Small Group Activity Reflection
What do you think your students learned as a result of this activity? What evidence do you have of your student's learning?
As a result of this activity, I think the students further gained insight into what the article on the topic of the Emancipation Proclamation means. I think I facilitated a positive group environment where students could conformability exchange the knowledge that they personally gained with their peers. In turn, the students better understood the article and could communicate their newly gained insight when the group had put forth their overall comprehension of the text for a grade. I think students learned what the main idea and overall message the Emancipation Proclamation is. I have evidence of student learning because after I helped facilitate the group discussion on what the article meant, students individually communicated to the scribe of the group the knowledge that they gained from it.
What aspects of the activity were successful? Why were they successful?
After facilitating a group discussion, students openly, and without anxiety, shared their views and comprehension of the article at hand to the scribe. I feel as though I created an environment in the small group where students felt comfortable in bringing forth their new knowledge. I feel as though this was successful because of how I facilitated the communication within the group. I had student first sit in a circle where they could see each of their peers. This orientation for the group discussion enabled better communication among each of the members. I set the ground rules for the small group through stating to students that we are going to discuss the article you read on the topic of the Emancipation Proclamation, and each of you are going to listen to your peers as they communicate their insight. I think directed student in a clockwise manner to state what they gathered from the article.
What aspects of the activity were less successful? Why were they less successful?
This activity was less successful when, after the students shared in a clockwise manner their insight on the article, the students one-on-one communicated to the scribe their personal contribution to the group. Students who were not engaged in the one-to-one communication soon lost focus. I had a difficult time facilitating the one-on-one communication to the scribe from their peer and keeping the other students in the group focused.
What changes might make this learning activity more successful? Why might these changes help improve the activity?
This learning activity would have been more successful if the students in the group could have each written down on a note card, at the same time, their contribution on how they interpreted the article. Soon after, the students would compile these thoughts together (through gluing and pasting the note cards to a larger piece of construction paper). The part of the activity that seemed to be less successful would have been more successful because there would not have been provided downtime for students to become less engaged.
As a result of this activity, I think the students further gained insight into what the article on the topic of the Emancipation Proclamation means. I think I facilitated a positive group environment where students could conformability exchange the knowledge that they personally gained with their peers. In turn, the students better understood the article and could communicate their newly gained insight when the group had put forth their overall comprehension of the text for a grade. I think students learned what the main idea and overall message the Emancipation Proclamation is. I have evidence of student learning because after I helped facilitate the group discussion on what the article meant, students individually communicated to the scribe of the group the knowledge that they gained from it.
What aspects of the activity were successful? Why were they successful?
After facilitating a group discussion, students openly, and without anxiety, shared their views and comprehension of the article at hand to the scribe. I feel as though I created an environment in the small group where students felt comfortable in bringing forth their new knowledge. I feel as though this was successful because of how I facilitated the communication within the group. I had student first sit in a circle where they could see each of their peers. This orientation for the group discussion enabled better communication among each of the members. I set the ground rules for the small group through stating to students that we are going to discuss the article you read on the topic of the Emancipation Proclamation, and each of you are going to listen to your peers as they communicate their insight. I think directed student in a clockwise manner to state what they gathered from the article.
What aspects of the activity were less successful? Why were they less successful?
This activity was less successful when, after the students shared in a clockwise manner their insight on the article, the students one-on-one communicated to the scribe their personal contribution to the group. Students who were not engaged in the one-to-one communication soon lost focus. I had a difficult time facilitating the one-on-one communication to the scribe from their peer and keeping the other students in the group focused.
What changes might make this learning activity more successful? Why might these changes help improve the activity?
This learning activity would have been more successful if the students in the group could have each written down on a note card, at the same time, their contribution on how they interpreted the article. Soon after, the students would compile these thoughts together (through gluing and pasting the note cards to a larger piece of construction paper). The part of the activity that seemed to be less successful would have been more successful because there would not have been provided downtime for students to become less engaged.