Wednesday, June 13, 2007

WHAT MAKES EFFECTIVE GROUP DISCUSSION


Four essential skills for effective group discussions are:

1. Asking questions- The key to all effective group discussion is framing the question in a manner that encourages participation of all members, and addresses the issues at hand.
2. Recognizing and using non-verbal cues.
3. Using active listening skills. Students need to be educated to value all contributions and allow for diversity in responses. Respect-all members are valued. WHEATLEY
4. Recording the group's work.

Other factors that are worthy of consideration are the group's physical configuration, for example a circle, arc, indoors v's outdoors, gender balance, diversity of participants- including age, experience, background, cultural interest and so on.
The teacher will model observe and intervene if required.

THINK/PAIR/SHARE- Better to pair randomly

Group Discussion = Riot/Chaos- a time waster

Recommended Reading: BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER-By Tony Featherstone

posted by sallyd @ 6:25 PM 0 comments
EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY-WORKING WITH GROUPS



MODEL OF EDUCATION IN VOGUE : CONSTRUCTIVIST EDUCATION



PIAGET- Children are not adults; children construct their own understanding of reality through trial and error. Piaget gave the example of his own daughter who was asked, 'what makes the wind'. The answer she gave was that 'the trees make the wind'. Then her father asked her what makes the wind on the water. This question required further contemplation and enhances the possibility of the child entering what Vygotsky was later to name the Zone of Proximal Development. A good teacher engages students by finding their current understandings and then giving them the opportunity to gather more information and integrate it into their current scheme of understanding. Piaget refers to knowledge as a scheme which can be modified and built upon.



VYGOTSKY- SOCIAL INTERACTION:Students need to have effective social interaction for good learning to occur. While an individual can build their own schemes, a person only really learns when they discuss an idea with another person. This requires that they question, think, ask, help and rethink. Their Scheme of Understanding is constantly developing. It is important to remember this in the classroom.

Group work and the classroom
For effective group work we need the following factors to be present
i) Three, four or five members only
ii) Positive Interdependence
iii) A clear set of specific student learning outcomes
iv) Recognition of the group
v) Interaction within the group
vi) Structuring the task
vii) Resources
viii) Post Group Reflection
ix) Assessment in groups

The social interaction in a classroom is provided by group work. This involves students collaborating in their learning. Your may remember the conditions required for a group to be able to function effectively. In summary these are
i) Appropraite Place
ii) Quality Time


Collaborative Learning Types
i) Pairs. This is very important and really needs to be taking place constantly in a classroom. The challenge for the teacher is to focus the students on discussion of the topic in hand. For it to be successful it is important that the pair have the sense of a common project, that they are solving a problem, that they are building knowledge. It is necessary to tap into this creative side of the individuals. They have to have a sense of working on a project together to find an original solution.
It is largely a waste of time to tell them to discuss what you have just been saying. What you have to do is throw out a challenging question or issue that they discuss in order to form an opinion or to find an answer. The need for a well prepared lesson including the preparation of good key questions is the key to success here.
Remember it is through their discussion, their social interaction that the learning occurs, that their Scheme of Understanding develops. They need to have a feedback mechanism for their solution to you the teacher and their fellow students. It is here that group work begins.

Think ---- Pair --- Share

ii) Group work.
One of the frustrations in group work is that only some individuals contribute. This is why it is important that you prepare well for group work.The technical word is scaffold learning. There are two proven methods to improve group work.

a) Think, pair, share
Here the students come to the group having thought about the issue and already discussed it with another person. We know that the most effective way to learn is to teach others. So when you are doing the think, pair, share activity make sure they know they have to teach their group. Do not put the pair in the same group. The students can then teach the students their ideas and then discuss gaining further insights.



b) Jigsaw Groups
We covered this earlier this semester. Check on your notes. But basically it is
a. Teacher nominates members of the group
b. Teacher allocates a number of tasks to each group
c) Group members allocate a task to each member
d) The group member becomes an expert on that task
e) The Experts from each group meet and discuss and gain further understanding
f) Members return to their group and teach the other members of the group.

Tutorial Activity
(Taken from Becoming an Effective Teacher, Tony Featherston)

Think, Pair, Share model for group work.

Prepare for a Think, Pair Share activity using the following Group Work Planning Sheet

Learning Outcomes:
How to conduct good group discussion in the classroom.

Goal/task:
Effective learning, Efficient time use
Sub-tasks:
What roles will members have?
What amount of time will be allocated?
How will people be kept on task?
What structure will the group take?

Group Members Role :
A 1 Leader Initiates- empowers others

2 Chairperson- Chairs group

3 Scribe- Documents

4 Resource Manager- Prepares and archives resources

5 Participants- Participate


Other factors for consideration:
How I will establish ownership of individual goals:
I will recognise groups that achieve by:
Specific group skills to focus on or build in this session:
Resources required:
Reflection conducted by:

Posted by sallyd at 4:05 AM 0 comments

GRAFITTI MODEL


What is the grafitti method of groupwork?

Posted by sallyd at 4:00 AM 0 comments

DREIKURS

The democratic Discipline model. Rudolf Dreikurs

Students should be given a choice rather than be forced to behave as directed.
Attaining recognition as a worthy, able individual in the group is central to personality and happiness.

This theory of classroom management is for pre adolescents. It is useful for year 7 and year 8. Some of the ideas are useful for older children.

This theory is based on the fundamental idea that
People are, basically, social in nature and, as such, have an innate drive to belong to a social group.

Principles of democratic discipline

1. Try to understand why a student is behaving in a particular manner
2. Allow students to have some say in decisions that effect them
3. Be a kind, responsible accepting person who models for students the behaviour that is expected of them.


Preventive Strategies

1. Offer encouragement on a regular basis
2. Focus on effect rather than achievement
3. Encourage in a way that highlights the value of learning
4. Classroom discussions are helpful in preventing discipline problems
5. Develop a positive relationship with students
6. Establish a relationship of mutual respect
7. Look for assets in each of the students
8. Have a flexible attitude towards students

Taken from a paper given out by Alan Coman.

Posted by sallyd at 3:57 AM 0 comments

GLASSER

GLASSER ON CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

• Look to behaviour to find solutions
• Who do you have control over only your self
• Major focus is relationships and so need connecting habits not disconnecting habits
• All behaviour is purposeful.
• A students behaviour is an attempt to meet a biological or psychological need.

Sucessful teachers ask

“What is the purpose of the student’s behaviour?”
“How can I help this student learn a replacement behaviour?”

Behaviour is made up of these 4 components:
1. Acting
2. Thinking
3. Feeling
4. Physiology

Glasser suggests that we have considerable control or choice over the first two of these, and little ability to directly choose the latter two.

The choices we make in our thinking and acting greatly affect our feeling and physiology.

Choice theory posits that most mental illness is, in fact an expression of unhappiness and that we are able to learn how to choose alternate behaviours that will result in greater satisfaction.

Posted by sallyd at 3:49 AM 0 comments

BULLYING

Bullying is the intentional tormenting of others through verbal harassment, physical assault, or other more subtle methods of coercion such as manipulation. There is currently no legal definition of bullying.

In colloquial speech, bullying often describes a form of harassment perpetrated by an abuser who possesses more physical and/or social power and dominance than the victim. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a target. The harassment can be verbal, physical and/or emotional.

Norwegian researcher Dan Owelus defines bullying as when a person is "exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons." He defines negative action as "when a person intentionally inflicts injury or discomfort upon another person, through physical contact, through words or in other ways."[1]

Bullying can occur in any setting where human beings interact with each other. This includes school, the workplace, home and neighborhoods. Bullying can exist between social groups, social classes and even between countries.

Bullying. No way! is created by Australia's educational communities:

Our challenge

Schools are among the safest places in the community for children and young people. But bullying, harassment and violence place students' safety in jeopardy.

This is an issue for our whole society because protecting children and young people is everybody's business.
We know…

* that bullying, harassment and violence occur in all schools communities.

We know…

* that schools can and do make a difference in creating the environments we would like.
* that we can make a positive long-term difference with understanding, informed planning and action, and collaboration among all groups within the school community.

We want…

* an education system for our young people that reflects care, respect, inclusion, diversity, cooperation and nonviolent resolution of conflict.
* to make a huge difference as individuals by working together to make sure that our school communities are places where everyone is safe, supported and respected.

We can …

* use the Bullying. No way! website. School communities around Australia – parents, staff, students and community members – can increase understanding about the issues, hear others' stories, find out about resources, and share strategies and success stories across the nation.

The issues

Making informed responses to bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence based on understanding of the issues helps us to create safe school communities.
Your rights

Everyone has the right to safety and respect. We also have the responsibility to help guarantee these same rights for others.
The behaviours

Understanding the role of power in relationships helps us to identify harmful behaviours and to develop a shared approach to these issues.
Deeper issues

Day-to-day relationships in the school community are influenced by underlying factors that maintain behaviours such as bullying, harassment and discrimination in society.
Creating change

Positive change incorporates support for individuals, fair and consistent expectations, and approaches that address the deeper issues and encourage wellbeing for all individuals, groups and the whole school community.
Where to now?

We know that school communities are addressing issues of bullying, harassment and violence. Social capital suggests ways to measure and benchmark these changes.

Posted by sallyd at 2:50 AM 0 comments

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Emotional Intelligence, also called EI, often measured as an Emotional Intelligence Quotient or EQ, describes an ability, capacity, or skill to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, of others, and of groups. However, being a relatively new area, the definition of emotional intelligence is constantly changing. Some psychologists, such as John D. Mayer (2005), prefer to distinguish emotional knowledge from emotional of EQ intelligence.

Self-report measures of EQ include the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal by Bradberry and Greaves, (2005c). The Emotional Intelligence Appraisal measures the four EQ skills from Daniel Goleman's model:
1. Self-awareness--knowing your emotions, recognizing feelings as they occur, and discriminating between them
2. Mood management--handling feelings so they're relevant to the current situation and you react appropriately
3. Self-motivation--"gathering up" your feelings and directing yourself towards a goal, despite self-doubt, inertia, and impulsiveness
4. Empathy--recognizing feelings in others and tuning into their verbal and nonverbal cues
5. Managing relationships--handling interpersonal interaction, conflict resolution, and negotiations

Posted by sallyd at 2:47 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, June 12, 2007
PAIN MODEL

The pain model was developed by Patrick Connor. It was envisaged to assist teachers who work with students who have extremely challenging behaviours, social problems and a lack of social skills. The base assumption of the pain model is that if students 'feel good' they will 'act good', and so adversely, if students 'feel bad', they will 'act bad'. Students who 'act bad' may be experiencing pain and be very unhappy. Punishment in these circumstances will only exacerbate the problem. The pain model works off the assumption that human behaviour is one way of communicating inner feelings. Here, it is essential for the teacher to build relationships, not control. By acknowledging the pain, the teacher begins the often slow process of developing a connection to the student; the first step to valuing that person. It must be assumed that students can govern themselves with assistance. Depending on their level of social skills, students can choose from a limited range of options, with the teacher as skilled communicator moderating the less skilled student and teaching them the appropriate way to behave. This model is resource intensive, requiring a completely new orientation to the 'problem'. The aim is to re-skill the student and reconstruct self esteem.

Posted by sallyd at 3:33 AM 0 comments