Probing Questions

Teacher: Pam Maclin

Interview

Overview

Principles of Learning

Information Processing

Content Standards

Tenets of Democracy

Questions

Interview: Previewing Questions

1.      Read the description of Maclin’s lesson plan. Follow the steps her students take during the learning process, starting from cooperative learning up to individual learning. Do you agree or disagree with the way she conceived her activity?  What might you have done differently?

2.       How do you feel about teachers having their students assess each other? Do you think students should be given this kind of empowerment in the class? Why or why not?

3.      How does failure affect student self-confidence?  What role does the teacher play in rebuilding the student’s self-esteem?

Interview: Post-viewing Questions

1.      Maclin utilizes three types of assessment in her lesson. Describe each. Which do you think impacts student learning the most? Why?

2.      Review Maclin’s teaching strategy in her lesson plan. Why are students threatened by math and what is the solution she comes up with to make them feel more comfortable in her class?  What are your reactions to this?

3.      In what ways is this lesson a reenactment of Maclin’s previous lesson? What did she add to it?

Overview: Previewing Questions

Overview: Post-viewing Questions

Principles of  Learning: Previewing Questions

1.      What are the advantages of group work over individual work? Can you think of some disadvantages?

2.      In the video you are about to watch, the students engage in the process of reflection as they collaborate with each other to assess their work. How would you as a teacher involve your students in the process of Reflection?

3.      What is the importance of connections in the process of learning? Explain.

Principles of  Learning: Post-viewing Questions

1.      How does this project use Active Involvement to promote student learning?

2.      Review the checklist of observable behaviors for Patterns and Connections in the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model. Describe how Maclin encourages connections for each of the observable behaviors.

3.      What is the purpose of student-student interaction in Maclin’s project? Does student-student interaction affect learning differently than teacher-student interaction? Explain.

Information Processing: Previewing Questions

1.      How does activating students’ background knowledge positively affect the learning process?

2.      Maclin has her students evaluate each other by working in groups. How does this motivate students to learn?

3.       Review the definition of Interpretation in the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model. Comment upon the following statement:  “Information requires interpretation to become knowledge.”

Information Processing: Post-viewing Questions

1.          How does Maclin allow her students to enter the Presearch Stage of Information Processing? How can building background information help students better understand the concept of graphing equations?

2.          Maclin helps her students relate the task to their prior knowledge and defines keywords that will assist them in their graphing assignment. Review the checklist of observable behaviors for the Presearch Stage of Information Processing. What other behaviors could be added to the ones already integrated in Maclin’s lesson?  How could they be integrated?

3.          How is the Search Stage of Information Processing demonstrated in Maclin’s lesson?

Content  Standards: Previewing Questions

1.      Review the Standards for School Mathematics for grades 6-8. Invent a lesson plan in which you would implement at least three of these standards in a high school math lesson.

2.      Do you think that a math lesson should include only standards for Mathematics? What other standards could be integrated in such a lesson?

3.      Familiarize yourself with the Standards for Students, as they appear in the National Educational Technology Standards for students Connecting Curriculum and Technology. Which of these standards do you feel can improve student learning?  How?

Content  Standards: Post-viewing Questions

1.          Look at the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics for grades 6-8. How does Maclin incorporate some of these standards in her lesson to encourage student competence in Mathematics?

2.          How does the teacher use technology in her class to help fulfill Math Content Standards in the classroom?

3.          Maclin integrates Mathematics Standard Number Eight into her lesson. How does she create conditions for its use? What is the importance of this standard?

Tenets of Democracy: Previewing Questions

1.      Maclin instills a sense of Individual Responsibility by making her students feel accountable for their work. How does sharing responsibility connect with Civil Involvement with Others?

2.       Do you feel it is important for students to have ownership of their learning? Explain.

3.      What is a critical thinker?  What abilities must he or she possess while working with others on critical thinking matters?

Tenets of Democracy: Post-viewing Questions

1.        Watch the video and name the Tenets of Democracy that appear in it. How are they demonstrated? What others tenets would you have included in the lesson?  How would you have done this?

2.        In her lesson plan, Maclin states that “democracy is a crucial part of the lesson because students must be able to share power, make decisions and demonstrate Individual Responsibility.” How does Maclin allow her students to do each of these?

3.        How can participating in a cooperative learning activity affect the way students Think Together and Make Meaning?

Technology: Previewing Questions

1.        Teacher’s effective use of technology resources create conditions that optimize learning. What knowledge of technology do you think a teacher    should possess in order for this to happen?  Why? Give specific examples.

2.        In the video you are about to watch, students use the software program Green Globs and Graphing Equations to practice graphing linear equations in slope-intercept form. Before watching the video, familiarize yourself with these technology tools: Green Globs and Graphing Equations. Describe these and state how they could be used in a classroom.

3.        Maclin states in her lesson plan that she chose the Green Globs program after seeing it demonstrated at a technology conference. What other ways can teachers stay updated with technology?

Technology: Post-viewing Questions

1.              What technology tools does Pam Maclin use in her lesson and how do they help the students in the process of learning mathematics?

2.              With the help of the LitePro projector, students are taken into a “virtual field trip” in the classroom. How might this be helpful for the students?

3.              Look at Miss Hamilton’s Mathematical Web Pages. Do you think that this material can be used to help students better understand linear equations?

Teacher Knowledge : Previewing Questions

1.      Do you think it is important for the teacher to maintain constant eye contact with the students? Explain.

2.      What do you think “immediate learning environment” is?  How much do you think this kind of environment would influence learning? Why?

3.      Being aware that students learn at different rates, do you think it is difficult for teachers to adapt their lesson plans according to everybody’s intellectual abilities?  Explain.  Give some specific examples of how teachers can adapt lessons to different rates of learning.

Teacher Knowledge : Post-viewing Questions

1.        Maclin’s In-Depth Content Knowledge is evident in her style of instruction. How does her interaction with her students influence their learning?

2.        How does Maclin create an enjoyable setting in her classroom? Why is it important for her students to face each other in groups?

3.        The teacher addresses the physiological characteristics of her students by integrating an activity that requires movement. How can a physical activity enhance learning in a math class?  What are some other physical activities that might be used to help with learning math concepts?

Teacher Behavior: Previewing Questions

1.      Why is teacher feedback important for student learning?

2.      Give two examples in which both positive and negative feedback from the teacher affects the students, both emotionally and intellectually.

3.      Review the checklist for Pedagogy, specifically Section 3: “Knowledge of Mathematics”(page 38), and Section 7: “Using Mathematics”(page 42). How would being aware of these behaviors make you a better student?

Teaches Behavior: Post-viewing Questions

1.      How is teacher-student and student-student interaction demonstrated in Maclin’s lesson?

2.      Maclin begins her lesson with an in-class review session. How does this demonstrate effective Classroom Management?

3.      Maclin sets up a group activity by assigning students to their group. How does this help students to learn effectively? Why is this activity important?