1. The "critical friends" protocol is an effective way to give and receive constructive criticism from peers that may or may not have more experience, vetted teaching strategies and valuable information to share. It is effective because it is structured in a way that allows most if not all members of the group to speak without interruption/ hogging the floor, and keeps feelings from getting hurt because it is understood that the process is meant to help one another and is worded in a positive way that increases the understanding among members that the process is one that helps to build, not tear down, the ideas that are brought to the table.
2. For the protocol to be effective each member must understand that they need to be open to change, resist the urge to become defensive about suggestions for improving upon ideas, remain honest when giving feedback, think critically and in-depth about the topics discussed, and must respect the feelings and ideas of all other members in the group. The structure must be followed as well. If one doesn't respect and follow the structure, then it can become a domino effect that has the potential to end in a chaotic mess.
3. The protocol can be a valuable tool in the classroom if the students use the protocol to think critically about their own work and the work of their peers, honestly and clearly communicate their thoughts on a particular subject, provide reasoning for what they bring to the table, respect their peers and help them to see different ways of solving problems. The protocol is a great way for students to bounce ideas off of one another and to make improvements to something that they may not have even thought about without the added peer viewpoints. We all see things with different eyes, and being able to see one thing through the lenses of others is an immensely valuable way to discover and find things we never knew existed. In that sense the structure and practice of the protocol is another valuable resource for knowledge in the classroom.
4. For my unit I plan to use the "critical friends", "consensus" protocol and the "silent debate" protocol
I like how you used several different protocols! I think the students will enjoy the various types of learning etc.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary,
ReplyDeleteYou absolutely described the conditions for critical friends to be effective..."For the protocol to be effective each member must understand that they need to be open to change, resist the urge to become defensive about suggestions for improving upon ideas, remain honest when giving feedback, think critically and in-depth about the topics discussed, and must respect the feelings and ideas of all other members in the group." Yes! This means that we can't begin our class with critical friends without first creating the culture that supports it.
Sincerely,
Dawn