Gioacchini+Communicate+&+Collaborate

Early Adopter: Inquiry & Design Challenge
My Destination Postcard

Name: Peggy Gioacchini > > > ** An Opportunity in Overalls ** > How is your journey like that of a storyteller? Of a researcher? > As a researcher: > > What are you measuring? > As a learner: > What story is unfolding from your research?
 * **February**
 * **Mining the Effort**
 * What artifacts of your personal learning have you been collecting?
 * A nchor charts of the norms for our group discussions.
 * Video & audio tapes of my students conversations.
 * Reflection papers from the children.
 * What process shifts do these suggest in your practice?
 * I have stopped and thought about my learning and how to improve my practices so that I can help my students improve their conversation skills. This lead me to add a reflection piece to my project.
 * I have stopped and thought about my learning and how to improve my practices so that I can help my students improve their conversation skills. This lead me to add a reflection piece to my project.
 * What artifacts of student learning have you been collecting?
 * Anchor charts of the norms for our group discussions.
 * Video & audio tapes of my students conversations.
 * Reflection papers from the children.
 * What process shifts do these suggest in their practice?
 * Helping the children understand their roles in the group conversation. They should now understand that they are responsible for their role in the conversation and in turn their own learning.
 * Helping the children understand their roles in the group conversation. They should now understand that they are responsible for their role in the conversation and in turn their own learning.
 * I believe that my journey has been more of a researcher. I had to search out people to help me with the group dynamics and group discussion norms. I then practiced what I had observed and refined the process. I worked with my students to reflect on their own participation in the group learning so that they became part of the learning process. I had to research how to record my students and save the conversation so that I can have proof of their learning.
 * What question did you start out to find answer(s) to?
 * How to focus on students being able to communicate & collaborate with their classmates using their critical thinking skills?
 * What tweaks, edits, modifications have you made to your focus question?
 * I have added a reflection piece to my thought process.
 * What question(s) remain?
 * Even though my students have reflected on their role in the conversation they are not always paying attention to that reflection during the actual conversation. They get caught up in the moment. How do I get the students to think before they speak?
 * What new questions have surfaced as a result of your exploration this far?
 * How do I get the students to use their reflection to help them to think before they speak?
 * Even though my students have reflected on their role in the conversation they are not always paying attention to that reflection during the actual conversation. They get caught up in the moment. How do I get the students to think before they speak?
 * What new questions have surfaced as a result of your exploration this far?
 * How do I get the students to use their reflection to help them to think before they speak?
 * I am measuring the quality of the conversation between the students. Can they carry on the conversation without a teacher being involved?
 * What patterns are surfacing?
 * Some children are taking on the learning of how to have a conversation but, some are still sitting back and not participating.
 * What themes are emerging?
 * The group discussion model is coming out in all of the curriculum.
 * What does your data suggest?
 * Some students are not participating and I need to push them to participate and at the same time keep the other students engaged.
 * Where have you allowed yourself to be vulnerable in this process?
 * I have asked people to come and watch my students have a conversation and give me advice.
 * How are you allowing yourself, your professional learning to be 'seen'?
 * I have collaborated with another teacher to have our two classes have a conversation around a Readers Response.
 * In what way(s) have you found the courage to be 'imperfect'?
 * I have spoken up at meetings and voiced when I didn't understand or that I needed help. I feel like the environment of my grade level is a very safe place to be honest & open.
 * What //a-ha!// moments, elements of a 'spiritual awakening'/"breakdown" have you experienced?
 * During some conversations I have been very proud of the students group discussion abilities sometimes the conversations are dominated by a few students.
 * What might these insights suggested to you?
 * That not all of the students have internalized their role in the conversation. They haven't all taken charge of their learning.
 * more teacher reflection
 * more student reflection & follow through
 * more outside help - Ask Kelly to come and observe and give me tips & advice.
 * **Focus on students being able to communicate & collaborate with their classmates using their critical thinking skills.**
 * **Focus on students being able to communicate & collaborate with their classmates using their critical thinking skills.**

> The children have been a little better about inviting reluctant students into the conversation. I need to have the children think and reflect on 'How's it going?" Are they being respectful of their peers in their comments? Are they watching their 'air time'? Are they not speaking over each other? Are they giving appropriate 'wait time' for the children who need more to respond and participate? Are they inviting the reluctant students to participate? > > > ===== //s// // earch for existing resources (articles, websites, blogs, videos, etc.) - please be sure to add them to our [|Diigo] //===== > >> >> ** Working on the Work **
 * =====**Campus: ** Frostwood =====
 * =====**Grade Level(s): ** 3rd grade =====
 * =====**Discipline: ** all subjects =====
 * =====**Topic: ** Productive conversation =====
 * =====**Focus Question:** // How can I get my students to connect their thoughts and ideas through their conversations? What are the steps that I need to take in order for my students to become independent in their collaboration? **__Follow up steps 11-7-13:__** 1) Contact another teacher in order to observe her students communicate & collaborate with each other. 2) Have a mentor teacher come in again so I can observe her work with my students in order to refine our collaborated conversations. __**Next** **Questions:**__ How do I get my students to transfer their newly acquired collaborated conversations skills to making comments on Edmodo? __**Next** **Steps 1-30-14**:__ **I will post some new questions or** //** //refine the questions the children are asking each other and post them around the room. I will discuss the importance of asking appropriate questions that help the students to understand their peers point of view. They might agree with their peer but they don't because they are not asking clarifying questions. I also need to have the children reflect on their part in our group discussions. I need to teach the children how to reflect on what they are doing or not doing during group discussions. The children also need to know the importance of reflecting as a tool to help them learn. They need to start taking// ** **//responsibility for their own learning and not just sit back and soak in the information.//** =====
 * ===== **Resources:** =====
 * **Who else is thinking about your topic?**
 * **Who else is grappling with this element of practice?**
 * **What are they finding?**
 * **How are they sharing?**
 * =====** Activity: **=====
 * 1) ** Individually, design a student resource, activity type, or mini-challenge to try in the classroom over the next month to test. Then, get feedback from partners. **
 * 2) ** Try out resource, activity type, or project during the month(s), documenting plan, process, execution and reflection and collect student work samples. **
 * Progress 10-4-13
 * Progress 11-7-13
 * Progress 1-30-14


 * Walking the Walk
 * **How are you prepared to //Walk the Walk// this year?** I am jumping in with both feet on the CCP language. I am working on tweaking our 'group discussion language & etiquette'. **How will your journey reflect //action research// ?** I will read up on how John describes the 'group discussion norms'. I went into a colleague's room and observed the children discuss a reproduction. I noticed that they were more restrained in jumping into the conversation. The children who 'hog all of the airtime' would tap their leg ten times before they jumped in to say something. I am working on getting Kelly to come in and help me some more with the language and possibly go into another teacher's room to observe the 'group discussion' in action in a different grade level.
 * **Identify your Goals & Objectives** My goal is for the children to be able to manage a conversation without me being present and the conversation is productive and stays on course. My objective is that all of the children be involved in the conversation and not be left out or pushed out by the children with stronger personalities.
 * **What Obstacles/Problems do you anticipate?** Some of our class time will be 'wasted' or spent teaching and reteaching the strategies to help the children become independent thinking learners. I am not sure when to stop the conversation and move on. This is something I need to work on.
 * **What Strategies will you use to overcome these obstacles?** Practice, Practice, Practice
 * **What resources and materials will you share via our EA wiki and learning community?** CCP guidance packets and the directions for how to establish norms for having a 'group discussion'. I am going to video / audio tape my students and post this on the wiki.
 * **Pre-assessment - //how will you determine the base-line of your students in your target area//?** Some children were not jumping into the 'group discussion' for whatever reason: shyness, lack of confidence, lack of knowledge etc.
 * **How will you measure success?** All of the children will be engaged in a group discussion and contribute in a productive manner.
 * **How will you know if you have succeeded?** When all of the children are actively & productively engaged in the 'group discussion'.
 * **What will you collect as evidence of success?** Video or audio tape my students group discussions. I need to start quickly so I can hopefully see my student's progress over time. I will need to check on each student's permission slip to be video and audiotaped.

> //Please create a page for your activities that will help others understand the steps you are taking in your inquiry and design process.//
 * ** Immediate Opportunities ****…** check on permission slips, video the conversation while the children are reproducing stories.
 * ** Activity Types ** video my students
 * Design Time

**Creating Your Activity Page [[image:InqDesign.png align="right"]]**
include component="pageList" hideInternal="true" tag="Gioacchini" limit="10" //example:// Jennifer F. Round 1
 * 1) Please make a new page:
 * Title: 
 * Template: activity design
 * Tag : design, campus
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