Critical Thinking Questions
My research has been focused on finding ways to encourage students to take more responsibility for the work they create. One part of our seminar that we are planning for April is create some critical thinking questions for our discussion groups. The critical thinking questions that I have posted are:
- How do you share your students work with parents, administration, teachers and staff? How do you share their work outside of school (with the community)?
- How do you encourage your students to take ownership of their work?
- How do you provide your students with choices in your classroom? What are the advantages of providing choice? Disadvantages?
You have some really great questions here. After following your blog posts, I know that you will be able to share some of your own really great responses. You will also elicit some good responses to these questions from your session attendees, which hopefully can assist you also!! Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Laura - I am excited to teach this session and gain some feedback from the conference participants!
DeleteI always think questions about motivation are good for a teacher. It make us, as teachers, reflect on what we TRULY are doing in the classroom. AM I really making a difference and encouraging them to become responsible.
ReplyDeleteI know that I can do a better job, because part of my thinks that they are STILL only 8 and 9 years old,,,they are children!
In answer to the third question, I find giving students choices hard! It's not that I am a control freak, it is just that quite a few students LIKE to be told what to do when and this year especially, if I let the children choose, they really would run around the room throwing stuffed animals. YUP--they are that immature. So I know that I should give them more choice, but MAN is it hard!
Great questions! I need to work on that part now, too....
I completely agree with you Michelle! Allowing students more choice in the classroom can be very challenging...And there are many students who struggle when given too many choices. When I initially implemented more choice in my eighth grade classroom I was very nervous, because I didn't know how much would be "too much" and I was totally unsure of what they results would be! I found by allowing limited choices throughout projects worked really well with this class and I heard from many students that they enjoyed having the choice on some aspects of the assignments. It was definitely nice to hear that from students :-)
DeleteGreat questions:) They made me reflect on what I am doing to share student work. This is what I came up with- yearbook, leader in me binder shared with parents at conferences (data, goals, victories, assessments), hallways, district news letter, and monthly assemblies.
ReplyDeleteAs far as choice goes I tend to teach every student how to do different tasks and then give them the option. For example all of my students present a book chat, book report, AR test, book reflection, and book promotion and then I give them a choice of which one they would like to do. During my Daily 5 I have four different activities they need to complete for the week but let them choose which day they would like to complete them. They choose their books for their literacy groups and on Tuesday they can come up with a classroom table arrangement for the month of February and we will vote to see how we will set up the room for the month. I will let you know ow that turns out:)
This sounds great Sherri! I like that you have four different activities that students must complete throughout the week, but they make the decision of when to complete them. This is a great way to provide choice without giving up total control of the assigned task.
DeleteI like the vote to see how the room will be set up too - that sounds like fun! :-)
A couple ways that I share information with parents:
ReplyDelete1. Our school uses Schoology for posting information. It is a web based site that each family signs up for, but each teacher posts newsletters/ homework/ links for work/ and just can post a message each week. The disadvantage is that parents NEED to check it!
2. I send home notes on colored paper if it is REALLY important. Each quarter I send home a mid-term report for reading goals and just an overall report. This seems to be the way most of my parents get information.
It is always a tricky thing -- as each year you have a different dynamic of students and parents. But at least you are trying!
Michelle
Thank you for the ideas Michelle! How often do you send our newsletters in your classroom? I'd love to start an Art Room Newsletters with my students and families. Perhaps that could be my next Action Research...;-)
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