Module 1 - Activity 12 – Problem-solving skills

After the activity:

My experiences with problem-solving skills in class:

With the information overload and not being able to find “what we want, when we want it, and in a form we want it so that we can use it effectively”, the Big6 is an essential skill to know and use in the information age! 

 People of all age are able to solve problems going through the following six stages:

1. Task Definition: what is expected/needs to be done/needs to be known

2. Information Seeking Strategies: where to look/who to talk to/what is the best source

3. Location and Access: where to find the sources/how to look for them/where to find the information in the source

4. Use of Information: what information is found/does it answer the question/is it reliable/how to record it
5. Synthesis: how to fit the information together and present it/list sources - bibliography

6. Evaluation: was the problem solved/was project presented in an understandable format/am I please/ was something learned

In my class we are using the Big6 strategy to solve the problem of how we can protect our endangered species.  Students are showing great enthusiasm and they are actively participating in the process.  It is such as joy seeing them assisting each other with the technology skills and during the process of searching for information.

Other comments

I see that Emil, Theo and Terry-Ann are using the brainstorming strategy and students are given the opportunity to solve problems pertaining to real life situations.  Students are encouraged to be responsible for creating a solution to the problem they were encountering, show good citizenship and to express themselves freely and to develop and express independent thoughts.

Module 1 - Activity 11 - Encouraging learners to ask questions

My experiences with encouraging learners to ask questions in class:

I have to create a question-friendly environment where students are not afraid to ask questions, students do not laugh at each other when they ask questions, I present items that stimulate students to ask question and I am receptive to being questioned.  I should also model and teach how I want students to ask questions, and encourage them to ask and answer questions.  Although I did not use a picture or photograph (in my opinion I think I used an idea), during the activity, based on the questions the students asked, I noted that they were curious and they were thinking about ideas presented by their peers and they linked these to their experiences.  The questions students asked gave me an understanding of what and how they were thinking and how I should present my instruction. 

Module 1 - Activity 10 – Promoting discussion

My thoughts on my experiences with discussion during lessons:

      As educators, we should encourage our learners to verbalize their opinions in classroom discussions. In addition to allowing students to express their ideas and opinions; discussions assist them in discovering the ideas and opinions of their peers and let them see things from the perspectives of others.  During the activity of think-ink-share with a grade 2 class, discussing the similarities and differences of kites and birds, one child said that kites and birds were alike because they were nouns. At first the others did not see but when she explained that kite is the name of thing and bird is the name of an animal the other members of the group agreed with her and added it to their lists of similarities.  Class discussions prepare students for real life experiences, giving them opportunities to be tolerant of the varied and opposing points of view of others.  Students are also given opportunities to respect each other.  During the activity, as one person shared, the others listened.  They were quite comfortable and everyone contributed to the discussion. They had diverse information but no one put down the other.  Some interesting and imaginative answers came out (showed that there were some critical thinking) and it was quite interesting to note how the students got aha moments and how they accepted points of views from other students that they did not see initially.  I think that this type collaborative learning enriches and enhances the whole learning experience.

Module 1 - Activity 9 - What questions do I ask and why?

Questioning is an essential tool for success in learning and Bloom’s Taxonomy is a tool which aids in creating higher order questions. Educators should help students to think critically and should therefore require students to ask and answer 

•        Questions which require one to THINK!

•        Questions that have MORE than one answer!

•        Questions that are not quickly answered!

•        Questions that help one LEARN!

The graphic below, created by Nicole Rohmeyer at Teachers Pay Teachers summarizes Bloom taxonomy.