Icebreaker 3 - Plane Ideas
Design Pattern Tags :
Icebreaker 3 - Plane Ideas December 2015
Icebreaker 3 - Plane Ideas involves students creating and anonymously sharing paper planes with questions, comments and ideas written on them to receive responses from the teacher and/or other students.
Rationale This learning activity provides all students with an opportunity to contribute anonymously and provides the teacher with an opportunity to identify knowledge (comments/ideas shared) and knowledge gaps (questions shared).
Learners/Context Suitable for most types of learners and works most effectively: (a) in small to medium size classes (approx. 30 - 50 students); and (b) when it is linked to specific theory or practicum.
Alignment This activity enables students to raise concerns, ask questions about subject matter, highlight knowledge and skills gaps, propose ideas related to key concepts/theory/practicum.
Instructions/Processes In class:
Provide each student with a piece of A4 paper or paper plane template (see Resources/Technology) and ask them to write on the paper a question they’d like answered, a comment they’d like to make, or an idea they’d like to put forward. The teacher can request that the questions/ ideas/comments address the weekly theory or practicum.
Give students 2-3 minutes to make a paper aeroplane with that piece of paper.
Ask students to all throw their planes at the same time, to either the teacher or another student in the classroom.
The teacher then randomly selects a paper plane thrown to them or selects a student to read out a question/comment/ idea on a paper plane that has been thrown to them.
The teacher either responds to the question or highlights any comments to share with the class, or if appropriate, asks students to respond to the question/comment/idea to encourage learning.
At the end of the activity, collect all paper planes and advise students that pertinent questions/comments/ideas will be posted on the Blackboard discussion board after the class for further discussion between now and the next class.
After class:
Review the information on the paper planes to identify student concerns and knowledge gaps and relevant items for posting on Blackboard discussion board.
Post questions/comments/ideas on the Blackboard discussion board for further discussion by students after the class / before the next class. For details on how to post questions on the Blackboard discussion board refer to the link in Resources/Technology.
Conditions/Critical Success Factors
Resources/ Technology