Reflection #7

Chapter 7:

1.            Description of the levels of classroom discussions.

Classroom discussions take place on three different levels. The first level of classroom discussion is teacher to teacher, the next is student to student, and the last is teacher to student. These three levels of classroom discussion are all very important and each grasp different ideas. Here are the three different types of classroom discussion:

-Teacher to Teacher: These conversations will likely touch on everything from the procedural to a formative assessment. If teachers do not have time for face-to-face collaboration, be sure you are using a blog, wiki, or any other collaborative tool to keep your teacher to teacher conversation going.

-Student to Student: These conversations should help each student become comfortable with other students in discussing materials or being open with different ideas. Students learn from each other all the time and the more they are collaborating and sharing ideas then the more they will learn.

- Teacher to Student: This level of classroom discussion is important for both the teacher and students. The teacher is there to guide each student and it is important that each student is comfortable with opening up and sharing any thoughts or concerns with the teacher. This method is also ideal for the teacher because it allows them to practice their own listening skills and push the students toward higher-order thinking.

2.            Discussion on the questions for “checking in” on students during a project.

There are four types of questions that teachers should be asking students or “checking in” with students about throughout a project.

-Procedural: Are we staying on schedule? Do we have the right materials available?

To track progress toward milestones and deadlines, remind students of the project calendar and monitor students' project logs and checklists.

-Teamwork: How are team members getting along? Is one student doing most of the work? How are their time management skills?

Circulate and ask questions to help assess team dynamics. If you have students using a project blog or journal, ask them to write an entry specifically about their team's progress. Give them a safe place to raise concerns or to ask for help if they are experiencing team trouble. If you see that some students are consistently contributing less than others, use this observation to open dialogue about teamwork.

-Understanding: Have you thought about...? Have you considered this research?

Spend time observing teams at work, listening to student conversations, and asking probing questions. Review online workspaces where you can see student work in progress. If you see students going way off task or basing their decisions on faulty information, ask questions or suggest resources to redirect them. 

-Self-assessment: To find out what students are thinking about the project, ask questions that encourage self-assessment and reflection. Project journals or blogs offer space for students to describe challenges or frustrations, to ask questions that they may not feel comfortable asking in class, or to share their excitement about the project. 

3.            Discussion on the benefits to students when optimizing the use of technology.

Students will gain new ideas and ways to communicate with a different type of audience. Students enjoyed this way of learning and thought that it actually helped them to learn more and really review their own ideas. If technology does become a huge distraction on their learning then there may be certain rules and restrictions for the students, but as of now it is a huge advantage and the students are gaining many new insights through technology.

4.            Discussion on the 21st-century skills that can make or break a project.

During a project and in the classroom make sure you pay close attention to the way that each team works with each other. If you detect that there are conflicts, allow the students in that team to try to work out their conflicts on their own. This is a real-life skill that every one needs to have and is very beneficial while working in teams.

5.            Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.

Concepts in this chapter relates to our own team topic because my team  is also learning to work together and strengthen our own ideas about our project. We are all trying to understand where each of us are coming from with our thoughts and we have learned that student to student discussion is a very important level for us throughout this project.