Reported by: MARIA CHRISTINA W. AZUCENA

Whereas education was once thought of as primarily a process of transmission (i.e., pouring knowledge into empty vessels), a growing body of research has made it clear that the overall quality of teaching and learning is improved when students have ample opportunities to clarify, question, apply, and consolidate new knowledge. There

are many number of teaching strategies that can be employed to actively engage students in the learning process, including group discussions, problem solving, case studies, role plays, journal writing, and structured learning groups. The benefits to using such activities are many. They include improved critical thinking skills, increased retention and transfer of new information, increased motivation, and improved interpersonal skills.

As the saying goes……….

WHAT I HEAR, I FORGET; WHAT I SEE, I REMEMBER

WHAT I DO, I UNDERSTAND

Pair Learning:

Pair Learning is a research based learning strategy (done by several group of educators) that started during the 70’s in their study on how to improve students skills particularly in Mathematics, then later on, applied the pattern on different core skills or subject. Part of it was originally adopted from the Cooperative way of learning, then the Active way of learning wherein students should not just be a listener.

According to research, having students work in pairs on a task is a low-risk strategy which virtually ensures close to 100 percent participation in classes of any size. It’s also a version of a class wide peer tutoring where teachers evaluate and identify students who need help in specific skills and determine the most appropriate students in class to assists the others

with those skills. The students are paired somewhat like a coach and a player but rotate roles as activities change and students are required to work on a variety of skills. This kind of learning is designed to complement, not to replace, the existing curriculum by providing opportunities for students to practice what the teacher has taught. Research supports that the use of pairs in the classroom provides more focus on individual student needs rather than a teacher-directed activity that may address the needs of a few students but not be able to meet the needs of all the students. It is not a universal remedy for all of our problems in our learning system, but it is a step toward helping students learn more in a manner they enjoy, and instead of calling themselves as partners, in modern times they call each other as “buddies”. The procedures can be modify for various subject matters and for any class size.

Benefits attributed to this kind of learning include:

Activity involves all students in tasks they can perform successfully. Increases every student opportunity to read and practice basic skills. It motivates student to do better in reading and math. Expands instructional resources in the classroom It provides positive and productive interaction among students. It creates an opportunity for lower functioning students to assume an integral role in valued activity. Allows students with disabilities to spend more time in least restrictive environment and increases their access to the general education

curriculum. Helps teachers accommodate academic diversity. Accelerates student achievement in reading and in math. Affordable and can be easily implemented. Found to be an enjoyable activity by both teachers and students.

General Guidelines for Paired Activities

Don't use the same activities too often. Once per week per activity is a reasonable use. Vary the accountability by occasionally having students turn in the work. Read a sample then comment specifically on it. Have students occasionally pair up with the student behind them, since friends often sit side by side. Request students vary their seating arrangements to increase their chances to work with different people. Reflect some of the informal activities in the formal evaluations in some way. For example, include a short essay question that was

used in a think/pair/share. Be candid with the students as to why you are asking them to do these things. Explain attention span, the need for engaging

material individually and socially. Give them specific amount of time to chat and a specific prompt for discussion, to prevent students from discussing unrelated topics. Give them less time than you think they actually need, add more seconds only when necessary. It is much better than to let the

minutes drag on with the students getting off task.

NOTE: Research shows better learning occurs by using active learning. Here are some guidelines in Planning an Active Learning Activity for pair learning system.

When planning an active learning activity, answering the following questions will help clarify your goals and structure:

What are your objectives for the activity? Who is interacting? Will students pair up with someone beside them? Or perhaps someone sitting behind/in front of them? Should

they pair up with someone with a different background? Someone they don't know yet? When does the activity occur during the class? Beginning? Middle? End? How much time are you willing to spend on it? Will they write down their answers/ideas/questions or just discuss them? Will they turn in the responses or not? If they are asked to turn them in, should they put their names on them? Will you give individuals a minute or so to reflect on the answer before discussing it or will they just jump right into a discussion? Will you grade their responses or not? How will they share the paired work with the whole class? How will you share the feedback and insight you gain from their

responses? If they are responding to a question you pose, how are you going to ensure that they leave with confidence in their understanding?

Often, if the various student answers are not discussed without the instructor explicitly indicating which ones are "right", students become frustrated. Even with a question that has no absolute "right" answer, students want to know what the instructor's stand on the question is.

What preparation do you need to use the activity? What preparation do the students need in order to participate fully?

How to succeed? Be precise/brief with the purpose. Develop a plan for an active learning activity, try it out, collect feedback, then modify and try it again. Start from the first day of class. Always try the question or task yourself first. Whenever possible, also try it on a colleague. Be explicit with students about why you are doing this and what you know about the learning process. Negotiate a signal to stop talking. Randomly call on pairs to share. Find a colleague or two to plan with (and perhaps teach with) while you're implementing active learning

activities. Continue learning through reading, and practice.

APPROPRIATE LEARNING ACTIVITIES IN THE DIFFERENT PHASES OF THE LESSON

To summarize, all lesson plans should be built around a student-learning-centered, measurable, and rigorous objective that you derive from standard-aligned learning goals. Effective plan for a lesson should be revolve and connect within the different phases of it. Strategies, approach and activities should be planned objectively. Engaging discussion with students activities – pairs and trios, especially – is a low-risk strategy which ensures individual participation in a class of any size. The sampling of basic activities listed below can be adapted to almost any topic or setting of any particular subject matter, and different grade levels.

BEGINNINGIntroduction/Opening/Initiatory Activities

MIDDLEPresentation/Orientation/Developmental

Activities

ENDPractice/Application/Evaluation

Concluding Activities

KWL (know, want to know, learned) – what the students know and what they want to

know.

FOR DATA GATHERINGInterview

FOR APPLICATION/CREATIVE ACTIVITIES

Solving real-word problems (using skills and information related to the curriculum

Video clip that relates the content Library research Performances and demonstration of skill mastery

Editorial related to the lesson Internet research Authentic projects – created for a real purpose

Posing a scientific problem and require students to formulate a hypothesis or

predict what will happen next.

Reading Portfolios of students’ best work and work in progress

Cartoon or comic strip related to the topic Non-abusive lecture Power point presentationGame Inviting resource speakers Brochures

Simulation Field trip Writing/performing a song, rap or any musical piece

Puzzle, brain teaser Experiment News reportingMysterious/Puzzling scenario that will pull students into a higher levels of thinking

Panel discussion Television talk shows

Song followed by its analysis Hands-on-learning Mock debates/trialsPicture without a caption- after stating the

objectives, students will be ask to put a caption on a picture and explain the why.

Case study Mock job interviews

Quotable quote FOR ORGANIZING AND SUMMARIZINGUsing graphic organizers

Personal narratives

Anecdote Jingles, rap, song Cartoons, comic stripsCompelling stories from history, literature

related to the contentVerses Organizing a symposium

Current events to introduce circular topic Acrostic FOR CONCLUDING ACTIVITIESFinish and review the KWL chart

Diagnostic test – if reviewing a past lessonSkit, role-playing

Power point presentation Passport to leave – writing down what she/he had learned and discuss it with the class before leaving the classroom

Voting – voting for an issue and explain their stand

Journal writing – Explain the lesson on absent student;

reflecting and conceptualizing the lesson learned with real world examples.

Rank ordering - ranking objects, qualities, etc. according to importance

Preview of a coming attractions (next lesson).

Values continuum- rating their own traits or values base on a Likert scale

Ex. LOW HIGHHonesty 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3-2-1 countdownStudents finish the following.

Statements:3 facts I learned today …….

2 ways to use the information/skills that I learned today …….

1 question I have ….

Devil’s advocate – teacher acts “contravida” or against a certain issue in order to make students think and draw

reactions from them.

Using analogies

Conflict story – presenting a conflicting or contradicting situation then ask the students for the right thing to do.

Completing unfinished sentences like- From this lesson I learned that

_____________Brainstorming Synthesize or summarize the lessonBuzz session

Interactive gamesQuestions and answer

Anticipation guide – this will give the student’s insights on a certain topic. It

involves writing down or reading statements then state which is agreeable

and which is not and their personal reasons why.PAIR LEARNING ACTIVITIES IN DIFFERENT PHASES OF A LESSON CHART

LESSON

BEGINNING PHASE

(Introduction & Motivation)

MIDDLE PHASE

(Presentation,

Orientation

END PHASE(Application

& Evaluation)

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

REFERENCES:

Corpuz, Brenda and Salandanan, Gloria (2011) 2nd Edition Principles of Teaching 1

© 2006-2013 Regents of the University of Minnesota. CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNINGhttp://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/resources/active/

Principles of Teaching and Instructional Design, 1988 by Robert Gagne

Instructional Job Aid/Preparing a Lesson Plans BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

www.lauracandler.com.

PALS - pals@valderbilt.edu

U.S. Department of Education - http://dww.ed.gov/practice/practice_landing.cfm?PA_ID=6&T_ID=13&P_ID=24

Praxis™ Study Guide for the Principles of Learning and Teaching Test: Grade 5-12; Grade 7-12

http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/education/edpsych/edpsytop.html#learning – Learning Theories

and Strategies.

BEGINNING PHASE

(Introduction & Motivation)

MIDDLE PHASE

(Presentation,

Orientation SAMPLE ACTIVITIES:

SAMPLE OF ACTIVITY TEMPLATES:

BUDDY CHAT (Question & Answers)

K-W-L Chart ( applicable for focused listing)Language Learner’s Name:_____________________________________

Date:_______________________

Name:_____________________________ Date: ________________

THINK-PAIR-SHARE Chart

WHAT I KNOW WHAT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

Question or Issue to Discuss

My Opinions

My Partner’s Opinions

Points to Report or Share with Larger

Audience