Reading Reflection #7

 Kim Poe

Reading Reflection #7

There are three levels of classroom discussion: teacher to teacher, student to student and teacher to student. The teacher to teacher discussion refers to collaboration between teachers on everything from procedures for the project, to formative assessment. The student to student classroom discussion includes students talking about their learning experiences as they unfold. Good communication skills are part of effective teamwork and will help keep their team organized and on track. Teacher to student discussion consists of circulating, observing, and talking with smaller groups of students.

There are four different types of question for checking in on students projects. These four types are procedural, teamwork, understanding, and self-assessment. Procedural questions are like “housekeeping” questions. Are the students staying on task? Do we have the right materials available?

Teamwork questions help you to assess the team dynamics. How are team members getting along? Are students able to manage conflict themselves, or do they need your help? Understanding questions give you an example to encourage students to push themselves if you see opportunities for students to go beyond expectations.

Optimizing technology can be beneficial to students. It can help them reach their learning goals as they are expanding their horizons. For example, students can use MP3 players to replay podcasts. This is a useful tool as the students are able to replay the podcasts to match their learning speeds, without having to ask the teacher to go back over information that they did not understand the first time. Students are also able to use technology to connect with outside experts or a broader community, through email and online collaborative tools. Students can gain new insights into how to communicate with a culturally diverse audience.

One way that a 21st-century skill can make or break a project is if the students are intimidated. Make sure your students are comfortable with the technology and reassure them that they can create meaningful projects. It may be necessary to break projects up into smaller, less-intimidating chunks.

This chapter relates to my project because it has a lot of valuable information about classroom discussion and optimizing technology. It is important to have meaningful discussion in the classroom instead of a bunch of side talk. It is important to talk about what is happening as it is unfolding.