Discussion in the Classroom - Lindsey

Unfortunately, I have not yet been given a school placement, so I am not able to discuss or analyze the methods my CT does or does not use in his/her classroom. Also, the only discussion based course I am taking at MSU this semester is TE 401. I do have a history course, but it is a lecture large enough that trying to ask questions and have a response centered discussion (as McGee states is ideal for learning) would not be feasible for the professor since he has so much material to cover. He does make an effort to at least recognize all of his students, but it would be virtually impossible for him to learn all of our names by the end of the semester.
As far as TE is concerned, I think that both of our instructors are doing a good job of facilitating discussions in a way that provides we the students with the opportunity to expand on one word answers, and that also tests our knowledge of the readings and material we are supposed to be learning. Our discussions can be a little more directed towards the instructor than might be ideal, but I think that this is due, at least in part, to the set up of the classroom. Because we are all oriented to face the front of the room instead of each other, it makes more sense to direct our comments and responses to the instructor. In the math section I really like the way that each week several students are asked to write their method of solving a problem on the board and to subsequently demonstrate her method to the rest of the class. It gives the rest of us the opportunity to go outside the box of our own solutions, and to recognize various methods that could help us to solve other problems at a future point. I believe that both instructors provide adequate scaffolding and the appropriate amount of facilitating to promote an environment of response centered learning.