Eating an Elephant

One Bite at a Time

This week we have two methods that promote teamwork. The first one is different from many group-work activities in that it maintains individuality, while holding each student accountable for his or her own work.

The second one does allow students to express their own ideas and contribute to a consensus paper; and, if the individual papers were submitted with the consensus paper, it would also prevent lazy students from "coasting" on the efforts of their peers.

Web of Many Colors - This technique makes sure that all the team members contribute to the project, and that each student's work is readily distinguishable from the rest of the individuals in the team's work. First, provide each team with a large piece of butcher paper. Next, each team writes the key word for that team in the middle of the paper. Then provide each team member with a different colored marker. Taking turns, each team member, writes an important concept that "webs"out from the key word. This process is repeated several times, enlarging and elaborating the web. When completed, each student should be able to justify his portion of the web when sharing the group's web with the instructor and the whole class. (Estes, B.)

Five Minute Group Paper- A variation of the one-minute paper. Each team member writes a one minute paper on the group's topic. The group then merges, refines, and rewrites a consensus paper taken from all the team's individual one minute papers. This will take a little longer than a minute. Instructors should count on about seven to ten minutes of class time. The advantage of this is students learn to synthesize information and argue points in a logical manner. (Estes, 2006)

If you have time and don't want to wait for the next bite, you can find the rest of the toolbox in myOzarka under the "Ozarka Resources" tab.

Or you can follow this link:

http://www.ozarka.edu/files/resources/teachingtoolbox.doc

I will be posting each section in the Student Success Center Blog. So if you are interested in checking out "back bites," you can find them there.

Or you can follow this link:
http://www.ozarka.edu/blogs/success/index.cfm/Weekly-Postings-for-Faculty-

Hope you enjoyed it.