Stuff+that+Works

Set up an "Industry Mixer" for students to meet potential group members by the beginning of the third week of the semester. Prepping includes a discussion of business-appropriate social skills and methods of communicating with people one doesn't yet know. Talk about the elevator pitch and how to circulate, not stick with the same group. We do this the class before the mixer is scheduled. They also go into this experience with a general idea of what the group project will be, so that their conversations have a focus.

I have my students prepare four business cards with their names, contact information, and a few bullets about their strengths. I take one card and the students, after circulating and chatting with classmates, decide which of their classmates they might like to collaborate with on a group project, and hand their cards over to those people.

I bring a monster bag of pretzels and five or six bowls, and set up bowls around the classroom. The "bar" is at one end and is well stocked with liter bottles of cold Coke and Diet Coke as well as paper cups. Sit back and observe. If one group forms and is reluctant to separate, I go over to encourage their moving on. They generally start moving as they see me approaching. The students really enjoy it and in most cases form groups that work well. They finalize groups the following class period and any awkwardness can be diplomatically addressed by the instructor so that the result is 9 groups of 3 people in each.

Online Teaching- Stuff that I have been able to use with all my online classes



Emmanuel Sabaiz