Name: Davina Allen
Bio: Davina Allen facilitates in a Creative Learning lab designed for students in middle school. She also coaches teachers K-8 teachers helping them design lessons that involve the Engineering Design Process. She is a proud parent of two beautiful children. Davina believes that in order for students to be successful they have to be able to function as a team.
Narrative of Amazing Teaching Moment: I taught 6th-7th grade split class that had a total of 41 students. My goal was to get students involved in a formal discussion about math while being respectful to others ideas. I decided to try a Socratic seminar with math. Socratic seminar is a formal discussion, based on a text in which a group leader uses open ended question. Normally Socratic Seminars circle are used in subjects such as reading, science and social studies, but the challenge seemed interesting. I figured the socratic circles would get students discussing their answers and provide assistance for struggling students.
I took a couple of days to decide on a problem that would allow for open-ended questions and discussion and would also force students to listen to the comments and the questions of others. Students also needed to be able to articulate their own thoughts and acknowledge.
I chose to use a math problem that related to students real life. Students had to look at several cell phone companies and their plans and determine what would be the best option economically.. Students had to be able perform the algorithm and also defend and justify their answer. Students were split into two circles, an outer and an inner circle. The outer circle was the observation circle in which they listened and observe the interaction of the inner circle. A group leader was assigned and responsible for keeping an ongoing discussion in the inner circle. The inner circle started the discussion about the math problem. The speaker gave the group their answers and the other students either agreed, disagreed, (with explanation) or asked clarifying questions. The goal of the Socratic seminar was to clarify students understandings and get an informal idea of their struggles and strengths.
Hashtags: #math , #socraticseminar , #openendeddiscussion #socraticmethod #criticalthinking #questioning #6thgrade #middleschool #7thgrade
Bio: Davina Allen facilitates in a Creative Learning lab designed for students in middle school. She also coaches teachers K-8 teachers helping them design lessons that involve the Engineering Design Process. She is a proud parent of two beautiful children. Davina believes that in order for students to be successful they have to be able to function as a team.
Narrative of Amazing Teaching Moment: I taught 6th-7th grade split class that had a total of 41 students. My goal was to get students involved in a formal discussion about math while being respectful to others ideas. I decided to try a Socratic seminar with math. Socratic seminar is a formal discussion, based on a text in which a group leader uses open ended question. Normally Socratic Seminars circle are used in subjects such as reading, science and social studies, but the challenge seemed interesting. I figured the socratic circles would get students discussing their answers and provide assistance for struggling students.
I took a couple of days to decide on a problem that would allow for open-ended questions and discussion and would also force students to listen to the comments and the questions of others. Students also needed to be able to articulate their own thoughts and acknowledge.
I chose to use a math problem that related to students real life. Students had to look at several cell phone companies and their plans and determine what would be the best option economically.. Students had to be able perform the algorithm and also defend and justify their answer. Students were split into two circles, an outer and an inner circle. The outer circle was the observation circle in which they listened and observe the interaction of the inner circle. A group leader was assigned and responsible for keeping an ongoing discussion in the inner circle. The inner circle started the discussion about the math problem. The speaker gave the group their answers and the other students either agreed, disagreed, (with explanation) or asked clarifying questions. The goal of the Socratic seminar was to clarify students understandings and get an informal idea of their struggles and strengths.
Hashtags: #math , #socraticseminar , #openendeddiscussion #socraticmethod #criticalthinking #questioning #6thgrade #middleschool #7thgrade
The Big Five Keys to STEM Success
- Differentiated instruction: reach students of all learning capabilities increasing students knowledge and success, gives teachers the opportunity and builds off students strengths and weakness
- Creativity: limitations are often removed from activities; leads to student engagement, fun and can make the activity accessible to different learning styles.
- Real world connection: Allows students to make a connection and brings relevance to the learning; can show practical applications to acquired knowledge.
- Student-centered: Gives students the ability to explore through hands on activities; allows them to make discoveries on their own.
- Rigorous: The instruction needs to be sufficiently challenging to ensure student engagement and push students’ thinking and learning. It should help students ‘unlearn’ misconceptions.