In the collaborative learning in chapter 5 it reminded me of how much students can learn on their own if given a chance. My theme for my class for the year is “ how does your brain learn new information” with the ultimate goal to get the students to be able to teach themselves using various methods of processing text. To make them realize they don’t need to rely just on a teacher to tell them what and how to learn. Collaborative learning model adds another aspect to this and strengthens my initial premise. Having the students learn and teach each other. I am going to experiment with this idea this week as we start our new unit on astronomy.
Collaboration between students makes for great learning experiences; collaboration between teachers can produce very involved extensive projects that are authentic learning experiences. In the example of the students building earthquake proof buildings, math principles, social studies principles and life skills principles were incorporated into the project. Science is a great venue for collaborative learning, I think after reading I need to trust my students more to do some of the learning in inquiry type projects on their own.
In Chapter 6 is what I envision could be done pulling together all the techniques we discussed in the book. My thoughts are that a small dedicated group of twenty students could be easily transported and managed on a large scale community projects. Scaling it up to 100 or 125 students would be difficult to keep all the students busy and active on a single community project like a garden or egg production project. It may take small groups responsible for different aspects of a project with coordination time for different teachers.
John, I agree that science is a great place for collaborative learning. When done well and when properly scaffolded, collaborative learning can be incredibly powerful for all learners, as it gives students a chance to learn from each other. As I mentioned last class, Prof. Niska's research showed that it took middle schoolers 30 times before they were proficient with collaborative learning tasks. I am sure that this "number" varies depending on the students' experience, background knowledge, and level of comfort from years past, but I do believe that good collaborative learning takes practice, both for students and adults. So, I would say, go for it and certainly try it out, and don't be disappointed if it doesn't go exactly as you had hoped the first time. Be proud and excited if it does!
I also agree. I like to think of group work in science along the lines of discovery learning. Student can set up an experiment, predict an outcome then see what actually happens. But in a group I think the students can get closer to the actual outcome and make better predictions.
I think that a lot can be learned when things don't go right the first time as well.
John, I have seen collaborative learning used extremely well in a social studies environment as well. I can understand the science aspect and getting the students to work together especially through performing experiments, but the assigning of roles and rotating responsibilities makes it very doable in almost any subject. I am of course curious to find out what our Mathematics concentration classmates have to say.
These chapters will help me become a better disciplinary literacy teacher by giving me tips on how to implement collaborative learning in my science classroom, as listed on page 164. Lent also created a picture of what collaborative behaviors in the science classroom should look like on page 154. It is important to have student work that is the result of some “cognitive wrestling” as termed by Lent. I plan to keep a clipboard as a formative assessment on my desk as shown on page 168 to record evidence of behaviors and understanding of my students. In addition I also plan to use the Student’s Self-Reflection Survey on page 169 so that my students can self-monitor themselves by thinking about their results. I will have team building activities that will build the relationships in my class. It is important to have my students learn how to lead whole-class discussions. This confirms that the individual student leading the discussion has learned the information first. Last, I want to facilitate my students’ participation in service-learning projects beyond the classroom for all the wonderful reasons mentioned on page 182. Having all three of my sons participated in Eagle projects, I can’t say enough about the skills and the accomplishment of completing many community service projects.
I agree that one of the most memorable experiences a student can have is some kind of out of school, service-learning, social action project, or project-based learning experience. This is very exciting to me, and something I will write more about in my longer post, but it is also challenging to accomplish these projects with a large group of students. Aim high, Cindy!
Cindy, Scouting provides great authentic learning experiences. Some of your experiences can easily be converted for use in your classroom. The outdoor experiences give those students a way to work and live with nature. I know I used my own experiences in scouting when teaching biology. Some students are amazed that there is a different knot for different purposes.
I am amazed each year by the number of students that have never built anything for themselves. So I start the year by having students build a working hot air balloon to fly and test. My directions are simple it has to be under 1.25 meters and has to have one 18 cm diameter opening. The rest is up to them. The students produce some great designs. Most do fly, some much longer than others. The point is that they did it for themselves, collaborated with a partner, gathered and analyzed data and experimented on their own.
Reading the chapter on collaborative learning game me more tools to use in my toolbox. As this is my first year in middle school, I have quickly come to realize that the same collaborative learning tools I used for my second graders do not work with seventh graders. I am essentially starting from scratch and need to better develop my skills as a middle school teacher in order to teach effective collaborative learning skills to my adolescent students. I feel that project based, inquiry-driven, collaborative learning is essential in science. Science content can be challenging for some students to grasp, especially when presented in an abstract, inauthentic way, like when students are tasked to read a textbook and learn new vocabulary words without actually experiencing and working with the words. That being said, in my classroom, there is always a focus question. How the students discover the answer to this focus question can be done in various ways, one of my favorites being collaborative, hands-on learning experiences. I’d like to clarify that I think collaborative learning and project-based learning are two very different techniques, but both hold high value for me in my classroom.
After reading chapter 5, one activity that I’d like to try is the student-led, whole class discussion (p.173). This feels like a great mid to end-of-year activity, after students have had a lot of practice in their own small-group discussions. It could even be used as an assessment. This activity is a great example of “gradually releasing responsibility” to the students. You spend the year setting them up for success and scaffolding the skills they will need to collaborate and discuss important questions with small groups, then they are tasked with conducting a whole class conversation. They will receive instant feedback both from the peers during the conversation, and from their teacher afterwards. One thing I would do in my class is hold a teacher/group reflection meeting after the group leads a whole class discussion. The reflection can be a part of their assessment, but more importantly, vital learning takes place when students are asked to reflect.
Another big idea I have been struggling with for years and will continue to struggle with as I hone my middle school teaching craft, is how might I include more authentic, project-based learning experiences into the regular culture of my classroom? Middle schoolers are primed to do important, real-world work. They want to be treated like adults and like their work matters, and they need a reason and a purpose for their work. Good project-based learning, student-driven experiences are one way of providing students with the work that they crave. It is very hard to this work well, and it takes creativity, and hard work on the part of the teacher. One of my favorite books on this topic is by Ron Berger and it is called “Ethic of Excellence”. He talks about the projects that he accomplishes with his inner city kids in Springfield, MA. He talks about the challenges of doing this kind of work but also the immense rewards. One of the most important things about true, project-based learning is that it is authentic to the real world. It is not a project. For example, having students create a pamphlet to present to their class on genetic diseases is a project. Having the students take this pamphlet to the local health clinics, get feedback, and then publish said pamphlets to a place that really needs them, is a true, project based learning experience. Taking students “beyond the schoolhouse” is critical toward helping them understand their place and their value in the world outside of school.
Sari, I see what you are saying about the difference between project based and just a project. This year my students learned to code and then created a pamphlet for the rest of the school on how to code. I gave it a go and was hoping for success but it fell flat. I think asking them to bring it and present it to younger children might have been the thing to push it to another level. Maybe next year.
If you think they can do it, than most of the time they can. Sometimes students just need to know you believe in them. Middle schoolers are just trying on their intelligence, they can become truly inspired by a teacher and achieve. Working in groups can inspire leadership, collaboration, and spontaneous knowing.
I agree whole-heartedly with this comment about middle school students wanting to be treated like adults. They find themselves in a tenuous position where they are too old to be kids (even though they still are) and too young to be considered adults and are often felt that they are looked down on by High school or upper class students. I will definitely have to look into that book, "Ethics of Excellence." I have dealt with that same conundrum in the past with 7th and 8th grade boys lacrosse players. The easy part there is when they find themselves on the field with high schoolers there might be one or two that have the same height, but none of them have the speed and strength that the upper classmen possess. This is a very interesting dilemma that I am curious about exploring some more.
Jess, I LOVE your idea of creating a coding pamphlet. Yes, I think having the kids present to another group might have done the trick in terms of re-engaging them in the product.
Collaborative learning is so very important to me in both my own professional development and my students' learning. For that reason I truly enjoyed Chapter 5. I felt the ideas were presented in a way I could connect with and as with the rest of the book, I found plenty to try in my own class. At the forefront of how this helps me personally is the idea that teachers need to model the collaboration process and work to show children how it works and how successful it can be. On page 154 Lent sates "collaboration is the socialization of intelligence." It is an interesting way to think about it and could be used to sway other teachers into accepting it more in their classrooms. I feel sometimes what is valued as proof of good teaching can be quite antiquated. An example of this is the quiet classroom, suggesting that students moving and talking and laughing is proof that the teacher is not controlling the students. The suggestions in this chapter clearly show children learning and engaged. Just because it's messy doesn't mean it isn't great. Teaching is messy. I am also very interested in checking out some of the suggested resources in this chapter. I plan on reading more on project based learning and Socratic seminar. It is my goal to have students feel comfortable enough to not constantly raise their hand to speak. While this may seem small, to me it would be evidence that they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and the shift has moved away from me teaching or being seen as the one who knows to the children taking control of their learning.
I agree with everything you said, especially, "An example of this is the quiet classroom, suggesting that students moving and talking and laughing is proof that the teacher is not controlling the students." This always used to be a fear of mine! It makes me extremely thankful to have had the opportunity to work at a daycare for several years while I work towards my teaching degree. If not for this daycare experience, I think I would still have the naive belief that if students are talking or moving around they are not learning. Now I know that it is quite the opposite to be true!
So true Jessica, Learning isn't just sitting at your desk and quietly working. Some of our students' best work comes from them working in groups and communicating ideas amongst their peers.
I think that everyone needs to learn how to work in a group setting. As students get older, have actual jobs and go out in to the world they will need to have the ability to work with other people. So using collaborative learning now starts prepping them for that.
I also think that students are far more capable than we give them credit for at times. Students with the proper foundational knowledge can expand their understanding of ideas and concepts in ways that we may never have considered. I think this is especially true in a science classroom. A group of students can come up with their own ideas, their own experiments and test them. Whether or not the outcome is what was expected they will learn something.
I think that students can run their own discussions with practice and support. They can learn how to disagree and move on. I think everyone is more vested in something when they feel like they have some control over what they are doing as well. Science provides lots of opportunities for that as well.
Joe, I agree students are capable of amazing things. Our job is to encourage and find a way for them to do more. Most students have not found their limit, and don't know how much they could achieve if they tried.
Joe, I totally agree with you having worked with engineers at a research facility, teamwork is a must. New engineers that are being hired must have excellent reading and writing skills too.
I totally agree that students are incredibly capable of very high levels of thinking and working. My challenge is in getting them to actually work to their potential with so many distractions in class. I wonder what is realistic for "accountable talk" time. Is it realistic to expect students to be talking about the topic for the entire duration of their work time together? Do adults stay focused 100% of the time? These are just some questions I'm wondering about after your post...
Sari- I tell my kids that I am not always on task so I don't expect them to always be. I ask when they are working in groups to give me an 80% on task 20% off. It gives them the freedom to go back and forth and they seem to be more productive with a little wiggle room.
In Chapter 5, I was very impressed with the collaborative learning aspect and keeping groups small, 3-4 students. The assigning of roles was very much like that of the Lit-Circles and can very easily keep students on task by peer involvement. The classroom that I am working in is run as a collaborative environment and it works extremely well in this Social Studies environment. The students are in groups of 4-5 students and those group assignments are not random at all. The teacher builds the groups and positions strong students with moderate and lower achieving students to form these groups. This allows for a considerable amount of stability built into the groups. I would be very curious to see the collaborative model put to use in an urban school environment. I wonder how the students would react or embrace this type of learning environment. Getting the students to really support each other and what the group is trying to accomplish may take quite a bit of convincing but I still think it can be done and I hope I get the opportunity to try it out when student teaching. There are not many jobs that only have one role. I might have my specific role but that leads to another persons role and so on. Collaborative learning translates so well to real world situations and makes the learning relevant and meaningful to the students. I really like the way Chapter 6 really encompasses all that we have learned throughout this book. It is rare that I am thoroughly impressed with a textbook, but Lent really thought this one through and avoided a bunch of technical jargon that only experts in the field can understand. Some of the projects appeared to be very doable, then again I have never had to have more than 30 middle schoolers together at one time, but it has definitely raised my curiosity and thanks to these models a desire to give it a go.
I completely agree with your thoughts on the text book. I feel it is exceptional and have recommended it to many of my fellow teachers. I will be rereading this in the summer with an eye on the fall.
These chapters have shown me that sometimes I underestimate what my students are capable of. When thinking about using all of this in my future classroom, and even thinking about how I use it now in lessons I teach, I always think to myself “but what if they can’t do it? What if it’s too hard? What if they don’t get what they’re supposed to out of it?” I see now that if I were to continue thinking that way when I began teaching, I would be putting my students at a great disadvantage. It’s hard for me as a math teacher to see the students learning things like the Quadratic Formula on their own, but these chapters (and this book as a whole) have shown me that it’s possible for them to get there on their own, even if they need an explicit mini-lesson once they do. Mini-lessons are something I’m familiar with from an ELED reading course I took, but now I can see it working really well with math. I also really like the idea of video tutorials of math. Sometimes it seems like the teacher has to do all of the tutorials for the students in math, so I like this spin on it and the students will learn the math so much more thoroughly by showing someone else how to do it. Overall, these chapters have shown me how important it is to be the facilitator of learning, instead of the “know it all”.
Yes Kristi it is a difficult concept to get our heads around. We have all been students in a "traditional" school setting and it is what most people think of when they think about a classroom. When you open yourself up to the possibilities there are endless ways you can help make learning more personalized for your students.
Kristi, I still believe in mini-lessons in middle school. Sometimes there is a handful of students that need additional guidance before feeling confident to attack problems on their own.
After reading the chapters, I was extremely please with their thoughts on collaborative learning. In Chapter 5 on Page 156 of The book the students did a collaborative project where the concept was percentages and the students came up with an iBook to log their work and also show to their peers. I also did something of the same but instead my class made a brochure. The students love when they can actually see how the classwork ties in to real life and they're actually are doing hands on activities. These kinds of collaboration brings about long term learning experiences. As the book state" Some of the most exciting and productive math activities have been these projects". The preparation part to these lessons are a bit more timely but the impact they have are truly lasting. For Peer Collaboration the chapter discussed the assignment of roles, which is essential for getting those harder task completed. The roles are needed to make sure that each person in the group has something to do and that all voices are being heard. I agree with the part about making sure each person in the group gets a turn at all the roles that way students are able to come out their comfort zone and do something they normally wouldn't do,which should be a lot easier amongst their peers. The group setting works very well in math I just go from larger groups of to maybe partners depending on the activity.
As a new teacher, facilitating collaborative learning is something that I struggle with. I really identified with the question around extensive planning (p. 161) as I often feel frustrated with the amount of time and scaffolding it takes to implement structured collaboration. I really liked and will use the norms for group discussion, as they were clearly outlined. I think that reinforcing these--and starting earlier with it--will only help my teaching moving forward.
I also liked the suggestion for service learning. While I have done this in a high school, I really wonder how such a thing would go over in middle school, where students need to be more structured. Has anyone here done a service learning project with middle school?
In the collaborative learning in chapter 5 it reminded me of how much students can learn on their own if given a chance. My theme for my class for the year is “ how does your brain learn new information” with the ultimate goal to get the students to be able to teach themselves using various methods of processing text. To make them realize they don’t need to rely just on a teacher to tell them what and how to learn. Collaborative learning model adds another aspect to this and strengthens my initial premise. Having the students learn and teach each other. I am going to experiment with this idea this week as we start our new unit on astronomy.
ReplyDeleteCollaboration between students makes for great learning experiences; collaboration between teachers can produce very involved extensive projects that are authentic learning experiences. In the example of the students building earthquake proof buildings, math principles, social studies principles and life skills principles were incorporated into the project. Science is a great venue for collaborative learning, I think after reading I need to trust my students more to do some of the learning in inquiry type projects on their own.
In Chapter 6 is what I envision could be done pulling together all the techniques we discussed in the book. My thoughts are that a small dedicated group of twenty students could be easily transported and managed on a large scale community projects. Scaling it up to 100 or 125 students would be difficult to keep all the students busy and active on a single community project like a garden or egg production project. It may take small groups responsible for different aspects of a project with coordination time for different teachers.
John, I agree that science is a great place for collaborative learning. When done well and when properly scaffolded, collaborative learning can be incredibly powerful for all learners, as it gives students a chance to learn from each other. As I mentioned last class, Prof. Niska's research showed that it took middle schoolers 30 times before they were proficient with collaborative learning tasks. I am sure that this "number" varies depending on the students' experience, background knowledge, and level of comfort from years past, but I do believe that good collaborative learning takes practice, both for students and adults. So, I would say, go for it and certainly try it out, and don't be disappointed if it doesn't go exactly as you had hoped the first time. Be proud and excited if it does!
DeleteI also agree. I like to think of group work in science along the lines of discovery learning. Student can set up an experiment, predict an outcome then see what actually happens. But in a group I think the students can get closer to the actual outcome and make better predictions.
DeleteI think that a lot can be learned when things don't go right the first time as well.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteJohn, I have seen collaborative learning used extremely well in a social studies environment as well. I can understand the science aspect and getting the students to work together especially through performing experiments, but the assigning of roles and rotating responsibilities makes it very doable in almost any subject. I am of course curious to find out what our Mathematics concentration classmates have to say.
DeleteThese chapters will help me become a better disciplinary literacy teacher by giving me tips on how to implement collaborative learning in my science classroom, as listed on page 164. Lent also created a picture of what collaborative behaviors in the science classroom should look like on page 154. It is important to have student work that is the result of some “cognitive wrestling” as termed by Lent. I plan to keep a clipboard as a formative assessment on my desk as shown on page 168 to record evidence of behaviors and understanding of my students. In addition I also plan to use the Student’s Self-Reflection Survey on page 169 so that my students can self-monitor themselves by thinking about their results. I will have team building activities that will build the relationships in my class. It is important to have my students learn how to lead whole-class discussions. This confirms that the individual student leading the discussion has learned the information first. Last, I want to facilitate my students’ participation in service-learning projects beyond the classroom for all the wonderful reasons mentioned on page 182. Having all three of my sons participated in Eagle projects, I can’t say enough about the skills and the accomplishment of completing many community service projects.
ReplyDeleteI agree that one of the most memorable experiences a student can have is some kind of out of school, service-learning, social action project, or project-based learning experience. This is very exciting to me, and something I will write more about in my longer post, but it is also challenging to accomplish these projects with a large group of students. Aim high, Cindy!
DeleteCindy, I have seen the formative assessment on the clipboard in action and it seems to work really well! I also plan on doing this.
DeleteCindy,
ReplyDeleteScouting provides great authentic learning experiences. Some of your experiences can easily be converted for use in your classroom. The outdoor experiences give those students a way to work and live with nature. I know I used my own experiences in scouting when teaching biology. Some students are amazed that there is a different knot for different purposes.
I am amazed each year by the number of students that have never built anything for themselves. So I start the year by having students build a working hot air balloon to fly and test. My directions are simple it has to be under 1.25 meters and has to have one 18 cm diameter opening. The rest is up to them. The students produce some great designs. Most do fly, some much longer than others. The point is that they did it for themselves, collaborated with a partner, gathered and analyzed data and experimented on their own.
Reading the chapter on collaborative learning game me more tools to use in my toolbox. As this is my first year in middle school, I have quickly come to realize that the same collaborative learning tools I used for my second graders do not work with seventh graders. I am essentially starting from scratch and need to better develop my skills as a middle school teacher in order to teach effective collaborative learning skills to my adolescent students. I feel that project based, inquiry-driven, collaborative learning is essential in science. Science content can be challenging for some students to grasp, especially when presented in an abstract, inauthentic way, like when students are tasked to read a textbook and learn new vocabulary words without actually experiencing and working with the words. That being said, in my classroom, there is always a focus question. How the students discover the answer to this focus question can be done in various ways, one of my favorites being collaborative, hands-on learning experiences. I’d like to clarify that I think collaborative learning and project-based learning are two very different techniques, but both hold high value for me in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading chapter 5, one activity that I’d like to try is the student-led, whole class discussion (p.173). This feels like a great mid to end-of-year activity, after students have had a lot of practice in their own small-group discussions. It could even be used as an assessment. This activity is a great example of “gradually releasing responsibility” to the students. You spend the year setting them up for success and scaffolding the skills they will need to collaborate and discuss important questions with small groups, then they are tasked with conducting a whole class conversation. They will receive instant feedback both from the peers during the conversation, and from their teacher afterwards. One thing I would do in my class is hold a teacher/group reflection meeting after the group leads a whole class discussion. The reflection can be a part of their assessment, but more importantly, vital learning takes place when students are asked to reflect.
Another big idea I have been struggling with for years and will continue to struggle with as I hone my middle school teaching craft, is how might I include more authentic, project-based learning experiences into the regular culture of my classroom? Middle schoolers are primed to do important, real-world work. They want to be treated like adults and like their work matters, and they need a reason and a purpose for their work. Good project-based learning, student-driven experiences are one way of providing students with the work that they crave. It is very hard to this work well, and it takes creativity, and hard work on the part of the teacher. One of my favorite books on this topic is by Ron Berger and it is called “Ethic of Excellence”. He talks about the projects that he accomplishes with his inner city kids in Springfield, MA. He talks about the challenges of doing this kind of work but also the immense rewards. One of the most important things about true, project-based learning is that it is authentic to the real world. It is not a project. For example, having students create a pamphlet to present to their class on genetic diseases is a project. Having the students take this pamphlet to the local health clinics, get feedback, and then publish said pamphlets to a place that really needs them, is a true, project based learning experience. Taking students “beyond the schoolhouse” is critical toward helping them understand their place and their value in the world outside of school.
Sari,
DeleteI see what you are saying about the difference between project based and just a project. This year my students learned to code and then created a pamphlet for the rest of the school on how to code. I gave it a go and was hoping for success but it fell flat. I think asking them to bring it and present it to younger children might have been the thing to push it to another level. Maybe next year.
Sari,
DeleteIf you think they can do it, than most of the time they can. Sometimes students just need to know you believe in them. Middle schoolers are just trying on their intelligence, they can become truly inspired by a teacher and achieve. Working in groups can inspire leadership, collaboration, and spontaneous knowing.
I agree whole-heartedly with this comment about middle school students wanting to be treated like adults. They find themselves in a tenuous position where they are too old to be kids (even though they still are) and too young to be considered adults and are often felt that they are looked down on by High school or upper class students. I will definitely have to look into that book, "Ethics of Excellence." I have dealt with that same conundrum in the past with 7th and 8th grade boys lacrosse players. The easy part there is when they find themselves on the field with high schoolers there might be one or two that have the same height, but none of them have the speed and strength that the upper classmen possess. This is a very interesting dilemma that I am curious about exploring some more.
DeleteJess, I LOVE your idea of creating a coding pamphlet. Yes, I think having the kids present to another group might have done the trick in terms of re-engaging them in the product.
DeleteCollaborative learning is so very important to me in both my own professional development and my students' learning. For that reason I truly enjoyed Chapter 5. I felt the ideas were presented in a way I could connect with and as with the rest of the book, I found plenty to try in my own class. At the forefront of how this helps me personally is the idea that teachers need to model the collaboration process and work to show children how it works and how successful it can be. On page 154 Lent sates "collaboration is the socialization of intelligence." It is an interesting way to think about it and could be used to sway other teachers into accepting it more in their classrooms. I feel sometimes what is valued as proof of good teaching can be quite antiquated. An example of this is the quiet classroom, suggesting that students moving and talking and laughing is proof that the teacher is not controlling the students. The suggestions in this chapter clearly show children learning and engaged. Just because it's messy doesn't mean it isn't great. Teaching is messy.
ReplyDeleteI am also very interested in checking out some of the suggested resources in this chapter. I plan on reading more on project based learning and Socratic seminar. It is my goal to have students feel comfortable enough to not constantly raise their hand to speak. While this may seem small, to me it would be evidence that they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and the shift has moved away from me teaching or being seen as the one who knows to the children taking control of their learning.
I agree with everything you said, especially, "An example of this is the quiet classroom, suggesting that students moving and talking and laughing is proof that the teacher is not controlling the students." This always used to be a fear of mine! It makes me extremely thankful to have had the opportunity to work at a daycare for several years while I work towards my teaching degree. If not for this daycare experience, I think I would still have the naive belief that if students are talking or moving around they are not learning. Now I know that it is quite the opposite to be true!
DeleteSo true Jessica, Learning isn't just sitting at your desk and quietly working. Some of our students' best work comes from them working in groups and communicating ideas amongst their peers.
DeleteI think that everyone needs to learn how to work in a group setting. As students get older, have actual jobs and go out in to the world they will need to have the ability to work with other people. So using collaborative learning now starts prepping them for that.
ReplyDeleteI also think that students are far more capable than we give them credit for at times. Students with the proper foundational knowledge can expand their understanding of ideas and concepts in ways that we may never have considered. I think this is especially true in a science classroom. A group of students can come up with their own ideas, their own experiments and test them. Whether or not the outcome is what was expected they will learn something.
I think that students can run their own discussions with practice and support. They can learn how to disagree and move on. I think everyone is more vested in something when they feel like they have some control over what they are doing as well. Science provides lots of opportunities for that as well.
Joe,
DeleteI agree students are capable of amazing things. Our job is to encourage and find a way for them to do more. Most students have not found their limit, and don't know how much they could achieve if they tried.
Joe,
DeleteI totally agree with you having worked with engineers at a research facility, teamwork is a must. New engineers that are being hired must have excellent reading and writing skills too.
I totally agree that students are incredibly capable of very high levels of thinking and working. My challenge is in getting them to actually work to their potential with so many distractions in class. I wonder what is realistic for "accountable talk" time. Is it realistic to expect students to be talking about the topic for the entire duration of their work time together? Do adults stay focused 100% of the time? These are just some questions I'm wondering about after your post...
DeleteSari- I tell my kids that I am not always on task so I don't expect them to always be. I ask when they are working in groups to give me an 80% on task 20% off. It gives them the freedom to go back and forth and they seem to be more productive with a little wiggle room.
DeleteIn Chapter 5, I was very impressed with the collaborative learning aspect and keeping groups small, 3-4 students. The assigning of roles was very much like that of the Lit-Circles and can very easily keep students on task by peer involvement.
ReplyDeleteThe classroom that I am working in is run as a collaborative environment and it works extremely well in this Social Studies environment. The students are in groups of 4-5 students and those group assignments are not random at all. The teacher builds the groups and positions strong students with moderate and lower achieving students to form these groups. This allows for a considerable amount of stability built into the groups.
I would be very curious to see the collaborative model put to use in an urban school environment. I wonder how the students would react or embrace this type of learning environment. Getting the students to really support each other and what the group is trying to accomplish may take quite a bit of convincing but I still think it can be done and I hope I get the opportunity to try it out when student teaching. There are not many jobs that only have one role. I might have my specific role but that leads to another persons role and so on. Collaborative learning translates so well to real world situations and makes the learning relevant and meaningful to the students.
I really like the way Chapter 6 really encompasses all that we have learned throughout this book. It is rare that I am thoroughly impressed with a textbook, but Lent really thought this one through and avoided a bunch of technical jargon that only experts in the field can understand. Some of the projects appeared to be very doable, then again I have never had to have more than 30 middle schoolers together at one time, but it has definitely raised my curiosity and thanks to these models a desire to give it a go.
I completely agree with your thoughts on the text book. I feel it is exceptional and have recommended it to many of my fellow teachers. I will be rereading this in the summer with an eye on the fall.
DeleteThese chapters have shown me that sometimes I underestimate what my students are capable of. When thinking about using all of this in my future classroom, and even thinking about how I use it now in lessons I teach, I always think to myself “but what if they can’t do it? What if it’s too hard? What if they don’t get what they’re supposed to out of it?” I see now that if I were to continue thinking that way when I began teaching, I would be putting my students at a great disadvantage. It’s hard for me as a math teacher to see the students learning things like the Quadratic Formula on their own, but these chapters (and this book as a whole) have shown me that it’s possible for them to get there on their own, even if they need an explicit mini-lesson once they do. Mini-lessons are something I’m familiar with from an ELED reading course I took, but now I can see it working really well with math. I also really like the idea of video tutorials of math. Sometimes it seems like the teacher has to do all of the tutorials for the students in math, so I like this spin on it and the students will learn the math so much more thoroughly by showing someone else how to do it. Overall, these chapters have shown me how important it is to be the facilitator of learning, instead of the “know it all”.
ReplyDeleteYes Kristi it is a difficult concept to get our heads around. We have all been students in a "traditional" school setting and it is what most people think of when they think about a classroom. When you open yourself up to the possibilities there are endless ways you can help make learning more personalized for your students.
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ReplyDeleteKristi,
ReplyDeleteI still believe in mini-lessons in middle school. Sometimes there is a handful of students that need additional guidance before feeling confident to attack problems on their own.
After reading the chapters, I was extremely please with their thoughts on collaborative learning. In Chapter 5 on Page 156 of The book the students did a collaborative project where the concept was percentages and the students came up with an iBook to log their work and also show to their peers. I also did something of the same but instead my class made a brochure. The students love when they can actually see how the classwork ties in to real life and they're actually are doing hands on activities. These kinds of collaboration brings about long term learning experiences. As the book state" Some of the most exciting and productive math activities have been these projects".
ReplyDeleteThe preparation part to these lessons are a bit more timely but the impact they have are truly lasting.
For Peer Collaboration the chapter discussed the assignment of roles, which is essential for getting those harder task completed. The roles are needed to make sure that each person in the group has something to do and that all voices are being heard. I agree with the part about making sure each person in the group gets a turn at all the roles that way students are able to come out their comfort zone and do something they normally wouldn't do,which should be a lot easier amongst their peers.
The group setting works very well in math I just go from larger groups of to maybe partners depending on the activity.
As a new teacher, facilitating collaborative learning is something that I struggle with. I really identified with the question around extensive planning (p. 161) as I often feel frustrated with the amount of time and scaffolding it takes to implement structured collaboration. I really liked and will use the norms for group discussion, as they were clearly outlined. I think that reinforcing these--and starting earlier with it--will only help my teaching moving forward.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the suggestion for service learning. While I have done this in a high school, I really wonder how such a thing would go over in middle school, where students need to be more structured. Has anyone here done a service learning project with middle school?