How do you use Breakout Rooms for classroom discussion? One of my favorite strategies is combining Jamboard with the Think - Pair - Share model because it is an easy, but effective way of generating class discussion. Plus, it gives ALL students the opportunity to speak.
How does it work?
Open up your video conferencing tool of choice (i.e. Zoom, Google Meet, etc.) and share the link to your Jamboard. If it is easier, please feel free to use the following Jamboard template. NOTE: You will want to make sure that your Jamboard can be edited by anyone with the link!
First, have students think and write their response to the discussion question.
Next, generate breakout rooms for students to pair up and discuss their responses. Most video conferencing tools like Meet and Zoom provide you with tools to predetermine or randomly select groups. In this example, I provided space for 8 different groups.
As students are discussing their responses, I have provided a spot for them to place their answer on a sticky note. Notice that there is a specific area for students to place their answer. This might be helpful to keep the discussion organized.
Finally, close all of your breakout rooms and discuss student responses. Each group should have a spokesperson to share!
NOTE: At this point, you might want to change the Jamboard permissions from "Anyone with the link can edit" to "Anyone with the link can View." This will allow you to use the drawing tools to check off groups that have verbally shared their responses.
Conclusion
Think Pair Share is an excellent strategy for any classroom! Pairing it with Jamboard can make remote learning even better! It provides you with an opportunity to post your question and have a space, where ALL students can participate and collaborate.
