Jamar Moore

Dr. O

CIED 428

8 December 2023

Course Reflection

What you learned about effective collaboration and cooperative learning

Throughout this course, I have learned that effective collaboration is necessary when working

with peers. Collaboration is important because it is the launching point on how a team or group

will cooperate with each other and effective problem-solving. Another benefit that I have learned

about effective collaboration is that it is the key to improved communication. Communication

and collaboration are linked together as it is the key to success for group projects and listening to

peer's ideas helps accomplish everyone's goals throughout the process. Furthermore, I have

noticed that cooperative learning was a huge success throughout the semester as it hence the

opportunity to enhance critical-thinking skills and improves the overall learning experience.

How social-emotional factors affect the innovative learning environment

Social-emotional factors are always heavily involved in students learning in the classroom and it

hugely affects the learning environment in many positive aspects. Social-emotional learning

benefits the learning environment by fostering brain development within the student. This can

include the development of critical-thinking skills, which is excellent because students need

these skills to show academic growth in the classroom. Also, the social environment is greatly

impacted as students are learning to communicate with their peers and collaborate with one

another during small group projects. Overall, social-emotional learning in the classroom is
important because it helps develop the learning environment and benefits the students' cognition

for the future.

How mathematics fits into student learning in the innovative classroom

Mathematics is essential to students' learning and development because it develops logical

reasoning, problem-solving skills, and creativity. Mathematics is also a gateway or introduction

to other school subjects as well, such as art, music, science, and social studies. Teachers can

teach mathematics by integrating technology in the classroom. Ultimately, this exposes students

to form connections with different math concepts and develop cognitive skills while being

engaged. Also, students tend to be more engaged in lessons if real-world problems are involved.

Educators can include real-life scenarios in lessons which will most likely get the students

engaged because it connects with them personally. Students who make personal connections with

lessons are more likely to excel because it is something that keeps them interested and engaged.

Visual aids also play an important role in student learning of mathematics. Visual aids are a great

strategy for educators to use to gain students' interest and help them retain information long-

term.

How innovative teaching methods can impact students from low socio-economic

status backgrounds?

Educators who use innovative teaching methods to impact students who come from low socio-

economic backgrounds are extremely beneficial in all aspects. Teachers can give students an

exceptional learning experience by creating an atmosphere that focuses on critical thinking, deep
problem-solving skills, and analyzing information. Some strategies educators can use with low

socio-economic students to incorporate these skills are incorporating daily discussions within

small groups and integrating different technologies. Students performing discussions and using

technology in the classroom enhances student collaboration, exposes them to new learning

techniques, and boost creativity. Teachers who use these different strategies will give students the

opportunity to expand their horizons academically, which may be challenging, however, it helps

each student cognitively.

How thinking routines can affect student learning and the way you teach.

Integrating thinking routines is very important for both the learning environment and most

importantly the students. Teachers developing thinking routines in the classroom is a method of

welcoming a culture of thinking. Comprehension of content is one of the benefits of students

using thinking routines. Comprehension is important because it develops students' critical

thinking skills and the ability to solve complex problems. Students who are using thinking

routines in the classroom have a higher chance of being engaged and have the ability to navigate

through their own respectable thinking moves. Additionally, thinking routines affect educators'

teaching by allowing them to analyze students' thinking processes, misconceptions, and

understanding of specific content.

Your personal growth in creative, problem-solving, and critical thinking abilities is

supported by at least two additional artifacts of your choosing that demonstrate your

learning during this class.

Suggestions for course improvement

I personally really enjoyed this course and how well all of the content was organized throughout

the semester. However, at some points, it was very challenging, such as brainstorming an idea for

the Maker Ed project as my group was breaking down our project. Altogether, I realized that was

the most important concept throughout this whole project and course. Some suggestions that I

think will benefit this course and teacher candidates is more focus on the content test objectives

throughout the course.

 8 VTS’s

1. E = Excited What excites you about this idea or proposition? What’s the upside?
 It excites me that students get to make an impact in their community by participating in
different service activities, such as recycling.
 I also like how some schools require students to complete service-learning in some form
during high school.
 Service-learning also benefits students by developing different skills, such as teamwork,
critical thinking, responsibility, and so much more.

2. W = Worrisome What do you find worrisome about this idea or proposition? What’s
the downside?
 If students will be learning the appropriate content during their service-learning
 If students are engaged in the specific service-learning activity
 If the students do not feel like the service-learning activities are valuable

3. N = Need to Know What else do you need to know or find out about this idea or
proposition? What additional information would help you to evaluate things?
 How can we evaluate students who are participating in service-learning activities?

4. S = Stance or Suggestion for Moving Forward What is your current stance or opinion
on the idea or proposition? How might you move forward in your evaluation of this
idea or proposition?
 I really like the idea of students getting the opportunity to be involved in their
communities in some type of fashion such as recycling.
 I like how some schools put service-learning into their curriculum, so students can have
some experience with certain activities.
4 C’s Thinking Routine
Connections Challenge
What connections do you draw between the text and your What ideas, positions, or assumptions do you want to
own life or your other learning? challenge or argue with in the text?

- Brainstorming is part of everyday life, as people

have to come up with different ideas for certain
situations. “no bad ideas”

- Collaborating with others is a key concept for

brainstorming because it is important to hear from
others to get a better understanding or different
viewpoints from peers.

Concepts Changes
What key concepts or ideas do you think are important What changes in attitudes, thinking, or action are
and worth holding on to from the text? suggested by the text, either for you or others?

- Facilitating brainstorming is important, such as - I have learned from this text that any idea is not
starting with a warm-up activity to get everyone's bad and it always worth sharing with the group
brain thinking and powering through to come up because in the end the idea may work
with efficient ideas. eventually.

- Sketching your ideas will also play an important

role in brainstorming because it represents an
individual thinking process.
1. E = Excited What excites you about this idea or proposition? What’s the upside?

- It excites me that students get to make an impact in their community by participating

in different service activities, such as recycling.

- I also like how some schools require students to complete service-learning in some

form during high school.

- Service-learning also benefits students by developing different skills, such as

teamwork, critical thinking, responsibility, and so much more.

2. W = Worrisome What do you find worrisome about this idea or proposition? What’s the

downside?

- If students will be learning the appropriate content during their service-learning

- If students are engaged in the specific service-learning activity

- If the students do not feel like the service-learning activities are valuable

3. N = Need to Know What else do you need to know or find out about this idea or

proposition? What additional information would help you to evaluate things?

- How can we evaluate students who are participating in service-learning activities?

4. S = Stance or Suggestion for Moving Forward What is your current stance or opinion on

the idea or proposition? How might you move forward in your evaluation of this idea or

proposition?

- I really like the idea of students getting the opportunity to be involved in their

communities in some type of fashion such as recycling.

- I like how some schools put service-learning into their curriculum, so students can

have some experience with certain activities.

Name Jamar Moore Date 08/30 Week 2

3-2-1

Three things you learned:

1. Students consider the classroom as a culture of thinking, and teachers

should challenge students to think critically, then ultimately, they will

develop thinking and understanding skills in new situations outside of

school.

2. There are three things that a student needs to possess in order to be a

good thinker, first, they must have the ability to think, for example, to

make a thoughtful decision the student must have the skills to carry

out the decision. The second thing a good thinker must have is

inclination, which is the motivation to make a thoughtful decision.

Finally, the last element is sensitivity, this means that the student

must notice when it is appropriate to use their thinking skills.

3. Students being curious about certain things, can most likely increase

their success. It is the key to metacognition.

Two things that interest you and you’d like to learn more about:

1. The things that teachers are looking for in students’ work, and the

way the educator can assess that the student is thinking about the

specific topic.
 2. Asking a student, a follow-up question after they have explained their

thinking in a certain manner. Then after the student answered the

question, new information is steadily being explained by the student

due to the fact of the follow-up question.

One question you still have:

1. How to teach students sensitivity when it comes to thinking in the

classroom?
CONNECT: How are the ideas and information presented CONNECTED to what you already
knew?

All students are not the same, as students have different ideas about different concepts. It is
important for students to explore and wonder.

Students learn and are engaged when topics are more in their interest.

EXTEND: What new ideas did you get that EXTENDED or pushed your thinking in new
directions?

When ideas are not working or failing, it is important to continue to think and invent new ideas.

CHALLENGE: What is still CHALLENGING or confusing for you to get your mind around? What
questions, wonderings, or puzzles do you now have?

How can I get students to get their respective viewpoints around in a group?

How can we make students debut their creativity in the classroom?

 Claim Support Question- Thinking Routine

CLAIM:
- Everyone should be involved in some capacity by sharing ideas
and different contributions.

- Group work is all about collaborating and bouncing ideas off one
another, which makes the process easier and more enjoyable.

SUPPORT:
- Build interdependency into groups—students have the ability to
work alone while having a mutual dependence on group
members.
- Everyone has something different to offer to the group, and
everyone's ideas should be shared to ensure creativity within the
group.

QUESTION:
- How can we ensure everyone is sharing their input within the
group?
- How can we make group work exciting and collaborative between
students?
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