I have been trying to get the children in my class to look to others for ideas and collaborate more than working completely in isolation. One way that I tried to achieve this is by introducing ‘Magpie Minute’. This is a really easy concept that involves the children walking around to look at other people’s work to then pinch a good idea for their own work. This is set up to be a supportive part of the lesson where the children can freely share and take ideas that they can then make their own.
Sometimes children can get quite upset about sharing their ideas, particularly in a subject like maths where there is the feeling that people are just copying answers, but dealt with sensitively and used appropriately I have found magpie minute to have a hugely positive impact on the learners.
I have a picture/button on my Smart notebook slide that when pressed makes a loud magpie sound, at that point the children get very excited and go off in search of some ideas they can ‘borrow’. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
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