Teaching Thought #113

Teacherscribe's Teaching Thought #113

Stage Student Presentations in Minutes

I’m stealing this hack from James Alan Sturtevant, a high school history teacher.  Here is his website where he posts his work and thoughts on teaching.

Kelsey Johnson strongly recommended this when I stopped by the media center to grab some summer readings from our professional development library. 

Hacking Engagement Again: 50 Teacher Tools That Will Make Students Love Your Class.

Hack 61 - Stage Student Presentations in Minutes

Here's a real problem - student presentations are often boring.  Sturtevant organizes a gallery walk to avoid just another powerpoint/prezi/Google Doc slideshow on a topic.  He gives students a variety of topics (He tries so that there are at least three students per topic).  He has them number 1-3 and then sends them off to their topics (for example, all students with the number 1 present on the history of trench warfare.  All students with the number 2 present on how technology changed during World War I.  All students with number 3 then discuss how World War I led into World War II).

Each group of students then has a table full of charts and posters explaining their topics.  Students have a set amount of time to present their info to the rest of the class. 

I'm going to use this for book talks in College Comp II and for their independent reading novels in College Comp I.

The last hack I'll discuss today (but certainly not the last one I stole from this book - seriously, some grab a copy next year and just check out the pages I earmarked)