I was excited to participate in the group differences forum because I knew that it would be helpful as a member of the urban/multicultural cohort. We talk about race, racism, poverty, and multiculturalism in my elementary education methods class, but we rarely get the chance to talk about religion, gender, and other differences. As a teacher, I believe that understanding and being able to interact with diverse groups is absolutely crucial, and I definitely learned some new information from the forum. I never realized that research shows that teachers pay more attention to male students than female students. I also never really thought about religion in schools as a group difference before the forum.
I know the the information from the forum is going to help me in my classroom because it helped me to think of group differences in new ways. I feel like I'm already fairly knowledgeable about multiculturalism, but I am always open and willing to learn more information. One thing that I think might have helped me learn more would be reading an article from each group. I know that this seems like a lot of extra work, but I would have been willing to do it over the course of the semester. I actually went in on my free time and read some of the articles because I was interested in learning more about certain groups.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
PLE #11: Barb Rentenbach Videos
I was unable to attend either of the Barb Rentenbach lectures, but I was able to watch Autism Teacher Please and Here We Are World. These videos allowed me to view people with autism from a different perspective. I have had the privilege of working with and having classes with a few people with autism, but I was interested in learning more from the Barb Rentenbach videos.
One thing that I heard mentioned in the video was that people with autism do not necessarily enjoy being in isolation. I thought that this was interesting because this was something that was mentioned in my Special Education class, as well. I will definitely keep this in mind if I am working with children with autism in my class. I plan on using this knowledge to implement a peer buddy system in my classroom for children with autism. This will promote full membership in the classroom and give my students with autism the comfort of having someone there.
I also enjoyed how the Here We Are World video discussed the use of facilitated communication. This is not something that we had discussed at great length in Special Education, so I was interested in learning something new that could help me interact with children with autism. I plan on using facilitated communication, such as keyboards or computer programs, to communicate with children with autism in my future classroom. I think that finding ways to communicate with all students is incredibly important, and I learned a lot from this video about different methods of communication.
I learned a good amount of new information from the videos, but a lot of it was familiar from my Special Education class. The videos went more in depth than what I had previously learned in class, so I feel like they were worthwhile. However, I feel like I might have gotten more out of the Barb Rentenbach lecture than the videos. It would have been interesting to see her use facilitated communication to speak to her audience.
One thing that I heard mentioned in the video was that people with autism do not necessarily enjoy being in isolation. I thought that this was interesting because this was something that was mentioned in my Special Education class, as well. I will definitely keep this in mind if I am working with children with autism in my class. I plan on using this knowledge to implement a peer buddy system in my classroom for children with autism. This will promote full membership in the classroom and give my students with autism the comfort of having someone there.
I also enjoyed how the Here We Are World video discussed the use of facilitated communication. This is not something that we had discussed at great length in Special Education, so I was interested in learning something new that could help me interact with children with autism. I plan on using facilitated communication, such as keyboards or computer programs, to communicate with children with autism in my future classroom. I think that finding ways to communicate with all students is incredibly important, and I learned a lot from this video about different methods of communication.
I learned a good amount of new information from the videos, but a lot of it was familiar from my Special Education class. The videos went more in depth than what I had previously learned in class, so I feel like they were worthwhile. However, I feel like I might have gotten more out of the Barb Rentenbach lecture than the videos. It would have been interesting to see her use facilitated communication to speak to her audience.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
PLE #10: Cognitive & Linguistic Development
Theories in educational psychology promote the idea that language plays a critical role in cognitive development. As a future educator of urban youth, I firmly believe in the importance of language, literacy, and linguistic development. The development of language is absolutely critical for all children, especially those in urban settings, because language is power. In "Teaching for Thinking", Amos Hatch explains how "our thoughts are interiorized language; we think in language." Children who struggle with language development will likely struggle with cognitive development because the two are so inextricably linked. Language is power because it gives us the ability to think, think about our thinking, and express our thoughts out loud. Without language, students will struggle to progress through the stages of cognitive development and learn to their full potential.
Age-Typical Characteristics (K-2)
-Knowledge of 8,000 to 14,000 words by age 6
-Difficulty understanding complex sentences (e.g., those with multiple clauses)
-Overdependence on word order and context (instead of syntax) when interpreting messages
-Superficial understanding of being a good listener (e.g., just sitting quietly)
-Literal interpretations of messages and requests (e.g., not realizing that "Goodness, this class is noisy" means "Be quiet")
-Increasing ability to tell a story
-Mastery of most sounds; some difficulty pronouncing r, th, dr, sl, and str
-Occasional use of regular word endings (-s, -ed, -er) with irregular words (sheeps, goed, gooder)
-Basic etiquette in conversations (e.g., taking turns, answering questions)
-Reluctance to initiate conversations with adults (for many students from Asian and Mexican American backgrounds)
One way that I plan to encourage cognitive development in my classroom is through the use of age-appropriate read alouds, especially storybooks. Read alouds can develop and enhance vocabulary, serve as model of good fluency, and just generally show students that reading is an enjoyable activity. Using think aloud strategies during read alouds is another great way to use cognitive modeling to get students to think about their thinking, encourage the use of language, and promote cognitive development. Another important strategy involves working on listening skills. If students aren't listening, they're not learning. I think it's important to explain this to them and give them the tools to become good listeners. One technique that I've seen used in multiple classrooms is called "give me five". When the teacher holds up his or her hand and says "give me five", the students know that they must have their eyes on the speaker, mouths quiet, be still, hands in laps, and ears open. I have personally seen how effective this quick strategy can be, and I definitely plan on implementing it in my classroom.
Age-Typical Characteristics (K-2)
-Knowledge of 8,000 to 14,000 words by age 6
-Difficulty understanding complex sentences (e.g., those with multiple clauses)
-Overdependence on word order and context (instead of syntax) when interpreting messages
-Superficial understanding of being a good listener (e.g., just sitting quietly)
-Literal interpretations of messages and requests (e.g., not realizing that "Goodness, this class is noisy" means "Be quiet")
-Increasing ability to tell a story
-Mastery of most sounds; some difficulty pronouncing r, th, dr, sl, and str
-Occasional use of regular word endings (-s, -ed, -er) with irregular words (sheeps, goed, gooder)
-Basic etiquette in conversations (e.g., taking turns, answering questions)
-Reluctance to initiate conversations with adults (for many students from Asian and Mexican American backgrounds)
One way that I plan to encourage cognitive development in my classroom is through the use of age-appropriate read alouds, especially storybooks. Read alouds can develop and enhance vocabulary, serve as model of good fluency, and just generally show students that reading is an enjoyable activity. Using think aloud strategies during read alouds is another great way to use cognitive modeling to get students to think about their thinking, encourage the use of language, and promote cognitive development. Another important strategy involves working on listening skills. If students aren't listening, they're not learning. I think it's important to explain this to them and give them the tools to become good listeners. One technique that I've seen used in multiple classrooms is called "give me five". When the teacher holds up his or her hand and says "give me five", the students know that they must have their eyes on the speaker, mouths quiet, be still, hands in laps, and ears open. I have personally seen how effective this quick strategy can be, and I definitely plan on implementing it in my classroom.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
PLE #9: Social Cognitive Theory
Elementary Education Case Study:
You engage your third grade students in cooperative learning activities at least twice a day, changing heterogeneous group members once every four weeks. You have agreed upon routine procedures that your classroom community uses within their small groups, including the roles and responsibilities of group members. Lately you have noticed that one small group always seems to have difficulty grasping material and completing their project in an acceptable manner. You observe this group carefully and find that Lisa seems to be the catalyst for their problems. She gets angry with others if she does not get the job she wants and refuses to do her part in contributing to the group’s learning. She constantly interrupts others in her group. She does not pay attention when her group prepares for class presentations.
There are several ways in which self-efficacy and self-regulation might contribute to Lisa's intervention plan. Lisa may be behaving inappropriately during group work because she does not feel as if she is able to do the work or reach the academic goals set for her. In order to improve Lisa's self-efficacy, I could express confidence in her abilities. This would include expressing confidence in her strengths and making an effort to turn her weaknesses into strengths. For example, I might tell Lisa that I know that she is capable of acting appropriately in her cooperative learning group. Giving Lisa a way to see her progress over time is also important when it comes to increasing self-efficacy. One way to track her progress would be to make a CLG Activity Chart for Lisa. Each time that Lisa exhibited appropriate group behaviors, she would get to place a sticker on her chart.
I would also emphasize the importance of self-regulation during cooperative group work. As previously stated, I would make a behavior contract with Lisa in order to improve her self-regulation skills. Lisa and I would create the contract together so that she would fully understand what is expected of her. After the creation of the contract, Lisa would be expected to self-regulate with minimal teacher assistance. This could involve asking herself if she is staying on task, noticing when she is getting upset, and thinking of positive ways to get her feelings across during group work.
Click here for an article that I found on the connection between self-regulation and homework. I had never thought about this connection before, but I think the article makes some interesting points.
You engage your third grade students in cooperative learning activities at least twice a day, changing heterogeneous group members once every four weeks. You have agreed upon routine procedures that your classroom community uses within their small groups, including the roles and responsibilities of group members. Lately you have noticed that one small group always seems to have difficulty grasping material and completing their project in an acceptable manner. You observe this group carefully and find that Lisa seems to be the catalyst for their problems. She gets angry with others if she does not get the job she wants and refuses to do her part in contributing to the group’s learning. She constantly interrupts others in her group. She does not pay attention when her group prepares for class presentations.
There are several ways in which self-efficacy and self-regulation might contribute to Lisa's intervention plan. Lisa may be behaving inappropriately during group work because she does not feel as if she is able to do the work or reach the academic goals set for her. In order to improve Lisa's self-efficacy, I could express confidence in her abilities. This would include expressing confidence in her strengths and making an effort to turn her weaknesses into strengths. For example, I might tell Lisa that I know that she is capable of acting appropriately in her cooperative learning group. Giving Lisa a way to see her progress over time is also important when it comes to increasing self-efficacy. One way to track her progress would be to make a CLG Activity Chart for Lisa. Each time that Lisa exhibited appropriate group behaviors, she would get to place a sticker on her chart.
I would also emphasize the importance of self-regulation during cooperative group work. As previously stated, I would make a behavior contract with Lisa in order to improve her self-regulation skills. Lisa and I would create the contract together so that she would fully understand what is expected of her. After the creation of the contract, Lisa would be expected to self-regulate with minimal teacher assistance. This could involve asking herself if she is staying on task, noticing when she is getting upset, and thinking of positive ways to get her feelings across during group work.
Click here for an article that I found on the connection between self-regulation and homework. I had never thought about this connection before, but I think the article makes some interesting points.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
PLE #8: Behaviorism
Elementary Education Case Study:
You engage your third grade students in cooperative learning activities at least twice a day, changing heterogeneous group members once every four weeks. You have agreed upon routine procedures that your classroom community uses within their small groups, including the roles and responsibilities of group members. Lately you have noticed that one small group always seems to have difficulty grasping material and completing their project in an acceptable manner. You observe this group carefully and find that Lisa seems to be the catalyst for their problems. She gets angry with others if she does not get the job she wants and refuses to do her part in contributing to the group’s learning. She constantly interrupts others in her group. She does not pay attention when her group prepares for class presentations.
There are two tools that the behaviorist could use to discourage Lisa's undesirable behaviors during heterogeneous group work. One possible tool is presentation punishment, or the presentation of a stimulus to decrease a behavior. In order to decrease Lisa's behavior, the teacher could scold her or give her a particularly harsh look. It is important to note that scolding her or giving her a less than pleasant look can only be considered presentation punishment if they cause a decrease in Lisa's inappropriate behavior during group work. Another possible tool is removal punishment, or the removal of a stimulus to decrease a behavior. In Lisa's case, the teacher could lower her individual grade on the group assignment, have her complete her work individually while the rest of the class is at recess, or have her move her card down a level on the classroom behavior chart. All of these are examples of removal punishment.
Click here for an interesting article on using punishment appropriately and effectively in the classroom. The article explains how to include punishment in a classroom management plan and gives examples for when it is appropriate to use punishment in the classroom.
A constructivist would likely approach Lisa's undesirable behaviors in a completely different way. A constructivist classroom is generally more student-directed, and this would likely be evident in the way the teacher handles Lisa's misbehavior. The teacher might put on a emphasis on teaching Lisa to self-monitor and self-regulate her own behavior during the group. Making a behavior contract might be one way to encourage this type of self-monitoring. Lisa and her teacher could come up with a list of appropriate behaviors during heterogeneous group work and create the contract together. After the creation of the behavior contract, Lisa would know what was expected of her and be expected to self-monitor her behavior with minimal teacher assistance. The focus would be on Lisa as an autonomous individual with the ability to regulate and change her behaviors during group work. If this was not effective, then some form of logical consequences would follow as stated in the behavior contract.
You engage your third grade students in cooperative learning activities at least twice a day, changing heterogeneous group members once every four weeks. You have agreed upon routine procedures that your classroom community uses within their small groups, including the roles and responsibilities of group members. Lately you have noticed that one small group always seems to have difficulty grasping material and completing their project in an acceptable manner. You observe this group carefully and find that Lisa seems to be the catalyst for their problems. She gets angry with others if she does not get the job she wants and refuses to do her part in contributing to the group’s learning. She constantly interrupts others in her group. She does not pay attention when her group prepares for class presentations.
There are two tools that the behaviorist could use to discourage Lisa's undesirable behaviors during heterogeneous group work. One possible tool is presentation punishment, or the presentation of a stimulus to decrease a behavior. In order to decrease Lisa's behavior, the teacher could scold her or give her a particularly harsh look. It is important to note that scolding her or giving her a less than pleasant look can only be considered presentation punishment if they cause a decrease in Lisa's inappropriate behavior during group work. Another possible tool is removal punishment, or the removal of a stimulus to decrease a behavior. In Lisa's case, the teacher could lower her individual grade on the group assignment, have her complete her work individually while the rest of the class is at recess, or have her move her card down a level on the classroom behavior chart. All of these are examples of removal punishment.
Click here for an interesting article on using punishment appropriately and effectively in the classroom. The article explains how to include punishment in a classroom management plan and gives examples for when it is appropriate to use punishment in the classroom.
A constructivist would likely approach Lisa's undesirable behaviors in a completely different way. A constructivist classroom is generally more student-directed, and this would likely be evident in the way the teacher handles Lisa's misbehavior. The teacher might put on a emphasis on teaching Lisa to self-monitor and self-regulate her own behavior during the group. Making a behavior contract might be one way to encourage this type of self-monitoring. Lisa and her teacher could come up with a list of appropriate behaviors during heterogeneous group work and create the contract together. After the creation of the behavior contract, Lisa would know what was expected of her and be expected to self-monitor her behavior with minimal teacher assistance. The focus would be on Lisa as an autonomous individual with the ability to regulate and change her behaviors during group work. If this was not effective, then some form of logical consequences would follow as stated in the behavior contract.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
PLE #7: Complex Cognitive Processes
Consider a second grade math lesson plan on solving addition problems with three or more addends. The objective for the lesson and the Tennessee state standards are listed below.
Objective:
The student will solve addition problems using three addends.
0206.2.3: Use efficient and accurate strategies to develop fluency with multi-digit addition and subtraction
SPI 0206.2.10: Add three two-digit numbers.
Several metacognitive skills and abilities are involved as students gain knowledge in this domain. Covert learning strategies, such as identifying important information and comprehension monitoring, are certainly involved in this lesson plan. Students must understand the key concepts and ideas involved in the addition process. I will assist my students in identifying important information by writing the objective for the lesson on the board and reading it aloud to the class. Comprehension monitoring will also be involved because my students will need to be able to self-monitor. They will not know that they understand how to solve this new type of addition problem without being able to monitor for comprehension. Finally, students will use transfer and problem-solving skills (such as algorithms) in order to gain knowledge from this lesson. Students will already know how to solve simple addition problems. They will merely apply this knowledge to new, complex addition problems. This type of transfer is known as specific transfer. Problem-solving skills, such as algorithms, will also be used because students will learn that following a specific sequence of steps will help them to find the right answer.
The following video is a metacognition song performed by an elementary school classroom. This seems like a great way to introduce the concept to younger students.
Objective:
The student will solve addition problems using three addends.
0206.2.3: Use efficient and accurate strategies to develop fluency with multi-digit addition and subtraction
SPI 0206.2.10: Add three two-digit numbers.
Several metacognitive skills and abilities are involved as students gain knowledge in this domain. Covert learning strategies, such as identifying important information and comprehension monitoring, are certainly involved in this lesson plan. Students must understand the key concepts and ideas involved in the addition process. I will assist my students in identifying important information by writing the objective for the lesson on the board and reading it aloud to the class. Comprehension monitoring will also be involved because my students will need to be able to self-monitor. They will not know that they understand how to solve this new type of addition problem without being able to monitor for comprehension. Finally, students will use transfer and problem-solving skills (such as algorithms) in order to gain knowledge from this lesson. Students will already know how to solve simple addition problems. They will merely apply this knowledge to new, complex addition problems. This type of transfer is known as specific transfer. Problem-solving skills, such as algorithms, will also be used because students will learn that following a specific sequence of steps will help them to find the right answer.
The following video is a metacognition song performed by an elementary school classroom. This seems like a great way to introduce the concept to younger students.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
PLE #6: Constructivism
In class, our group planned a second grade lesson using weather vocabulary words and a constructivist approach to teaching and learning.
The Tennessee state standards for our lesson are as follows:
Grade 2: Standard 8 - The Atmosphere
Conceptual Strand 8
The earth is surrounded by an active atmosphere and an energy system that controls the distribution life, local weather, climate, and global temperature.
Guiding Question 8
How do the physical characteristics and the chemical makeup of the atmosphere influence surface processes and life on Earth?
GLE 0207.8.1 Associate temperature patterns with seasonal changes.
The sequence of skills necessary for ultimate mastery of our lesson through a constructivist approach are listed below.
-Teacher creates a KWL chart to determine students' prior knowledge about the weather.
-Teacher provides vocabulary list without definitions.
-Students brainstorm what they think vocabulary words might mean.
-Students are divided into small groups.
-Students research and define each vocab word in groups.
-Students will watch several weather reports as a class.
-Each student will be assigned a role (writer, news anchor, etc.)
-Students will work together to present a weather report to the class using their vocab words.
The majority of the skills in this activity lend themselves to group construction. The students are working together in groups to create a weather report. This type of activity allows students to collaborate with one another and construct knowledge as a group. The majority of the research for the report will be done as a group; however, the research portion could lend itself to individual construction. The research portion of the activity could be more individual or group-oriented depending on classroom dynamics. It is important to note that the process is more important than the product in this situation.
In order to lead students to discover these principles, I would provide explicit instructions for the project in the form of a rubric and monitor the groups as necessary. I would allow the students to discover the principles on their own through group construction as long as they were staying focused on the task at hands. I would encourage them to stay focused by letting them know that I would be monitoring their progress and asking each group questions to determine how things were going.
Click here to read an article on constructivism from the Exploratorium website.
The Tennessee state standards for our lesson are as follows:
Grade 2: Standard 8 - The Atmosphere
Conceptual Strand 8
The earth is surrounded by an active atmosphere and an energy system that controls the distribution life, local weather, climate, and global temperature.
Guiding Question 8
How do the physical characteristics and the chemical makeup of the atmosphere influence surface processes and life on Earth?
GLE 0207.8.1 Associate temperature patterns with seasonal changes.
The sequence of skills necessary for ultimate mastery of our lesson through a constructivist approach are listed below.
-Teacher creates a KWL chart to determine students' prior knowledge about the weather.
-Teacher provides vocabulary list without definitions.
-Students brainstorm what they think vocabulary words might mean.
-Students are divided into small groups.
-Students research and define each vocab word in groups.
-Students will watch several weather reports as a class.
-Each student will be assigned a role (writer, news anchor, etc.)
-Students will work together to present a weather report to the class using their vocab words.
The majority of the skills in this activity lend themselves to group construction. The students are working together in groups to create a weather report. This type of activity allows students to collaborate with one another and construct knowledge as a group. The majority of the research for the report will be done as a group; however, the research portion could lend itself to individual construction. The research portion of the activity could be more individual or group-oriented depending on classroom dynamics. It is important to note that the process is more important than the product in this situation.
In order to lead students to discover these principles, I would provide explicit instructions for the project in the form of a rubric and monitor the groups as necessary. I would allow the students to discover the principles on their own through group construction as long as they were staying focused on the task at hands. I would encourage them to stay focused by letting them know that I would be monitoring their progress and asking each group questions to determine how things were going.
Click here to read an article on constructivism from the Exploratorium website.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
PLE #s 4 & 5: Cognitive Learning Theory
I am personally not a huge fan of cognitive learning theory because I don't think that the brain processes information like a computer. I do, however, think that some aspects of CLT are important for getting students to learn. I want my students to know that long-term repetition is more beneficial than short-term repetition. Learning requires practice, and there are some things that just need to be memorized (e.g., multiplication tables). I also want my students to realize that meaningful learning is more effective than rote memorization. Using mnemonic devices, vivid imagery, and prior knowledge will help them to make sense of new knowledge. These aspects of CLT will definitely benefit my students in situations where more authentic activities might not be possible.
My knowledge of the memory processes will guide my instructional decisions in many ways. I know that students need to focus their attention on something in order to move it from the sensory registry to working memory. I also know that information stored in the sensory registry only lasts for a very short time (from less than one second to three seconds max). This means that I need to plan activities that will keep students engaged in the material long enough to focus their attention and move the new information to working memory. While information does last slightly longer in working memory, it also must be encoded and transferred to long-term memory fairly quickly. I will need to relate the new information I'm teaching back to my students' prior knowledge in order to ensure that it is stored in their long-term memory. Mnemonic devices, such as Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, can help make new information meaningful for students. Organizing information into categories and using visual imagery can also be helpful.
My knowledge of the memory processes will guide my instructional decisions in many ways. I know that students need to focus their attention on something in order to move it from the sensory registry to working memory. I also know that information stored in the sensory registry only lasts for a very short time (from less than one second to three seconds max). This means that I need to plan activities that will keep students engaged in the material long enough to focus their attention and move the new information to working memory. While information does last slightly longer in working memory, it also must be encoded and transferred to long-term memory fairly quickly. I will need to relate the new information I'm teaching back to my students' prior knowledge in order to ensure that it is stored in their long-term memory. Mnemonic devices, such as Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, can help make new information meaningful for students. Organizing information into categories and using visual imagery can also be helpful.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
PLE #4: Assessment
If I have learned anything from my time in the education program, it is that "assessment" does not necessarily equal "testing". Assessments come in all different forms and can serve many different purposes. They don't necessarily need to have a grade attached in order to provide necessary information about student learning. In fact, some of the best assessments can be short, informal, and non-graded. Assessments can be used to inform instruction, monitor student progress, and demonstrate student learning. High-stakes assessments, such as standardized tests, can be used to make important decisions about students and to hold teachers and administrators accountable for student learning. I don't think that any teacher would deny that assessment is incredibly important in the classroom, but there is certainly a lot of controversy surrounding the use of high-stakes assessments (and the misuse of assessment in general). I think that creating and using assessments is going to be something that we all struggle with as first year teachers, but our study of assessments in this class has definitely helped me out a lot.
Click here to read an article from Vanderbilt University about classroom assessment techniques. I also found this article on different types of assessments that can be used to check for understanding.
I'm currently observing in a second grade classroom, and they're studying solid shapes in math. This involves learning about faces, edges, and vertices as well as the different types of solid shapes (cubes, spheres, cones, etc.). I've noticed that this is a challenging concept for some students to grasp, and I think that assessing students often would ensure that I knew whether or not they were understanding the material.
In my lesson plan, I would use short, daily homework assignments as a form of informal, formative assessment. Students would answer about 5 questions to make sure that they understood the differences between faces, edges, and vertices as well as the differences between the solid shapes. For example, I might have students tell me everything that they know about a particular shape or tell me the name of the shape based off of its faces and vertices. A fun performance-based assessment would involve students working in pairs or groups of three to create solid shapes out of construction paper. Each group would be given a shape and would have to use their knowledge of edges, faces, and vertices to build their shape. A more formal assessment for this lesson plan might involve giving students a short quiz after we had discussed solid shapes for a few days. I might also show my kids this video before giving them their quiz so that they would have a fun, musical reminder of what they've learned.
Finally, I would give a graded topic test as a means of summative assessment. I would hold off on giving this final topic test until I felt like a majority of my class had mastered the topic taught in my lesson plan.
Click here to read an article from Vanderbilt University about classroom assessment techniques. I also found this article on different types of assessments that can be used to check for understanding.
I'm currently observing in a second grade classroom, and they're studying solid shapes in math. This involves learning about faces, edges, and vertices as well as the different types of solid shapes (cubes, spheres, cones, etc.). I've noticed that this is a challenging concept for some students to grasp, and I think that assessing students often would ensure that I knew whether or not they were understanding the material.
In my lesson plan, I would use short, daily homework assignments as a form of informal, formative assessment. Students would answer about 5 questions to make sure that they understood the differences between faces, edges, and vertices as well as the differences between the solid shapes. For example, I might have students tell me everything that they know about a particular shape or tell me the name of the shape based off of its faces and vertices. A fun performance-based assessment would involve students working in pairs or groups of three to create solid shapes out of construction paper. Each group would be given a shape and would have to use their knowledge of edges, faces, and vertices to build their shape. A more formal assessment for this lesson plan might involve giving students a short quiz after we had discussed solid shapes for a few days. I might also show my kids this video before giving them their quiz so that they would have a fun, musical reminder of what they've learned.
Finally, I would give a graded topic test as a means of summative assessment. I would hold off on giving this final topic test until I felt like a majority of my class had mastered the topic taught in my lesson plan.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
PLE #3: Productive Learning Environments
I think that I speak for most of our class when I say that creating an environment that is conducive to learning seems like a huge challenge. There obviously needs to be some kind of classroom management system in place to keep things running smoothly, but disciplining a student definitely isn't one of my favorite things in the world. It's like eating your vegetables when you're a kid-- you know that you have to do it, but no one really wants to.
I'm currently observing in a kindergarten classroom, and I absolutely love her classroom/behavior management system. Her classroom theme is frogs, and their behavior chart is a pond. Each day, the students start out in the mud and can work their way up the pond. They earn bonus stickers or super bonus stickers for good behavior throughout the day. They get to put their stickers on their frogs and move them up through the layers of the pond. If they've reached the lily pad, then they've been well-behaved all day. They can also jump their frogs back down the chart if they misbehave. My mentoring teacher's list of classroom rules is short, but effective. Students know what is expected of them, but the rules aren't unnecessarily strict (or too lenient, either). I think that implementing a classroom management system similar to this would be a great way to create a learning environment that is conducive to learning.
Click here or here to read some NEA articles on effective classroom management. Both of these articles gave me good ideas for creating a productive learning environment.
Elementary Education Case Study:
You engage your third grade students in cooperative learning activities at least twice a day, changing heterogeneous group members once every four weeks. You have agreed upon routine procedures that your classroom community uses within their small groups, including the roles and responsibilities of group members. Lately you have noticed that one small group always seems to have difficulty grasping material and completing their project in an acceptable manner. You observe this group carefully and find that Lisa seems to be the catalyst for their problems. She gets angry with others if she does not get the job she wants and refuses to do her part in contributing to the group’s learning. She constantly interrupts others in her group. She does not pay attention when her group prepares for class presentations.
After looking at this case study, it seems like ignoring Lisa's misbehavior is not an option. Her misbehavior is affecting everyone in the classroom, and it needs to be addressed in order to avoid further problems. I would start the intervention continuum by speaking with Lisa privately so that I could better understand why she is refusing to work with her cooperative learning group. Once I had a better understanding of the issue at hand, I would use I-messages and if-then statements to explain why her misbehavior is inappropriate. I would try to teach her some self-regulation strategies to keep her from interrupting others in her group and provide her with some sort of extrinsic reward when she works appropriately within her group. If this still didn't stop the misbehavior, I would set up a meeting with both Lisa and her parents/guardian to discuss how we could all work together to ensure that her behavior improves. Hopefully Lisa's behavior would have improved significantly by this point, but if it had not, I would plan and implement some sort of systematic intervention to keep her on the right track.
This video on classroom management was really helpful and gave me some great ideas for creating a productive learning environment.
I'm currently observing in a kindergarten classroom, and I absolutely love her classroom/behavior management system. Her classroom theme is frogs, and their behavior chart is a pond. Each day, the students start out in the mud and can work their way up the pond. They earn bonus stickers or super bonus stickers for good behavior throughout the day. They get to put their stickers on their frogs and move them up through the layers of the pond. If they've reached the lily pad, then they've been well-behaved all day. They can also jump their frogs back down the chart if they misbehave. My mentoring teacher's list of classroom rules is short, but effective. Students know what is expected of them, but the rules aren't unnecessarily strict (or too lenient, either). I think that implementing a classroom management system similar to this would be a great way to create a learning environment that is conducive to learning.
Click here or here to read some NEA articles on effective classroom management. Both of these articles gave me good ideas for creating a productive learning environment.
Elementary Education Case Study:
You engage your third grade students in cooperative learning activities at least twice a day, changing heterogeneous group members once every four weeks. You have agreed upon routine procedures that your classroom community uses within their small groups, including the roles and responsibilities of group members. Lately you have noticed that one small group always seems to have difficulty grasping material and completing their project in an acceptable manner. You observe this group carefully and find that Lisa seems to be the catalyst for their problems. She gets angry with others if she does not get the job she wants and refuses to do her part in contributing to the group’s learning. She constantly interrupts others in her group. She does not pay attention when her group prepares for class presentations.
After looking at this case study, it seems like ignoring Lisa's misbehavior is not an option. Her misbehavior is affecting everyone in the classroom, and it needs to be addressed in order to avoid further problems. I would start the intervention continuum by speaking with Lisa privately so that I could better understand why she is refusing to work with her cooperative learning group. Once I had a better understanding of the issue at hand, I would use I-messages and if-then statements to explain why her misbehavior is inappropriate. I would try to teach her some self-regulation strategies to keep her from interrupting others in her group and provide her with some sort of extrinsic reward when she works appropriately within her group. If this still didn't stop the misbehavior, I would set up a meeting with both Lisa and her parents/guardian to discuss how we could all work together to ensure that her behavior improves. Hopefully Lisa's behavior would have improved significantly by this point, but if it had not, I would plan and implement some sort of systematic intervention to keep her on the right track.
This video on classroom management was really helpful and gave me some great ideas for creating a productive learning environment.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
PLE #2: Motivation
I remember briefly discussing motivation in EP 210, but I don't think that we went over anything in great detail. I actually really enjoyed our discussion of motivation because I think that it's something we can all use when we're in the classroom. Motivating students to learn seems like one of the biggest challenges that we'll face as teachers, but we were provided with some really helpful ideas in class and the textbook. I know that I have personally experienced how difficult it can be to motivate even younger elementary students to learn. I wish that I had known about some of these techniques before because I think that some of them could have been really useful in the classroom. I always used to associate motivation with extrinsic rewards, like candy or getting a good grade on a test. It was nice to know that there are ways to build a student's intrinsic motivation.
As far as theories of motivation go, I think that Expectancy vs. Value theory could be really useful in motivating students. It makes sense that students are more motivated to complete tasks when they expect to do well (because they have done well in the past) and when they believe that they will benefit from performing the task at hand. I know that I personally am not very motivated to do math homework because I have a history of not doing very well at math, and I don't see much benefit in doing the work. I'm sure that my students will feel the same way. Understanding Expectancy vs. Value theory will be useful to me because I'll be able to understand the perspectives of my students.
I found this video from another educational psychology class at Randolph-Macon college. I think that it really helps explain expectancy vs. value theory in a way that we can all understand.
I also think that goal theory could really help motivate my students to learn. Actively setting goals can help add value because students can see that there is a reason to complete a task. I have learned that by providing students with specific goals (either short or long term) can enhance their motivation to learn because they feel like there is a reason for their action. This could also tie in with expectancy vs. value theory because, like I said before, goals can add value to a seemingly pointless task.
This video provides a really quick overview of goal theory. It really helped me to better understand what we learned in class:
As far as theories of motivation go, I think that Expectancy vs. Value theory could be really useful in motivating students. It makes sense that students are more motivated to complete tasks when they expect to do well (because they have done well in the past) and when they believe that they will benefit from performing the task at hand. I know that I personally am not very motivated to do math homework because I have a history of not doing very well at math, and I don't see much benefit in doing the work. I'm sure that my students will feel the same way. Understanding Expectancy vs. Value theory will be useful to me because I'll be able to understand the perspectives of my students.
I found this video from another educational psychology class at Randolph-Macon college. I think that it really helps explain expectancy vs. value theory in a way that we can all understand.
I also think that goal theory could really help motivate my students to learn. Actively setting goals can help add value because students can see that there is a reason to complete a task. I have learned that by providing students with specific goals (either short or long term) can enhance their motivation to learn because they feel like there is a reason for their action. This could also tie in with expectancy vs. value theory because, like I said before, goals can add value to a seemingly pointless task.
This video provides a really quick overview of goal theory. It really helped me to better understand what we learned in class:
PLE #1: Welcome
I honestly had no idea what to expect before the first class because I had heard that EP 401 was significantly different than EP 210. I didn't understand the purpose of taking educational psychology, and I had no idea what we would even be learning in the class. After the first class session, I was actually excited to go home and do the readings for the next week. I think that this class will give me a lot to think about and work with during my internship year.
My main personal objective for this class is to acquire the necessary skills to appropriately manage my classroom. I think that classroom management is something that we're all worried about, and I hope that I can learn more about it in this class. I know that I've gotten off to a rocky start in this class so far, so another personal objective of mine is to prove that I am willing to work hard in this class and put in the amount of time and effort that it will take to succeed. I definitely want to explore cultural/ethnic differences and students at risk deeper. Those are the two topics that first caught my eye on the teaching projects list. I'm in the Urban/Multicultural cohort, so any opportunity to learn more about teaching at risk or culturally diverse students is important to me.
I don't have any specific questions or concerns other than about the CSEL. The project seems incredibly overwhelming, and I'm already getting nervous about it. I know that I tend to psych myself out about these kinds of things, so I'm trying not to worry too much about it. I'm sure that I'll feel more prepared as the semester goes on, but it seems like this big and scary thing looming over me right now.
Finally, I know that this is probably completely unrelated, but I would love to find some way to use this in my classroom (and it just always manages to brighten up my day):
My main personal objective for this class is to acquire the necessary skills to appropriately manage my classroom. I think that classroom management is something that we're all worried about, and I hope that I can learn more about it in this class. I know that I've gotten off to a rocky start in this class so far, so another personal objective of mine is to prove that I am willing to work hard in this class and put in the amount of time and effort that it will take to succeed. I definitely want to explore cultural/ethnic differences and students at risk deeper. Those are the two topics that first caught my eye on the teaching projects list. I'm in the Urban/Multicultural cohort, so any opportunity to learn more about teaching at risk or culturally diverse students is important to me.
I don't have any specific questions or concerns other than about the CSEL. The project seems incredibly overwhelming, and I'm already getting nervous about it. I know that I tend to psych myself out about these kinds of things, so I'm trying not to worry too much about it. I'm sure that I'll feel more prepared as the semester goes on, but it seems like this big and scary thing looming over me right now.
Finally, I know that this is probably completely unrelated, but I would love to find some way to use this in my classroom (and it just always manages to brighten up my day):
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