Student Reactions to Galileo's Mock Trial
Response #2 - Pope Urban VIII
This student, Joe, also took the project very seriously. He really worked to understand his character of Pope Urban VIII by reading everything that was available to him. He used this information to come up with questions and answers that would demonstrate his position on the topic. His reaction further supports Antoinette’s assertion that the project allowed her to feel autonomous. He appreciated being able to study the information and then find some way to present the information to the class. I was particularly impressed by his reaction because he admitted that by having autonomy in this project, he was able to “have a better understanding of the case between Galileo and Pope Urban VIII.” This made me really happy because it showed that (at least in this particular student) there was a connection between student autonomy and learning. I was also really glad to see this reaction from Joe because he is usually less involved and engaged in our regular class lessons. This showed me that in addition to learning new knowledge, autonomy also gave Joe the chance to break out of his comfort zone and practice new skills.