Ideas in Education: Paired Verbal Fluency
Last week’s entry sparked several conversations with teachers about activating prior knowledge and priming the brain for learning. Paired Verbal Fluency is a learning strategy that can be used at multiple points in the learning process, including Activating Prior Knowledge. It can also be used for engaging and integrating learning.
Directions:
- Have students partner up. This could be pre-established partners that you post on the overhead or have students partner up with someone. I suggest avoiding allowing them to partner with friends.
- Have students identify who will be A and B.
- Our topic for discussion is _______. When I say START student A will have 60 seconds to talk about the topic. While A is talking, B you need to be listening. After 60 seconds, you will switch and B, you will begin talking. BUT, there’s a twist. B you shouldn’t repeat anything A said.
- Get ready, GO!
- After 60 seconds, SWITCH!
- Walk around the room. After 60 seconds, provide a quick feedback statement. STOP! Thank your partner. Eyes on me. Now B is going to go first. Think back to your 2 minute conversation. This time, you’re going to have 30 seconds to add whatever is missing. When I say SWITCH! A will have 30 seconds to add whatever else needs to be added.
- Get ready, GO!
- After 30 seconds, SWITCH!
- STOP! Eyes on me.
- I’ve got one more challenge for you. When I say GO! A will summarize 20 seconds the most important points made by both of you. Then I’m going to say SWITCH! And B will have the opportunity to share and summarize any points not made by A during this stage. Questions? Ready?! Go!
- STOP! Eyes on me. Thank your partner with a high-five, handshake, or a bow. And to your seats!
Why Paired Verbal Fluency:
- This is a flexible learning activity that can be used in every subject and at every point in the learning process (activation, during learning, formative assessment, after learning, etc.)
- It’s non-threatening for students. Silence is OK.
- Everyone is involved, so everyone is learning. Learning should be a social endeavor.
- It gets students out of their seats and is part of a state change. Students become active learners and work on their communication skills.
Variations/Tips:
- If Paired Verbal Fluency is used during or after the learning, you may allow students to refer to their learning materials and/or you may provide opportunities for review of material before starting the activity.
- Change the activity so you allow students to repeat information. This works best when there are differences in student knowledge.
- You can go the opposite way and increase time--instead of decrease--through the 3 rounds (Round 1: 30 seconds, Round 2: 45 seconds, Round 3: 60 seconds). The no repeating process is waived and the learning is extended.
- The purpose of declining amounts of time is to focus thinking while the purpose of increasing the time is to broaden thinking.
- Allow the listening students to write down key words they hear from their partners.
- You can vary the times as needed and can do this without scripted times.
- This can be followed by a quick write: What are the ideas you learned? What are you not sure about or want clarified? What questions do you have about the topic?
- You can be as specific with the question or topic as you want. At the beginning of learning, the topic will most likely be broad while if you use Shared Verbal Fluency during or after learning, you may want to be more specific.
Important Dates and Information
This Friday will be an anchor day with 1A extended for a computer check and a state-required survey. We’ll be sending out more information about the survey on Friday. The computer check will be the same as last time. Please remind your students to bring their computers and chargers to 1A on Friday.
Mustang Morning: Please remember to request your students for Mustang Morning for this week as the slates were wiped clean.
The showcase is a great opportunity for our students and teachers to show all the excellent learning that takes place at Monticello. If we don’t tell our story, who will? Another way for us to tell our story, is the student newsletter. Maeve Connaughton is doing a phenomenal job of proving our students and community with information and she’s looking at more ways to brand the ways we Embrace, Inspire and Innovate. Check out Maeve’s work here and submit story ideas here.
February 14 (Lovefest) will be an anchor day. Friday will convert into a B-Day. See below
Technology Vetting: Essentially, teachers should be using this for websites/programs that are used classwide, especially any that require login information. It should also be used for other forms of media (films, for example).
Working Conditions Survey (state required: March 1 close)
Field Trips and SOLs
The UNOS (organ donor organization) presentation that was supposed to be in December and got snowed out has been rescheduled for Wednesday February 13th. The presentation will be one hour long and will start during Mustang Morning and go into the first 30 minutes of 2nd block. Students in HMSA and SNHS will need to get permission from their teachers.
February 15: Drama @NSU
Shout Out
Birthdays
February 5: CeCe Brown (cafeteria)
February 6: Ruth Tapscott
Useful Information
We’ve got something new! Want something included on the Monticello Outlook Calendar, the Monticello website, in the PowerSchool Daily Bulletin, or the student newsletter (viewed by parents, students and staff)? Please use this link https://goo.gl/forms/bIjfJLKokWPcEHx33
Worth Your Time
Schedules
February 14th LoveFest Schedule
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7:40-8:40
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Zero Period
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8:55-9:40
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1A
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9:45-10:27
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1B
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10:32-11:14
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2A
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11:19-12:44
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2B
Lunch
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Class
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1st: 11:14-11:46
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11:51-12:44
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2nd: 11:46-12:14
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11:19-11:46 and 12:19-12:44
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3rd: 12:14-12:44
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11:19-12:14
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12:49-1:31
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3A
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1:36-2:18
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3B
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2:23-3:04
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4A
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3:09-3:50
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4B
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AM CATEC: Depart Monticello at normal time and return from CATEC by 12:15
PM CATEC: Leave Monticello at normal time.
B-Day Friday Schedule with Long Lunch
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7:40-8:40
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Zero Period
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8:55-10:15
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1st Period
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10:20-10:55
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Thursday’s Mustang Morning
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11:00-1:00
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2nd Period
Lunch
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Class
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1st: 10:55-11:35
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11:40-1:00
Baber, Di Battista, Brown, Csapo, Deegan, Easton, Eddy, Eisenhauer, Eliason, Fisher, Goodin, Jennings, McClung, McDonald, Meade, Mound, Scott, Shepherd, Smith, Stallings, Streit, Sullivan, Wade, Warren, Weaver
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2nd: 12:20-1:00
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11:00-12:20
R. Brown, Clark, Colgan, Dove, Dudley, Garland, Haney, Kai, Keith, Lawrence, Lindemann, Lipscomb, Lloyd, Mann, McCaskill, Parks, Parsons, Pippin, Price-Thomas, Redd, Reynolds, Ritchie, Rocco, Schafer, Skelton, Stanek, Thomas, Waters, Wendell, Wilkerson, Williamson
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1:05-2:25
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3rd Period
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2:30-3:50
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4th Period
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