I just started using WBT in my class -- some students knew of it from 4th grade, but I think it's all new for a lot of them. We've done the Rules, Class-Yes, Teach-Ok, Mirror, Hands and Eyes, the Scoreboard -- even the Air Blackboard, which they love! I can see that most of the class is buying into it and enjoying it. But...I have a few students who consistently do not turn to their partner and do the Teach-Ok! Some of them come from another teacher for reading; when I talked to her today she said they asked her why they had to do this "childish" stuff.

My question is, what can I do to get them to buy into this? I was thinking about not only telling them that college students do it, but also doing the lesson on the brain that Chris Biffle did at the Phoenix seminar last week (how all the parts of the brain work when we do WBT). Any ideas on getting these kids to realize they are NOT too cool for WBT??

The lesson on the brain is a great way to promote WBT to students. I would even tell them that this is a brain lesson you learned from a college professor and he teaches it to his students, but you think they are smart enough to learn it too.
I teach 7th grade and I actually make my kids practice going to their seat when we get a new seating arrangement. I explained to them ahead of time that there are neurons firing in their brain and the more they do something the quicker and easier it will be and they will not have to think about where their seat is. After that I had very few complaints, which is very unusual for 7th graders.
Also, don't worry if there are some that don't buy in right away. That is typical. Let the peer pressure build a little at a time and most will join in. You can always move on to the independent group if necessary.

I also find the scoreboard helps to get them to buy in. I give points for full participation, and they get some wonderful thing they want when they get three points ahead of me. This means quick rewards, and the other kids pressure the ones who aren't as enthusiastic to join in the fun.

I had a student this year who was the 'cool kid’; he did not want to participate in any use of gestures because he felt it was uncool. On one of the first Saturday Webinars Chris Biffle did he introduced sockless hand puppets. [Sockless hand puppets are your two hands facing each other talking to one another. (They can also talk to your partner, the teacher, etc.)]

As soon as I had him use the sockless hand puppets to 'teach' his other puppet he blossomed. He thought it was so neat, because he was the only one in the class who used them. It was amazing watching him begin to volunteer to be a class leader, to share out his responses, etc.

If you try it, I'd love to hear how it works for you!

Tiffany
WBT Intern 2011-2012