Purpose
This simple technique keeps all the students involved by giving every child the opportunity (and the responsibility) to contribute to team discussions. It is an effective way to nudge reluctant speakers to participate and to rein in students with the tendency to dominate.
Breaking It Down
■ Prior to a team discussion, distribute a cup or some other type of container to each team, and give each student one or two counters—chips, centimeter cubes, game pieces, or other small objects.
■ To begin the discussion, one student shares an idea or answer with the team and puts a counter into the team’s container. Then it is another student’s turn to speak and place a chip into the container.
■ As each child speaks, other members of the team listen carefully. This continues until every team member has had a chance to participate in the discussion, or “chip in.”
■ The students may pass if they have nothing to say at first, but they need to be thinking of something to contribute the next time their turn comes around. Each student’s counters must be used for this activity to end.
Fine-Tuning the Technique
■ If the students have difficulty paying attention to one another’s contributions, make active listening the weekly team cooperation goal, and award team cooperation points whenever you catch teams listening well and responding to what each other has to say. All team members should be ready to ask a question or contribute to the discussion at any point.
■ If teams are still having a hard time balancing the contributions of their shyest and most outgoing team members, work on 100% participation as the team cooperation goal. Give team cooperation points to teams where all members are actively involved in the discussion.
■ The point is not for the students to feel trapped into talking, but to remind them of their responsibility as a team member. If you have an exceptionally shy or reluctant student, do not get into a battle of wills over the need to chip in. Instead, consider ways to compromise and yet still bring the child into the discussion. You could, for example, initially give the student one less marker than others on the team receive, or you could make a Free Pass certifi cate that the child can place in the container once a day in place of a marker. Over time, as the child gains confidence, remove these supports until the student is a fully contributing member of the team.
PowerTeaching Cooperative Learning Handbook