MARCIA C. BONNEAU
the trading post Getting It Right-It's in the Cards Marie MacBeath 49 Lansdowne Street
Fredericton, NB Canada E3B I T 1 When I first began teaching, I was astounded by some of the stranee answers students rave when asked to recite information-that 1 thouaht I h a d ' t i l ~ ~ cleilrly ht n, improve my communication skills and the 1i.itening skills of mv students. I began telling my classes that I wo&d be ask&! them to write down what they thought I had said at the conclusions of my 1&15 minute talks on new concepts, like equilibrium or electrolysis. The results were always interesting and invariably edifying for me but afforded no clues to a clear-cut way to improve my presentation. It was obvious that most students appeared to need to hear about the new material several times and to have i t stated in different ways, preferahlv u s h different words. If I tried to solve the vroblem bv calhg fo; questions or offering to repeat the expfanations, was rarelv taken uv on mv offer. and when I was. I sensed dirninishLd interestand attention. To overcome the difficulty of having the lesson repeated and still keep the class interested, I hit upon the idea of having students try to tell the class what they understood to be the essence of what they had heard during the 10- or 15-minute lesson. To make i t fair and to eliminate the prohlem of the same studrnts answering all rht. time, I set up a ~ r d se, w h ulith the name of u student in the class. Refire I be& to teach, the ritual i s to have students ceremoniously shuffle and cut the pack of cards which is then placed i n a prominent place on my desk. Now, because no one knows the top name of the deck-the first person to be called u ~ o n - I have the undivided attention of evew student in ihe class. The prospect of having to speak infront of the class i s terrifvine to some students.. es~eciallv a t the " . beginning of t h e year, so I allow a certain number of "passes" per term.
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132
Journal of Chemical Education
Box 203 DeRuyter, NY 13052
Inevitably, this system works better with some classes than others, but what usually happens is that the first "speaker" has barely begun when hands shoot up to interrupt or correct. At first I ignore the hands and draw the next card, but eventually there is no stopping the interruptions and discussions among students. Some get very excited and intense, but they are all talking chemistry, attempting to use their scientific vocabulary and repeating, in their own way, what I have tried to teach. I let the free discussion go on until either I am asked to straighten evervone out on the subject or I call for auiet and take the floor again. I vary the game of involvement from time to time. Sometimes two or three cards are drawn and the designated students are asked to wme UD and observe a demonstration designed to illustrate some aspect of the chemistry being studied. Adescription of what is happening during the demonstration is drawn out of the observers, and they are asked to start a discussion of possible explanations. Another variation includes requiring students to write down what they have heard in the lesson, using the cards to elicit class discussion, then allowing them to revise what they have written before passing i t in for mading. I t was some time before I learned that the game had the classes' enthusiastic stamv of avoroval. Thev attributed their excitement to the antkipat& that they might be the next one picked to get involved in the discussion going on i n the classroom. They find i t amusing and usually edifying to listen to their peers, and most like having a chance to be heard themselves. I t is clear to me that the game has improved student listening ability and writing skills that show up as well in their grades. For me, however, the greatest satisfaction is to obsewe the vositive interaction amone " students a s thev go through the process of integrating new concepts into vreviouslv understood theories. Best of all. I find that like students, and I look forward to each new class not knowing what will happen, but anticipating that all of us will be involved heavily i n discussing my favorite subjectchemistry!
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