Acting out a Trial

My second observation session at BHS was a junior literature class. I was amazed how the average students I was with in a couple of sessions ago were exelling at acting out a trial. They read a story yesterday about a person who committed a murder while he was drunk and after he was physically and emotionally abused. They had to write their decision on how much he is guilty for the murder in the same evening. Today the teacher helped them with some notes and assign roles (the judge, the lawyers, the doctor, etc) to be acted.. Some students voluntreed and had to discuss the procedures of the trial for some time and then off on the stage! Iwas really  stunned how engaged and fervent the student were..  the lawyers coming out with smart questions, the judge sober and calm, and the doctor using medical terms and careful in what she says.. These kids learned to do that from TV.  I asked my mentor how many times they had done similar activities, and the answer was it was the first time. YEP it was watching movies.. They are learning a lot of things from Tv, how to get those things into the classroon grounds is the question at stake here. As a final procedure, the teacher asked the rest of the class who were in the position of the jury to think again of their decisions: Is the accused guilty or not guilty? After the poll the accused declared not guilty.. The teacher showed me some of the students sheets who decided some hours ago that the accused had been guilty and then changed their judgement after attending their colleagues' version of the trial to not guilty... So powerful and engaging! 

Jigsaw Process

I should have written this yesterday.. but it was such a busy day that my mind couldn't pop up any straight meaningful sentences.. I do not want to miss talking about it anyway.  

At 10,  I went to the Foundations of Assessment class.. The way the instructor, Lynn Kilting-Gibson, conducted the lesson was marvellous. what I like about this class is that I learn about assessment and also I get a lot of ideas about the different techniques of conducting learner-centered lessons. At the outset of every session, Lynn, the first elegant American I 've met, projects a p.p. slide which shows the title of the lesson and the technique she is going to use throughout the lesson.. And she is really successful at that.  So far, We have been led to use a wide range of techniques that I can tell that every lesson has been  ran differently.  The assessment  item to be learnt yesterday was the portflio. And the technique was The jigsaw process.. And this is how she made us work:

1- she went around with a basket full of coloured beads, and every student has to choose one

2- she asked the students with similar beads to come together to form groups of seven members

3- the seven group members were given different sheets on the steps that constitute the portfolio development and evaluation process. They were also listed from one to seven

4- She asked members with identical sheets to sit together, discuss the stage they have in common and have recourse to some content sheets from the course packet.

5- The members were back to their home groups again  and explain the stages to one another starting from stage one and ending with stage seven....

The technique used was so much effectivethat we were all responsible for building up the lesson. we were not only concerned about taking in the information, but also responsible for cascading it to our home  group members..   I seem to  learn to my maximum capacity when I am responsible for teaching that element... Below is the technique as it was posted in the slide: 

1- “Home” groups, assign concept/step/task

2- Move to “expert” group.

3-Utilize materials from packet (19-24) and text chapter

3- Move back to “home” group to share your expertise

I wonder what the technique will be tomorrow.. I ll try to keep you informed!