Introduction to Interacting with Peers in Math

Interacting with peers—tutoring, giving feedback, collaborating—is a strategy to learn and check understanding of new content. Students share and explain their thinking, as well as question/learn from peers’ ideas. Students try to clearly communicate their ideas and convey their understanding. What is Interacting with Peers?

Peers work together to explore concepts and solve problems. Interacting with peers can include: Discussing Reading Writing Organizing Thinking aloud Listening Key Elements of Interacting with Peers

How Does Interacting with Peers Help Students? Deepens mathematical understanding. Allows students to share what they understand from their own perspectives. Enables students to support each other/serve as resources. Builds communication and collaboration skills.

Discussion Questions 1.What are some ways in which peer interaction differs from teacher-student interaction? 2.How does the use of peer interaction connect with the Common Core State Standards Math Practices? 3.How do you ensure struggling students succeed in interacting with peers?

How Can I Support Students' Interactions with Peers?

Use Evidence-based Instructional Practices Provide clear explanations Use varied examples, materials, and models Provide ongoing formative assessment

Plan instruction that considers students' readiness, learning needs, and interests. Use a range of technology tools to: engage learners at varying levels engage learners in multiple ways. offer students options for demonstrating understanding and mastery Differentiated Instruction

Teacher-Dependent Ways to Differentiate By Content Different levels of reading or resource materials, reading buddies, small group instruction, curriculum compacting, multi-level computer programs and Web Quests, audio materials, etc. By Product Activity choice boards, tiered activities, multi-level learning center tasks, similar readiness groups, choice in group work, varied journal prompts, mixed readiness groups with targeted roles for students, etc. By Process Tiered products, students choose mode of presentation to demonstrate learning, independent study, varied rubrics, mentorships, interest-based investigations

Student-Dependent Ways to Differentiate By Content Different levels of reading or resource materials, reading buddies, small group instruction, curriculum compacting, multi-level computer programs and Web Quests, audio materials, etc. By Product Activity choice boards, tiered activities, multi-level learning center tasks, similar readiness groups, choice in group work, varied journal prompts, mixed readiness groups with targeted roles for students, etc. By Process Tiered products, students choose mode of presentation to demonstrate learning, independent study, varied rubrics, mentorships, interest-based investigations

Discussion Questions 1.How do you help students understand what’s expected when interacting with each other? 2.How have you used technology to provide differentiated instruction for your struggling students? 3.How have your students used technology for interacting with peers?

Provide Clear Explanations: Possible Strategies Engage students in establishing guidelines that foster a culture of respect in your classroom. Provide structures for student interactions that allow all students to have a voice. Share techniques and formats—including sentence starters—for giving feedback. Carefully choose and plan opportunities for student collaboration.

Use Varied Examples, Materials, and Models: Possible Strategies Use multiple structures and techniques for feedback and student discussions. Demonstrate each technique for students. Encourage students to provide clues and hints by asking questions rather than giving the answers. Model how to ask questions that can prompt a peer to articulate his or her confusion and think through an error or a place where he or she is stuck.

Listen to assess the level of interaction. Do students’ questions prompt peers to clarify statements or rethink solutions? Do they add to the conversation? In discussions, try to find out why some students respond directly to peers and others only talk to you. Help students who have a tendency to provide solutions to their peers build their questioning skills. Provide Ongoing Formative Assessment: Possible Strategies

Use Online and Offline Tools ToolsOnlineOffline ManipulativesXX Interactive whiteboard XX Web-based applets X Math drawing tools XX CalculatorsXX 3D design software XX Graphing and charting software XX

Use Research-Based Strategies and Tools To launch the lesson During the learning task As you bring closure to the lesson

Discussion Questions 1.Which situations are more appropriate for one-on-one interactions, and which for group discussion? 2.What structures and strategies have you used to guide peer interaction? 3.How do you assess students’ interactions with peers?

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