I am not 100% sure if I understand the question but hopefully this is in the ball park. Our group project was vocabulary words and we chose science and weather words. We wanted to start by activating prior knowledge and asking what the students know about weather. Then we give them a list of words and let them go look at the local weather or newspaper to see if they can construct meaning for those words. Skills they need are activating prior knowledge and looking at context clues. They need to use problem solving and critical thinking. They need to take and apply what they know to a new situation. They might think they know a word but they can test that idea out with the group. It is our job as a teacher to help the students learn how to learn and work cooperatively and collaboratively.
Once a teacher becomes the guide to the class instead of center stage the class has more freedom to learn creatively. I think the teacher can do activities that let then students have freedom for example our group added as an activity for the students to then make a weather broadcast using their words. The students are in charge of everything. This allows for creativity, independence, and group work.
I used a website from a data base to help me understand constructivism a little better. Here is the URL.
http://otec.uoregon.edu/learning_theory.htm#Constructivism
Monday, February 25, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Cognitive Learning & Memory
What are the essential skills and/or learning outcomes you want your students to know and be able to do that relate to cognitive learning?
I want my futures students to know how to take information and apply it to decision making and problem solving. In class, students won't know all the information given but if they have the skills to break it down and process pieces of a time it will help them in all subjects. I want my students to take new information and make connections to their life. Once students can do that it will help them retain the information. Memorization is key to cognitive learning. I would like to do activites to show the difference between long and short term memory. If they can recall memories, I will know more about their cognitive learning. Another major part to cognitive learning is concerntration. I would love to teach the students how to focus their attention on a task. The most important skill for me would be application of their cognitive learning. I want them to process, memorize, recall and concentrate but if they can't apply their learning, it is for nothing.
I knew about cognitive learning from other classes but I refered to a website for help. I got to dig in to what I think are essential skills that relate to cognitive learning.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/151537-cognitive-learning-in-children/
I learned several tips from the memory teaching projects. I have heard that studying before bed will help you remember the material for the test but you learn for a short time.I have done this plenty of times but I didn't realize there was research behind it. I also thought it was interesting to learn ways to improve memorization.I will definitely have my future students make connections with what they are learning and use imagery like Jordan did with his grocery list. That was creative but helpful. I also liked the idea for acronyms.
I want my futures students to know how to take information and apply it to decision making and problem solving. In class, students won't know all the information given but if they have the skills to break it down and process pieces of a time it will help them in all subjects. I want my students to take new information and make connections to their life. Once students can do that it will help them retain the information. Memorization is key to cognitive learning. I would like to do activites to show the difference between long and short term memory. If they can recall memories, I will know more about their cognitive learning. Another major part to cognitive learning is concerntration. I would love to teach the students how to focus their attention on a task. The most important skill for me would be application of their cognitive learning. I want them to process, memorize, recall and concentrate but if they can't apply their learning, it is for nothing.
I knew about cognitive learning from other classes but I refered to a website for help. I got to dig in to what I think are essential skills that relate to cognitive learning.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/151537-cognitive-learning-in-children/
I learned several tips from the memory teaching projects. I have heard that studying before bed will help you remember the material for the test but you learn for a short time.I have done this plenty of times but I didn't realize there was research behind it. I also thought it was interesting to learn ways to improve memorization.I will definitely have my future students make connections with what they are learning and use imagery like Jordan did with his grocery list. That was creative but helpful. I also liked the idea for acronyms.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Assessment
Math and reading are most emphasized in classroom so I am going to think about a math lesson plan. Fractions seemed to be the most stressful from the time spent in observing and from my own experience.
I have watched the teacher at Spring Hill Elementary teach two fraction lesson plans now. She assesses them the whole time so most of my assessments are inspired by her classroom. Most of the assessing she does is informal. The teacher should pose questions at the beginning of the lesson to see if the student has any prior knowledge or to recap from what was taught yesterday. This gets their brains thinking and sees what they can remember. After some review is done, the teacher can teach the lesson such as adding or subtracting fractions. After the lesson or instruction is completed, a student could come to the board for practice and to "teach" the class. I have found that students can learn from each other easier than the teacher on some occasions. The student writing on the board and explaining their steps shows the teacher what they have learned. Another assessment can be a worksheet. The 4th grade teacher lets the students start on the worksheet individually then get with a partner or work as a group. As groups they can help each other and the teacher can walk around and see if there are any problems and she needs to reteach anything. A last assessment can be a formal one in the shape of a test. A test or a quiz can give feedback to the teacher one what the kids understood in the lesson.
There are many ways to assess students and math is an easy subject to assess. I have watched the teacher figure out what the students know without them feeling pressured to be perfect. She gives them hints so they don't get down on themselves. I have learned tons just from observing her classroom. I also found a website with 7 pages of assessment tools that I will use at a later date. The website says it is for a math classroom but they could be altered for multiple subjects. A to Z assessment list
I have watched the teacher at Spring Hill Elementary teach two fraction lesson plans now. She assesses them the whole time so most of my assessments are inspired by her classroom. Most of the assessing she does is informal. The teacher should pose questions at the beginning of the lesson to see if the student has any prior knowledge or to recap from what was taught yesterday. This gets their brains thinking and sees what they can remember. After some review is done, the teacher can teach the lesson such as adding or subtracting fractions. After the lesson or instruction is completed, a student could come to the board for practice and to "teach" the class. I have found that students can learn from each other easier than the teacher on some occasions. The student writing on the board and explaining their steps shows the teacher what they have learned. Another assessment can be a worksheet. The 4th grade teacher lets the students start on the worksheet individually then get with a partner or work as a group. As groups they can help each other and the teacher can walk around and see if there are any problems and she needs to reteach anything. A last assessment can be a formal one in the shape of a test. A test or a quiz can give feedback to the teacher one what the kids understood in the lesson.
There are many ways to assess students and math is an easy subject to assess. I have watched the teacher figure out what the students know without them feeling pressured to be perfect. She gives them hints so they don't get down on themselves. I have learned tons just from observing her classroom. I also found a website with 7 pages of assessment tools that I will use at a later date. The website says it is for a math classroom but they could be altered for multiple subjects. A to Z assessment list
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Ch 13/ CSEL
When I think of creating a learning environment conducive to learning I think of a class room that is open with communication. My favorite classes were the ones I could talk to the teacher and not be worried I was wrong. Students should feel comfortable talking to one another and with me. Classes should be organized with labels where everything goes such as homework and assignments. I found some websites online but I couldn't get the pictures to work but the class and teacher came up with a list of 8 rules that the class would abide by. After they wrote out the rules everyone agreed and signed the bottom and they hung that up in the room. I really liked that idea. They get a say of what behavior should be like in the classroom. On that note I'll talk about the CSEL.
When dealing with the case study I would try to talk to the group as a whole without trying to single out Lisa in front of the other students. I think maybe the circles where the students talk would help this group. There seems to be problems with how they work together. If there is a break in the day or time to talk to Lisa, I would try to talk to her and see what is bothering her. She is having difficulty working with a group I need to try to understand why. I want to let her know I understand getting frustrated but not try to blame her for causing difficulty. Also with that she and the group need to learn that we don't always get our way and have to do things we don't always like but it is part of responsibility and growing up. They can work together and practice problem solving.
I wasn't sure what to do if Lisa still refuses to work with the group so I went to google. I found an article that provides dialogue and advice on how to work with kids that aren't wanting to work with the teacher or group. Here is the link but I added the main portion of the article.
http://www.sheknows.com/how-to/articles/5992/how-to-handle-a-stubborn-kid
Don't set yourself up to lose
Let's work backwards on this. We will study a situation in which a teacher creates a minor disaster in her classroom. Her attempts to control a situation result in a "blowout" by the student, creating a need for other professionals to be involved. Then we will look at how this could have been avoided in the first place. Once we have done this, we will take a look at the use of this technique in our own homes with our own children:
Teacher: (speaking from across the room.) "Jessie, why are you moving your chair? You don't need to do that. Move it back where it was!"
Jessie: "Brittany is going to help me."
Teacher: "You don't need her help. Now move your chair back where it was!"
Jessie: "But I need help on this."
Teacher: "Move that chair, or you're going to get sent to the recovery room."
Jessie: "I don't have to. You can't tell me what to do. You're not my mother!"
At this point the situation deteriorated. Jessie was ordered to leave the room. She refused, and was threatened with disciplinary action. Hearing this, she ran screaming out of the room and other professionals were drawn into the situation.
Teacher: (walking up the student and whispering.) "Jessie. I need you to move your chair back. Would you consider doing that for me? Thank you." (The word, "consider," takes away any threat and eliminates the opportunity for Jessie to be defiant.)
Jessie: "But I want Brittany to help me."
Teacher: (still whispering.) "I'm sure that's true, and I'd like you to consider moving."
Jessie: "No. I don't have to."
Teacher: (still whispering.) "Thanks for considering it. Do you really think that it's wise to refuse when I ask in a nice way? Personally I don't think that's a wise decision. We'll talk about that later." (The teacher walks away and Jessie remains where she is provided she does not create a disturbance.)
Since Jessie was not ordered to move, she has already complied with the teacher's request. She was not told to move, only to consider moving. Nobody has lost a battle at this point. The other students are not aware of the problem and the teacher's authority has not been challenged in front of the group. Jessie's teacher now has the time to muster her forces and figure out how to deal with Jessie's lack of cooperation. If discipline is necessary it can be done in private.
The teacher added some character education into this confrontation and the situation never got out of hand.
When dealing with the case study I would try to talk to the group as a whole without trying to single out Lisa in front of the other students. I think maybe the circles where the students talk would help this group. There seems to be problems with how they work together. If there is a break in the day or time to talk to Lisa, I would try to talk to her and see what is bothering her. She is having difficulty working with a group I need to try to understand why. I want to let her know I understand getting frustrated but not try to blame her for causing difficulty. Also with that she and the group need to learn that we don't always get our way and have to do things we don't always like but it is part of responsibility and growing up. They can work together and practice problem solving.
I wasn't sure what to do if Lisa still refuses to work with the group so I went to google. I found an article that provides dialogue and advice on how to work with kids that aren't wanting to work with the teacher or group. Here is the link but I added the main portion of the article.
http://www.sheknows.com/how-to/articles/5992/how-to-handle-a-stubborn-kid
Don't set yourself up to lose
Let's work backwards on this. We will study a situation in which a teacher creates a minor disaster in her classroom. Her attempts to control a situation result in a "blowout" by the student, creating a need for other professionals to be involved. Then we will look at how this could have been avoided in the first place. Once we have done this, we will take a look at the use of this technique in our own homes with our own children:
Teacher: (speaking from across the room.) "Jessie, why are you moving your chair? You don't need to do that. Move it back where it was!"
Jessie: "Brittany is going to help me."
Teacher: "You don't need her help. Now move your chair back where it was!"
Jessie: "But I need help on this."
Teacher: "Move that chair, or you're going to get sent to the recovery room."
Jessie: "I don't have to. You can't tell me what to do. You're not my mother!"
At this point the situation deteriorated. Jessie was ordered to leave the room. She refused, and was threatened with disciplinary action. Hearing this, she ran screaming out of the room and other professionals were drawn into the situation.
A "nobody loses" approach
Here is another approach to the very same situation. No battle line is drawn. Regardless of how the child reacts, she is actually obeying the adult's request. Both the dignity of the adult and the dignity of the child can be maintained. Disciplinary action to help Jessie learn the wisdom of cooperating with the teacher can be provided at a later time if necessary:Teacher: (walking up the student and whispering.) "Jessie. I need you to move your chair back. Would you consider doing that for me? Thank you." (The word, "consider," takes away any threat and eliminates the opportunity for Jessie to be defiant.)
Jessie: "But I want Brittany to help me."
Teacher: (still whispering.) "I'm sure that's true, and I'd like you to consider moving."
Jessie: "No. I don't have to."
Teacher: (still whispering.) "Thanks for considering it. Do you really think that it's wise to refuse when I ask in a nice way? Personally I don't think that's a wise decision. We'll talk about that later." (The teacher walks away and Jessie remains where she is provided she does not create a disturbance.)
Since Jessie was not ordered to move, she has already complied with the teacher's request. She was not told to move, only to consider moving. Nobody has lost a battle at this point. The other students are not aware of the problem and the teacher's authority has not been challenged in front of the group. Jessie's teacher now has the time to muster her forces and figure out how to deal with Jessie's lack of cooperation. If discipline is necessary it can be done in private.
The teacher added some character education into this confrontation and the situation never got out of hand.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Motivation
The theories of motivation that were most helpful for me were the extrinsic/intrinsic motivation and goal theory. I feel like I learn and am more motivated by rewards and my interests in the material. If I like the subject or assignment then I put more effort into it. Also if I am competing or working towards a prize I will work harder. I think kids will be motivated the same way. If the student or class sets a goal then the motivation will follow. The homework passes work as motivation for better grades or a class pizza party if everyone makes the goal. I also think reinforcement is a great motivator. Reinforcement needs to come after a specific behavior like staying on task and it needs to be at random. Reinforcement can be stickers, pencils, candy or any treat that will motivate the kids.
I found a video on youtube that I thought was a great motivator for the individual kids along with the whole class. It is about 4 minutes long but worth watching.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVHVUSizMa0
The teacher is helping the students prepare for standardized testing coming up. This is a stressful time for teachers and students. She uses their review packet to make a game for the kids. The kids are motivated to find the right answers so their team can win the prize. The students rely on each other to be right and together they earn points. Each child enjoys getting theit time at the board and can show the class what they know. If they get the answer wrong they get to see how they missed it and fix their error. The competition motivates them but also helps them review in a less atressful way.
I found a video on youtube that I thought was a great motivator for the individual kids along with the whole class. It is about 4 minutes long but worth watching.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVHVUSizMa0
The teacher is helping the students prepare for standardized testing coming up. This is a stressful time for teachers and students. She uses their review packet to make a game for the kids. The kids are motivated to find the right answers so their team can win the prize. The students rely on each other to be right and together they earn points. Each child enjoys getting theit time at the board and can show the class what they know. If they get the answer wrong they get to see how they missed it and fix their error. The competition motivates them but also helps them review in a less atressful way.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
PLE #1
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)