Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Shake Up Learning: Ch. 17: Facilitating With Finesse (Takeaways)

I had a few awesome takeaways from this chapter.

First, I like the idea of using the "Yes, and...?" approach. If my goal is to make learning more dynamic, I need to ensure that students are thinking beyond what they consider to be the "end product." If a student answers a question and feels as if they are done, I want them to think to themselves, "Yes, and...?" They could then add more details to their answer to make it more robust. For projects, this will help lead students to new information or analysis that they can add to their project.

Second, the "ask three before me" strategy is one that I have heard of, but barely used. I like this idea, as it makes student more accountable for their own learning, and the learning of their peers. Many students are helping each other anyway, but some prefer to ask the teacher everything. If my students are answering questions for others, I will be able to facilitate more efficiently. In addition, I allow my students to collaborate, but some students believe that copying someone's answer is collaboration. I want to facilitate healthy, positive collaboration in my classroom, where each student is doing their part to help the whole. If I am freed up from answering many small questions, I can be sure to help my students learn positive collaboration.

Third, I like the idea of having go-to tech experts in my classes. There are some students who know a lot about technology, but are very introverted. I was one of those students! By giving my students the opportunity to be tech experts, I can empower them to share their knowledge with the class. Of course, this would be an optional opportunity for my students. I'm considering gamifying the experience and "paying" the tech expert for their work with digital Gold Points. This will be motivating for students, so I'll have to limit the amount of time that a person can be the tech expert and I will have to create an application process.

Fourth, I already try not to grade for numbers of slides or photos included on a project, but I struggled in the past with how to get students to make more dynamic presentations. I think gamifying this process a little bit more and giving experience points for creativity and effort is the best way to go with this. This way I will be grading for the learning that they are doing, but they can still be awarded for their effort in a way that won't affect their grade.

Lastly, I love the "TAG" strategy. I have struggled with the process of my students giving peer feedback, and this is a great place to start! Here is a poster that I created to show the TAG strategy:




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