Sarah White
T O P I C :
Limited Participation
Sarah Poses the Question. . . .
September 7, 2007
How do you get more participation out of a class when there are only two students who raise their hands every time a question is asked? Note: I have said, "Let's try someone else who hasn't had a chance to answer." This works for the most part, but there are two of my classes where this method rarely works.
Rachel Courtney answers. . . .
September 16, 2007
One method I saw that elicits participation from all students, or requires it, is to get a cup and fill it with popsicle sticks. Then write students' name on a stick. As questions come up pull a stick out of the cup and the student whose name is on the stick must answer. The students recognize this as fair and random. If a student answers without being called on, their popsicle stick is removed. This seems to motivate the students and they come prepared.
Kendra Jones answers. . . .
September 22, 2007
I had this same problem when I began taking over classes. At first I was just simply repeating facts, but I realized that I needed to relate the information to the students rather than just talking. If I don't try to connect to them (in my case on an 8th grade level) then they don't want to participate because I am probably talking over their heads. I know it sounds crazy but like Friday, I helped them remember what was in the nucleus of an atom by remembering "Pretty Nucleus" for Protons and Neutrons. Repetition also has helped me; I will say a fact like, "Electrons carry a negative charge," and then go on to the difference between an element and an atom, then I will go back and say, "Now what kind of charge do electrons have?" and they seem to get it, some classes after the third or fourth time. When I have no students who raise their hands, I call on the students who don't seem to be paying attention. If they don't know the answer I don't embarrass them. I just try to help them out with hints or say, "Can anyone help so and so out?" I have a lot of students who know the answer but don't raise their hands, but every time I call on them they can tell me the answer exactly. So really it just depends on your audience I guess. But this has seemed to help in my situation. Good Luck.
Megan McGrew answers. . . .
September 23, 2007
I know this doesn't always work, but my mentor and I just start calling on people to answer the questions. I completely ignore hands up when it's the same students raising them over and over. I do have a few classes like that. It helps me just to call on random people, though it is a bit of a problem because I still haven't gotten down everyone's name. I have also found that this keeps the students on their toes and listening because they never know when I might call on them next.
Brian Ross answers. . . .
September 28, 2007
We use a similar idea to what Rachel said. We have a set of notecards for each class with each student's name on a card. If participation is a problem, we get out the notecards and call on the student whose name is on top. If they answer the question, their card gets placed on the bottom of the stack.
Savita Malshe answers. . . .
October 2, 2007
We use a similar technique as Rachel mentioned with the popsicle sticks. When you ask a student a question by randomly pulling out a stick, he/she may answer the question, but if you keep it aside, then the student might not attend to any further questions/discussions. The student knows that he/she has been asked a question already and that the stick with his/her name on it has been removed.
So, a trick to remedy this is to put a cup inside a cup with the popsicle sticks in the inside cup. Draw a stick at random, ask a question to the selected student, and keep the stick back but put it in the outside cup. Then the student thinks that it was put back in and still he/she may be selected to answer a question.
Dr. FAB responds. . . .
October 7, 2007
Regarding Savita Malshe's answer:
That's one way to keep students' attention to the task, Savita, but I think it is a bit deceptive on our part as teachers. However, I am also not the teacher in a classroom of middle or secondary students, so in that context, I might do the same thing.
What do you think, interns? Do you think this technique borders on deception? Would you try it? How could you connect this strategy to the greater issue of motivation? What Pathwise domain / criterion would you use to make a connection to any of these questions?
Savita, Do you find that this technique works with the students in your class?
Jamie Dale responds....
October 10, 2007
I don't think that the cup inside of a cup is deceptive. Some of the students might be inclined to tune out after their name is called to answer a question because they don't think they will have to answer another one. If the students think that they might be called upon again, then they will likely pay better attention. It really isn't much different than doing the discussion or answering questions without the popsicle stick method. The students still believe they have an equally likely chance of being called upon and, therefore, need to continue to pay attention. As a future teacher, I think that I will likely use this method (the popsicle sticks or clothespins) for a random, yet equal way to include each student in participation.
Rachel Courtney responds. . . .
October 14, 2007
Re: Dr. Bowles' answer:
In response to Dr. Bowles' comment about deception in the classroom, I don't think it is an issue. I find myself using deception more than I'd like. You have to bluff sometimes. If deception is an issue, just put the sticks back in and give them the chance to be called on again. They would stay on their toes. I use a student and team selector tool and often the same team will be called on in one class period. However, at the same time, some teams have never been called on when I use this tool. The students make sure their teammates understand and can answer the question. This requires group cooperation and keeps them engaged most of the time.
Jane Keen answers. . . .
October 18, 2007
Sarah, I have found that when I initially ask a question, there are only a few students in my class who raise their hands. This has led me to discover the uncomfortable pause. I ask a question, and wait for more hands to go up... and I wait longer sometimes.
If I don't get much response about a question, I will say a little more about the topic to the class, and then give them a minute to talk it over with the person sitting next to them, and then I ask it again.
I like the popsicle idea, but some students feel really embarrassed if they don't know the answer. Then, they may know the other question, and they get kind of mad because they didn't get called on to answer that one.
If the question is something that they definitely should know because we have gone over it a million times, then it seems to me that the popsicle sticks would be usable. However, if it is something that you are just getting into, give them a chance to volunteer, and if they need it, to discuss.
Sabrina Schaefer answers....
October 27, 2007
Like Rachel's class we, too, have the Popsicle sticks. If they do not know, I give them a chance, and then maybe re-word the question. If they are still stuck, then I let them ask a friend to help them. Also, we go over bell ringers everyday, and students get to go to the board and work out a math problem. I find lots of students want to be able to go to the board. If a student is shy and doesn't want to talk or go to the board due to being afraid of being embarrassed, we give them the option of having someone work it with them, or I will help them. If we have a word problem I might let them read the problem out loud so that they are still participating in the lesson. I have noticed that some students know the answer, but when they are called on, they get a little scared and will not answer. I have asked questions before, and they said "I don't know;" then when I looked at their paper, the answer was perfect. The other day a student couldn't explain how to answer a question about a box-and-whisker plot, but she was able to go to the board and work it out. Then we went over as a class what she did. I think having the different options of answering a question, reading, or going to the board will get students involved more in the lesson, or at least it has been working in my classes.
Planet Gnosis is directed by Dr. Freddie A. Bowles,
Assistant Professor of Foreign Language Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Planet Gnosis is dedicated to the exploration of education and teaching. It is a cybersite of CornDancer.com, a developmental website for the Mind and Spirit. Submissions are invited. |
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