The purpose of this presentation is to introduce the concept of the Tribes and its possible use in a Physics classroom. This would include some of the concepts behind this process, a look at some of my personal experiences and some of the results that have been observed in areas were this has been implemented. Although this concept was developed at the elementary level, it can be effectively adapted to a high school environment. The following was quoted from the following website: http://www.members.shaw.ca/frolic24/

A Tribes Overview

Jeanne Gibbs, the author of Tribes, has a vision to promote cooperative learning within the classroom. The process of Tribes facilitates maximum learning while at the same time fostering human development. The Tribes classroom is a safe and caring environment where children feel included and appreciated which proves to be the most effective way to improve behaviour and learning. Students achieve because they:
-feel included and appreciated by peers and teachers -are respected for their different abilities, cultures, gender, interests and dreams -are actively involved in their own learning -have positive expectations from others that they will succeed.

The clear purpose of the Tribes process is to assure the healthy development of every child so that each one has the knowledge, skills and resiliency to be successful in a rapidly changing world. Tribes is not a new curriculum. It is merely a style of teaching which has the students interacting and reflecting upon the already set curriculum. Teachers are still delivering their grade's content, but by means of cooperative learning, effective strategies and fun energizers.

(15 minutes)