Double Entry Journal Methodology of Teaching

Quote | Reflection | Regardless of the fact that these measures often are used to predict student performance, a teacher’s recorded school achieve-ment seldom has correlated strongly with classroom performance (Pg.3) | I can certainly agree with this quote given that academic performance of teacher does not mean he or she is well equipped or suited to teach a certain subject matter. This touches home with me because my background is business. While I did instruct and facilitate many times in the workplace, never did I have to do so with children. While my academics were good in school, my hands on/real world experience made me a better teacher on the subject matter. | Less Effective TeachersUse vague, ambiguous, or indefinite language, such as “might probably be,” “tends to suggest,” and “could possibly happen.” (Pg 9) | These hold true to my thoughts and feelings as well as what can render a teacher less effective. Language such as “might probably be” only plants the seed in my mind that my teacher is either lacking the specific knowledge in the subject matter or they are lacking the passion that it takes to effectively teach on the subject. | If you teach with a high degree of clarity, you will spend less time going over material. (Pg.9) | This is a very small quote, but with a powerful and impactful meaning to me. I again believe you must have the passion to actually reach the high degree of clarity. If that is present prior to the lesson delivery, I believe it will help the flow and also create a more meaningful discussion. | Minimize time-consuming activities, such as giving directions and organizing the class for instruction, by writing the daily schedule on the board. This will ensure that pupils know where to go and what to do. (Pg.13) | I love a class that is well organized where I knew the moment I sat down what we were going to do that day. I cannot lie though; it did create a sense of knowing how fast I would be out of that class as well. However, it also made me feel like I knew what the clear expectations were for the day. | Moderate to high success rates can produce mastery of lesson content. But they can also provide the foundation for your students to apply what they have learned and to reason, problem solve, and think critically and independently about the content (Pg.15) | I like this quote because I think it means success for the educator and of course for the student as well. Not only do I think it is good because it displays their learning throughout the course, but it is something that prepares them for the next year as well as community expectations. | The standard phrases we use to acknowl-edge and reward students (“Correct,” “Good,” “Right”) are so overused that they may not always convey the reward intended. (Pg.17) | This statement is very true and reminded me of how I managed and led employees in over 200 locations. I think we get so used to the simple words like “good” or “right” that they become stale. I do think actions speak louder than words. | Anyone who has ever been in a classroom where the teacher’s presentation was lifeless, static, and without vocal variety can appreciate the commonsense value of the affective side of teaching. (Pg.22) | This reminds me of an 8th grade math class I had where the teacher talked in the same tone of voice all of the time. I became so focused on his tone that I was pulled away from the actual lesson plan. I wonder at times if it is because some teachers have a problem changing up their methods of teaching from year to year so it just becomes second nature to sound like a broken record. | At this point, you might think an effective teacher simply is one who has mastered all of the key behaviors and helping behaviors. But teaching involves more than knowledge of how to perform individual behaviors. (Pg.27) | I agree with this statement. I think some people believe teaching to be very task oriented, but to me the tasks only display retention, which too is necessary. Teaching to me also involves passion and should contain real world experiences. I think that is what creates interest. | Effective teachers function as able facilitators, coaches, and guides for students’ knowledge-building processes. In other words, students can be taught to become agents of their own learning. (Pg.27) | Once upon a time I would have disagreed with this statement. However, after having spent a great deal of time learning online from “facilitators” rather than instructors, I realize how strong of a learner I had become. It does take a lot of discipline, however. | Much like an artist, who blends color and texture into a painting to produce a coherent impression, so must an effective teacher blend individual behaviors into teaching practices that promote student achievement. (Pg.27) | I also think they need to blend in real world experiences. Even if the teacher lacks true “real world” experience in the matter, he or she should look for examples and stories to share with the class to help spark the interest. Sometimes I wonder if fresh out of college teachers are not more of robots than anything else. | By recognizing students’ individual differences and special needs, you will be better able to help them use their own experiences and learning histories to derive meaning and understanding from what you are teaching. (Pg.40) | This statement is so true and can be seen in the normal workplace environment as well. I managed my teams effectively because I understood that not everyone on the team was going to be the star player. However, I felt it was my duty to realize the strength of each team member and help them realize their role and importance of that role to the overall group. | When counseling students and talking with parents about the achievement and performance of your learners, you will be able to convey some of the reasons for their behavior. (Pg. 41) | I believe this comes from the home life of the student as well. I know a teacher who will meet with each new student in their home to get to know their environment whereas to have a better understanding of what could potentially cause learning roadblocks for them. | By varying teaching strategies, the teacher makes sure that each student has the opportunity to learn in a manner compatible with his or her own learning strengths and preferences. The curriculum is no longer defined in terms of what a teacher will teach but rather in terms of what a student will be able to demonstrate. (Pg.43) | I believe teaching will become more heavily facilitated and led by classroom discussions as a team. I know many people who could have benefited from a team learning environment which would have prepped them for the real world. | One of the greatest misunderstandings that some teachers, parents, and learners have about intelligence is that it is a single, unified dimension. (Pg.45) | Wow, this statement is very true. Intelligence has become a number that we as a society say is the standard. However, I have come upon many intelligent people in my travels who were each intelligent in very different ways. | Everyone knows from personal experience in school, hobbies, sports, and interpersonal relationships that the degree of intelligence depends on the circumstances and conditions under which the intelligence is exhibited. (Pg.46) | I like this statement because it touches on the vast array of ideas where intelligence truly lies. Intelligence can be about a subject matter, but I do believe intelligence comes only from experience. There is a difference between smart and intelligent in my opinion. | The environmentalist position criticizes the use of general ability tests in the schools in the belief that they are culturally biased. Environmentalists believe that differences in intelligence quotient (IQ) scores among groups such as African Americans, Hispanics, and Anglos can be attributed largely to social class or environmental differences. (Pg.46) | I am amazed at this statement because it seems each would be afforded the same opportunities and the same chance to learn. I am led to believe that many home environments create the desire or expectation to learn or not to learn. I see it with kids who are homeschooled when the reality is there is no curriculum in place. | It is no longer accurate to say that the United States is a nation and an educational system with minorities; rather, it is a nation and an educational system of minorities. Currently, nonwhite students make up over 40% of all students in the United States. And non-Anglo students currently make up the majority of learners in the nation’s 27 largest school districts. (Pg.54) | I chose this statement as one to reflect on because we are now indeed a nation of minorities. The fear and hate that many had years ago over this idea has proven it would indeed take place. I believe our educational system has to be ever changing to adapt to these changing times if we are going to compete globally. | Standards are derived from goals to more specifically identify what must be accomplished and who must do what in order to meet the goals. (Pg.80) | In a few words, this means one should have a good lesson plan in place. I spent many years creating business plans to deliver to the CEO and board of directors to sell an idea on behalf of various teams. In each of these plans goals are listed, but the standard had to be listed as well. | If the observable learning outcome can be achieved only through use of particular materials, equipment, tools, or other resources, then these conditions should be stated in the objective. (Pg.87) | I agree with this statement and used the same idea in my business plans as I mentioned above. There had to be a clear map that showed what was needed along with the potential roadblocks along the way. | If you want to know whether Johnny can write his name, ask him to write his name—but not while blindfolded! Resist the temptation to be tricky. (Pg.91) | I never understood the need or desire to be tricky. I always felt being tricky could lead to one feeling ashamed if they got the answer wrong or would leave them always feeling like they have to second guess their answers. I have noticed I used to do this with my own children. | Other skills and behaviors involve learning action sequences or procedures to follow when, for example, using drawing materials, performing mathematical computations, op-erating a calculator, or practicing handwriting. These types of outcomes represent what is called procedural knowledge, or the knowledge of how to do things. (Pg.93) | I think procedural methods are what are widely used even in the workplace. For instance, when you are beginning a new job you may encounter the need for job specific training. It is usually a 1, 2, 3 step approach and is why many people will say they learn better hands on. | Classroom assessment of learning, particularly beyond the early elementary grades, has been based almost exclusively on paper and pencil tests, which indicate, rather than directly measure, what children have learned. (Pg.93) | If there is one thing I have learned in the workplace while leading effective teams was that you never try or test anything new without knowing ahead of time is there is an undisputable way to measure its success or failure. Pencil tests would not yield as effective if the student had severe test anxiety or perhaps answered questions better when read to them. | Objectives at the precision level require the student to perform an action independent of either a visual model or written set of directions. (Pg.101) | I think this is a good way for someone to demonstrate what they have learned without only through traditional methods such as standardized testing. | One misconception that often results from study of the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains is that simple behaviors, like the recall of facts and dates, are less desirable than more complex behaviors, requiring the cognitive operations of analysis, synthesis, and decision making. (Pg.102) | I’m not real sure what this statement is actually meaning. It is intriguing to me which is why I chose it. I get how these would be less desirable, but do not understand why more simple behaviors would not be given their proper weight as well. | Whether a behavior is easier or more difficult to teach also will always depend on the learning needs of your students. (Pg.103) | This is very true because no two people are alike or learn in the same manner. There may be slight similarities to their learning style, but different as well. I think that is the greatest challenge of a teacher is discovering all of those styles and then adapting the lessons around them all. | Texts, curricula, and policies are interpretations of the values that are shared at the broadest national level and translated into practice through goals, standards, and objectives. (Pg.104) | I am glad things are moving more toward a national standard to which everyone should teach from. I believe it will afford the same abilities to those children in areas which are less desirable. | Planning with respect to your learners begins by consciously noting their unique abilities and experiences that can provide you the opportunity to select content, materials, objectives, and methods that match their current level of understanding and meet their special learning needs. (Pg.112) | I do agree with this, but also believe the teacher too should be aware of their unique ability to actually teach the content as well. Just as a student may have trouble learning a specific subject, it is possible that the teacher could not be prepared to teach it as well. | As a beginning teacher, you probably regard your content and method knowledge as hard won during four long years of professional training. To be sure, it is—but you have only just begun. Your knowledge of content and methods will change with the interaction of your formal university training and your actual classroom experience. (Pg.113) | I agree your knowledge is always ever changing because the world itself is ever changing. If we set a standard and say this is exactly what is supposed to be done in our teachings without varying from style, I do not think we can keep up with the times. | This is as it should be, because the arrangement of day-to-day content in the classroom must be flexible to meet your individual students’ needs, your instructional prefer-ences, and special priorities and initiatives in your school and community. (Pg.114) | Very true. Not only does the teacher need to make sure they have captured the varying learning styles of their students, but they must also be sure to have incorporated the requirements of the school and the community. I almost wonder how it would be to require teachers to retire after a certain period in an effort to keep ideas fresh. | Other categories of learners—such as at-risk, bi-lingual, and gifted students—may add even greater diversity to your classroom. (Pg.116) | I think educators are going to have to constantly change up the way they teach because we are a country of minorities now and will run into greater diversity down the road. | You will quickly come to realize that adopted texts, workbooks, and even detailed curriculum guides identify the content to be taught but do not select, organize, and sequence that content according to the needs of your learners. (Pg.117) | I think these things can detail what should be taught, but in no way can they provide the exact method to which you should teach it. I can see me creating lesson plans, but making sure they are flexible enough to adapt them to different learning styles. | As an effective teacher, you should plan the interrelationships among lessons in a way that encourages higher-order thinking to emerge at the unit level. (Pg.120) | I believe I understand this to be that we should create more critical thinking in our students from the lesson plans that we create. If we fail to do so, it just because another chapter to read and another set of questions to answer rather than it being a journey. | Seeing a lesson in context with other lessons that share the same purpose focuses your attention on the importance of the knowledge and understandings that must be taught prior to your lesson for it to be a success. (Pg.121) | I think the pre-assessments that we talked about in class is also important so that the teacher can focus more on how each child learns and what their current understanding is. | If you plan lessons without a higher-level unit outcome in mind, your students’ attention will fall exclusively on each individual lesson, without noticing the relationship among lessons. (Pg.129) | This statement is very true. The student should begin realizing how they are being prepped and led into the next lesson from their current one. It really shouldn’t be any different than them reading their favorite chapter book. | Certain individuals become leaders because others perceive them as experts. Successful teachers have expert power. Their students see them as competent to explain or do certain things and as knowledgeable about particular topics. (Pg.160) | The students do see the teachers as that, but I know as a parent I have looked at some teachers before and wonder how they ever became an expert on the subject matter given their only experience was in an academic environment themselves. | Ask any group of junior or senior high school students why they like particular teachers, and invariably they describe the teachers they like as “fair,” “caring,” and “someone you can talk to.” (Pg.160) | This is a very true statement. Students need someone they can relate to as well. For me I seemed to relate to younger teachers better than older teaches. It was mostly because they seemed to be more fresh in their method of teaching which I felt was leading me to the real world rather than the same ole same ole. | Our society expects students to give teachers their attention, respect them, and follow their requests. Most families also stress the importance of listening to the teacher. (Pg.160) | While all of these things are true, I think society has also allowed educators and doctors decide what a “bad kid” is and thus created the huge spike in those children being now labeled as having ADD or ADHD. I am sure some actually needed medication, but I also think many were prescribed this because they couldn’t sit in their seat too long. | Students who do not care much about good grades or teacher approval are difficult to lead solely by exerting reward power, because they can attain much of what is reinforcing to them outside school. (Pg.161) | Our youth has such a hard time understanding what it takes to live on your own, which creates the lack of desire or concern over grades. I have always set a bar for my children and worked to help them meet or exceed that bar. | Centering occurs when learners question how they will personally benefit from being a group member. Their behavior can be described with the question, What’s in it for me? (Pg.162) | I think that is a fair question, but I know in my group undergrad studies I also used to think how unfair it was for a team member to not pull their own weight yet the entire team suffered the poor grade if they didn’t pick up the slack. Looking back on that I see how much like a work team environment that really was. It really prepped me for the real world. | A classroom group has norms when learners, for the most part, agree on what is and is not socially acceptable classroom behavior. (Pg.164) | I think it is important to have the class help decide and create rules and boundaries for the classroom as a whole. It takes out the need to disagree or argue about the rules. | The social environment of your classroom can vary from authoritarian, in which you are the primary provider of information, opinions, and instruction, to laissez-faire, in which your students become the primary providers of information, opinions, and instruction. (Pg.165) | I believe it is important to have some sort of freedom in the classroom where the teacher realizes that he or she too can be the student who learns from the classmates and perhaps changes direction some in their teaching methods and/or styles. | In the upper grades, the most flexible furniture arrangement places your desk at the front of the room and aligns the student desks or tables toward you. Although it may seem strange to associate this traditional format with flexibility, it can be most flexible when you use it to create competitive, cooperative, and individualistic environments interchangeably. (Pg.169) | This statement reminded me of the many times I would change up the table arrangements for meetings I was holding based upon what the meeting was about and how much interaction I wanted to get out of the group. If I put them in a horseshoe setup they would go crazy with commentary. |

A direct instruction presentation in the elementary and secondary classroom is not like the college lecture you may be familiar with. The typical college lecture rarely will be suitable for your classroom, because your learners’ attention spans, interest levels, and motivation will not be the same as those of college students. (P.222) | I chose this section because I think it constantly evolves from each level of school you go to. You can be in middle school and then go to high school where you will see this same thing. I noticed this mostly when I began the transition from my two year degree to my four year degree. I had to begin thinking differently and modify my interest and learning styles. | Research indicates that direct instruction strategies are among those that correlate highest with student achievement, as measured by standardized tests, which tend to emphasize facts, rules, and sequences (P.223) | While I do agree with this statement, I do wonder if it isn’t because we do things in repetition so that these students can memorize what we are teaching rather than actually learning it just so they score well on state tests. | Your active participation in the presentation of content can change these misperceptions by mixing interesting supplemental or introductory infor-mation with the dry facts, by showing the application of the material to future schoolwork or world events, and by illustrating with questions and answers that the material is neither easy nor previously mastered. (P.226) | I think active participation is what can set a good teacher apart from a great teacher. Being active does help deliver more information most effectively and can be helpful to teach it by indeed placing the information around real world events. | Review and checking at the beginning of a lesson also is the most efficient and timely way of finding out if your students have mastered task-relevant prior knowledge sufficiently to begin a new lesson; if not, you may reteach the missing content (P.230) | . I recall my teachers doing this in school, but I never quite felt it was that important. However, as an adult and as a student now myself who is learning to teach, I can see the importance. If we as educators decided to just continue on with each lesson while the majority of the students seem lost, there is no way that the future lessons will be retained either. | When high performers answer questions correctly but average performers do not, some reteaching should be undertaken before the start of the lesson. (P.230) | I think this is an interesting statement and I do agree. I also think this is a great opportunity for those who clearly get the objective well to be some peer tutors and allow them to assist in bringing the other students along. | Lessons must be served in small portions that are consistent with the previous knowledge, ability level, and experience of your students. Likewise the content within the lessons must be partitioned and subdivided to organize it into small bits. No portion can be too large, or you will lose your students’ attention. (P.231) | Small portions are most key here in my opinion. I think there is such an issue in many classrooms where kids are loaded down with so much homework that they cannot retain all of this information in such a short time frame before they move to the next lesson. Many classrooms seem more like machines on a production line rather than interactive learning environments. | Unfortunately, many beginning teachers stick tenaciously to these formal headings without realizing either the volume of content that falls within them or the time it takes to orally explain, illustrate, and practice this content. (P.232) | I believe new teachers walk into the classroom thinking they have learned everything there is to know to prepare themselves as educators. The reality is they never are fully prepared because there are too many unique students and situations they will see in their tenure that will teach them new ideas. | Constructivist lessons are designed and sequenced to encourage learners to use their own experiences to actively construct meaning that makes sense to them, rather than to acquire understanding through exposure to a format exclusively organized by the teacher (P.259) | I think a lot of people learn this way. I also believe higher learning has lead educators down the path to realize it is important to tie real world experience to new learning techniques and ideas. It makes the classroom time much more interesting. | When you present instructional stimuli to your learners in the form of content, materials, objects, and events and ask them to go beyond the information given to make conclusions and generalizations or find a pattern of relationships, you are using the indirect model of instruction. (P262) | This reminds me of a speech teacher I had in highschool who gave us an assignment where we had to research the JFK assassination and write a speech on our findings. We could not simply read a book or watch a movie and write our paper. We had to really do some research and look at every thought or clue that may or may not have led to the actual end result. It made me really go beyond the norm. | Deductive thinking includes testing generalizations to see if they hold in specific cases. Typically, a laboratory experiment in the sciences follows the deductive method. In these fields, the experimenter begins with a theory or hypothesis about what should happen and then tests it with an experiment to see if it can be confirmed (P.275) | I always loved health and science classes because of the way it made you think like this. We would always have some sort of project where we had to develop a theory and then begin testing that theory. I think this makes students get more active and is also a good way to introduce working in groups. | In direct instruction, answering questions is how students show what they know so you may provide clues, hints, and probes. In indirect instruction, your questions guide students into discovering new dimensions of a problem or ways of resolving a dilemma. (P.279) | I had a teacher who used to drill us with answers when we walked in the door. We then had to tell her what the question to her answer was. It was a lot like Jeopardy, but I like the creativeness about it and it made me look forward to her class every day. | Until recently, the use of student ideas was considered the centerpiece of indirect instruction. Using student ideas meant incorporating student experiences, points of view, feelings, and problems into the lesson by making the student the primary point of reference. (P. 280) | I think it is very vital to use student input into the lessons being taught. It creates more experience that can get other students interested in the topic and then help to tie the whole lesson together for them. | A third way to incorporate student ideas into your lesson is to allow students to respond using their own interests, concerns, and problems. (P.281) | I think it would be interesting to see how a student can teach other students by being the teacher for the day. They could have the lesson itself but then find a way to deliver it through sharing real life experiences or situations. | When student-to-student-to-teacher exchanges grow into protracted interactions among a large number of students, a full-group discussion has begun (Burbules & Bruce, 2001). In this type of discussion, you may intervene only occasionally to review and summarize main points, or you may schedule periodic time-outs to evaluate the group’s progress and to redirect, if necessary. (P.283) | | Some research data indeed show that not all questions actively engage students in the learning process. Early studies estimated that 70% to 80% of all questions require the simple recall of facts; only 20% to 30% require the higher-level thought processes of clarifying, expanding, generalizing, and making inferences (P.299) | I do not see myself as being much of an educator that would use a lot of recall questions. I think that having some recall questions makes sense to get an idea of the retention level of the class, but I think real learning comes from more in depth critical thinking. | Questions at various levels of cognitive complexity can be directed to individuals, to groups, or to the entire class. Occasionally posing questions over the heads of some learners and under the heads of others will keep all students alert and engaged in the learning process (P.302) | I do agree that there should be a variable to the types of questions being asked because no two learners are the same. However, I think the teacher certainly should have a good grasp on each student and their learning style before they should attempt questioning like this. | Your students may not need to be able to recite the names of the presidents, the Declaration of Independence, or the elements in the periodic table, because these facts may not be task-relevant prior knowledge for more higher-order outcomes. However, your learners will likely need to recite the multiplication tables, the parts of speech, and the rules for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing signed numbers, for these facts will be used countless times in completing exercises and solving problems at higher levels of cognitive complexity. (P.306) | I believe any student you ask will tell you they do not understand why they need to take Geography or perhaps even science if they are never going to use these skills in the future. While I do agree these classes are necessary and help shape minds and prepares them for continued education, there is some truth in the concern. I am not so certain some of the greatest CEO’s of our time was great in these classes either and really gained most of their skills hands on. | Self-directed learning helps students construct their own understanding and meaning and helps them to reason, problem solve, and think critically about the content (P.330) | I love to see kids go off on their own path of learning and bring back what they had discovered and their story to how they got there. No two students will be the same and may arrive at the same answer, but have found that answer in very different ways. | The knowledge and skills that learners are to acquire are not given to them in the form of finished products. Instead you provide cognitive stimulation at just the proper times for students to acquire the end products through their own reasoning. (P.334) | I think it is important to give just enough information at times to not only spark interest in the subject matter, but to stimulate their minds and get them to begin the process of independent thinking and reasoning. | If your reaction promotes an inaccurate and meaningless response, the interplay may not be so gentle, at least not in the learner’s mind. But if your reaction creates (or even intentionally promotes) a student response that is inaccurate but meaningful, the interplay returns to a gentler state. (P.337) | I would much rather hear something creative in answering even if they are exactly correct in their response. If they show they have tried and can discuss how they arrived there, I think that does indeed deserve credit of some sort. | As students gradually accept the shift in responsibility from teacher to student, you reduce the amount of explaining, explicitness of cues, and prompting that may have marked the earlier part of the lesson. (P.340) | This is so true and you really begin noticing this as a student in high school, but then really begin noticing it when you start college. I think teachers start evolving from being an instructor 100% of the time to being somewhat of a facilitator who helps direct the students’ minds in the right path of reasoning. | Jingles or trigger sentences can cue sequential letters, patterns, or special historical dates. For example, most music students learn some varia-tion of the statement “Every Good Boy Does Fine” to recall the musical notes EGBDF on the lines of a music treble staff. (P.347) | You can put a jingle test or a logo test in front of most kids and they will tell you the business it belongs to. While it may be true that this is in part due to repetition of radio ads and television commercials, it is also from these ads being creative and capturing attention from the beginning. I think it is important and lasting for a teacher to do the very same thing. | Note taking can improve information processing in several ways. It enhances reception by prompting learners to attend better to what they are hearing or seeing. (P.348) | This is true because note taking is a form of repetition to what you have recently read or heard. This allows the learner to return to your notes and keep studying them to memorize what you need to learn. I am not sure that once a test is over that a student will actually remember what they wrote in their notes. | Educators have urged school reforms that engage learners in hands-on learning activities as the best way to develop self-directed learning (P.352) | I think hands on is for sure a great way to learn something and not just a task either. I believe you can make just about any subject interactive in some way. | Students who fail to see the purpose or personal relevance of class activities perform more poorly than those who do see the connection between their classwork and their lives. (P.352) | This is a profound statement in my opinion. The problem with schools these days is that kids do not want to go. Simply put they are bored when they are there. This is why teachers should really pull personal connections into their lesson to get the kids more engaged and wanting to return each day. | Adult learners form their attitudes and values from social interaction. Although we learn much about the world from books, magazines, newspapers, and television, most of our attitudes and values are formed by discussing what we know or think with others. (P.364) | I think this is why my last two years of my undergrad program focused heavily on working in teams. It gave us the chance to learn from one another in a controlled environment with the understanding that everyone has something different to bring to the table, but equally as important. | With the decreasing presence of adults in the homes of working parents, the class-room has become an important vehicle for bolstering home and community values. (P.364) | Sadly this is a true statement because economic changes throughout the last several decades has demanded homes run on two incomes. This has caused an issue on the amount of time and interaction parents have with their kids when it comes to their studies. I mostly see parents only get involved when they see a progress or report card. At that point too much time has gone by and there have been opportunities lost. | Books and lectures may be useful for teach-ing knowledge, comprehension, and application, but they seldom are sufficient to bring about the private, inner speech required for thinking critically, reasoning, and problem solving in real-life settings. (P.365) | You can read a book or listen to a speaker all day long. The fact is it takes excitement and passion to deliver interest in the subject itself and create an atmosphere where learning can be fun. | Your role is to intervene at critical junctures and then to retreat, allowing the group to grapple with the new perspective or information given. (P.366) | I love to teach people new things in groups and walk around and listen to how each group is handling the task. You can always find one person who seems to take the lead and begin developing trust among their peers. | If a group produces an outstanding report but only a few students have contributed to it, the group as a whole will have learned no more than if each member had completed the assignment alone. (P.367) | I used to have to write 15 page essays with a group of four other students when I was in my undergrad program. You could always count on at least two, sometimes three, other students who would either not assist at all or would only help a little. The only good thing is that we also had to grade our teammates on their involvement which helped curb their part of the grade some on the project. | Thus the rule of thumb is to compose groups of four or five members for single-period activities and slightly larger groups (of five or six) for activities that stretch over more than a class period, thus requiring greater task complexity and role specialization. (P.370) | I think you have to be careful in regards to the amount of people you have in groups. It is highly likely that the more people you have in a group project, the more likely it is they will develop groupthink. | Group work can easily get out of hand in the excitement, controversy, and natural dialogue that can come from passionate discussion. (P.371) | I have lived this statement before when other students get into heated debates over the task. Most of the time it is because they are both strong leaders who both feel they are right and will not take time to listen to each other. | Providing feedback to the groups on how well they are collaborating is important to their progress in acquiring collaborative skills (P.378) | This is the most important part to working in a group. My facilitator used to always drop a note or an email to check in on the group and read the comments back and forth and provide us with feedback. This was especially true if she seen us getting off track. |