Pam Grossman • Stanford University, Stanford, CA • Curriculum and Instruction in English
The Course: Scaffolding for Student Learning
The Unit: Preparing for Student-Centered Discussions
The Assignment: Two Facets of Learning from Experience

Introduction

The Class

 

The Context

  • Students
  • Program
  • Institution

Focusing on Students

 

 

The Assignment: Two facets of learning from experience

In crafting this unit on learning to lead discussions, we created a variety of opportunities for students to learn from the experiences of accomplished practitioners and as well as from their own experiences and those of their colleagues in leading discussions.

When we decided to use the website of Yvonne Divans Hutchinson, we created a two-part assignment for this unit.  First we had prospective teachers investigate the website using a set of questions designed to help them see the various ways in which Yvonne prepared students for the discussion and then facilitated the discussion.  Students investigated the website in pairs or trios and then led a small-group discussion among their peers around their particular question.  In the second part of the assignment, students identified a strategy they saw in the materials and tried it out in their own classrooms.    

Learning in the University Classroom
Learning from an accomplished practitioner: Students lead a discussion about Yvonne Hutchinson's strategies for discussion.
Learning from the assignment: Caroline deconstructs the assignment.
Learning from colleagues:April acknowledges Michelle's facilitation.
Learning in the Field
Lily experiments with discussion strategies
Lily presents her teaching clip in class
Emily shares her successes with discussion strategies.
Jared realizes that "it's not magic."

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