b. Video Case Study #60 (Part 7 of 8) Role-Playing Enlightenment Thinkers to c. d. e. f.
Understand Politics in 18th Century Europe
Ryan Thompson EDCI 5260 Fall 2015 No paid teaching, co-teaching or paraprofessional experience. Domain One Planning and Preparation i. Domain Rating a.) Effective: Proficient ii. Evidence of Rating 1. The outcomes are balanced and reflect important learning in World History, and it is clear that the students understand these outcomes. From 0:01-9:55, the students roleplay various characters in 18th century Enlightenment times (e.g. the first student on the teachers right is Voltaire). Roleplay as an outcome is very effective for World History because not only is the subject far removed with regard to time, but also to place; for American students. When these students immersed themselves in the time period and debated issues that were important in past times, their factual and conceptual foundational knowledge; communication skills; and conceptual understanding were all on display. For instance, the debate about slavery beginning at 7:00 illustrates that students conceptually understood that people in past times truly believed slavery was necessary and proper, although no sane person would argue that today. 2. The Roleplay outcome is suitable for diverse learners because it allows students appropriate latitude to express themselves as they please in the classroom, while still keeping true to the Zeitgeists of
past times. In this particular classroom, there is explicit evidence
that the outcomes are race appropriate. From 4:43 to 5:28, two African American females chime in on to what extent they believe government is a good thing or a bad thing. The first student postulates that government is good because it tends to enforce age old moral codes. The second student argues that government is good so long as power is not abused. Each student reached her respective conclusion by making connections between the past and the modern day and searching for common threads. Roleplay makes this possible. g. Domain Two The Classroom Environment i. Domain Rating 1. Effective: Emerging ii. Evidence of Rating 1. This class does not appear to run itself. Even though the students are engaging in active learning, the teacher appears to direct the class throughout (0:00-15:14). Additionally, although the one classroom transition in this classroom is accomplished, its execution is turbulent. At 10:00, the teacher abruptly stops taking student input and informs the students that the roleplay activity is finished and that they can return to their normal selves. The students become rowdy after the teachers pronouncement, and almost a full minute passes before the students are calmed down enough for the teacher to explain the parameters of the next class activity.
2. Materials and supplies are managed well in this classroom.
According to the teachers own lesson synopsis, I gave each group a guide to help them organize their research areas including background information, philosophical beliefs and also their character's viewpoint on important issues of the time period. I also suggested some starting internet resources, although they were encouraged to find their own sources online (NBPTS 2015). Students often used this information while they participated in the class discussion. For instance, at 4:00 the female student acting as Catherine the Great reads a verbatim quote from the monarch herself to advance the argument that monarchs should exercise more authority over their subjects than the subjects themselves would probably prefer. h. Domain Three Instruction i. Domain Rating 1. Effective: Emerging ii. Evidence of Rating 1. The COMPASS Rubric values effective grouping of students for purposes of instruction. The teacher took great care to make sure the students were grouped according to ability and need; and in cohesion with the classroom activity. According to the teachers lesson synopsis, I grouped students in pairs to collaborate and analyze their information. I assigned students in pairs by their personality, matched shy or introverted students with those that were more out-going, and by critical thinking ability, pairing a stronger critical thinker with one who struggles in this area. I prepared two documents in which students
could organize information to better prepare them for the simulation,
one asking for background information and philosophical beliefs of their assigned subject and the other having specific questions about important issues and how their person may have responded (NBPTS 2015).
This grouping strategy appeared to be very effective because most
students meaningfully participated in the dialogue (0:01-9:57) and it was apparent throughout the video which students were the shy ones. 2. Although the grouping was effective, the teacher made no effort to cold call on the unwilling or shy students. The teacher usually either acknowledged a student when his or her hand was raised (e.g. 3:06; 8:23), sat passively while the dominant talkers spoke (e.g. 0:07 to 3:05), or indiscriminately rotated among a section of the class and only took input from one of the two respective group members when this occurred (5:05 to 6:50). Alternatively, the teacher would often ask the whole class, but no one in particular, whether there was anything anyone wanted to say about the topic being discussed. This became egregious at 8:47, when the activity was about to conclude. Instead of cold calling on one of the handful of students who never participated in this discussion, the teacher took final words from a willing participant while three students (two of whom were seldom if ever heard from) turned and stared up at the clock., wondering when the class would end.