beacon media supporting christian schooling worldwide working with a group
TRANSCRIPT
Beacon MediaBeacon MediaSupporting Christian schooling Supporting Christian schooling
worldwideworldwide
Working with a group
The value of group workCollaborative learning – children work together
Children learn from each other and with each other – not just passive listening
Children may be grouped according to ability and can therefore be helped at their own level
Fewer resources needed
Information in, information out
Is there creative thinking involved?
Types of group workLiteracy and Maths groups according to ability
levels
Projects
Creative work such as art or story writing – the teacher’s aid can supervise a group while the teacher is working with the rest of the class
ProjectsOn topics of interest
Usually Science, Social Studies
Children find out information for themselves by researching
What are research skills?“Finding out” skills
Using written, visual or verbal information
Reporting on the information found
Why should we teach students to research?
When engaged in research student will:
develop skills for life long learning
be able to find out information for themselves
be inspired to learn as they answer their own questions
become independent learners
Inquiry-based learningStudents want to find out about topics of
interest
Teacher finds out what the students want to know. The students present questions.
How do they find out?
How do children find out?Students should be encouraged to ask
questions.
The teacher’s aide can direct the children in finding out the answers to their questions.
How can children find out?Exploring
Observing
Excursions
Science experiments
Speakers
Books and computers
Demonstrations
Primary students can learn research skills by doing
projectsSteps:
Choose a topic – whole class or individual
Make a list of questions – ask who, what, when, where, why, how
These questions can become headings for the project.
Sort the information and organize it under the headings.
Guidelines when helping students with their projects
When supervising students with research, be alert when it comes to the literature the students are using.
Is the material telling the truth?
Is the material presenting humanistic and evolutionary viewpoints?
Are there any references to “millions of years”?
Is there anything that goes against the Bible?
If you find any problems with the material, discuss it with your student and later, inform the teacher.
Skills for students to master Tips for children when doing research:
First draft:
When reading information encourage the student to look for the main ideas. They write these ideas as dot points under headings.
They do not write whole sentences at this stage.
Second draft:
Now they expand the dot points into whole sentences.
They organize the sentences into paragraphs.
They have their work checked for mistakes.
Third draft:
This is the final. They add drawings and coloured headings.
They include references.
What other resources can be used?
Apart from books and texts students use:
maps
charts
posters
photographs
interviews
objects
Group projectsA group leader is chosen to co-ordinate the
project.
Work in pairs. Each pair takes a different aspect of the topic.
Then they share with each other what they have found out.
The leader assigns jobs for the final presentation – headings, written information, illustrations.
What is the supervisor’s role?A supervisor can be a teacher or a teacher’s aide.
The supervisor moves around the groups making sure that all are participating
Helps out where needed
Inspires
Presentation of projectsPosters
3D Models
Hand made books
Class talks
Posters
Charts
Models
Hand-made books
Self-assessment of a project
The following questions can be presented to the students BEFORE doing their project so they know where they should be heading.
The students can use the questions at the END of the project to see how well they have done.
Have I explained how God is involved in this topic?
Have I written in my own words and not just copied slabs of text?
Have I written in full sentences?
Have I used paragraphs?
Have I included any of my own original ideas or opinions?
Have I thought about whether the information is actually true? Or does it include some untruths such as evolution?
Would any part of this information be against what the Bible has to say?
Is the project interesting, neat, clear and well designed?
Does it include pictures / diagrams / graphs?
A summary of what to present in a written research
project Topic title
Questions and answers (who, what, when, where, why, how)
OR main idea headings with information set out under headings
A sentence or paragraph about God and the topic
A Scripture to support this
Diagrams, drawings or photographs
A list of references
DiscussionWhat are some of the challenges you might face
when working with a group, and how can you overcome any problems that might arise?