Two Stay--One Stray

The cooperative learning strategy, Two Stay--One Stray, (or Three Stay..., etc.) is effective for
lessons where parallel groups of students work on the same laboratory investigation or problem set
or other activity. Use of this strategy enables learners to check their
procedures/answers/results/conclusions with others. This can spare a teacher from feeling that
he/she needs roller skates to get around to all groups! In this strategy, one member of each
cooperative group visits another group to share procedures near the beginning or middle of an
activity, or findings near the end of an activity or session. The group member who strayed rejoins
his/her original group to share what he/she learned from the visited group. To maximize
collaboration among groups, groups should not exchange strays. When groups are arranged in a
circle, a member of each can stray to the left or right.
For example, students can work in groups to solve a set of problems for review. When they have
completed the problem set, the teacher can signal groups to each send one member to the group on
the right. The stray and the visited group can compare answers to the problem set. They can
discuss differences and attempt to arrive at common answers. When the stray has completed
consulting, the stray returns to his/her group. The group now shares what they learned from the
stray that visited and the group their stray visited. During the straying, the teacher may want to
stay with one group to ensure that answers/problem solutions are correct. The teacher can
reconvene the class to go over any information or problems that were unresolved.
And another perspective
Like "Stand Up and Share," this structure requires the easy identification of a team member who will
become the groups spokesperson. It too builds on another structure, such as Structured Problem
Solving, but in this case the topics can be far more complex. After the problem solving discussions
are complete and all team members indicate that they can give the team's report, you designate the
student from each team who will "stray." That is, one student from each group (such as the "Number
One" or the "Diamond") leaves it and rotates to an adjoining team to give the report. In large classes
it is essential that the order of rotation is clear. Playing cards work particularly well because the
"Aces" know to rotate to the "Twos," the "Jacks" to the Queens," and so forth.
The designated student, who is welcomed as a visitor, shares with this new team the results of his
original group's discussion, giving proposed solutions to problems or summarizing discussions. A
second rotation may be desirable if the topic prompted divergent thinking and solutions.
Three-Stay One-Stray offers a low-threat forum where students can exchange ideas and build social
skills such as asking probing questions. It also offers students the opportunity to learn by teaching.
Placing the report-out responsibility on the students reinforces the valuable conception that
knowledge resides within the learning community, not just with the "authority-figure" instructor.
Perhaps its greatest value lies in its efficiency. Instead of, for example, ten sequenced five-minute
reports to the entire class (fifty minutes, plus transition time), individual students are simultaneously
giving five-minute reports throughout the room

Think, Pair, Share (Timed)

The NYS Biology-Chemistry Mentor Network, DDE Title II, FLCC, 2001
L. Maitland, B. Bookman, J. Valenti, S. Latourelle

Think, Pair, Share is a structure first developed by Professor Frank Lyman at the University of
Maryland in 1981 and adopted by many writers in the field of co-operative learning since then. It
introduces into the peer interaction element of co-operative learning the idea of wait or think time,
which has been demonstrated to be a powerful factor in improving student responses to questions.
It is a simple strategy, effective from early childhood through all subsequent phases of education to
tertiary and beyond. It is a very versatile structure, which has been adapted and used, in an endless
number of ways. This is one of the foundation stones for the development of the co-operative
classroom.
PURPOSE
Processing information, communication, developing thinking.
RELEVANT SKILLS
Sharing information, listening, asking questions, summarising others ideas, paraphrasing.
STEPS
1. Teacher poses a problem or asks an open-ended question to which there may be a variety of
answers.
2. Teacher gives the students think time and directs them to think about the question.
3. Following the think time students turn to face their Learning Partner and work together,
sharing ideas, discussing, clarifying and challenging.
4. The pair then share their ideas with another pair, or with the whole class. It is important that
students need to be able to share their partners ideas as well as their own.
An alternative is to make it timed. When the students are speaking their thoughts, the
teachers ets a time limit for each speaker, to ensure each person gets adequate time to
speak.
APPLICATIONS
Before a lesson or topic to orient the class (previous knowledge etc).
During teacher modeling or explanation.
Any time, to check understanding of material.
At the end of a teacher explanation, demonstration etc, to enable students to cognitively
process the material.
To break up a long period of sustained activity.
Whenever it is helpful to share ideas.
For clarification of instructions, rules of a game, homework etc.
For the beginning of a plenary session.

NUMBERED HEADS TOGETHER

The structure of Numbered Heads Together is derived from the work of Spencer Kagan. There are a
number of variations on the method, some very simple and others with a greater degree of
complexity. This structure can be used in conjunction with Think, Pair, Share early in the
development of the Co-operative Classroom. learning with spellings.
PURPOSE
Processing information, communication, developing thinking, review of material, checking prior
knowledge.
RELEVANT SKILLS
Sharing information, listening, asking questions, summarising others ideas, talking quietly.
STEPS
1. Number off the students in each group, up to four. If one group is smaller than the others have
no. 3 answer for no. 4 as well. The teacher can give numbers or students can give numbers
themselves.
2. Teacher asks the students a question or sets a problem to solve. It must be stressed that
everyone in the group must be able to participate and answer the question.
3. Ensure enough wait time is given for the group to do the task.
There is an expectation that everyone in the group will be able to answer the question following the
discussion.
Kagen suggests the teacher phrases questions beginning with; put your heads together and or
Make sure you can all There are many other ways of ensuring the teacher cues the students into
the collaborative activity.
The students work together. They quite literally put their heads together in order to solve the
problem and also
ensure that everyone in the group can answer the question.
The teacher now asks for an answer by calling a number. (this might be at random or can
initially decided by the teacher in order to ensure the process is successful) The students with
the number called then take it in turns to answer.
If there are not enough students ready to respond the teacher may judge that a little more
time
is needed or extra support given.
When the teacher is satisfied answers can be taken, there are a number of choices:
Select one student.
Select one but ask others to elaborate, comment etc.
Ask different students to give a particular part of the answer
These are all sequential responses. The teacher can also use what Kagen describes as
simultaneous answers:
All students showing their work.
Students using whiteboards to show their group work.
APPLICATION
To involve whole class in the consideration of a question or problem.
To increase individual accountability.
To increase group teaching so that all members of the group are coached.
To increase team spirit and satisfaction.
To give support to all students in consideration of challenging questions or problems.
CURRICULUM AREAS
Numbered Heads Together is suitable for any curriculum area and can be used as an extension or in
combination with the Think, Pair, Share structure.
Silent negotiation

A process where students work in small groups. They are asked to place their thoughts/ideas down.
They then need to silently negotiate a sequence/hierarchy/priority for the information by picking up
any idea and changing its position.
The key is for the students to watch and observe where their peers place or change position of the
ideas and consider why they might have done this/the reasoning behind this.
You will notice that the process of negotiation will eventually slow down and come to completion once
the students have a common understanding around the placements.
This process can also be done with speaking aloud.

Talking Chips

Students place their chip in the center each time they talk. They cannot talk again until all
teammembers have placed a chip.
STEPS
Set-Up: Teams have talking chips (Maximum: two chips each). Talking chips may be pencils, card
board chips, tokens, or pogs.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Teacher provides a discussion topic.

Any student begins the discussion, placing his or her chip in the center of the team table.
Any student with a chip continues discussion, using his or her chip.
When all chips are used, teammates all collect their chips and continue the discussion using
their talking chips.

This structure is a communication regulator. You can use this with an article from a
newspaper. Remember to give think time for notes. Discuss reaction to article and then do the
Talking Chips.
How did this structure make you feel?
Does this limit communication?
Will this encourage control, patience, limits. No one person is dominating the discussion

Jot Thoughts (Teammates cover the table writing ideas on slips of paper.)
Students each have multiple slips of paper.

 Teacher names a topic, sets a time limit, and provides think time. (In three
minutes how many questions can you write that have the answer 17? What
are ways we can reduce poverty?)
Students write and announce as many ideas as they can in allotted time, one
idea per slip of paper.
Each slip of paper is placed in the center of the table; students attempt to cover
the table.