Potluck Discussion Reflection

This week, we engaged in a potluck discussion as a class. Two group members and I collaborated to create a slideshow based on the text to facilitate a conversation among our peers. We used the text Social Studies in Elementary School, 16th edition, by Walter Beck and Terrence Parker. We focused on chapter six, geography, and chapter ten, five great teaching strategies. The class shared their experiences in geography and their opinions on teaching methods. Students were asked to analyze and evaluate the text during the discussion. All students were supported in participating in the discussion, and peers were expected to answer. Students were able to learn from each other, as well as build new connections in the content. We were then provided feedback from students on how the conversation informed their knowledge and teaching strategies. 
This is an important activity for future educators to conduct. As educators, we will be in charge of facilitating conversations among a diverse group of students. We must learn how to compose clear questions based on Bloom's Taxonomy. Students must be asked to do more than read and remember information. They must be challenged to analyze, evaluate, and create information. We were able to practice preparing questions and conducting a group discussion that included all students.
In the future, I will use a group discussion to gain insight into students' understanding of concepts and encourage each other to broaden their knowledge and perspectives. I will also take my peer's feedback and ask more follow-up questions, not read directly off slides, and time management. Our time management seemed to be the biggest issue, which caused the other two things. After taking a long time to get through the first section, we felt rushed to finish. I believe that we could have collaborated on-time more by cutting information out of certain sections and focusing on questions. The questions were the key to the potluck discussion and were rushed through due to our excess of information. Though my classmates did not like being cold-called, I believe it is important to do this during discussions. Students often prefer to take a backseat during a discussion while other people talk. I believe it is important to ensure that ALL students participate, even if pushed out of their comfort zone. 
Overall, the potluck discussion was a fun and creative activity. I enjoyed becoming the expert and working with my group. It was a learning experience, and I will use it in my future classroom.