Bonjour, mes amis!

It's early on a Sunday morning, and I'm already up and inspired!! Up at 6:30 without an alarm clock on a Sunday?! Am I nuts?? (Did this happen to anyone else?)

So, yesterday, I planned out the first two days of school for use with WBT, and I'm ready to move on to the next two! However, I had an important question (two actually) that has been floating around my head.

Classroom Arrangement was really important to me this year, and I arranged my class because last year, I had made it more conducive to group work (groups of tables with four people at each), and re-arranged my classroom into a double-U shape this year so I could easily have the students' attention.

However, if I'm going to use WBT this year, wouldn't it make more sense to go back to those grouped sections? With the techniques we use here, I shouldn't have any trouble getting their attention, correct?

How have you arranged your classrooms? What have you found to be the most successful?

As a reference point, I have long tables that seat two students at each one in my classroom. I have enough space for 32 students, so that would be about eight groups of 2 tables, each. I'm thinking if I go back to this way, I'd make them vertical so no one's back would be facing me.

Any feedback from you guys would be great!

Hey there!

I had my pupils in groups of two. All of them were facing me. I think it's not the most trendy distribution, but as I was an extra teacher entering their classroom, I didn't want to change the distribution.

If I'd be able to choose, I'd choose the 4-students-per-table shape, and I would sort them following the scores they recommend in the e-books.

Best,

Edward

You are lucky to have tables. I got tables for the first time this year... and LOVE them!!! I have all of my students face forward. I don't like it when students have to turn sideways to see me. Mine are still in group of 4... only they are horizontal groups. My room looks something like this (C stands for chair):

CC CC CC CC CC CC

CC CC CC CC CC CC

CC CC CC CC CC CC

ME

I like this arrangement because I still have the students grouped in fours... plus I'm able to play games with the front, middle, and back rows. I hope this helps!
~Kristin

Okay... so apparently what I type in does not appear exactly the same after I send it. In the arrangement below the "ME" is supposed to be in the center and there are vertical isles between every 4 "C's". I hope this makes sense!
~Kristin

EDIT: Fixed Link.

Hi, Kristin! Thanks for your reply!

So, I took a few minutes to doodle in paint. I'm much better with a pencil and paper, but, here's how my class was in 07-08:

my WBT blog

As you can see, this was kind of difficult to teach to. But, since we're such social animals, the students' most common feedback this year was that they loved the groups they had last year and that they missed them, and why did I take them away?

If you read all of the entry, you can see what I'm going to change it to....

I also really love having the tables, and the students do, too! It sure beats those L-desks, any day.

I think that, originally, I had my room simiar to yours. Except I had a 4x4 grid of tables. I had one row of four going vertically on each side, then I took the remaining tables and placed them side by side in the middle. So, it was like having a skinny row, a thick row (two skinny rows side by side), then a skinny row.

Now me, I don't mind if students have to turn to face me. It might make "hands & eyes" a little tough, but I think my students could deal with it. Plus, it could potentially keep them from getting to set in facing their partners!

I might have to wait a few weeks to get a score distribution for my students (for French Is especially), but I could do the distribution with the French IIs easily.

Any feedback you have would be great. Thanks for your help so far!
~Katie

Katie,
I got an error message when I clicked your "my WBT blog" link.
~Kristin

Katie,

I was reading through your post this morning. Yes, I got nearly as excited as you did when I started working with WBT. Its just to much fun to plan this way!!!

Personally, I am pretty new to this whole thing, I have tables in my room too, and I found at the end of last year when I started experimenting with this stuff that groups of two worked out really well. I had my desks in rows and column basically all facing forward with two kids to each table.

This worked well for me, mostly becasue it was a very clear signal to my students that things were now different. Before WBT, I had my desks in groups of two like you have described which I think could work just as well. My problem was that I had more than 4 kids in each group, so there was an odd man out.

I think the main key for WBT methods is to have groups of two or four if possible. I have seen groups of three working on the videos and such, and I understand how it can work, but I think it just works better when their are pairs and they know who is talking to who.

The good thing about groups of four would be that you could number each seat and then mix it up.... 1,2,3,4...... okay class, odd pairs, even pairs, 1s with 2s, 1s with 4s, etc. You could keep the groupings from becoming monotonus in this way while playing of the social aspect of your students that you pointed out.

Thanks for sharing your questions. It has actually helped me out alot just trying to think of answers for you!!

Have a great summer.

Zach

kdewit wrote:


I believe I've fixed it. You should be able to get to it at:

http://wbt.vindrvarda.net

If it's still not working for you, please let me know and I'll fix it (somehow!).

~Katie

Bonjour, Zach!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's excited about WBT!

I'm kind of stuck deciding between "groups" of two tables each or just using the columns of tables.

I like the idea of numbering the groups 1-4, that works well. Another great grouping idea I've used is playing cards- and just give one to each student (and one to myself if necessary) and you can group them from there. You can even edit your pile of cards so you can have certain students go with each other, etc. UNO cards would also work well in this case. (0 cards would have to be "even".)

I'm glad I could be of help to you! My summer is going swimmingly! Hope yours is, as well!

Kristin, please let me know what you think of the columns arrangement, and if it's the same as what you were talking about previousy. (:

A great advantage for you here is that with WBT you can do all of the above.

I have a similar arrangement. I tell all my kids that if you are on the left hand side of the table facing front you are a One. On the right side you are a Two.

With this I can frequently and quickly rearrange my kids with lightning speed.

"All One's stand and move back one row, if you are on the back row come to the front. If you can do this without jostling or injuring anyone by the count of fifteen you score a point on the Scoreboard! GO!"

If I still do not like the arrangement then I just say, "All Two's switch position to the opposite table from you on your row. If you can do this without jostling, or horseplay, you can score another point! Go!"

Now I can rearrange individually if I need to. Elapsed time, about thirty seconds to one minute. My seating is now completely rearranged, new partners, ready to go.

Thanks so much for sharing more great information. I think I mentioned earlier that I am pretty new to all this stuff. I have been using it this summer and it is working great with my summer school kids.

I appreciate the comments on the count down method for moving kids around. I have recently "rediscovered" this approach, telling them exactly what I want and then giving them a time limit to get it done. It has been working great with summer school kids, does anyone out there have experience using it with middle or high school kids? I am assuming that at least with middle school kids they will respond very well to the specific instructions and clear expectations. Am I wrong in thinking that?

I am really looking forward to starting up next year and have been enjoying this website a ton. Thanks to everyone who has shared their thoughts and experiences. I am sure I will be back on here repeatedly this summer look for mone insites and tips.

Thanks, Jeff! Those are awesome ideas! I'll be sure to use them to save my students from getting any headaches! That makes re-arranging a snap!

Zach, I haven't used WBT yet, but it's my understanding that just like anyone else, high schoolers appreciate clear-cut directions and repitition of them just as much as we do. I'm pretty sure you and I will be just fine when it comes to getting the directions out, and the students should have a good time doing it, too!

Bonjour!

I teach High School Chemistry in a small classroom with lab tables around the perimeter. I have 6-8 groups depending on the class size. My groups are named for six elements A-H (Ag, Be, Cu, Db, Es, Fe, Ga, He). Each group of desks are in a VERY tight square, with each desk labeled according to position, P, E, N, and Q (proton, electron, neutron, quark), and each desk is labeled with group name: CU-P. This allows students to interact in pairs or triplets if someone is absent. In addition, I can call out for the protons to stand up and answer questions, report on a group activity, or demonstrate knowledge. There is lots of group competition and the students seem to enjoy it. If I want a random individual, I can call out Copper-Proton. Here's a diagram of a group

Q P
Ag
N E

Au revoir!
Mary Gail

Hi Zknapp,
You asked if anyone has experience using WBT with high school or middle school kids. I'm a high school math teacher and use many of the WBT techniques. The kids responded very well to WBT. You can watch a WBT video of my Algebra 2 class on YouTube. If you type in my name, "Kristin DeWit," it should be the 2nd one to appear. It says High School Math next to it. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Take care!
~Kristin

LOVE IT, Jeff. LOVE IT.

Thank you, thank you!