friends or choosing their own groups.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 3, I was not surprised by the research that students perform better when standing but it really made me think about all the tasks students do in a given day and how I can get them out of their seat and in a different location. My go-to is usually on the floor but this chapter made me think about how students could complete task in different parts of our classroom. I have a very small classroom and the idea of vertical whiteboards is something I would like to try. My students already write right on their desks, I wonder if the white board markers would erase from the cabinets. I also really like the idea of students being able to see what other groups have done on their task. If a group is stuck this might provide them with an idea to begin the task. Thinking back to last year and my team’s work on number talks, I was the one always holding the pen. In this coming year, I am going to strive to have the students be the ones holding the pen more often.
This book makes me think!! I am so eager to get back in my classroom and think about the arrangement of the space. It was so interesting to read about the institutionalized systems and social dynamics in play in the classroom that are dictating student workspaces, as well as how the arrangement of furniture can send messages to our students. As I set up my classroom this year I want to prioritize creating/establishing space for vertical worksurfaces. I am excited about the increased energy, knowledge mobility, and talk they will generate!
ReplyDeleteVisibly random grouping is another simple change I want to make! Although I use visibly random grouping at times it is not something I have done with consistency. I have found a couple digital tools to try (i.e. https://www.classtools.net/random-group-generator/) and would like to attempt partner pairing cards again, after having given up on them last year (whoops:/). When I used partner pairing cards in the past I didn’t designate a location for each pair to work, I am hopeful that in doing so, the process of getting into groups will be more efficient and fun for students!