Safety in the Classroom (and elsewhere!)

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Safety: What, When/Where, Why, and How

What: Defining Safety

Where/When: Scenarios and Contexts

Why: Rationale for Safety

What: Some approaches instructors can take.

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What: Defining Safety

* Safe to ask questions (e.g. during lecture)

* Safe to be wrong
- In answer to a prompt (instructor's question)
- Safe to make a wrong conjecture (in class, or at home)

* Safe to seek help


* [Add your own examples here]
- (Audience input?)

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Where/When: Scenarios and Contexts

* Safe to ask questions (e.g. during lecture)
* Safety during whole class discussions

* Safety during groupwork
* During GQ items
* During written assignments
  (Coversheets; Projects; Math Journal, Diary, etc)
* During student presentations @ board

* Safety during group projects
- Safey from domination
- Safety from "free loaders"

* During tests(!?)
- Showing deeper thinking rather than 
  "safest answer to regurgitate" route
  (Timed versus untimed tests..??)
  (Index card allowed? Calculators allowed?)

* [Add your own examples here]
- (Audience input?)

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Why: Rationale for Safety

* Learning should be fun, not scary

* Learning is enhanced by risk-taking
- Conjectures, 
- Explaining one's understandings to classmates

* Other learning outcomes: fostering
  autonomous  thinking among students

* [add your own to this list..]

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What: Some approaches instructors can take.
Situations:

* Student Qs: worries relating to instructor
* Student Qs: worries relating to classmates

* Same two during classroom discussions.

--> Drawing out "what's right" rather than focusing on what's wrong.


[Audience writes ideas down on paper for any/all of the above]

* Groupwork: Fostering healthy peer interactions
 - "Jane, what do *you* think? re Chris' question to instructor.

 - Re: Domineering (Not that commonin in my exp.)
Approach: ....................

* Board presentations 
 -- fostering a  "friendly audience" 

* Groupwork (in-class or projects)

* GQ Items -- More ideas from MT?

* Written assignments:
- Directions / Grading Scheme /
-  Consulations before-due /
- Comments (and grading) when returned

Details: ....................

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"Why Not" -- obstacles for instructor

"Will it take me too much time?"
"Will I not get through the material?"
(e.g. this presentation..!)

--> Instructor, too, have legitimate "Safety" concerns

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What: Some approaches to give you (instructor) 
more "safety" to take steps like the above
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