Robert+Fleming-Dialogue

Next Step
Begin asking questions with more depth. Use various pieces (articles, posts, etc.) to draw upon for questions. Have dialogue over our questions and how this allows us to go into deeper conversations.

Being able to have a face-to-face conversation
 * Value in disagreement (build further understanding to what one believes, causes some doubt, creates further investigation to believe what one believes, allows for a stronger more developed stance.)**

Deeper Dive
Taking student questions and organizing them. Sharing with students various levels of questions. Ensuring that my level of questions are steering the students into deeper questions. (Modeling)

6 Word Memoir
Frustrated. Persistent. Willing. Foundation. Settled. Sailing.

Early Adopter: Inquiry & Design Challenge
Destination Postcard: I would like to set up a place for the students to begin dialogue in the classroom and outside the classroom. I have set up Edmodo for this process. It is my goal to have an ongoing dialogue about how our culture, and those around the world, help shape what we do. Name: Robert Fleming
 * Campus:Spring Forest MS
 * Grade Level(s): 6th Grade Social Studies
 * Discipline:World Cultures/World Geography
 * Topic:
 * **"How do I create genuine dialogue between students that will go beyond just surface knowledge and show a deeper thinking process?"**
 * **What probing can I develop to help with this deepening conversation?**
 * **Do I track the sort of questions being asked and how these questions facilitate responses?**
 * **Are there resources that I can use to show a possible list of reflective/probing questions? **


 * An Opportunity in Overalls**

How is your journey like that of a storyteller? Of a researcher?

What question did you start out to find answer(s) to?


 * What tweaks, edits, modifications have you made to your focus question?
 * First, I need to allow them to speak openly. I have noticed that sometimes when I get uncomfortable, then I start in about telling them what to do or how to dialogue. What I believe I should be doing is allowing them to share and then through a reflection of our dialogue, we learn better ways to do it.
 * **I think that I have allowed for the uncomfortable to be an okay feeling. I think I still need to realize that the dialogue is important even when I feel that time constraints are allowing for a strict schedule to follow.**
 * While it was easy to understand that I must give them the opportunity to dialogue, I was not following my own instincts on letting it get a little messy to help mold the overall goal.
 * What question(s) remain?
 * I am still struggling with how to examine content in the given time and allow for time to discuss. I feel that I am doing more content and not enough time for the students to dialogue about what they are learning. **With content changing each year (meaning what is going on in the world) it is a matter to staying current with the events that are going on around us. I think this has been a bit more challenging for me as I have been a student myself. I have been dependent upon my colleague to help with this area.**
 * What new questions have surfaced as a result of your exploration this far?
 * I do not know that I have more questions, but I am encouraged to take this thought into John and my curriculum planning on Friday. We have more to go into about an end in mind and work backwards. **I think I am still trying to figure out a way to take the stress out of the process. What will be most beneficial to me and to my students?**
 * Maybe I have the thought about what questions I need to ask in order to create that dialogue.

As a researcher:

What are you measuring? I think I would be measuring the depth of conversation and that the students are able to walk away with curriculum content while also enjoying the learning (while they may not realize that that dialogue is learning).


 * What patterns are surfacing?
 * What themes are emerging?
 * What does your data suggest?

As a learner:


 * In what way(s) has your professional perception been expanded? **When dealing with the good, bad, and ugly of technology, my senses have been more heightened to be reminded of how it is even more frustrating for the student when they are are working on something for the first time. I need to try it first before expecting them to do it. I know this is something that we already know, but (for me) it is easy to lose sight of that idea when I am excited about taking on a new venture. Sometimes it is not like how I have envisioned in my head!**
 * How are you allowing yourself and your authentic, real, professional learning to be 'seen'? **With their being a limited amount of resources for our department, I believe we have been very authentic. However, it has been exhausting to not have something to draw upon instead on feeling like we are starting from scratch.**
 * In what way(s) have you found the courage to be 'imperfect'? **I'm not sure I found the courage to be imperfect since I have been wiling to take risk and have been able to admit when things did not go so well. I think I have been able however to let things not bother me as much. Basically, I have not beat myself up over it. I do not know if that is good or bad. I could see it as both.**
 * How do you define vulnerability in the context of our work?What about this process makes you feel vulnerable? **Being vulnerable is being willing to show the kids that we do not know everything. Showing them that it is okay to make mistakes and to see how we work through that. I think for me, it is being able to accept the fact that I can step back and allow them to teach me, not being the one that is always doing the instruction. Trusting the kids to rise to the expectation.**
 * What strategies are you using through this process that might benefit your students as well? **Right now, I feel like I have been in survival mode. I think it will definitely be beneficial to use my off time in the summer to really get a good plan in place for next year. While it is my off time, I think the benefits of pre-planning will make life less stressful during the year. During the year it will feel like small adjustments instead of major shifts.**
 * What **//a-ha!//** moments, or elements of a 'spiritual awakening'/'breakdown' have you experienced? What might these insights suggested to you? **The biggest thing is being committed to one thing rather than thinking I have to be involved in all the new things that are out there in the world of technology.**

What story is unfolding from your research?


 * //**have a better plan in place before the year starts**//
 * //**get more input from the kids**//
 * //**research more of the platforms that are out there and test them before just doing something that has been called "the latest and greatest"**//
 * //**go with one idea and stick with it. Dare to go deeper.**//

**Resources**:


 * Documentation & Reflection - http://balancedtech.wikispaces.com/Documentation+and+Reflection+Prompts
 * Inquiry - http://balancedtech.wikispaces.com/Inquiry
 * Resources: search for existing resources (articles, websites, blogs, videos, etc.) - please be sure to add them to our [|Diigo]
 * []


 * Activity:

Round 1
Round 2 Round 3