Documentation Examples > Documentation Exhibition

Kids give each other credit for insights ? they quote each other as authorities I am struck with how enthusiastic they are to participate. They really come alive when they are asked to be ?in charge? of their learning.

I notice that ideas first expressed in the discussion are often extended of elaborated when listeners reflect in writing.

I notice lots of productive, interesting disagreements. I think that students (especially middle-schoolers) feel more comfortable disagreeing with each other than with teachers.

It really is amazing to see how far they have come in this process through the year. In the beginning, students would get stuck on a topic or run out of things to say. At these points they would always look to me to ?save? them. Now, they are reliant on one another. My presence in the room is less valuable to them than their comments to one another.

When students disagree, they argue rather than contradict one another. For example, ?When you reflect light? ? backs up a position and explains why. When another student says, ?Tom Robinson was more of? ? he/she is using the first idea and sharpening it.

Every once in a while we have a ?bad? seminar. Students argue without listening, they do not use direct textual evidence, some dominate, others are silent. It is vital to ask students to reflect on the group process and their individual contributions. Later, we may read from some of these reflections to improve our next seminar. Kids are often the ones who come up with new ideas to improve the next discussion.

It?s great to see the conversation about Bob Ewell leading in different directions, particularly when it leads kids to wonder, ?What was he like as a kid??

I notice kids helping one another to extend the metaphor of candle/mirror (even to the point of absurdity!). This is a good example of kids scaffolding critical thinking for each other. It?s not so important to nail down ?what it means,? but it?s fun to speculate on what it might mean.

In the very beginning of the seminar one student asked, do we want a facilitator? They all looked around the circle and listened and decided as a group. This small moment confronts the stereotype that middle school students are not respectful, mature, or appropriately responsive to each other. I don?t care if they have a facilitator or not. I do care that they can function as a group without my management.