EdCafe Reflection

1. The EdCafe I participated in was definitely a new experience. It was a very different method of learning that I have never experienced before. I enjoyed this new experience as it made the idea of public speaking a group discussion a lot less scary and a lot more manageable. I think to enhance the EdCafe next time, maybe groups that are located near the SmartBoard and whiteboard can utilize it better. I was never an attendee at these areas, but what I saw was that some groups were not using them. However, another think I liked about the EdCafe was the small groups of discussion. With a larger group, I definitely feel like its harder to get your voice heard and it is also a little more nerve wracking. I found it easier to talk and discuss with people in smaller groups rather than the larger groups we are all accustomed to. Finally, one other thing that could be improved is to equal out the number of people in each group. I know the entire point of the EdCafe is to choose where you want to go, but I felt bad for the groups that only had one attendee. Maybe the students could be divided a little more evenly the next time we do this.

2. During the EdCafe, I was surprised to find out that I enjoyed leading as much as I did. It was very fun to lead a discussion and ask all the questions that you specifically want answered. As a leader, I found I could easily direct the conversation into productive and thought provoking directions. Also, working with a partner to lead took the stress off and made it more relaxed and enjoyable. Even though there is only supposed to be one leader, I feel that we should stick with the partner leaders to reduce stress and keep the conversations flowing. The only thing I regret as being a leader is that I didn't get through all of my questions. Unfortunately, time was tight so we had to move along quickly. I wish I could have had more time to get through the rest of my questions and continue the lively discussions that were going on.

3. As a attendee, I felt as though my voice was finally getting heard. In the Socrative Seminar bigger groups, it's much harder to find a right time to speak that truly gets your opinion on the table. I felt as though I was able to contribute a lot more as a speaker unlike my silent performances in Socrative Seminars. I feel as though notes being taken were easy to take and everybody paused at once to take some notes. This made me feel less nervous that I would miss something important like in a Socrative Seminar. Another thing that made attending worthwhile was thinking of a takeaway. I personally was able to reflect on the discussions we had and pick out the most important things to truly appreciate the discussion. Even though I enjoyed leading more, I feel as though I was able to learn a lot more through attending this EdCafe rather than a Socrative Seminar.