Think...Pair...Share



Developed by Frank Lyman, [|Think-Pair-Share]is an instructional strategy designed to provide students with “food for thought” (Saskatoon,2009,para1) on almost any given topic for any subject. Used as a higher-level thinking tool, these ideas are then shared with another student before being randomly selected to share with the class. The Think-Pair-Share strategy increases the number of students participating in class discussion by involving all of the students when a question is asked. To accomplish this, the instructor will pose a question to the class, allowing a specific amount of time for individual contemplation (thinking). At the end of this time period, the instructor will give directions to pair-up at which time the ‘pairs’ are to discuss what they had been thinking about. Again, after a specific amount of time, the instructor will randomly call on a student to share their resolve individually or their partners. Because “the average instructor waits less than one second before calling on a student”([|Ledlow],2001,para2) and given that of “40 students in a class, four or five students do about 75 percent of the talking that isn’t done by the instructor”(Ledlow,2001,para3), makes it plausible to use this strategy to involve the entire class. There is no restriction on the application of this strategy within the lesson plan. This strategy may be applied at the beginning as a hook, in the middle or at the end of a class period. For example, when reading a story or play in class, the instructor may want to stop midway through the reading asking students about a character trait or motive of the protagonist/villain of the story. Collectively, the students are to think about the question and then share their thoughts with a partner. Likewise, a math teacher could also use this strategy to reinforce a concept. For example, if the class is working on word problems, the instructor may ask them to outline the steps necessary to solve, by way of graphing and/or calculation. The students then pair up to compare //notes// until the teacher randomly chooses an individual or group to share their findings. I find this strategy to be an effective teaching tool in keeping students involved. Not only is this in part a collaborative project but also by randomly selecting students, it guarantees a sense of responsibility of the student. Having the versatility of application in subjects, this strategy is one that I will use in my classroom.

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