Page 11 - THE Journal, June/July 2017

achieving “according to tests on paper” came in with the slowest time of all among the sections, while one of the “squirreliest” classes won it. “As we watched it, we started asking ourselves why. We realized it’s because the class that is so high functioning is also very good at independently working out their math problems on paper. They’re not used to needing to go and get half the answers from someone else. But in this type of situation you have to talk to each other and share and rely on each other.”
The next time the same group went through a breakout, the high achievers won it. “They had figured out that they had to talk to each other. They even said, ‘We found out last time that each of us taking one problem by ourselves did not work. We didn’t get it done fast enough.’”
In another situation one student became caught up in one specific clue “and just drove it home until he had it figured out,” she said. “You could see and hear his processing. It really gave us some insight into
why his math worksheets are not very good but his problem-solving was fabulous. We don’t have those breakthrough moments with every kid, but it’s fun to see what they can bring to the table.”
Dian Schaffhauser is senior contributing editor for THE Journal and Campus Technology magazines.
Two student helpers named Madelyn helped coordinate breakout box activities at Sioux Falls Christian Schools.
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