Chat
Session between Toni McAfoos & Bonnie Barnes
March
8, 2006
Bonnie
Barnes has joined the chat.
Bonnie
Barnes: Hi!
Toni
McAfoos: Hello!
Bonnie
Barnes: I was getting worried!
Toni
McAfoos: I saw your message, about the conference
Toni
McAfoos: sorry. getting ready for my trip.
Bonnie
Barnes: Yes, we are supposed to do a pre-conference.
Toni
McAfoos: like we did before?
Bonnie
Barnes: i am having a hard time concentrating, too.
Bonnie
Barnes: yes
Toni
McAfoos: Spring is in the air.
Bonnie
Barnes: for sure!
Toni
McAfoos: Are you using the same teacher you used before?
Bonnie
Barnes: no
Toni
McAfoos: Didn't we come up with questions first?
Bonnie
Barnes: yes, we could use the same questions.
Toni
McAfoos: Let's see if I have mine.
Bonnie
Barnes: i'm looking
Bonnie
Barnes: found mine under Module 2 folder on my computer
Toni
McAfoos: I'm still looking
Toni
McAfoos: I found it!
Toni
McAfoos: Yeah me!
Toni
McAfoos: Bonnie, are you there, or did I lose you?
Toni
McAfoos: Bonnie are you there, or did I lose you?
Bonnie
Barnes: I got cut off!
Toni
McAfoos: me, too
Bonnie
Barnes: So question 1
Bonnie
Barnes: Is the lesson teacher-directed or student-directed or
a combination of both? Why?
Bonnie
Barnes: yes delayed
Toni
McAfoos: Hmmmmm
Toni
McAfoos: The lesson will be teacher directed to begin with
and then student directed. The teacher will begin the
lesson by pointing the students in the right direction, guidance,
directions, etc. Then the students take it from there makin
Toni
McAfoos: g their own discoveries.
Bonnie
Barnes: ok
Bonnie
Barnes: remember this one?
Bonnie
Barnes: What kind of activity covers "Students
connecting learning to work or life: Domain I of PDAS?
Bonnie
Barnes: do you have a real-life connection?
Bonnie
Barnes: how's that for rewording?
Toni
McAfoos: Have I had one? oh, you mean the students?
Bonnie
Barnes: yes, for the students with your lesson.
Toni
McAfoos: You're supposed to laugh, I was joking.
Bonnie
Barnes: sorry! operating on Mountain Dew & Girl Scout
Thin Mints right now!
Toni
McAfoos: The students are learning about geneology. Based
on choices they make using Microsoft word, determines the color
hair, eyes, etc. of the person they build.
Bonnie
Barnes: sounds interesting!
Toni
McAfoos: How can this relate to real life?
Bonnie
Barnes: i love genetics!
Bonnie
Barnes: are there some real life examples?
Toni
McAfoos: I think it would be easy for the kids to connect
this to their lives.
Toni
McAfoos: Yes, they are real life examples.
Bonnie
Barnes: ok
Bonnie
Barnes: What is your goal in making learning related to
students' interests and characteristics?
Toni
McAfoos: My goal would be to make the connection between
learning and real life so that the students would find the things
interesting that they are learning. You've heard of those
"mad" scientists that do really cool things in front of
th
Toni
McAfoos: e kids? They bring a connection between
chemistry and real life, etc. Daily life, that is.
Bonnie
Barnes: good observation!
Toni
McAfoos: Thanks.
Bonnie
Barnes: your mentioned going from teacher center to learner
centered.
Bonnie
Barnes: How do your activities in the lesson vary from
teacher-center to learner-center activities?
Toni
McAfoos: The teacher provides the rules, guidelines, and then
outlines what they are going to be doing. The students take this
information and the experiment begins to unfold right before
their eyes. Like I said, based on the choices of th
Toni
McAfoos: e students, determines eye color, hair color, etc.
This part is the student-centered part.
Bonnie Barnes: do you have any
questions challenging students to think at a higher level?
Toni McAfoos: I believe the
questions for the students might be as to how external factors
affect genealogy. For instance, how do drugs, alcohol,
cigarettes, etc. affect genealogy, or do they?
Bonnie Barnes: What area of the lesson promotes critical thinking and problem solving?
Toni McAfoos: I believe the
part of the lesson where the children make connections as to
things like, two brown-eyed parents make a brown eyed child, etc.
What characteristics are dominant over others? Those are
critical thinking and can be problem solving lessons. Even
more so, with the world as it is today--cloning sheep, etc. it is
often desired of humans to make a “perfect” person.
If scientists can control genealogy, why aren’t there more
perfect humans? Or, what could be the outcome of so many perfect
humans?
Bonnie Barnes: What kind of tools do you use to maintain appropriate pacing and sequencing?
Toni McAfoos: I would use peer
tutoring for slower/faster students and I would use teacher
monitoring as well. Student worksheets with numbered steps
and questions – allowing the students to regulate their own
progress.
Bonnie Barnes: What type of technology integration are you using for this lesson or project?
Toni McAfoos: I am using
computers with Microsoft Word. The Internet may be used for
research as well.
Bonnie Barnes: How will you reinforce learning in this lesson?
Toni McAfoos: Learning will be
reinforced through the product that the students design. The
product is a “portrait” of the person they designed
through choices the student made.
Bonnie Barnes: How do you plan to provide opportunities for relearning?
Toni McAfoos: Students then could see where they got their brown/green eyes, color of hair, etc.
Bonnie Barnes: How do you redirect disruptive behavior?
Toni McAfoos: I redirect disruptive behavior by making sure the student is on tract, has completed the tasks at hand, and pair them up with a slower more needy student. Also allowing these students to be helpers in the classroom is another way to direct disruptive behavior.
Bonnie Barnes: What type of things do you do to encourage and support reluctant students?
Toni McAfoos: I might ask the
student questions. I might ask them, “Didn’t you
ever wonder where you got your wavy hair? Green eyes?
Tall, skinny frame? Etc. I would also try to figure out why
the student was reluctant and then figure out a way around the
barrier.