Trials, thrills and options

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Limitations of class discussion

• Not all students get an opportunity to speak
• Not all students are comfortable speaking out
• Lack of complexity or depth in their statements
• Discussion can quickly get sidetracked or lose
  focus
• Some students lose concentration during
  discussion
• Discussion is not recorded for review later
• Lack of time for responses to all statements
• Students may not be very forthcoming or may be
  reluctant to speak personally

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Why use online discussions in my subject?

• All students have time to formulate considered
  and focused answers.
• All students have time to digest carefully
  formulated answers made by their peers.
• Discussion can continue to develop as the
  semester progresses, not limited by time or
  syllabus pressures.
• Discussion is highly structured and recorded for
  future reference and revision
• New, different and difficult topics can be
  discussed more effectively

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Teacher Reflections on first attempts at using
Online Discussions

• I used it with my year 12 Vis Com class in
  preparation for their analysis of Visual
  Communication(SAC). I scanned in graphics
  accompanied by questions for them to answer. Some
  did a very good job. Others did not really bother
  to respond to others answers.I met with some
  opposition - more to the process than the task.
  It was a lot of work to prepare. Next time I
  would like to use it in conjunction with
  classroom discussion. I need to also get the year
  10 and 11 classes onto it early so they are used
  to the process. Mark
• I used it in Yr 11 Eng to post their oral
  powerpoint presentations. Boys then came into
  class and accessed the presentation on my
  computer. ABout 3 boys couldn't seem to post it
  for variety of reasons and handed in a disk.
  Saved me collecting in reams of Powerpoint on
  paper and a useful resource now for the other
  boys, especially when writing the general poetry
  essay in response to a topic. Sam.

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Teacher Reflections on first attempts at using
Online Discussions

• I used the Discussion Group facility in my Yr 9
  French class for the students to offer their
  impressions (in English) of their viewing of the
  film "Le diner de cons". I found that the
  language that they used was very informal and it
  was presented like they were sending an email
  e.g. lack of punctuation, no capitalisation of
  proper nouns. It appears that the students have a
  very casual attitude to its use. Their responses
  were fairly superficial and repetitive of other
  students' work. But, maybe it was the question
  that I asked. Glen.
• I asked boys in my History Class to give their
  view of the most important factors which led to
  the First Crusade and then to comment on each
  others ideas. Some who rarely speak in class
  wrote excellent responses but many boys did not
  post in time for others to comment and the best
  answers often had no response, the worst often
  generating the most!

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Identifying and Responding to Concerns, Problems
Dilemmas

• How will it support and enhance our F2F teaching?
  
• How will we develop the new knowledge and skills
  required?
• What level of contribution will we expect?
• What form of contribution will we expect?
• How will we monitor postings?
• How will we deal with inappropriate responses?
• What sorts of questions will we ask?
• What sorts of answers do we want?
• What level of moderation, direction, or guidance
  will there be?

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Year 10 English TKAM Mark Collins

• Dads don't understand what year 10 boys really
  like doing. Discuss in 50w.
• Which part of the book either appealed to you, or
  did you dislike, the most?Explain and specify
  your choice in 50w.
• Which character, excluding Atticus, do you find
  most eccentric or appealing/fascinating? Justify
  your choice with 3 specific text examples in 75w.

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To Kill a Mocking Bird- Making the personal
connection
I suppose that most year 10 students would be
familiar with their father, like I am with mine.
What I have to say is that, yes, they do know
what year 10 are like because they were once 15
and 16 themselves, and have a broad and wise
understanding now more than ever because of their
built up wisdom. However, a parents interest in
their child could also influence how deep they do
think about what year 10 peers really like
doing. Our fathers are around us most of our
childhood to gide us through the difficult
situations that we are faced with, but do they
really know what we like doing? I dont believe
they do. When they were a year 10 boys they would
have enjoyed doing the simple things like playing
instruments, listeing to records, and reading
books . Now a days the modern day year ten boys
enjoy going out with friends, Surfing the web,
downloading mp3's, chatting in chat rooms and
alot more. In our Dad's days they did not have
the previlage of downloading their favourite
music titles or play the latest need for speed
computer game. So i believe that our dads dont
really know what year 10 boys enjoy doing, but
they do know understand our problems .
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To Kill a Mocking Bird
Considering they were once, many years ago, our
age they should remember the basic need's and
wants of a year 10 boy. Although there is
debateable theories, I think our dad's still know
what is going on in our daily lives, weather it
be the relationships we're forming with both
sex's, or the 'stupid' jokes we find funny. I
think our dad's can know what we like doing when
they want to. It is true that they were 15 once
too, but how long ago was that? Think about how
much the world has changed since then and how
many more things a 15 year old boy are capable of
doing. For example back in our father's days
there was no computer, no internet, no dancing
arcade game, and no internet. Generally our
fathers have expierenced the same troubles that
we come across but they dont really know what we
enjoy doing in our spare time. So although our
fathers dont know what we enjoy doing they are
 still there to guide us through our adolesent
days as a 15 year old boy.
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TKAM multiple perspectives
It is downright boring, I mean sure, its setting
up the characters and giving the reader a
knowledge of the world the book takes place in,
but for the first 100 or so pages there is no
incentive to keep reading, there are subtle ones,
Boo Radley being somehow foreshadowed, and hints
at a big court case. But most readers want
action, and things to happen, and people to die
etc. Toward the end the book picks up no end
however, the first half just isnt compelling
enough.
The unveiling of Boo Radley was very interesting,
from the first page of the book Boo was talked
about and finally in the end he was alive on the
paper, not in our heads, and he was nothing like
Jem or Scout had described. I also liked reading
about the court case, it was interesting to
compare the court hearings of the 1940's to the
hearings of today.
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What Mark Collins learned from the TKAM
Discussion.

• range and diversity of opinions, ideas and
  perspectives not necessarily elicited to this
  extent in F2F discussione.g. willingness of boys
  to reveal publicly, quite personal experiences
  about their fathers
• issues about formal English and chat speak
  tendency to regard the medium as SMS messaging or
  chat bad grammar, spelling. How should English
  teachers deal with this?
• inappropriate responses need to be dealt with
  promptly and seriously
• most beneficial when followed-up by teacher led
  in-class discussion, exploring comments/ideas
  students have contributed.

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What Mark learned from TKAM

• follow-up class discussion should be in normal
  classroom (not lab) but with a digital projector
  and access to the online discussion to enable
  viewing of the postings
• follow-up discussion can include the ideas,
  opinions posted, other possibilities the ideas
  raise the mechanics of English, possibilities for
  essay structure
• structuring the discussion tool and making sure
  the students are fully aware of how it works is
  essential
• some discussion tools are less than ideal our
  tools biggest weakness is not having the option
  to read all postings in a thread at once

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Macbeth

• Which character, other than Macbeth, either
  interests or annoys you the most? Explain
  your choice with brief evidence in 50w.
• Which part of the play either appealed to you OR
  you disliked the most? Specify and explain
  your choice in 50w.
• Under what circumstances if any might you
  (parent/guardian) consider undertaking a
  ruthless course of action to either satisfy your
  career ambition or improve your status/prospects
  in your business? Why or why not? Summarise your
  parents/guardians view in approx 50w.
• Select a visual image or metaphor which
  represents a key theme in Macbeth and attach to
  discussion posting with comment.

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Macbeth the home view
My father told me that he would only do such a
ruthless thing in retaliation. He would not do it
unjustly, and not to anybody who hadn't done
anything wrong, saying "what goes around comes
around." He told me that the reward would not be
the same if it was made unjustly, and the guilt
would outweigh the power/rewards.
I interviewed Mr Knight who is a boading house
master."I would not do anything harsh or
impulsive unless my girlfriend, family members or
close friends are hurt in any way. Violence would
not be used unless they physically hurt any of
them. This is the mature way of thinking and not
going around beating up people."He also says
hi!
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Visual Imagery - using the Intranet technology as
a powerful learning tool Macbeth Image gallery
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Taking it further parent involvement

• Intranet technology allows for home involvement
  (on an occasional basis).
• Parents asked to contribute to Discussion
• What you, as a parent, think of the yr 10
  standard of thinking and learning evident in the
  Macbeth gallery?
• What do you think or feel about this use of the
  discussion tool as homework to encourage my son's
  interest and learning about literature? 
• Students see that parents also have worthwhile
  things to say explicit link between texts and
  life life experiences connect with text

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Some parent comments
1.The standard of the response appear very high.
Shakespears' plays are known to be difficult and
profound and are difficult to interpret. The
students have obviously understood the play,
perhaps with help from the teacher.2. This new
use of the computer and internet to arouse
interest in students in the study of classic
literature certainly has achieved its effect.
1. I feel as a parent that the gallary is an
excellent idea and does help my son to learn via
technology etc. The standard, quite obviously, is
high in co-ordinance to the pictures and
explanation. 2  The discussion tool is quite
arousing to use and is excellent for
understanding English and proves to be excellent
for learning with.
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What we learned from Macbeth

• reinforced what we had learned from TKAM
• the requirement to attach and explain images
  representing ideas from the text allowed the
  boys opportunities to think about the issues in
  different ways
• the compilation of their selected images into a
  digital gallery graphically portrayed a range
  of different ideas and perspectives once again
  a good basis for in-class F2F discussion
• in-class discussion focussed on both images and
  boys written responses how metaphors and
  images representing themes from Macbeth can also
  link to major themes in other texts

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What did students think?
Was my understanding of the two texts improved or
enhanced by writing responses and reading others
responses? 1 - 5  Considerably   Not at
all Average Rank 2.5
Is the discussion board sometimes better for
giving a personal opinion rather than verbally in
class? Yes18 81.8 No 4 18.2
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Is the discussion board sometimes better for
giving a personal opinion rather than verbally in
class?
'using the discussion board allows you to write
precisely what your opinion is instead of
something that just comes from the top of your
head. you are able to discuss something however
think about what you say before you blurt it out
the discussion tool is sometimes better for
giving an opinion rather than verbally in class,
because it allows the student to analyse and
compose careful comments. however, one's opinion
may not be expressed the same in class at the
spur of the moment, and under negetive peer
pressure.
at home you have more time to think about your
response and you can improve the fine points, you
can also change your response.
its good because everyone has a chance to give
their point of view and is heard.
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Does the discussion tool help to express my
thoughts in a clear and more confident way? Yes
19 86.4 No 3 13.6
Did my viewing of the Macbeth images in a gallery
deepen my understanding of the ideas and issues
of this text?    1 5 Considerably   Not at
all  Average Rank 2.8  
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Did my viewing of the Macbeth images in a gallery
deepen my understanding of the ideas and issues
of this text?   
becouse it made me think visually about macbeth
'out of the square'. some of the pictures did
deepen my understanding of the ideas and issues
of 'macbeth' such as the various types of
daggers. doing this exercise helped in the
visualisation of the metaphors and themes in the
play such as the overwhelming sight of blood. it
is truly something to commit a murder yet another
to have the blood of your victim covering your
hands... it showed me more themes to the play,
and the visual image made it more clear. i
don't think it did really, but i do think the
best way best way of understanding any play is to
see it performed the macbeth images in the
gallery can help other student understand
different aspects of the play. however, when the
task set for students is not completed properly,
then it is not very useful.
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General comments from students

• generally it was excellent, but again there is
  the fact that the intranet might be down,
  especially in the boarding houses, which meant
  sometimes we couldn't complete work or hand it in
  on time.
• it is a useful tool for use with texts that raise
  many issues. it allows students responses to be
  shared with their peers and this is very helpful
  in sharing different viewpoints on the same
  subject.
• it should be improved to a standard that never or
  shouldn't fail, but over all i rather like the
  idea of working on class work but not in a class
  enviroment, and it will be expressed to the class
  exactly how i want it to be
• the discussion tool can be a very useful and
  benificial towards the students, when the fellow
  students respond properly.
• i think the tool makes the subject more
  enjoyable.
• i think it's a great idea! keep up the good work!

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• Further questions for exploration

• Did the students show a deeper understanding of
  the text and perform better in essays and exam
  mode
• from regular writing about the text
• the opportunity to return and re-read comments
  other others
• from participation in a discussion based on
  their comments
• To what extent does the shared viewing and
  critiquing of student work enhance the
  teaching and learning process?
• Should visual imagery be used more in our
  teaching?
• How can we assess discussion board postings?