Activity 12 - Problem Solving Skills

My experiences with problem-solving skills in class:

Students are always ready to share their ideas and discuss problems. As a result the use of Brainstorming as a problem solving strategy is effective, as this pools all ideas together and thus strengthens the discussion on how to solve a given problem.

Activity 11 - Encouraging learners to ask questions

My experiences with encouraging learners to ask questions in class:

When learners are actively engaged in the process of questioning, by allowing them the opportunity for them to form their own questions, it makes the lesson more fruitful/product.

Activity 10 – Promoting discussion

My thoughts on my experiences with discussion during lessons:

The type of questions and activities used determines how discussions will develop. As a result, it is of great importance that teachers facilitate discussions by providing the appropriate materials, resources, questions and verbal prompts necessary. However, teachers, should allow students to be the ones that actually engage themselves in the discussion with each other as they share their thoughts and listen to others as they too express their ideas and opinions. Therefore at the end of the discussion all the students would benefit from the activity.

Activity 9 - What questions do I ask and why?

What questions to ask?

Open ended questions, and higher order questions

Why ask these types of questions?

To promote critical thinking and not just recall of facts or information

To increase student involvement in creating their own knowledge

Activity 8 - Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

What I think I can apply to my teaching based on Piaget’s ideas:

Based on Piaget's ideas I can apply the use of differentiated instruction with varying resources and activities to cater for students at different levels of thinking: use objects, graphs, charts, books, games, toys, play-dough, manipulative, flash cards, puzzles, number pieces, songs, rhymes, poems, stories, drawing, graphic organizers, etc.

Activity 7 - Collaborative Learning

What I have learnt about collaborative/cooperative learning when teaching with ICT:

Cooperative learning when teaching with ICT will enhance students understanding as they work together via the ICT tools to complete a common task. As a result, students and teacher are able to share and create information through: emails, blogs, skype, videos, powerpoint presentation, word documents, spreadsheet, music clips, voice recordings, etc.

In addition general technology, communication and problem solving skills are increased as a product of classrooms with cooperative learning groups.

Activity 6 - Vygotsky's understanding of Cognitive Development

What I have learnt about verbalising and dialogue during this activity?

Language and social interaction is important for thinking to develop. Different activities tend to elicit from us a verbal response that cause us to express our understanding of information. Although, language is an ability which we should posess if we are not exposed to it from within our environment, it is more than likely we will not be able to use it in the socially accepted ways that are known within our culture. In addition, its development takes some practice over time with the right help of others. As a result, there must be some sort of dialogue with inner, to oneself, by oneself; or outer from oneself, to another. Finally, as educators our role is to provide the right environment with the appropriate instructional activities and life experiences to encourage or motivate verbalization and dialogue among our students.