4- Activity 7: Giving Feedback

Constructive feedback is one of the most valuable contributions anyone can make to another person’s learning. Whether as a student or as a teacher each one of us has the aptitude to offer useful feedback to other people that will help them to learn more effectively.

By offering another person feedback about their work, it indicates you are both affirming the worth of the person and offering them your views on something into which they have put some effort.

Everyone has the capacity for giving useful feedback and some people use it more effectively than others. There are many characteristics of worthwhile feedback but the most important is the way in which it is given. The tone, the style and the content should be consistent and provide the constant message: ‘I appreciate you and what you have done and whatever else I say should be taken in this context”. In providing helpful feedback one should be:

·         Realistic

·         Specific

·         Sensitive to the goals of others

·         Timely

·         Descriptive

·         Observational

·         Direct

·         Aware

·         Positive

In accepting Feedback one should be:

·         Aware

·         Attentive

·         Explicit

·         Silent

This activity taught me a very important lesson that whatever feedback we give, we need to pay keen attention to the tone and style since this can adversely affect the relationship with our students and other stakeholders.

4- Activity 6A: Using Online References

Students are familiar with many resources, but they may not know when or how to scan and use online resources to get needed information. It is very important to demonstrate to students that knowing which resource to use for completing an assignment or finding information for whatever purpose, is a useful skill that will save them time and energy and enhance the quality of their work. This activity involved using online electronic references which can be accessed via some basic technological tools that are available in many of our schools today: computers and the internet.

End of module 1

This has been a great module. It has helped me to rethink my teaching strategies so that my students can all learn based on their different styles and find learning meaningful. It has also sharpened my skills and knowledge in working in the online learning environment.The interaction with group members and the tutor was excellent. Well done to you all

1- Activity 12: Problem solving

Problem solving is at the heart of teaching. Teachers sometimes are often so fluent in solving problems that they may find it really difficult to articulate the problem solving principles and strategies they use to students. In order to teach students problem solving skills, a teacher should be aware of principles and strategies of good problem solving in his or her discipline. Teachers should also:

•    Communicate proper information to students so they can identify specific problems,  difficulties, or confusions 
•      Encourage independence by modeling the problem solving process to show students the     process and not the answers
•       Be sensitive by providing positive reinforcement 
•       Encourage Thoroughness and Patience  

      Once our students are provided with the skills to solve problems from an early age, they would be better able to handle problems they encounter later in life.

1-Activity 11: Encouraging Learners to ask questions

Students should be encouraged by teachers to ask questions.  It is through questioning that they may be able to improve their knowledge and the way they interact with others.
Asking questioning can help students to improve their power of thinking, it is one of the best ways to overcome shyness within the classroom and questions raised by some students can make students more active and attentive in the class.

As teachers we sometimes fail to admit to our students that we do not know the answers to the questions they may ask during lessons. We need to devise strategies and tactics that will address this issue. We must allow them enough time and we should also teach them to be tolerant towards others questions that they may ask.

1-Activity 10- Promoting Discussion

Discussions must be meaningful and properly organised by the teacher or groups of students in order for them to be effective. It is important to think about what kinds of questions to ask, of whom and at what point in the discussion.  We must allow our students to feel comfortable and at ease when they are sharing ideas and we must not rush them off into finishing their view point but allow them the necessary time to do so. We must most importantly, learn the names of our students so that we can help to motivate them. Four characteristics of good discussions are 1. they are prepared in advance 2. are purposefully led, 3. are assessed, and 4. lead to more discussions.

Please read the following quote by C. Roland (“Chris”) Christensen, who pioneered teaching by the case method and taught at the Harvard Business School for 50 years: "Effective preparation for discussion classes takes more time, because instructors must consider not only what they will teach, but also who and how. And the classroom encounter consumes a great deal of energy; simultaneous attention to process (the flow of activities that make up a discussion) and content (the material discussed) requires emotional as well as intellectual engagement. . . . The discussion teacher is planner, host, moderator, devil’s advocate, fellow-student, and judge-a potentially confusing set of roles. Even the most seasoned group leader must be content with uncertainty, because discussion teaching is the art of managing spontaneity."