Cards in the Class Room

Dice, playing cards and poker chips do have a place in your class room. Unlikely additions to school, but they can be very useful.

Using playing cards to group students can be helpful.

·         Drawing playing cards can generate random orders of students.

·         Grouping students by color, the red group and the black

·         Four groups by suits

·         High / low groups (2-7) to (8-K) no A’s

·         Stick the joker in there for free passes or the  special question

Chips not just for gambling, are a great way for keeping track of discussion questions with a group. If you are like me you over look students in a group, or one dominates leaving others out.  Red, blue, and white chip can help this out.

·         Assign a question to each color

·         Two colors a positive / delta  comment

·         Who?  What? Where? How?

·         Past? Present? Future?

The chips are a tracking method, when the student responds take a chip. The gives quite students a concrete item to remind them to join the conversation and the talkers they have responded and give other a chance to respond.

They can be used a token also, for completed task, or exit questions. Complete a task, or respond to a question receive a token. Students need a token to leave the room.