Please watch the video excerpt at left now (duration 1:20). As you watch, take notes of examples of teacher-to-student, student-to-student and student-to-teacher communication. Which are examples of effective communication? What is missing in the others? Do Mr. Cabana and the students meet your criteria for effective communication?

Here are some ways to assess classroom communication and understanding:

• The students need to construct a table of values to organize data and show values of n and f(n) for each data point. By constructing a table, a student demonstrates the ability to read and interpret a problem.
• The students are asked to build a graph using the given data. The graph should be accurate and have appropriate units and labels. Successful graphing indicates successful communication and understanding of the functional relationship in graph form.
• The students should be able to display in written form the reasoning used to determine the equation. The equation should show knowledge and understanding of parabolic functions.
• The students should share knowledge with one another about steps to take, including correction of errors or offering of alternatives.
• The work should be cooperative and no one student should dominate the group.

The student-to-student interaction of a group test forces students to discuss and apply what they have previously studied. You may find that two or four people per group is the optimal size for effective communication. Different problems and tasks may require homogeneous

(same ability level) or heterogeneous (various ability level)

groupings. Mr. Cabana assigns groups randomly and changes the groups after each unit.

Mr. Cabana uses other forms of communication to evaluate students throughout the school year: group presentations, homework portfolio problems, and individual tests.

  Think about the classroom