Chapter 10 Weinstein and Mignano

I thought this chapter was especially interesting because it made me think back to my own school days as well as classroom observations I have participated in, as well as my very own field placements. For the most part, I have really only been an observer and a participant in recitation based classrooms. Throughout my schooling, discussions over literature have always been question answer without a whole lot of thought-provoking follow-up questions or comments by the student or the teacher. After reading Chapter 10, I realize how important discussions are in the classroom. They give students a deeper understanding of the material versus just a question answer environment. Going beyond a one word answer is crucial in determining whether or not a student fulling comprehends the material. I really enjoyed the examples of classroom discussions that were scattered throughout the chapter. I especially found the one on page 304 useful. I really liked how Ken sat back and let the students take over the discussion. He only interfered when he was giving feedback or steering the discussion in a way that gives all students a chance to speak and to be heard. I have actually observed this type of discussion at an elementary school. It was a fourth grade class and they were doing a discussion on drilling for oil. The teacher wanted the students to take control of the converation and have a student led discussion. He would make sure students were making eye contact with each other versus with the him (the teacher). This was the first time I had observed this kind of teaching style and discussion strategy, but was pleasantly surprised at how enthusiastic the students were on the topic. This chapter gave a lot of information on how to use discussions in the classroom. This will be an important aspect of managing my classroom someday, so I am glad I had the chance to read about recitation and discussion.