Collaborative Structures

February Focus: Collaborative Structures

As an instructional coach I am blessed with the opportunity to see so many wonderful things occurring in classrooms. Students being challenged, being required to justify answers, and becoming the stakeholder in their own educational success. As I prepare for a Socratic Seminar in fifth and sixth grade, I must reflect about what ables students to speak appropriately to one another while staying on topic and really taking ownership in their discussion. NOT my discussion, their discussion. That last statement alone challenges me as an educator, so many times I want to control the discussion to make sure certain observations are made and topics discussed. HOWEVER,  as we prepare our students to become college and career ready, I have to remember that it is not about me. It is about the students taking the ownership in their own learning, while I guide the students and create the environment for these “ah-has” to take place. That is our challenge as an educator, to set the stage for great learning to occur.

Collaborative structures are one great tool to support you as you build the stage for learning.“Engagement goes up, as does joy in learning and achievement scores.” Dr. Spencer Kagan (Kagan Online Magazine, Summer 2008) Interested in learning more about Kagan, check out This article from Dr. Spencer Kagan.

If you haven't tried Kagan before, you may be asking where to start, so we will start with two of the essential five, Rally Robin and Round Robin! Both of these structures allow for communication and social skills, knowledge building of the required content, as well as processing and thinking skills.

Rally Robin is a quick easy structure that allows students to share thoughts and knowledge back and forth.  If you would like to see an example click the link to access a short two minute video of me modeling it! (In reflection, I would have had the students make a bulleted list of their facts before they began sharing.) Rally Robin Link

Rally Robin Procedures:

1. Teacher poses question to class.
2. Students compile a bulleted list.
3. Teacher sets a specific amount of time on timer.
4. Two students share their list “rallying” back and forth.
1. I have always made a rule that if you run out of things to talk about before time is called, you must either repeat something you said or your partner said.  This puts the accountability back on the students to make sure they are listening to one another.
2. At the end a great way to make sure students students are actively listening to each other is ask for a share out of what their partner said. (Though tell them you expect this before the Rally Robin begins so they are set up for success.)

Round Robin is very similar to Rally Robin, except it involves a small group as opposed to just two people.

Round Robin Procedures:

1. Teacher poses question to class.
2. Allow for think time.
3. Teacher sets a specific amount of time on the timer.
4. Students go around the table sharing their responses orally.

These two strategies are an easy and quick way to begin incorporating collaborative structures into your lesson. For full engagement where students take ownership of their learning, every single lesson should include a collaborative strategy. If you are still uncomfortable with these strategies please contact me and we will set up a model lesson or a peer observation.

How will you use Rally Robin and Round Robin this week? Reply to our blog with a few ways you will use EACH structure this week.