Memo 4 week 5 readings

      All of our readings for this week really led into each other. They in sequence  reflect the importance of adding the personal an group interview to a teachers  repertoire. Russ  and Sherin speak on  them importance of  using research work to help not only bolster their own  knowledge on teaching the subject but knowing what there students know and helping them. This method  allows seasoned  teachers to  see what students know or don't know.  Interviewing  occurs in three stages first the contextualization piece  second the probing of student responses and third to seed new ways of thinking.
        The best way to begin an interview is to pose a question to students about the subject matter. If a student can explain a context  or situation rather than an just a specific problem they  show an aptitude for the concept and can also serve to help struggling get to the position they are in.  The next portion is to   probe students responses. This like an athlete  participating in film study can help teachers become better at what they do. Teachers  can use this face to face film study to see by the participation and reactions of the students how the lesson was received and what can  be improved.  

      The  final portion of the interview process addressed was the  follow up .  One of the most important things during this portion of the interview process is that teachers can actively with their students test scores critique themselves and seek to improve for a better teaching environment. Teachers can engage students poignantly and  pre plan for the next year.

    The next reading  by  Greeno and Hall  out  of Stanford in the    late 90's   focused on the presentation representation methods quite applicable to math and science teachers today.   This at the time was a new method although considered a standard in todays terms as a sort of interactive component in the learning process. Often presentation representation can be grouped as anything from a lab to a PowerPoint or visual aid. These  allow students the opportunity  to present a topic and solidify how much of the material they have really gained and internalized by being able to teach it . Through the use of tables such as a sine and cosine function graph or a web chart of  rain fall in a particular area and plant growth of a native species students are able to also exercise hidden talents such as web design and public speaking during their representational models that will serve them later on in life.

The final reading was of an interview conducted by Ginsburg. I found this interview very in-depth and helpful. Some major points that  I will use as I conduct my interviews are to create and conduct a fun  interview. Students should see this time as something new and fun not another assignment of something that they will receive a grade for. I also will as we look to interview the children from the school of math and science that interviewers take the time to understand the "meaningful norms " of the children. This allows for a age appropriate bubble to be drawn around the children. I think that unfortunately we as educators can be caught up in the need for such a good product on the screen that it is so easy to forget that these future movers and shakers are barely into their teenage years.  Therefore should be treated as such not as small adults.

This weeks readings I feel like were harder to blog about because so much information had to be acted on first. Due to the fact  that we  have not conducted our interviews yet but will soon do so. These readings were simple but powerful and I am more than excited to enlist the ideas learned to conduct a one of a kind amazing interview.