Webinars

After viewing the Webinar titled Developing Literacy Through Small Group Rigorous Discussion (January 7), I really liked some of the ideas presented for student reflection. I think that using a rubric to have students reflect on their own listening, speaking, vocabulary and thinking is so valuable for student learning. I also really liked the “Pluses and Wishes” chart where students reflect on what helped them learn that day and ways to make group learning more useful. Being in the field of literacy, I can see how methods such as these can help children get to know themselves as learners.

After watching “Assessing Learning When Students Work in Small Groups” (February 4), I plan on trying out the FQA routine in order to help students remember what they read in a text. Being in the field of literacy, I am always looking for strategies that will help build reading comprehension. I feel that this routine may be effective because it relates what the students already know to what they should remember from the text. Anytime “new” is linked to “known,” comprehension is stronger.

After watching “Co-teaching playbook” I wish I had different types of desks in my classroom. We have the traditional seat with connected desktop. Having tables or desks that fit together like puzzle pieces would be much more helpful. The various plays allow for students to have assigned roles and eventually require little direction, once the activity is mastered. In addition, to have clear cut roles for the both teachers is quite helpful. These will be quite helpful when my co-teacher of 8 years leaves on maternity and a leave replacement, with no co-teaching experience is put in. I’m sure he will have difficulty determining his role and I will have to adapt to working with someone new. The clear roles are helpful to our students with anxiety and those tend to want to disappear. They allow for formative assessment and the peer-to-peer instruction is very valuable.