Reading Reflection #7

      There are 3 levels of classroom discussion. 1. Teacher to Teacher- teachers communicating with one another about how things are going and how they are going to go about a project. 2. Student to Student-students talk to each other about previous knowledge they have of the project. Brainstorm ideas for the project and gain teambuilding experience. 3. Teacher to Student-there are many ways for teachers to go about this level, they can talk to the whole class face-to-face, they could have small group discussions or they could create a class blog and communicate with that students that way.

      There are 4 questions for checking in. 1. Procedural- to track progress toward milestones and deadlines, remind students of the project calendar and monitor student’s project logs and checklists. 2. Teamwork-Circulate and ask questions to help you 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 express concerns or ask for help if they are experiencing team trouble. 3. Understanding- Spend time observing teams at work, listening to students conversations, and asking probing questions. Review online workspaces where you can see student’s work in progress. 4. Self-assessment- To find out what students are thinking about the project, ask questions that encourage self-assessments and reflections. 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 a project.

      You may find that students gain benefits that you did not envision at the beginning of the project.  You just have to be careful that the technology is not being distracting for the student’s; you have to make sure that they are using it correctly.

      During project implementation, pay close attention to team dynamics. Teamwork can make or break a project. If you detect trouble, help students’ learn to manage their own team conflicts. It’s a real-life skill that will serve them well for years to come.

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

      I think out of this chapter, the most helpful concept would be the teamwork making or breaking a project. For most of our project, we have the students working in groups. If they don’t have good teamwork, the whole project could get messed up. This is also where classroom check-ins could come into play. We could set a time at the beginning, middle, and the end of the project for the students to talk about their groups. If there are any problems we can detect them early or solve them when they beginning so we aren’t waiting until the very end when there isn’t a lot we can do about it.