Re: [Channel-talklearning] Spring session The Learning Classroom

Hi again Kate. I had a (probably unrealistic) idea. Is it possible to
use some of your walking-between-class time to start the discussion?
That way you are setting the stage for the in-class work and making the
walk more productive. My guess is that it won't really work, but who
knows.

Ed Bowden

On Mar 9, 2005, at 1:39 PM, Edward Bowden wrote:

> Hi Kate. First I would like to say that I am glad to see someone
> posting on channel-talk.
>
> About taking the time to ask reflective questions, I believe that it
> is time well spent. I find that when I just dive into an activity the
> students start doing things right away but they don't always
> understand what they are doing or why. By setting the stage I almost
> always get better end results and I spend less time stopping in the
> middle of an activity to correct misconceptions. It seems like you are
> using valuable work time to just discuss things but I think it pays
> off.
>
> Ed Bowden
>
> On Mar 9, 2005, at 10:37 AM, Katherine Kraus wrote:
>
>> Hello, my name is Kate. I'm an art teacher for students in grades
>> 1-5. I teach about 700 kids in a 6 day rotation. I'm in a rural
>> location where the students have a wide range of abilities so some of
>> my classes are functioning on a high level and some on a low level. 
>> I feel a lot of pressure to have as productive a class as possible
>> because ; 1. I don't see the kids very often, and 2. Class time can
>> be short, especially for 1st and 2nd grade because I have to walk the
>> kids from one school to another. Over the summer the 2nd grade time
>> slot was shortened to 45 minutes! Very well-behaved classes can make
>> it up and down the hill in about 12 minutes, others can take up to
>> 20.  I tend to present material quickly and dive into the activity. 
>> After viewing the video for session 1 and reading the material, I am
>> planning to slow myself down by introducing more reflective
>> questioning.  For example, third graders are currently mak! ing a
>> castle (2-dimensional) using architecture from Greece and Rome
>> (columns and arches.)  For my reflective questions, I asked them why
>> would someone want to build a castle, what purpose columns would
>> have, and to encourage using texture such as stones and brick
>> patterns, I asked which they might use and why.  Later I thought that
>> I could have asked what other materials might one build a castle from
>> and open the doors of imagination. I'm hoping using reflection in an
>> opening discussion will improve my teaching and that I can do it in a
>> timely manner.
>>
>>  
>>
>>  
>>
>> Katherine Kraus
>>
>> kate231@earthlink.net
>>
>> Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
>>
>>  
>>
>>
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Received on Thu Mar 10 20:48:54 2005