Small group multitasking in literature classes

What are the things that a teacher associates with the word 'multitask'? A busy individual typing a disciplinary report while chowing down a sandwich at lunchtime or teaching the concepts of grammar while addressing a defiant behavior in class. Whatever the scenario, it appears that the teacher is the one multi-tasking and not the students. However, in this article written by Baurain, a flexible small group framework called multitasking was devised to help students collaborate and learn literary skills in an American literature class. Granted, the students are adult learners and it worked because they are highly motivated and focused and it made the lessons more engaging and interesting when they played multiple roles during the interaction and sharing of ideas. Eventually, the small group developed into a learning community and students gained heightened reading and interpretive abilities. I think what surprised me in this article is not so much the improvement that students have made in their learning but rather the fact that the writer is constantly seeking ways to enhance the learning experience for his students. Many a time when teachers are bogged down with the mundane teaching cycle, we fail to look for ways to improve our pedagogies for students to benefit in their learning. Hence, I feel that I should take a leaf out of the writer's book and think of better methods to teach, but until I teach adult learners, multitasking will perhaps still remain a theory. 



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