Blog #2 - Additional Thoughts

I liked the information related to facilitating a discussion. Typically, I find that many graduate level classes do this nicely, but undergrad classes tend to be more traditional. I liked having students sit in a circle during discussions versus straight rows. This tends to be more comfortable for most students. I feel however that maybe some students would be somewhat uncomfortable sitting in a circle since this might be new. Hopefully the uncomfortableness is short lived and helps to facilitate learning. If possible, I rather create an atmosphere that helps to facilitate learning. I also liked how the book focused on the importance of small group activities. I use to have students work in groups all the time when I taught in a small high school. This helped students get to know other students and helped them learn skills that should prove to be beneficial later in life. The importance of open-ended question is also critical. Instead of asking students "Did you like the readings", ask, "what did you like about the reading materials". This should help to facilitate more discussion during the class. Lastly, I enjoyed the section in the book that discussed "Why some students do not talk". I related this to myself. I sometimes feel uncomfortable talking in a large class in fear I might take over the conversation or cut someone else off when they are trying to speak. I need to learn to be able to discuss things in class without fear of the above mentioned things. I have had students in my classes I taught before and I tried to pair them up, or provide activities to help build their confidence and allow them to talk in class. There can be a number of reasons students do not talk in class, but hopefully by building confidence and taking "baby steps" the student will feel free to share. I liked the idea of having debates. I feel debates allow student to share their opinion and also hear another point of view. I tried having a debate in a high school class, but it did not go real well. The students took the information personally and it was not as educational as I hoped it to be. I would like to try a debate in a college setting where the students should be more mature and be able to handle such an educational experience. The guidance of the instructor and clear "ground rules", this should prove to be a fun way to learn. Topics could include second hand smoke, physician assisted suicide, or the drinking age. I found a nice debate rubric online that I could use the the college setting (http://mh034.k12.sd.us/classroom_debate_rubric.htm). Another rubric (that is not so good because it is too subjective) can be found at: http://712educators.about.com/cs/rubrics/l/blrubricdebate.htm