What It Is
A Networking Session is a simple mix-it-up activity that allows students to talk to others they don’t usually talk to. It can be pre-planned or implemented on-the-spot. This activity is wonderful for having students stretch out of their social comfort zone and for building community in the classroom. Because of the nature of the activity, all students always – regardless of their popularity – have someone with whom to talk.
How It Works
- Prepare one to four prompts or questions. Ask students to reflect on or write responses to the prompts.
- Ask students to find someone they have not spoken to that day and discuss their responses to a teacher-selected prompt.
- After a predetermined amount of time, ring a bell or otherwise signal the class to find someone they haven’t spoken to that day.
- With their new partner. Ask students to respond to a different teacher-selected prompt. Repeat the process until all prompts have been discussed.
How to Ensure Higher-Order Thinking
When preparing your prompts, go beyond factual questions and instead delve into the implications of the concepts for the world around us. Provide opportunities for students to personalize the responses by applying them to their own worlds. Ask students to defend responses based on learned information.
Source
Himmele P., and Himmele, W. Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner. ASCD, 2017, pp.75-77.