Listening Team

The Listening Team structure divides the class into small groups of three, with each small group member assuming a particular role of speaker, listener or observer. One person relates his or her experiences or ideas on a topic to another person, with the listening person questioning, repeating, and restating key phrases for clarification. The third person observes the entire process, and after a time limit, reports to the other two on what he observed. The people then shift roles and repeat the exercise so that each person has a chance to be speaker, listener and observer. This is another way for students to try out ways of approaching a subject in a safe setting.

Suggestions for using Listening Team:

1. Reacting to and processing text
2. Interpreting word problems, with a new problem discussed by each new speaker
3. Discussing controversial topics
4. Sharing student writing
5. Brainstorming ways to deal with situations, such as talking to a child's teacher, or dealing with a landlord, etc.

Support Group

This is a long term group that involves 4 or 5 students. Students should exchange phone numbers, email addresses and check in with each other each day in class, phone when one member is absent, keep up with homework assignments for those absent, read each other's portfolios, and help with personal problems when appropriate. Unless problems develop, these groups should remain stable for as long as the class meets. These groups promote stability and accountability in students.

Information Gap

Students who have incomplete sets of information interact with others who have the missing pieces, asking and answering questions, clarifying, and confirming to get the information they need and fill in the missing parts or "gaps" in their information set. Partners or other groups do the same because their information sets have "gaps", too.

Suggested Information Gap Activities:

1. Coupon Shopping - Student pairs or small groups A and B each receive or compose their own different shopping lists and different sets of actual coupons. They ask each other if there is a coupon matching items on their lists, the coupon value, expiration date, etc. More advanced classes might find prices of items, deduct "double" coupon savings, etc. to estimate total cost. Comparisons of stores can be made.
2. Internet Version of Coupon Shopping: Students can find and go to good coupon sites, review offerings, and determine if a coupon matches what a partner needs. If so, the coupon can be printed and then roles reversed.

Scavenger Hunt

Students are given a task and asked to generate and prioritize criteria for that task and then complete it. Students must share information to get the best plan and solution for their group, for their group members must establish the criteria together.

Suggested Scavenger Hunt Activities:

1. Apartment Hunting: Group members define their preferred type of housing by listing their room/size needs, their ideal rental cost, location, amenities, etc. Then they review the Classifieds section of their area newspaper and try to find a location that can best satisfy all of their needs and wants. Results are reported to the rest of the class, including the compromises made.