It is standard practice at many universities across the country to ask students to submit a written evaluation of each of their professors at the end of the semester. One student demonstrated a profound understanding of the difference between gathering information and learning with an observation she wrote on a professor’s evaluation form. The question to which she responded was as follows:

"What Suggestions Would You Make to the Professor for Improving the Course?"

Her answer:

"Don't give pity points- even failing can have dignity. Don't tell people to memorize large amounts of material and then be surprised when they're no longer capable of original thought."

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

The Institute is currently registering the limited number of teams that will be enrolled for the 2004 summer conference. Don’t miss the opportunity for this unique conference that models the constructivist behaviors that teaches are using increasingly in the classroom. Check out the website of The Institute for Learning Centered Education: www.learnercentereded.org or, e-mail a request for information.

Copyright (c) 2004, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

I’ve had enough. Within a week, I will begin a walk to Albany that will take me past every media outlet and every legislator’s office in the state. My message will be simple:

Any legislator who cares about our children needs to report to Albany at once, demand that colleagues convene immediately, and get into a room, with the governor, and not leave until a budget has been passed that gives the dedicated, caring people in our schools at least a chance of leaving no child behind. Any legislator who is unwilling to do this, and to demonstrate that our children are our number one priority, should be voted out of office.

If you feel strongly about the impact of late State budgets, and this one in particular, please complete the attached and return it to me ASAP. Three hundred people at our just concluded “Constructivist Design Conference” have indicated their level of support. What’s yours?

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2004, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

The June 28 newsletter focused on parental involvement strategies forwarded from our good friend GS Kumar in India. The strategies he suggested in his newsletter were thought provoking and, as a result, I forwarded several questions to him. His responses follow:

Q. How do you hold students accountable for their parents’ attendance (at school sponsored events where their participation is valued)? What are the consequences for students whose parents do not attend?

A. The standardized notice to parents requesting them to attend the meeting is written on the black board. The students copy it on a paper which is signed by the class teacher. The students obtain signatures of the parents and deposit it with class teacher. Due to this system, most parents attend. Those who are absent give reasons. Because of the high attendance we are not pursuing absent cases. Students become responsible and involved rather than accountable.

Q. What, specifically, is the "student diary"? What do students need to address in it? How often do they need to do this? Who gets to read it?

A. After some failures, we have now started the system of a note-book with each student. Periodically or whenever justified, the concerned teacher records good/bad remarks in the note-book called “Diary of the student.” This will be seen and signed by parents. Thus the students, parents, teachers and others refer to it. At the end of this academic year (June 04 to April 05) we will evaluate the experience.

Q. What is the "gift scheme"?

A. The gift scheme is sponsored by JanMitra, our organisation of like minded persons who are regularly contributing. The last two years we gave gifts to 50 to 80 students three times in a year. The total amount we spent was about Rs 40,000 (one US $=Rs 46) per year. We select top five from Telugu medium and top three from Hindi medium based on quarterly, half-yearly and annual exams for classes 5 to 10.The cost of each gift varies from Rs 100 to Rs 200. The gifts are decided based on the choice of students. This scheme has become quite popular and is encouraging good performance. This year we have announced special gifts to students who show significant progress irrespective of rank.

Q. What kinds of classes would not have teachers?

A. We have 9 vacancies of teachers. Plus some teachers 2- 3 are on leave. Total strength is about 20. Thus these classes will not have a teacher. Government sanctions in the ratio of one teacher for 40 students. I am still looking for ideas on how to deal with classes without teachers. One suggestion is that selected students are assigned responsibility to organize some educational/learning program.

Q. What is an X class?

A. It is 10 th class. After this the students leave the school.

Don, thanks for showing interest in our school.

The information about the tasks being taken up at your conference is very interesting. Some issues are relevant for our situation too. We are examining them with a view to identify activity-based programs. Thanks for sending the useful information.

Regards and good wishes,

GS kumar

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2004, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

Toby Marr, an outstanding teacher from Canada via Niagara University sent along these quotes about leadership:

Here are some quotes on leadership that I thought you might like. I particularly like the last one...think about it.

A good team leader is someone who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less of his share of the credit. Arnold A. Glasgow


Leadership is action, not position. Donald H. McGannon


Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. Dwight David Eisenhower


Good leaders were first good followers. Navy Saying


True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers, not the enrichment of the leaders. Robert Townsend


You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips. Oliver Goldsmith


And when we think we lead, we are most led. George G Byron

Toby, here are a few more that I located after being inspired by your quotes:

A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go but ought to be. Charles A. Cerami


It's not empowerment that's magic, it's accountability. Give people responsibility and the resource to get something done. Let them understand that they will be held accountable for it, that you are expecting those results, and that they are going to share in the success. Then watch what happens. Brian Tracy


I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. Ralph Nader


Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion. Edmund Burke


A good leader neither follows her constituents, nor gets so far ahead she loses them. Don Mesibov

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2004, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

Jim Waterson who coordinates the administrative education program for St. Lawrence University refuses to take credit for the following poem/song even though he put the words on paper. Jim coaxed the ideas from a group of high school students at the 2003 summer constructivist conference and feels authorship belongs to them. Jim has put these words to music at each of the past two summer conferences and many people have requested a copy. Here it is:

What Will We Learn In School Today
by Jim Waterson (with a little help from his friends)

See the children off to school,
What will be the golden rule,
What will they learn in school today?

Will they learn to compete,
That it's fail or succeed,
What will they learn in school today?

Rushing through a world filled with uncertainty,
Pacified by gadgets and TV,
Parents running crazy just to make ends meet,
Are the things they value,
What their children need?

What will be the latest norm,
In educational reform,
What will you teach in school today?

Is it all about the test,
Labeled worst, called the best,
How will you teach in school today?

What's the latest mantra the researchers preach?
What are the current standards,
that our children need to reach?
Are the things we value,
What we really teach?

It's time to start asking me,
How I learn and what I see,
What will we learn in school today?

Everybody's not the same,
I have a face, I've got a name,
What will you teach in school today?
How will you teach in school today?
What will we learn in school today?

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2004, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

At the 2004 summer constructivist conference at St. Lawrence University, three students asked parents what they would like to know about student attitudes. Then they posed the parents’ questions to students. Here are the questions and the student responses:

The Five Questions Posed by Parents on the Parent Survey:

~ “Are you tempted to take drugs?”
Our team is not tempted to take drugs. But the pressure is still definitely there. The main indicator of the amount of temptation is the people that your child hangs out with. Get to know who your child’s friends are.

~ “How do you motivate a child who isn’t motivated academically?”
Children who have trouble in school compare themselves by the grades they get. However, what really needs to be stressed is not that. It is by how much they have learned and how well they understand. If you get the child to reflect on how much they have learned during the year, it will make them feel better and boost their self-esteem.

~ “Why do you really want your nose pierced? When are the dreads (hair) going to go?”
“It’s stylish”, “It makes a statement of rebellion”, and “I thought it would look good,” were responses we got. Also, “Students may think it looks appealing,” or they may do it to “fit in” or “stand out”.

Dreads- We think that as the students get older, their styles change. And with the change, the dreads will go.

~ “How are they feeling about things that have happened during their day?”
Make a conversation about school friendly and not interrogational. Lines of communication should always be open, and, if lucky, your child might share with you his/her day.

~ “How are you feeling about your day?” (This question was posed to a group of students working on a team at the summer conference. Following is the collective response from the team of students.)
“I feel over-worked at points, yet educated and rewarded. I feel that no amount of work could ever take away from the amount of fun I’ve had this week.”

The responses (above) were generated by Angela Moo and Raina Mesibov, two students about to enter ninth grade, and Chelsea Falcetta who is entering her freshman year at St. Lawrence University. They were skilfully facilitated by retired middle school social studies teacher Greg Littell. The following was written by Chelsea:

Personally, I have never been tempted in the eighteen years of my life to even try drugs. However, I can attempt to offer you some understanding as to why a child may feel tempted to take drugs. My response to you will be based on the work of Dr. William Glasser.
We all behave and act in a manner that meets our five basic needs: freedom, fun, love and belonging, power, and survival. When we feel our needs are not being met we act based on our feelings and physiology (“we drive on our car’s rear wheels,” as Glasser would say). Meaning we are no longer thinking or acting within our five basic needs. Yet, many may still wonder- why are their needs not being met?
Glasser tells us there are Seven Deadly Sins, as well as Seven Caring Habits. Those seven deadly sins- nagging, criticizing, blaming, complaining, threatening, punishing, and bribing or rewarding to control, can leave a person feeling short of love and belonging, power, freedom, even fun. Some may feel as though their emotional survival is at stake. This pushes them to choose an alternative to meet their needs. Taking drugs may be such an alternative for some. Drugs cannot punish, complain, threaten, nag, blame, or criticize them. At least this is how the individual feels, without being completely cognizant of consequences.
Perhaps to further understand why your child has made such a decision, don’t place blame and fight with your child. The child’s behavior is the issue at hand. Ask your child what is it that they want? What is it they are doing? Is what you are doing getting you what you truly want? Is there any way to change their behavior to get what they want? Instead of utilizing those Seven Deadly Sings, try to utilize these Seven Caring Habits:

1. Encouraging

2. Supporting

3. Listening

4. Accepting

5. Trusting

6. Respecting

7. Negotiating Differences

Just remember too much harmful external control can destroy relationships. Don’t blame and criticize; listen and support. Negotiate and accept. Do your best to respect them and trust they can change. With your help and encouragement their needs will be met and they will begin to make positive choices.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2004, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

Here is a repeat of an article I run every year at this time. It discusses strategies for helping students understand their own multiple intelligence strengths.

As you read Carol’s description of how she teaches multiple intelligences and then helps students use their understanding of their strengths, please consider another important idea: to teach a concept requires learning over a period of time; it requires experience with a concept in a variety of situations. I understand the concept of integrity by applying my definition in different situations – for instance, I wrestle with integrity when hearing of a ballplayer using a corked bat, when seeing someone lie about his age in order to get a discount, and when discussing what constitutes cheating on a test. My learning of the concept of “integrity” grows with each different situation I think about.

Because few of us grasp a concept in one class period, or even a week, it is important for a teacher to revisit important concepts throughout the year. Therefore, I am suggesting that teachers identify the most difficult concepts embedded in the standards their students will address, and introduce them early in the school year so that there are numerous opportunities to have students apply their understanding in a variety of situations. Gouverneur world literature teacher Carol Amberg introduces the concept of multiple intelligences during the first week of school and this allows the full year for students to apply this concept.

Teaching about “Multiple Intelligences” to high school students:

In response to my question asking Carol how she teaches about multiple intelligences, I received this response:

“On the first day of class, I introduce communication theory and ask the students to brainstorm diverse ways we send messages (body language, sign language, writing, talking, dance, scent, songs, etc.). I have a "wheel graphic" of the multiple intelligences, labeled in ‘shorthand’: Word Smart, Math Smart, Body Smart, People Smart, Self Smart, Music Smart, Picture Smart, Nature Smart posted on the bulletin board. I introduce multiple intelligences using that and we talk about how people with each kind of "smarts" send and receive messages.

“Then I ask the students to come up with jobs in which each intelligence would be an asset (i.e. architects = spatial intelligence, athletes = bodily-kinesthetic, etc.) We carry that over into our discussions of characters we meet in poems we analyze together, each of the first three days, and authors we discuss (i.e. Thoreau must have had nature intelligence to live at and write about Walden Pond).

“This is carried over into our first novel, “Siddhartha” where we conclude that someone who practices meditation develops intra personal intelligence, someone who becomes an ascetic scorns bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, etc. In other words, I try to weave it into everything we do to reinforce the learning. The same thing goes for how we receive messages through our senses, so poets and writers appeal to them through imagery.

“I find that starting with theory and then recognizing concrete examples as we go helps them apply the theory as well as remember the examples. The process culminates in the students designing projects near the end of the semester where they choose one self-identified preferred/strong intelligence and one weaker one and use both in demonstrating their understanding of a communication concept.”

Thank you, Carol, for the permission to share your innovative work with multiple intelligences.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2004, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

The Institute is currently registering the limited number of teams that will be enrolled for the 2005 summer conference. Don’t miss the opportunity for this unique conference that models the constructivist behaviors that teaches are using increasingly in the classroom. Check out the website of The Institute for Learning Centered Education: Index++++++++++www.learnercentereded.org or, e-mail a request for information. Large discounts for registration prior to the new year.

School curriculum usually focuses on too many things students ought to know and not enough things they absolutely need to know.

There is one major reform that needs to occur in our schools: we must identify the very few things that every student needs to know in each discipline, each year, and we must focus all of the school’s efforts and resources on making certain that every student masters this limited number of objectives.

Ask any teacher (or group of teachers at the same grade level or in the same department) the following question:

“What are the two, three, or four things a student must absolutely understand and be able to apply before leaving you at the end of the year?”

You will quickly get a definitive response. This is as certain to happen from 10th grade social studies teachers or 4th grade teachers discussing math. Every teacher knows, in the gut, what his or her students must learn to be successful.

For instance, first grade teachers may respond, with regard to reading, that “a student needs to be able to identify each letter of the alphabet and some sounds that are associated with each letter.” If this is the case, then the primary objective of the first grade teacher with regard to teaching reading should be to see that every student masters the letters of the alphabet and the sounds associated with them. The sole objective of academic assistance should be to support students to accomplish this. The primary role of the administration should be to run interference so that the first grade teacher is empowered to focus solely on what the students need and to devote whatever percentage of the school day is required to accomplish this objective.

While many will claim “We already do this,” it is simply not happening. Instead, we give assessments which assign grades based on the average results of a student with regard to a variety of information, understandings, and skills we would like the student to possess. Will a student who is well behaved, tries hard, and has good attendance, and gets passing grades on tests ever be left behind for a year even if he or she cannot demonstrate proficiency with some of the skills, or concepts the teacher and school deem critical to future success? Conversely, will a student who misbehaves, rarely attends school, and is apathetic, and cannot get passing grades on tests have much chance of passing even if he or she is able to demonstrate proficiency with the skills and concepts deemed essential?

I am not suggesting that we ignore student behavior, effort, or test results. (We need alternative approaches to students who simply misbehave or won’t work and there are good models in existence). I am suggesting that we need to separate our assessment of the skills and concepts a student is able to master from behavior, effort and test scores in determining who is in need of what kinds of assistance.

Schools need to identify the few skills and concepts, at each grade level and in each discipline, that are absolutely essential to future student success in school and beyond. We should not pass/fail students on this basis; instead, we should provide academic assistance to whatever degree is necessary in order to enable every student to master those VERY FEW skills and concepts that are essential.

We can do this if we recognize that less really is more.

If I were just starting a school, I would begin by asking staff to reach consensus on those few skills and concepts that every student must master. I would restrict the list to no more than a combination of five skills and concepts at each grade level and in each discipline. Then I would build a curriculum, including academic assistance, around accountability for every student being able to demonstrate an understanding and ability to apply each of the skills and concepts deemed essential.

Would this limit the potential of those many children who are able to master the essential skills and concepts with relative ease? The kind of approach I am recommending would not limit the ability of teachers to challenge these children. Instead, by narrowing the focus of what the teacher must require of every child, it will enable the teacher to individualize instruction to the point of doing more for students who are able to easily master the basic concepts and skills while simultaneously providing a much better foundation for students who, in the current system, fall behind before they even enter school and fight a losing battle to catch up for the rest of their scholastic careers.

It would not be difficult to build a successful school. The difficulty lies in the strength of the paradigm that says what we have always done, we must continue to do. We have created a system of education that defies common sense. Why do we nurture a system that requires us, at the end of each year of elementary school, to either pass a student in everything or hold back that student in every course? This makes no more sense than to tell me that unless I improve my maintenance skills around the house (an area in which I am incompetent), I will not be allowed to move forward with my gardening initiatives (an area in which I take pride). The point is, we confront elementary school teachers with two alternatives – both lose-lose:

• Either we hold back a child in everything so that at the same time we are destroying an ego by sending the message you are not good enough we are also holding back the child in areas of strength at the very time that child needs to feel “I am good at something.”

• Or, we pass the child in everything even though that child has not reached a level of mastery of certain skills and concepts which is necessary for future success. In other words, in order not to damage the child’s psyche by holding him or her back we push the child forward into a situation designed for future failure.

If we focused on those few skills and concepts absolutely essential for the child’s success and immersed children in these skills and concepts until they are successful, we could eliminate the need to hold back students.

If we limited academic assistance to those skills and concepts that are absolutely essential, we might have the resources to provide students with the support they need.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2004, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

The Institute is currently registering the limited number of teams that will be enrolled for the 2005 summer conference. Don’t miss the opportunity for this unique conference that models the constructivist behaviors that teaches are using increasingly in the classroom. Check out the website of The Institute for Learning Centered Education: Index++++++++++www.learnercentereded.org or, e-mail a request for information. Large discounts for registration prior to the new year.

NEW to the Institute’s web site (www.learnercentereded.org):

• A Jackie Robinson link, based on a 40 minute interview which I conducted in 1962 shortly before the Boston Baseball Writers’ Dinner to honor him for his election to the Hall of Fame. High School students facilitated by Carol Amberg worked for a week at the 2004 summer constructivist conference to design the link. They will add lesson plans within the year. Names of the students are on the web site – they did terrific work!

• A two hour interview with Pete Seeger was conducted several years ago by two Gouverneur high school students. Now we have lesson plans for teachers to use with the Pete Seeger link. The same students who designed the Robinson site, also created the lesson plans for the Seeger site.

• Strategies for addressing the needs of students with disabilities have been on our site for several years, but there have been some incomplete parts which, recently, have been added and are now accessible. We thank Tim Wood for working with Susan Herman to complete the work begun by a number of special education teachers through our River Project several years ago.

• Feedback from the 2004 summer conference is now available at our site. If I share just a few of the observations, it is because I want each of you who is reading this to give serious thought to joining us for the 2005 conference, July 18 – 22 at St. Lawrence University. Substantial discounts will be available for any teams registering prior to January 1. Also, individual registrations will be accepted, also with substantial discounts. Here are some participant observations about the 2004 conference:

• It was a great experience. I learned a lot about communication, teamwork and innovations in the field of education.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2004, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

The Institute is currently registering the limited number of teams that will be enrolled for the 2005 summer conference. Don’t miss the opportunity for this unique conference that models the constructivist behaviors that teaches are using increasingly in the classroom. Check out the website of The Institute for Learning Centered Education: Index++++++++++www.learnercentereded.org or, e-mail a request for information. Large discounts for registration prior to the new year.

The journal reflection (at the end of this article) offers evidence that at least one student is rapidly becoming more comfortable as a public speaker because of the teaching strategies I am about to discuss.

I am amazed at how petrified some of my university students are at the thought of being part of a group presentation for even just a few minutes. However, I shouldn’t be surprised – statistics indicate that public speaking is the number one fear of many Americans. And why not? We go through K-12 rarely having an opportunity to gain confidence speaking in front of a group. If we are called upon to address our classmates it is often when we are asked to respond to a teacher’s question (usually seeking recall of facts) and the tension builds within us. We not only have to be able to instantly provide the answer the teacher has in mind, but we also have to do it within a few seconds and not all of us are as quick on our feet as others. If we do have a lengthy presentation to make in front of the entire class, it happens so infrequently that the pressure of this occasional opportunity to speak publicly usually turns it into an experience we would prefer not to repeat rather than a building block for future public addresses.

I recall making these observations at a workshop and one veteran teacher said, “You know I never said one word in front of the class throughout my entire student career during K – 12 or in college. It wasn’t that I had nothing to say. It’s just that I am not an aggressive person when it comes to competing with others for speaking time and the opportunities were never there.”

Here is how I conducted my first 90 minute class of the semester for undergraduate college students and then I will follow it with one student’s journal reflections about the strategies I employed. Perhaps this will give you some ideas – maybe you’ll have suggestions for me:

1. As the students entered the room, before the start of class, they were handed a sheet of paper on which they were to write their name and then list three issues they feel are important to address in this course.

2. When the scheduled time for the start of class arrived, I immediately asked each student to pair with someone he/she didn’t know and to exchange, within one minute, their names, the three issues on their sheets of paper, and what they hoped they would be doing ten years from now. (Most ice breakers are light, but don’t even begin to address course content. As you will see from the student’s reflection, below, even though these were not “heavy” questions, the fact that they had some substance caused her to react differently than she had to other classes where the instructor employed an ice breaker. This is why, in our book, Flynn, Mesibov, Vermette, and Smith we refer to this opening as an exploratory activity, not an ice breaker. It breaks the ice, but does more.)

3. After allowing two minutes (a minute for each partner to share), I instructed the class to find another partner whom they did not know prior to class (or at least someone they did not know well).

4. Following another two minutes, I informed the class they would repeat this activity with a third person, however, this time they would have to introduce the third person to the rest of the class and they would have to share all the information they were about to exchange within ten seconds. (If every student is going to be asked to say something, it is critical to limit the time for each response and to alert the students in advance.)

5. We then sat down and each person was introduced by his/her last partner. The introductions of all 30 students required less than five minutes.

6. For reflection, I then asked if the students had reacted differently after hearing my third set of instructions (you will have to introduce your partner) then after each of the first two pairings. As you would expect, they indicated they paid closer attention when they knew they would have to introduce their partner - some took notes, others asked the partner to repeat information. Since this was an education course, it enabled me to point out that how we think a teacher will ask us (or not ask us) to use information determines the degree to which we will design strategies for paying attention.

We are now less than 15 minutes into the first class of the semester and the students have:

• Each dialogued separately with three different classmates

• Each spoken briefly in front of the entire class.

I then had the class count off into groups of four, I gave them a handout (relevant to course content) and I asked them to discuss it for five minutes and be prepared to have a group reporter share their responses.

Each group was then asked to share one of its responses, but not to repeat anything offered by a previous group. (This eliminated redundancies, yet assured that every group would have something to report.)

Then I distributed a syllabus. I divided the class into different groups of four (home groups) as we prepared for a jigsaw. Within each group, I asked each of the four students to select one quarter of the pages of the syllabus. Then I asked the student in each group who had the first 1/4th of the pages to form a new group (called an “expert” group) with the person from every other group who had selected the same pages. Each “expert” group was allotted ten minutes to review the pages for which they were responsible and to discuss what was the important information that they should share when they returned to their “home” groups. (If they appeared to be deeply engaged in discussion after ten minutes, I was prepared to extend the time.)

Then students were asked to return to their “home” groups and to give a three minute summary of the pages they had discussed in their “expert” group.

After approximately 15 minutes (when it was clear that the groups had completed sharing) I asked for questions about the syllabus and I also offered information I felt was important that I didn’t sense had been discussed in the groups and that wasn’t addressed through any of the student questions.

Now there were only a few minutes left in the class. I asked the students to create a circle with their chairs (I could have skipped the circle if the logistics were not conducive) and to share, in five seconds or less for each response, one word (or at most a phrase) to describe how they felt when they entered the class and how they felt now. I said I would allow 20 seconds for them to think of their responses, then I would take a volunteer and go around the room in sequence from the person who volunteered until everyone had responded. “If you’re not ready when I come to you, then pass and we’ll catch you after everyone else has responded.” (Following subsequent classes, I might change the question to, “What’s one thing you’ve learned about what we’ve discussed in class today that you didn’t know when you walked in?” Or, “Tell me one thing, in ten seconds or less, that you’ve learned, relearned, or become aware of as a result of this lesson.”)

By the conclusion of our 90 minutes together:

• Every student had engaged in dialogue with eight other people, in pairs or small groups, and the questions they had to address were so specific, and the groups so small, there was no escape from thinking.

• Every student had spoken in front of the class at least twice.

• A dozen students had spoken in front of the class in the process of reporting out for their group.

• Six students had asked questions in front of the rest of the class.

• I knew more about my students - their prior knowledge as well as their understanding of course objectives - than would have been possible if I had done most of the talking while they sat passively. I had heard them thinking and I had collected evidence of what they were learning (and not learning).

Here is the journal reflection submitted by a student following the first two classes of the semester:

Normally, as a “shy girl” I don’t feel very comfortable talking out in class. However, I already feel more comfortable in this class than I did in any of my other classes, no matter how much the other professors tried to break the ice between the students in the class. I’m not sure if it’s all the group activities we do, between our presentation groups and the groups we are put in when we are in class, but I think it is very effective. I wish more classes could be taught this way.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

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