Content Share

During the Content Share, a student points out a challenge encountered in the context of independent work and strategies used to overcome the challenge. Typically the topic of the Content Share is established during the Learning Conference, when the child has an opportunity to analyze a complex behavior like reading, writing, or problem solving in order to identify specific behaviors or actions that helped contribute to successful performance. The Content Share provides students with an opportunity to reflect on a specific skill or strategy that helped in overcoming a challenge or solving a problem within the context of a more complex activity. By identifying and articulating behaviors that contributed to achievement, the student has an opportunity to gain a more critical understanding of his or her self-competence. The Content Share Rubric should be used to guide the implementation of the Content Share format.

The Content Share is brief and should take only a few minutes to conduct. There is minimal discussion after the content of the Share is presented.

Students should be prepared for the Share, which might involve support from the teacher. During Work Time, the teacher should conduct Learning Conferences with the students who are scheduled to share on that day. Learning Conference conversations help students gain awareness of behaviors or ways of thinking that contribute to strong performance.

The Share has advantages for the entire class. By showcasing what others do to succeed academically, The Share supports vicarious learning. The Share also has a powerful norming function. Every day, two children assume responsibility to dispense informal “lessons” that align with formal learning standards, which helps to secure academic competencies.

The Share is documented in several ways. First, students themselves (ages 8 and above) take notes to prepare for the Share. Teachers can have students use forms or index cards with the following headings: the challenge encountered, the strategy used, and the standard or curriculum point that was addressed. These records can either be archived individually in students’ learning portfolios or collectively in a class-wide file.

Teachers should also keep a record of share content. Share documentation provides an additional source of evidence of learning standards that were explicitly taught in the classroom.