Seminar on Reflective Teaching

Dr. Barry Oreck

SUNY Buffalo

International Masters Program for Educators

Barry@barryoreck.com

http://edu501reflectiveteacher.wikispaces.com

Dr. Barry Oreck

SUNY Buffalo

International Masters Program for Educators

Barry@barryoreck.com

Remember an outstanding teacher you had as a student.

What were the qualities of this person?

Remember a teacher you didn’t like or who inhibited your learning?

What were the qualities of this person?

Themes for Reflective Teaching

What is your process?

Themes for Reflective Teaching

What are your values?

ELEMENTS OF A TEACHER MISSION STATEMENT

1. Personal values2. Hopes, goals for students3. Context, setting or environment for

productive learning4. Desires, dreams for self

Seymour Sarason

Teaching as a Performing Art (1999)

And What Do You Mean By Learning? (2004)

What do you mean when you say someone is an artist?

Who is an Artist?

Some say that teaching is an art.Do you agree?

In what ways is teaching an art?

Who is an Artist?

“Teaching is artistic in character in many of the ways in which all art is artistic: it provides a deep sense of aesthetic experience to both perceiver and actor when it is well done.” Eliot Eisner, The Kind of Schools We Need, 1998

Teaching is a, “practical art...a process that calls for intuition, creativity, improvisation and expressiveness.” N.L. Gage, The Scientific Basis of the Art of Teaching, 1978

The teacher’s status as an artist is “measured by his ability to foster the attitude of the artist in those who study with him” John Dewey, How We Think, 1933

TEACHER AS ARTIST

John Dewey

Seymour Sarason

Eliot Eisner

Lev Vygostky

John Goodlad

Gestalt: a structure, configuration, or pattern of physical, biological, or

psychological phenomena so integrated as to constitute a functional unit with

properties not derivable by summation of its parts

Form Content

MEANING

What is Art?

Art as experienceJohn Dewey (1932)

1. Attention to form and qualities

2. A sense of wholeness or completeness

3. Connection to emotions

4. Open-ended

5. Transformation

What is an Artistic Experience?

“Art is the social technique of emotion.”Lev Vygotsky, The Psychology of Art,1971

Art exists, “not in objects, but in a way of seeing” Lawrence Weschler – Seeing is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees, 1982

“The soul never thinks without an image.”Aristotle

What is Art?

Art as experience.John Dewey

Themes for Reflective Teaching

• Reflection on practice – in practice

• Reflection in the classroom

• Artistic teaching

• Developing a community of learners

Topics for Reflective Teaching

• Seeing/observing

• Creative process

• Groupwork

• Classroom discourse

• Questioning

• Power and learner autonomy

Classroom Discourse

IREInitiation, Response, Evaluation

Classroom Discourse

Teacher Responses

1. Declarative statements2. Reflective statements3. Invitations to elaborate4. Silence

SIX TYPES OF SOCRATIC QUESTIONS

*1. Questions for clarification:*

* Why do you say that? * How does this relate to our discussion? * "Are you going to include diffusion in your mole balance equations?"

*2. Questions that probe assumptions:*

* What could we assume instead? * How can you verify or disapprove that assumption? * "Why are neglecting radial diffusion and including only axial diffusion?"

*3. Questions that probe reasons and evidence:*

* What would be an example? * What is....analogous to? * What do you think causes to happen...? Why:?

SIX TYPES OF SOCRATIC QUESTIONS

*4. Questions about Viewpoints and Perspectives:*

* What would be an alternative? * What is another way to look at it? * Would you explain why it is necessary or beneficial, and who benefits? * Why is the best? * What are the strengths and weaknesses of...? * How are...and ...similar? * What is a counterargument for...?

*5. Questions that probe implications and consequences:*

* What generalizations can you make? * What are the consequences of that assumption? * What are you implying? * How does...affect...? * How does...tie in with what we learned before? * "How would our results be affected if neglected diffusion?"

SIX TYPES OF SOCRATIC QUESTIONS

*6. Questions about the question:*

* What was the point of this question? * Why do you think I asked this question? * What does...mean? * How does...apply to everyday life?

From R.W. Paul

Designing GroupworkElizabeth G. Cohen

Stanford University

KEY FEATURES

1. Best for creative problem solving and increasing oral proficiency

2. Teacher needs to delegate authority3. Members need each other to solve the task4. Provide clear guidelines for successful participation5. Increases engagement and time on task

Designing Groupwork

Sample Guidelines

1. Say your own ideas.2. Listen to others: give everyone a chance to talk.3. Ask others for their ideas.4. Give reasons for your ideas and discuss many

different ideas.Morris (1977)

Designing Groupwork

Sample Questions

1. Is everyone talking?2. Are you listening to each other?3. Are you asking questions? What could you ask to

find out someone’s ideas?4. Are you giving reasons for your ideas and getting

out different ideas? What could you ask if you wanted to find out someone’s reason for a suggestion?

Morris (1977)

Designing Groupwork

LEARNING TASKS FOR PRODUCTIVE GROUPWORKchoose a task that

1. Has more than one answer or more than one way to solve the problem.

2. Is intrinsically interesting and rewarding.

3. Allows different students to make different contributions.

4. Uses multi-media

Designing GroupworkElizabeth G. Cohen

LEARNING TASKS FOR PRODUCTIVE GROUPWORKchoose a task that

5. Involves sight sound and touch.

6. Requires a variety of skills and behaviors.

7. Also requires reading and writing.

8. Is challenging.

Designing GroupworkLIMITED LEADERSHIP TECHNIQUES

A facilitator can be assigned whose can help the group:

1.Give everyone a chance to talk2.Give reasons for ideas3.Give different ideas4.Listen to each other’s ideas

Designing GroupworkOther roles can include:

1.Facilitator:2.Summarizer/Synthesizer3.Resource person4.Spokesperson5.Time keeper6.Reader7.Observer8.Checker9.Recorder

Self Reflection on Group Process

• What was something you contributed to the group process?

• How well do you feel your group functioned?

• What could have improved the process?

Designing GroupworkEvaluating Groupwork

• How interesting did you find you work in the group?

• How difficult did you find your work in the group?

• Did you understand exactly what the group was supposed to do?

Designing GroupworkEvaluating Groupwork

– For multiple ability tasks:

• What abilities did you think were important for doing a good job on this task?

• Was there one ability on which you thought you did very well?

• How many times did you have a chance to talk during the group sessions today?

• If you talked less than you wanted to, what were the main reasons?

• Did you get along with everyone in your group?• How many students listened to each others’ ideas?

Designing GroupworkEvaluating Groupwork

– Part B

• Who did the most talking in your group today?• Who did the least talking in your group today?• Who had the best ideas in your group today?• Who did the most to direct the discussion?• Would you like to work with this group again?

• If not , why not

• How well do you think the facilitator did today in his or her job?