Today was great and I am excited about our work together! I think this is a fabulous group of educators and I appreciate everyone's enthusiastic participation. Please comment to this post to share your reflection on today.
what protocols or activities did you find the most valuable or interesting?
Do you have more thoughts to share from the "chalk talk" activity or other discussion around teaching practices/philosophies?
What would you change? do more/less of?
Anything else you want to share about your thoughts and ideas...
11 comments:
I really enjoy participating in chalk talks. I have done these before in college and it seems to take pressure off individuals because the comments are anonymous. The idea of using these in my classroom was a new one for me today, so if anyone has any ideas on how to use chalk talks with 7-8 year olds (some that cannot spell/read very well) please let me know.
The ideas that we spoke about, how ELL students are alike and different, really stick out to me. I find it interesting to see the different perspectives of a classroom teacher versus a pull out teacher- one being that teachers are scared to teach "different" students because they do not feel that they are capable and the contrasting idea that some teachers may have negative preconceived notions. I had not thought of this and the open dialogue helps me to understand a different perspective and hopefully resolve issues that may arise with classroom teachers.
I also liked the chalk talk. I have participated in several of these at UGA. I think it is a great way of getting down everyone's ideas.
I thought today was very interesting. I liked planning the themes that we will be working on next week. I am really getting excited about getting to know the students next week. Like we said today, building relationships and a sense of community is one of the most important parts of our roles as educators.
Excellent start! The chalk talk and subsequent debriefing was very useful in beginning to develop a community. One of the guiding principles of Foxfire is the establishment of a community as well as connections with other communities, all of which were well served by this activity. As a 5th grade teacher, I will absolutely use the chalk talk in my classroom. I do see how using chalk talks in lower grades could be challenging given limited language and writing abilities. But it is not necessary that the students respond in sentences or even phrases. Depending on the subject, a one or two word response may be all that's necessary.
I am looking forward to seeing how the practices and procedures set down in the book translate in a real world experience. I would like to think that this approach would energize student learning and this is a chance to see how it works without the necessity of tying it to standards and tests.
I have participated in many chalk talks but this one was particularly effective for me because the whole group discussion and review of the questions/comments portion of the protocol was not short changed. Also, our particular discussion helped me think more about some of the concerns that surrounded the quotes and questions. I like the honest and open/genuine dialogue that our group is already having. I also liked the way that we had ample time to plan as much as we needed to.
It seems like we have a really great group! I enjoyed meeting everyone. I liked the chalk talk as well. I think it led to some great discussions. I thought about the worries some had about the controversial nature of students delving into social problems. However, I thought back to Thomas Jefferson who argued for public education for the purpose of maintaining a democracy through an educated citizenry. So, he would have liked the idea of young people talking about the very issues they will face in life such as poverty in our society and what to do about it. And as for talking about historical events like the removal of Indians,etc... in which our country may not have acted so well, students should also be exposed to that viewpoint. We can learn from the mistakes our country has made, in hopes that some history doesn't repeat itself.
Along with many other people, I found the 'chalk talk' to be enjoyable and thought it was an interactive way to discuss the introductory information in our book.
As far as the differences and similarities between ESL students and the general population -- I think it's sometimes easy for the classroom teacher to forget day-to-day that the same spectrum of students exists within the ESL population as in the class at-large. For instance, some students will receive extra help at home, and some will not. Some students will have parents eager to read to them at night, and some will not. Cultural factors figure in to the equation of course; but I think sometimes teachers -- perhaps because they are intimidated as others have suggested -- fall back on 'umbrella' generalities, for better or worse, that may or may not always apply. That has been my experience anyway.. But I really enjoyed the first day and felt like we were productive.
I also enjoyed the chalk talk. I thought it was a great way for everyone to express their views/ thoughts.
I plan on incorporating this into my classroom.
I really enjoyed how today's cooperative learning took place among us teachers. It reflects our teaching practice, where we provide learning settings that promote an atmosphere of classroom community through student centered teaching.
The chalk talk was an activity I had not engaged before, but which I found very appropriate. It is a task that would work so well in a classroom with ELL students or for students who are usually "passive" learners. It takes the pressure off the student in providing the "right" answer to the quote or question posted. It also invites the student to take his/her time to reflect upon the quote before giving his/her opinion. Therefore communicating through writing or 'Chalk Talk' will encourage the ELL student, who may be intimidated to speak at the beginning of a discussion, to actively participate and blend in with the other students who may not necessarily be English Language Learners. In addition, although a English Language Learner may not be shy to talk, he or she still needs more time to process the information that requires a response. Therefore, once again I think this activity would facilitate communication that requires critical thinking.
Just to bouce off of Richard's comment...I think it is important as we move through the process of the next week to remember that many issues of ELLs are sometimes present for other students, too. Also, I was reminded of what Lisa said today about good teaching practices benefitting ALL students.
Also, I want to reiterate what a great group I think we have!
Alicia...just an idea for the younger ones with chalktalk, maybe incorporate more pictures/drawings? Put something up in writing, read it to them and have them draw something that it makes them think of or a picture of an experience they had related to the topic. Then, kids can go around and see each other's pictures and branch from there as we do with the writing.
I look forward to hearing about what each group has planned so far. We will show you where some of the professional teaching resources are in the media center on Friday.
I thoroughly enjoyed our discussions today! Thanks!
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