Chapter 2: How we form collaborative groups

 This chapter deals with forming collaborative groups to work in. Now I know that this is important, but I also know that I've struggled with this over the years. The perfect group size is 3. I learned that in the modeling course and he reiterates it in this book. 3 is the magic number. In groups of 4 someone can lay back and not do anything. In groups of 2 someone usually takes control. Groups of 3 are the perfect size for collaboration. So I will try for groups of 3 - it is not always possible. 

He also says that the randomization should be completely transparent to the students. One suggestion he makes is a deck of cards. As the students enter the room, they take a card from you. The groups will form based on the card they drew. So all the 3s will be one group, all the kings will be one group, etc. I like this idea and even have a bunch of decks of playing cards I can use. However, there are a couple of problems. 

First problem: I need to have the cards match the number of students and the number of groups that I want. So if I want groups of 3, I need to remove one of each card so there are only 3 of them. So I will need to remove the fourth ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, ..... etc. Then I also need the number of groups that each class has. So if a class has 24 students, I need 24 cards. If another class has 19 students, I need 19 cards. That means that I need a separate deck for each class. But I can't throw the cards away because the classes will shuffle in the first few weeks and at the beginning of the next semester. So I basically need to have a full deck for each class and then keep the whole deck even if I don't use it. I can do that with the drawers I have. I will keep the deck for each class in their draw and pull them out before class starts to hand them out. 

Second problem: Not all numbers divide nicely by 3. If that happens, I imagine I will just have to have a group or two of 4. There is no way around that. The good news is that it won't be permanent, it will change every day. So the same 4 people won't be together every day. 

Third problem: What if someone is absent? I will end up with uneven groups. I guess I can adjust on the fly. So if two people are absent and a group ends up with just one, I could assign them to another group just for the day. Yeah, I just have to be a little flexible. 

Fourth problem: How to I keep students from switching cards to be in the group they want to be in? A couple of ways. I could ask to see their cards as they choose and point them to the right area for work. That will make them think that I actually know what card they have and what group they should be in. I cannot remember what the other way was. I know when I started this paragraph I had two things in mind and now I just don't remember. 

Fifth problem: If I distribute cards every day, I have to have a routine for collecting them to ensure that I get all of them back every day. My initial thought was a basket or tray on the tables that they put the cards in once they find their tables. I still think that would work if, again, I build that routine. 

Sixth problem: Do I want them to collect at the tables or at the whiteboards? I think I will set up the tables with the suits of the cards and that is where they will go and drop their stuff. As I think this through, I think each table will have a suit and each whiteboard will have a suit. They will pull their cards, go to their tables, get their stuff, drop their cards in the tray, and then head up to their whiteboards. Again, this is all a matter of building routines. 

As I was writing out the routine I want to establish for them, I'm trying to think of how I will take attendance. That needs to be done at the beginning of class. I was thinking of having a list of their names on the board (projected) and they would indicate what group they are in for the day. That would do a couple of things; give me the groups so I know what they are and allow me to take attendance quickly. That means that I would need to have the bellwork presented in some other manner. Maybe a post it note on top of the whiteboard for them to start on. That would also prevent someone from shouting out loud the answer if it is projected on the board. 

I like this. It will take some reinforcement on my part to make sure they establish the routine, but I like it and think it will work well.