I asked K.J. what he liked best about school so far and he was excited to tell me about the video project he was doing with a classmate. Apparently, they were divided into partners and they are each doing a 45 second video based on a content area. K.J. got science, which is his favorite subject, but he was a little frustrated with his partner because his partner had never used the technology before. There also seemed to be a little conflict about which background music to use, yada, yada. WOW! Just think for a second what a useful skill that will be in the future…helping a co-worker…figuring out how to give and take…collaborating for the good of the group…I could go on and on.
However, I’ll just stay check out my website today because I’ve got some terrific ideas for group work and partner projects. It gives me such JOY to come up with these ideas to share with you. Teaching is like a revolving door because 25 years ago we were “into” cooperative learning…and here we are again! Why? Because in real life and in the work force of the future, knowing how to work in groups is critical. As you read through the different activities on my website, think about implementing one a week to add a little variety to a task that you would ordinarily ask children to do independently.
I’ve also got a free song download called “Mother Goony Bird.” Yep, it’s another silly song, but the sweet thing is it’s just as much fun to sing today as was years ago. You’ll also find a Spanish version by Boca Beth.
HAPPY OCTOBER!!!