A communicative strategy that encourages metacognitive reflection and analysis

“Think-Pair-Share-Square” is an activity for teachers/school principals/school staff (and/or even parents), working individual, in pairs, in group of four and in plenary aiming at mapping and raising awareness about controversial religious and ethical issues at school and building capacity in order to prevent and respond to such cases.

Objectives

40-60 minutes

Facilitator: One or more instructors/trainers’ trainers
16-20 adult learners – school teachers/staff or even parents

• Sheet of paper with the topic and the questions to be negotiated– one handout per participant

• Classroom or paper board and markers

• Enabling break-out rooms that allows you to split your online meeting in separate sessions (depending on the platform you use, e.g. Zoom or Webex you can click for the instructions).
• Whiteboard feature that allows you to share a whiteboard with the other participants (depending on the platform you use, e.g. Zoom or Webex you can search for the instructions).
• Alternatively, in an online environment you can use a shared Google .doc or dropbox paper. Instructions on how to share files from Google Drive https://support.google.com/docs/answer/2494822. Instructions on How to create a Dropbox Paper doc: https://help.dropbox.com/files-folders/paper/create-doc

Methodology – steps

Explain the objective of the exercise to the participants. For example: “During this activity, we will discuss real cases of quarrels that took place in your school and we will think critically about how we can respond and prevent them”.

The facilitator announces the topic and also gives it in writing (optionally) to each participant.

“What has been the most difficult/challenging controversial issue related to religious or moral content that you have faced in your career. What were the causes, what was the solution given? Would you handle it differently today?”.

Each person has two minutes to recall in their memory and think again about what was asked.

Pair up and allow five minutes to share experiences and thoughts on the topic.

Then create groups of four and allow ten minutes to share experiences and perspectives. Each group should choose the most typical story to present to the plenary.

Ask from all groups to delegate one spokesperson and present their case and thoughts on it. Give them 3 minutes to present.

As facilitator, after all presentations are complete, you can open a discussion focusing on the issues that arise from the presented cases. 

• What were the circumstances in which each case/problem developed?
• What were the consequences for the class/school community? 
• In what ways was it addressed?
• What went right, what went wrong and why?
• What could be done in a better way to prevent and deal with such incidents?

Seek for ideas and solutions either individually or collectively, at the level of the school community, but also make sure to mention the role of the family, local authorities, religious communities, the media etc.

Keep notes, as facilitator, creating basic guidelines and good practices to prevent and to respond to similar incidents at school settings.

The facilitator can bring to the group examples of effective ways of conflict resolution based on democratic and collective actions that are designed and implemented at the school level with the active contribution of students.

These may include special educational programmes, interreligious and intercultural activities such as music or food festivals, interfaith days, student campaigns, activities involving parents, guardians, teachers and students, local religious leaders and other actions that provide peaceful solutions and promote democratic dialogue, human rights, cooperation and inclusion.

• How did you feel while you did the activity?
• How did you feel listening to the experiences of other colleagues?
• What changes might have occurred in your way of thinking?
• What do you think you gained from this activity?

This is a variation of Think-Pair-Share, an activity first introduced by Frank Lyman, Professor at the University of Maryland, in 1981:

Lyman, F. (1981). “The responsive classroom discussion.” In Anderson, A. S. (Ed.), Mainstreaming Digest. College Park, MD: University of Maryland College of Education.

 Lyman, F. T. (1992). “Think-Pair-Share, Thinktrix, Thinklinks, and weird facts. An interactive system for cooperative learning”. In N. Davidson & T. Worsham (Eds.), Enhancing thinking through cooperative learning (pp. 169–181). New York: Teachers College Press.