ILP “Participation” - Completing a MOOC on classroom interaction.

Individual Learning Project Activity Log

ILP “Participation”- Understanding Classroom Interaction MOOC.

October 1: Module 1

Finally found a MOOC that related to the career I wanted to pursue. Began MOOC and worked on Module 1,  which was about classroom interaction, types of questions teachers ask their students and different forms of communication in the classroom.

Greetings(ways you say hello and goodbye to different people): I will always say hello or maybe say it in spanish for any hispanic students.
Names and nicknames you use for yourself and others: I probably wouldn’t use any nicknames for myself but if a student is more comfortable will being called by their nickname, then I will address them that way.
Ways of addressing the professor and each other: The students should address me as Ms.Berroa and with respect.
Popular culture references (TV, Social Media, Music, Movies, etc.): I might use social media, movies or music references to relate to my students or to speak of something that is relevant to them or a topic I am teaching.
Ways of telling stories: Do you tell stories often? What type are they? Do you embellish/exaggerate/get off topic/etc.?: I might tell a story that may seem completely irrelevant until I get to the point I am trying to make that will somehow relate to the current topic the students are learning.
Languages: What languages do you use—consider even those you use a little of now and then. : I will use English and Spanish but if there is another language I must use to break down the language barrier, I will gladly do it.
Pronunciation of certain words: Do you have certain characteristic ways of saying things? : Not that I know of?
Catch phrases or signature words: Do you have certain phrases or words you use a lot—that people would identify with you? : I do not know what kind I would have in a classroom but at the moment my signature word is “frick” (which I definitely would not use in a classroom) and my catchphrase for whenever someone thinks they cannot do something, I say “You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength”
Expressing praise/criticism: How do you tell someone they are great or horrible/did a good or a bad job? Do you exaggerate? Do you understate? : When expressing praise or criticism, I typically am straight forward and tell the person what they need to hear.

October 2: Began Module 2 on Turn-Taking Patterns and Question types.

Evaluation-to-feedback transformation discussion activity:

1.  Good example. Can you think of another example similar to this one?

2.  Nice presentation! Do you think there was anything you would’ve done differently if you had the chance?

3.  That's an interesting observation. How do you feel about what you observed?

4. Your conclusion is great! How did you come to this conclusion?

5.  You seem to understand this concept. Do you feel like you would be prepared to teach one of your peers this subject?

October 5: Module 2 continued

Discussion question on taking turns: What type of turn-taking happens in classes you have taught or participated in? Who tends to talk the most or the least? What strategies have you found helpful for encouraging wider participation? Feel free to discuss a specific example.

• I feel like it helps to ask the students to discuss their thoughts and come up with an answer they agree on. This way every student is included and can contribute to the conversation.

October 8: Began Module 3.

Most information is on cues such as posture, tone, body movement, pitch, volume, gaze, language, and clothing.

Discussion on Contextualization cues

What combinations do you witness in your classroom and school?  How do they influence your judgments of students and colleagues? At first try looking exclusively for language/clothing combinations and weigh their effects as you use the chart structure to guide your responses.

• In the classroom, I try not to think about how the student's clothing is a contextualization cue because they are small children so they do not yet use their clothing style to convey an identity. With older children, a student might wear certain clothes to make them seem edgier or more academic. A lot of times you can also tell a lot about someone’s language and identity through what they are wearing. In high school, I was able to tell what the person wanted to convey with their clothing choice, posture, and tone.

Awareness Advice from John Gumperz

• Think about your everyday assumptions
• State your everyday assumptions
• Be explicit
• Talk about discrimination
• Listen to the END
• Give extra time

 October 10: Began module 4.

Stories in classroom interaction can

• Bridge the individual and the social
• Bridge different social worlds
• Fail because of individual and social differences

Telling stories allows for the building of a classroom community because…

• Students can bring outside experiences and emotions to the classroom.
• Teachers can access students’ way of thinking.
• Student can voice their concerns and learn about each other.
• It builds bridges between different social worlds.

Stories are embedded in other events such as

• Show and tell
• Sharing time
• Current events
• Test review

Narrative Dimensions

• Tellership- who tells the story- and how many people tell a story at once
• Tellability- how captivating and dramatic the story is
• Embeddedness- how much the story relates to another event in which it is told
• Linearity- whether it proceeds strictly chronologically, or varies
• Moral Stance- how the teller evaluates or places moral value on the events of the story

Co-authoring stories

• Silent contributions- rapt attention, emphatic nods, drifting gaze
• Spoken contributions- contesting the facts, voicing outrage, adding crucial details

What are the long-term consequences of classroom stories?

• Modest- getting comfortable with each others’ differences
• Momentous- getting beyond institutional and societal labels

October 14: Began Module 5

Different reactions to participant structures:

1. Teacher interacts with all the students (ex: lecture)
2. Teacher interacts with only some of the students (ex: reading groups)
3. Students work independently at their desks
4. Group project work

Ratified listeners- People listening and actively taking notes.

Unratified listeners- When someone is listening that aren’t really engaged in the conversation but are listening anyways.

Underlife: While the teacher is talking, students may be having their own conversations. These conversations may not always be off topic. It may seem chaotic, but sometimes they are talking about the material.

October 20: Course completed.

Evidence

Throughout this course, I found myself applying the material I learned such as question types, contextualization clues, types of listeners, etc, to my observations of a kindergarten classroom. It really helped me see just how normal these characteristics are in an average classroom and I honestly feel like I am somewhat prepared to notice these things in my future students and keep them in mind while teaching and interacting.