In the News  (Peer Teaching)

OVERVIEW

This is an interesting way to get students involved and arouse their interest in the topic even before they attend the class. This peer teaching approach will also result in a wealth of material and information that can be shared with all students.

PROCEDURE

1.  Ask students to bring to class articles, news items, editorials, and cartoons related to the topic of the class session. For example, a teacher can request that students bring in a newspaper or magazine story about weather, such as a discussion of global warming.

2.  Divide the class into subgroups and ask them to share their items with each other and choose the two or three most interesting.

3.  Reconvene the entire class and ask representatives from each subgroup to share their choices with other students.

4.  As groups are reporting, listen for important points that you will address in the class and use that information to promote discussion.

VARIATIONS

1.  Collect all items from the students, copy them, and distribute them as a follow-up to the class session. Or ask students to submit their items prior to the class. You could then copy them and send them to all students as pre-reading assignments.

2.  Use the news items as case studies or the basis of role plays.