“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
21 comments:
Anonymous
said...
The activities today provided a way for us to present something we (as students) are passionate about and derive a step by step problem solve plan. The steps were laid out in a way that it was easy to understand and organize ideas to effectively communicate the information or problem clearly. The action plan was extremely useful in formulating the process we would go about to solve the problem at hand. I found it easy to organize and visualize what tasks needed to be complete, how they were going to be completed, and who would do it. This is something I will use in my classroom as an educator!
The activities today provided a way for us to present something we (as students) are passionate about and derive a step by step problem solve plan. The steps were laid out in a way that it was easy to understand and organize ideas to effectively communicate the information or problem clearly. The action plan was extremely useful in formulating the process we would go about to solve the problem at hand. I found it easy to organize and visualize what tasks needed to be complete, how they were going to be completed, and who would do it. This is something I will use in my classroom as an educator!
This activity allowed me to critically think about a school problem, not from the point of view as a “grad student” or “future teacher”” but as a middle school student. I got to see how a student does see problems or things that need to be addressed within their school and that they can make a difference. This activity helped me, as a future teacher & current student, see ways I can help them make changes and have their voice heard. –Jessica Lee
I think that many aspects of this activity increased productivity. Because there were several prompts set up for us, we didn’t have to waste time creating a format from scratch. We could begin putting pertinent information into a format that was already created for us.
In particular the problem filter helped us problem solve efficiently. Through this format we were able to select a topic that we all agreed on and fit all of specifications set out by the project.
The Action Plan template helped us put our steps of research into a linear, easy to understand format. Each group member was involved in this process, noting what steps we needed to take and agreeing upon who would be completing what task. This was a great tool for communication and assigning responsibilities.
All of the steps of our project and their according templates were easy to use and helpful. These and similar documents are tools I would like to use in my future classes.
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
By using the scaffolding method we were able to break down the task into smaller more manageable and understandable parts. The existing structure (scaffolding tools) that was provided allowed guidance for our group to approach this challenge with less confusion as to where to begin. With continued collaboration the structure became more detailed and complex. This allowed our problem to be evaluated in depth, exposing many possible obstacles and opinions. We, as a group were then more efficient at designing a successful solution considering all possible outcomes.
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
I liked that we had certain steps to go through (brainstorming, action plan and creating a presentation). I really like the action plan. It was easy to use and understand. If you made it to the end and needed to go back and start over, you had your brainstorming lit to choose ideas from. These steps made it easy for us as a group to stay on track, and increased productivity, and facilitated communication. Technical difficulties our group encountered allowed us to problem solve as a group, which was and added “bonus” to the lesson.
Out of all the group activities that we have participated in so far I enjoyed this one the most because it felt like I finally had a voice in decision making; it is easy to just go along with the group but it was a change of pace to feel like what I said mattered. The way that the lesson was organized helped in keeping our group on task because it laid everything out step by step and gave us a framework for understanding what we needed to do in order to accomplish our goal. The orderliness was a bonus for me because I tend to be fairly anal-retentive when it comes to doing things and it fit my personality.
How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?
I think this exercise helped me view how to do these things from a student’s point of view. I really don’t think that a brainstorming exercise is absolutely necessary for everyone, but as a group I suppose it helps bring a greater consensus to the table rather than just someone deciding what the topic is going to be. I definitely see the ideas here of scaffolding our activity for requirements and then allowing us to go out and produce something. Generally this activity help productivity of the group but I don’t think that it would have been necessary for an individual.
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
The most positive thing that I noticed was that the scaffolding kept us on track as a group. My last post discussed the discovery process and one thing I noted was that without clear parameters for the discovery process it was easy to get off track. With the scaffolding in place, we (I) did a much better job at moving through the process in a timely, efficient way. I felt we were better organized and knew exactly what was expected of each of us. We still had plenty of freedom to “discover,” but we did so in a way that was much more productive and “group-friendly.”
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
The most positive thing that I noticed was that the scaffolding kept us on track as a group. My last post discussed the discovery process and one thing I noted was that without clear parameters for the discovery process it was easy to get off track. With the scaffolding in place, we (I) did a much better job at moving through the process in a timely, efficient way. I felt we were better organized and knew exactly what was expected of each of us. We still had plenty of freedom to “discover,” but we did so in a way that was much more productive and “group-friendly.”
Through working in a group to complete all of the scaffolding requirements I found it easy. It helped me to be more creative in accomplishing the end results. It helped with really targeting what I needed to do individually, ultimately keeping me on task. The “problem filter” is very beneficial in that I know that my topic chosen would be able to complete all of the requirements that the instructor is looking for in the final product.-Alissa Dahl
In my experience, working as a team almost always produces more creative results. As a group, we chose both a goal and a theme; our goal being to have our school offer healthier and nutritionally sound meal options and our theme being Charlie Brown. By having a scaffolding to work from, we were able to spend more time developing our ideas and less time consulting the instructor or worrying that what we were doing somehow wasn’t satisfying the requirements. By having the template available, our work became the center of attention, not the format. Also, by having a ready made template, there was no argument as to how to organize our work, just which Peanut reference to use next…
The use of the templates helps to alleviate disorders like “writer’s block.” They give us something to go on besides just a blank page. The brainstorming, problem filter, and action plan documents also help to whittle down a lot of disconnected ideas into one coherent concept. When working in groups, these documents help the different members of the team, with their varying opinions, to all get on the same page.
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
Talking and brainstorming about the ideas out load and with others allowed me to think through the process. After hearing other ideas it was easy to put it all together and create our project. Sharing the responsibility was easy with each of us having a separate part to take control of. We moved from computer to computer and each of us had an opportunity to lead a portion of the project. While we were doing each portion, the other group members would throw out ideas and we continued to brainstorm together until we came up with the desired results.
Group projects where you all work separately and then throw it all together do not go as smoothly and the final project often doesn’t flow well. It was nice to have time in class to actually finish a group project so we could work together rather than separately.
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
I thought this group project was very balanced. Going around to the different computers gave each person the opportunity to work on a skill. The group members took advantage of the new things we learned and the more skilled group members showed the less skilled how to use the functions we learned in today’s class. Problem solving was very diplomatic and we got through the decision making process with ease. Since each person got computer time communication amongst all members was great! Kristy Filbin
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
Having the template to brainstorm helped our group to come up with our best option for an issue that we are passionate about. Having safe places for students to cross a busy street at an elementary school is very important to all of us, so choosing a crosswalk proposal was easy. Next, the timeline helped us to come up with all of the necessary steps to present our proposal to the principle of the school. We thought about all of the different areas of support we would need and organized our thoughts accordingly. Finally coming up with an attractive PowerPoint presentation to deliver to the principle of our school helped us to sell our idea and prove that we had thoroughly thought it out. Our ability to communicate effectively to the audience was greatly increased by our planning and team work in this process.
With several people working on the product, the work was divided up by what we were good at. This allowed for greater productivity and speed for the whole group. With the tasks laid out that progressively moved us toward our proposal, we could organize our thoughts in a more productive manner, allowing for greater quality of the final product. Also, with having a group, it allowed for greater problem solving because we had several people coming up with ideas on how to get past these problems. Our communication within the group made the task fun and allowed for quick work. Zac Gorley
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
The activities of today’s lesson gave me some tools that will make my work more efficient, thereby allowing me to increase productivity. The scaffolding activities taught me several skills that I can use when creating documents in Word and PowerPoint in the future. The templates that were provided were really helpful in solving the problem that we, as students, decided to address. It took us step by step through the process of solving the problem and gave us a template for solving future problems. This scaffolding focused on our metacognitive skills. It was helpful for aiding us to come up with a plan to resolve the issue more quickly than we would have had we been on our own. Lastly, I can reuse the templates provided to guide me through the process in the future.
Today’s lesson was useful in involving members of the group to participate in an active stance to change/solve a problem. Our group was able to communicate effectively and design a brochure discussing student guidelines for having an off campus lunch option. We were able to pool our ideas together and acknowledge each other’s ideas, and use some of them to incorporate into our Action Plan. Furthermore, we were able to use new skills we learned in class and apply them in the creation of our brochure. I appreciated outside ideas and feedback from group members as well as non group members. Overall, I felt our brochure turned out great, and felt this was a useful teaching tool. - Kristin Templet
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
The group activities gave us structure that guided us through the process. These kept us from “drawing a blank” when trying to figure out what the next step might be. The structure kept us on task and within the time limits. I think that these types of forms can really help those students that have a difficult time staying on task and managing their work in the amount of time given.
I think that providing students with templates for various assignments will free up a lot of the teacher’s time. Constantly repeating instructions seems to be an issue in many classes and templates offer the students the instruction without the presence of the teacher.
I particularly enjoyed the brainstorming activity we did today. My group members all had very interesting input to add to our worksheet. I enjoy being able to take steps when doing a project. The steps made the overall process much quicker in the end.
By having steps and worksheets to finish before we could move on, it made the overall process easier. When we sat down to write our final letter, we knew exactly what needed to be added from our worksheets. I actually had a lot of fun in my group today and think we communicated well throughout the process. As a learner, my problem solving skills were tested and my communication skills were used. I think this process helped to enhance those skills.
21 comments:
The activities today provided a way for us to present something we (as students) are passionate about and derive a step by step problem solve plan. The steps were laid out in a way that it was easy to understand and organize ideas to effectively communicate the information or problem clearly. The action plan was extremely useful in formulating the process we would go about to solve the problem at hand. I found it easy to organize and visualize what tasks needed to be complete, how they were going to be completed, and who would do it. This is something I will use in my classroom as an educator!
Sorry...forgot to post my name
The activities today provided a way for us to present something we (as students) are passionate about and derive a step by step problem solve plan. The steps were laid out in a way that it was easy to understand and organize ideas to effectively communicate the information or problem clearly. The action plan was extremely useful in formulating the process we would go about to solve the problem at hand. I found it easy to organize and visualize what tasks needed to be complete, how they were going to be completed, and who would do it. This is something I will use in my classroom as an educator!
Sara Bailey
This activity allowed me to critically think about a school problem, not from the point of view as a “grad student” or “future teacher”” but as a middle school student. I got to see how a student does see problems or things that need to be addressed within their school and that they can make a difference. This activity helped me, as a future teacher & current student, see ways I can help them make changes and have their voice heard.
–Jessica Lee
I think that many aspects of this activity increased productivity. Because there were several prompts set up for us, we didn’t have to waste time creating a format from scratch. We could begin putting pertinent information into a format that was already created for us.
In particular the problem filter helped us problem solve efficiently. Through this format we were able to select a topic that we all agreed on and fit all of specifications set out by the project.
The Action Plan template helped us put our steps of research into a linear, easy to understand format. Each group member was involved in this process, noting what steps we needed to take and agreeing upon who would be completing what task. This was a great tool for communication and assigning responsibilities.
All of the steps of our project and their according templates were easy to use and helpful. These and similar documents are tools I would like to use in my future classes.
-Kessa Dehler
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
By using the scaffolding method we were able to break down the task into smaller more manageable and understandable parts. The existing structure (scaffolding tools) that was provided allowed guidance for our group to approach this challenge with less confusion as to where to begin. With continued collaboration the structure became more detailed and complex. This allowed our problem to be evaluated in depth, exposing many possible obstacles and opinions. We, as a group were then more efficient at designing a successful solution considering all possible outcomes.
Lisa MacKintosh
Courtney Larkin
6/26/2008
T&L 521
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
I liked that we had certain steps to go through (brainstorming, action plan and creating a presentation). I really like the action plan. It was easy to use and understand. If you made it to the end and needed to go back and start over, you had your brainstorming lit to choose ideas from. These steps made it easy for us as a group to stay on track, and increased productivity, and facilitated communication. Technical difficulties our group encountered allowed us to problem solve as a group, which was and added “bonus” to the lesson.
Out of all the group activities that we have participated in so far I enjoyed this one the most because it felt like I finally had a voice in decision making; it is easy to just go along with the group but it was a change of pace to feel like what I said mattered. The way that the lesson was organized helped in keeping our group on task because it laid everything out step by step and gave us a framework for understanding what we needed to do in order to accomplish our goal. The orderliness was a bonus for me because I tend to be fairly anal-retentive when it comes to doing things and it fit my personality.
--Shannon Kimball--
How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?
I think this exercise helped me view how to do these things from a student’s point of view. I really don’t think that a brainstorming exercise is absolutely necessary for everyone, but as a group I suppose it helps bring a greater consensus to the table rather than just someone deciding what the topic is going to be. I definitely see the ideas here of scaffolding our activity for requirements and then allowing us to go out and produce something. Generally this activity help productivity of the group but I don’t think that it would have been necessary for an individual.
Jones Turner
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
The most positive thing that I noticed was that the scaffolding kept us on track as a group. My last post discussed the discovery process and one thing I noted was that without clear parameters for the discovery process it was easy to get off track. With the scaffolding in place, we (I) did a much better job at moving through the process in a timely, efficient way. I felt we were better organized and knew exactly what was expected of each of us. We still had plenty of freedom to “discover,” but we did so in a way that was much more productive and “group-friendly.”
Paul C.
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
The most positive thing that I noticed was that the scaffolding kept us on track as a group. My last post discussed the discovery process and one thing I noted was that without clear parameters for the discovery process it was easy to get off track. With the scaffolding in place, we (I) did a much better job at moving through the process in a timely, efficient way. I felt we were better organized and knew exactly what was expected of each of us. We still had plenty of freedom to “discover,” but we did so in a way that was much more productive and “group-friendly.”
Paul C.
Through working in a group to complete all of the scaffolding requirements I found it easy. It helped me to be more creative in accomplishing the end results. It helped with really targeting what I needed to do individually, ultimately keeping me on task. The “problem filter” is very beneficial in that I know that my topic chosen would be able to complete all of the requirements that the instructor is looking for in the final product.-Alissa Dahl
Bailey DesRosier
In my experience, working as a team almost always produces more creative results. As a group, we chose both a goal and a theme; our goal being to have our school offer healthier and nutritionally sound meal options and our theme being Charlie Brown. By having a scaffolding to work from, we were able to spend more time developing our ideas and less time consulting the instructor or worrying that what we were doing somehow wasn’t satisfying the requirements. By having the template available, our work became the center of attention, not the format. Also, by having a ready made template, there was no argument as to how to organize our work, just which Peanut reference to use next…
The use of the templates helps to alleviate disorders like “writer’s block.” They give us something to go on besides just a blank page. The brainstorming, problem filter, and action plan documents also help to whittle down a lot of disconnected ideas into one coherent concept. When working in groups, these documents help the different members of the team, with their varying opinions, to all get on the same page.
- Shawn Parks
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
Talking and brainstorming about the ideas out load and with others allowed me to think through the process. After hearing other ideas it was easy to put it all together and create our project. Sharing the responsibility was easy with each of us having a separate part to take control of. We moved from computer to computer and each of us had an opportunity to lead a portion of the project. While we were doing each portion, the other group members would throw out ideas and we continued to brainstorm together until we came up with the desired results.
Group projects where you all work separately and then throw it all together do not go as smoothly and the final project often doesn’t flow well. It was nice to have time in class to actually finish a group project so we could work together rather than separately.
Karen Adams
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
I thought this group project was very balanced. Going around to the different computers gave each person the opportunity to work on a skill. The group members took advantage of the new things we learned and the more skilled group members showed the less skilled how to use the functions we learned in today’s class. Problem solving was very diplomatic and we got through the decision making process with ease. Since each person got computer time communication amongst all members was great! Kristy Filbin
Emily Hempelmann
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
Having the template to brainstorm helped our group to come up with our best option for an issue that we are passionate about. Having safe places for students to cross a busy street at an elementary school is very important to all of us, so choosing a crosswalk proposal was easy. Next, the timeline helped us to come up with all of the necessary steps to present our proposal to the principle of the school. We thought about all of the different areas of support we would need and organized our thoughts accordingly. Finally coming up with an attractive PowerPoint presentation to deliver to the principle of our school helped us to sell our idea and prove that we had thoroughly thought it out. Our ability to communicate effectively to the audience was greatly increased by our planning and team work in this process.
With several people working on the product, the work was divided up by what we were good at. This allowed for greater productivity and speed for the whole group. With the tasks laid out that progressively moved us toward our proposal, we could organize our thoughts in a more productive manner, allowing for greater quality of the final product. Also, with having a group, it allowed for greater problem solving because we had several people coming up with ideas on how to get past these problems. Our communication within the group made the task fun and allowed for quick work. Zac Gorley
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
The activities of today’s lesson gave me some tools that will make my work more efficient, thereby allowing me to increase productivity. The scaffolding activities taught me several skills that I can use when creating documents in Word and PowerPoint in the future.
The templates that were provided were really helpful in solving the problem that we, as students, decided to address. It took us step by step through the process of solving the problem and gave us a template for solving future problems. This scaffolding focused on our metacognitive skills. It was helpful for aiding us to come up with a plan to resolve the issue more quickly than we would have had we been on our own. Lastly, I can reuse the templates provided to guide me through the process in the future.
-Candice Catlin
Today’s lesson was useful in involving members of the group to participate in an active stance to change/solve a problem. Our group was able to communicate effectively and design a brochure discussing student guidelines for having an off campus lunch option. We were able to pool our ideas together and acknowledge each other’s ideas, and use some of them to incorporate into our Action Plan. Furthermore, we were able to use new skills we learned in class and apply them in the creation of our brochure. I appreciated outside ideas and feedback from group members as well as non group members. Overall, I felt our brochure turned out great, and felt this was a useful teaching tool. - Kristin Templet
“How did the activities allow you as a learner to increase productivity, problem solve, research and process information or communicate?”
The group activities gave us structure that guided us through the process. These kept us from “drawing a blank” when trying to figure out what the next step might be. The structure kept us on task and within the time limits. I think that these types of forms can really help those students that have a difficult time staying on task and managing their work in the amount of time given.
I think that providing students with templates for various assignments will free up a lot of the teacher’s time. Constantly repeating instructions seems to be an issue in many classes and templates offer the students the instruction without the presence of the teacher.
Jennifer Weber
I particularly enjoyed the brainstorming activity we did today. My group members all had very interesting input to add to our worksheet. I enjoy being able to take steps when doing a project. The steps made the overall process much quicker in the end.
By having steps and worksheets to finish before we could move on, it made the overall process easier. When we sat down to write our final letter, we knew exactly what needed to be added from our worksheets. I actually had a lot of fun in my group today and think we communicated well throughout the process. As a learner, my problem solving skills were tested and my communication skills were used. I think this process helped to enhance those skills.
Lauren Brown
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