Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Journal 9


2012 K-12 Online Conference
Speak Up! Transforming Classroom Discussions


This week I explored the K-12 Online Conference and I watched Robert Appino’s presentation on getting students to speak up in the classroom. I chose this topic because throughout my academic career I have often had trouble participating in class discussions despite often wanting to provide some input. I was curious as to how virtual discussions would change the amount of participation in class discussions. Appino’s presentation provided many different studies; including his own, which were aimed at trying to get students to feel more comfortable speaking up. He concluded his presentation stating that through his own research he has found that virtual discussions do in-fact aid shy, introverted students to share their ideas and thoughts, as well as allowing all of the students stay on topic. I strongly believe that students can learn from each other, and often, students can help clarify a topic or lesson simply by explaining it in their own words, because of this I believe it is important for all students to be able to participate in class discussions and for them to share their ideas. I believe there are many benefits to having class discussions that everyone participates in, it allows the teacher to have a better understanding of what students may not be properly understanding the material, it allows students to clarify areas of confusion by explaining ideas in a different way, and it can bring up topics that may have been missed or forgotten that can enhance a lesson. The problem with class discussions is that students that are shy or may feel that they will be mocked for their ideas are reluctant to speak up in class, this is why virtual discussions are a great alternative to in class discussions that will enhance the class room learning.

If I were to teach in a high-school setting I would definitely consider using Todaysmeet. This virtual board is ideal for a classroom in which every student has a computer or tablet so I understand that it may not be possible for every classroom, but in an ideal scenario I would love to use this in my classroom. Todaysmeet allows the students to sign on to a “virtual classroom” where the instructor is teaching and the students are reacting in real time. This way students are not rudely interrupting each other, they are not having their questions ignored, and they are fully focused on the lesson. Also, the instructor can use the feedback to change, modify, or clarify anything in their lesson on the spot.

My main concern with virtual discussions would be how to use this with students in younger grades such as elementary. I am not sure that a virtual discussion would be able to aid younger students because I feel that their access to computers as well as their limited understanding would not allow a virtual discussion to run as smoothly, but I do believe that this is a great idea that I would like to try in my classroom.   

1 comment:

  1. Todaysmeet is a great 'backchannel' online discussion opportunity - unfortunately, this and most other 'chat' tools are blocked in the public schools. Perhaps Edmodo would work and we'll look at that in the next week or two in class. I heartily agree that student conversation about the content and with other students/teachers is very important and the online version allows students to not only do so 'live' but also in a more reflective format.

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