T2P EDCI 5065

T2P from Week 1 to 2:

If teachers do not include group discussions into their teaching methods, then students will not be able to actively discuss their views and listen to their peers views, inhibiting active reflection, because by not participating in group discussions, like Vygotsky's thinking behind what a learner can do independently or through guidance with an adult or peer, they may misunderstand a lesson or concept that could have been solved by talking it out with peers.

(In response to GNA's comment) T2P Re-Write:

If teachers do not incorporate student-centered learning in the classroom, then students will not be able actively participate in discussing their thoughts or listen to their peers, inhibiting active reflection and motivation to learn, because according to Vygotsky’s concept of the Zone of Proximal Development, student learning is enhanced through guidance with other people more so then independently.

An activity from class that could have been extended discussion of the lesson plans with other groups. Since each group had just a quick amount of time to execute a lesson plan, discussing different approaches to them after each group finished might have allowed everyone to reflect on how they approached the assignment, their strengths and weaknesses to it as well.
T2P Reflection on Week 2:

There were many active discussions that took place in class today, ranging from talking to the person next to you, to working in your INTEL groups on lesson plans and dialogue stations. These discussions that took place helped foster knowledge in the sense that I was able to take other people's perspectives and experiences and change the way I thought about a particular topic or subject. Relating this to my hypothesis above, the group discussions allowed for creativity to explore the topic through talking with my peers and listening to them. By discussing the topic of beliefs, behaviors, dispositions, and vision, I as a learner, was able to see what role those play in my learning environment and how important it is to understand this concept. This is because when I become a teacher in a classroom with students, these different aspects of myself will have a huge influence on what I teach, as according to the Yero reading, as well as how I teach in different environments.
The methods that were done today in class, like TPS (think, pair, share), bridging, bonding, early morning meeting, dialogue stations, critical feedback, cold calling, and making people repeat what others said, all played a huge role on what I am taking home today as a learner. By experiencing these different strategies and methods, I have been able to reflect on how they have influenced my learning and how they can also influence the students I will one day teach with the subject of biology. The group discussion idea has also made me think about what I learned when it comes to challenging students. A good teacher will create opportunities for students to challenge the knowledge they have learned, and the knowledge that they can learn, in hopes to open doors to other learning opportunities for them. These challenges, I believe, will engage students on a different level then just "feeding" information to them in hopes that they will take something from it, and construct connections outside of the classroom on their own.