Talks & Tests (Blog 12: Wednesday, April 09 at 3pm)
Not all assignments need to be individual. We’ve learned how much students gain from class discussions and in chapter 7 of Tovani we read about the importance of small group discussions. But I think that small group discussions can be even better! The only downside to these is that you have to monitor the discussions so that they don’t get off topic and waste time. I feel like if a small assignment or task is assigned to the group then they have a real goal to reach by working together on the topic. Examples that I can think of are like the ones in this chapter such as the questions sheet and quote explanation sheet. By allowing my students to work in small groups where I can’t be in charge or lead them it is showing them that they have the power to lead their own discussions. This can build so many skills without them even knowing. I would start off all of their discussions with a question or statement and then they can go off on their own in any direction they please. Then the worksheet or assignment they have to complete would have the same number of parts are the people in the group so that a rule can be that each person has to start off one part of the assignment so that they can also begin discussions and not just comment when all of the opinions are actually said.
I plan to build the groups myself so that I can move the kids around. This will make sure that they don’t get in a normal routine and they will learn the different skills that others use without even knowing. They will grow as individuals by expressing their own opinions and taking in others’ without judgment while also learning the information. I want to be able to walk around and have them feel comfortable with be just jumping in. I hope that through the feedback that I provide them that they can develop their strategies through each discussion we have. I hope to have one per week on the topics we are learning about.Â
On the following website there are tips for teaching students how to participate in group discussions:
http://www.weareteachers.com/hot-topics/special-reports/great-books-great-discussions
Then as move on to chapter 8 (lots to cover this week) we learn about how to assess our students. I personally am not a good test taker. I had to try really hard in school to do well. High school was not a breeze for me like it was for so many people I am now in college with. I really loved when teachers would assess our learning in different ways. I want to build on assessments and really utilize the different ways that I can check to see what my students have learned. I even feel like giving options is a good thing. Like if they want to take a test they can or they can give a class presentation. I can’t decide if I want to assess unit by unit or build upon their knowledge each time. I know a lot of kids get frustrated when teachers build instead of move on, but I really feel like you learn the information better that way. Plus if you’re really learning it then it shouldn’t be a problem.Â
Final Project Preview:
I am in a group of 4 for the project, Two of us are doing one subject and the other two will do another. With my partner we are doing social studies. We plan to make a booklet or pamphlet with a variety of reading strategies that we would use as social studies teachers. The strategies will defined and we will label what type of learners will best benefit from each of the strategies. We want to reach all of the learning types if possible.
