Completing Our Learning Journey!

We are finishing the semester of Methods of Teaching. It is exciting and sad at the same time. I enjoyed learning new methods and strategies how to teach students. I never realized how many methods there actually is. I have learned how I can differentiate my methods to help work with each students' individual needs, for each and every lesson.

I realized that every student can be involved in the lesson, not matter what disadvantage they may have while trying to learn. It is so important to accommodate for each and every child so that everyone has an opportunity to obtain new information and skills. I now no that most of the time accommodations can be made using technology. There are so many devices and programs to use to help students learn material by presenting it in different ways.

I have noticed a change within myself since the beginning of the semester. I feel more confident with all the work I have put into lesson plans of different types. I have learned how to make lessons fun while still adhering to the standards. Also, I have gained confidence through teaching at fieldwork. 

I have grown as a person and as a future teacher. I have a new outlook on how to work with elementary students. I have seen what works and does not work because of peer suggestions and from what I have tried during my fieldwork. It is amazing to find out what actually goes on "behind the scenes" for a teacher. I have learned from creating my lesson plans how much preparation goes into just creating a lesson based on one idea or skill. Teachers must stick to standards while addressing the needs of all the students to create a fun lesson that helps students learn. 

This semester has been tough. This class especially challenged me. The challenge feels good, especially now that I look back and realize everything I learned through my experiences. The hard work is worth it. I learned so much about how to be a great teacher while presenting students with different technological experiences to keep them interested. The work has paid off. I have learned so much about how to be a great teacher who reaches out to each and every student. This journey has been very far from what I expected. I cannot believe how much I have learned in class from doing my assignments and learning from my peers. I will take what I know now to the rest of my classes and to when I have my own classroom.

I feel that this diagram really describes what learning needs to be about. Students should work together, think critically, and come up with different options to solve problems. Of course, technology must be incorporated too. This will help create an environment for students to flourish. These skills will help students throughout their lives. I think it is so important for every teacher to realize how students learning has evolved and different approaches need to be taken to help each and every student do their best.

Working with SIM

The social interactive method (SIM) is a lesson plan that can be used for cooperative learning (CL). We learned about the five characteristics of cooperative learning, which are positive interdependence, individual and group accountability, group processing, social skills and face-to-face interaction. By using this lesson in the classroom, you are helping your students to create relationships and help students learn how to work together to achieve a goal. To learn about CL, we taught each the different characteristics to each other. This helped me to get an in-depth idea of my one characteristic. I also learned more from my classmates then just being lectured or reading something about CL. 

We did an SIM lesson plan for peer feedback. I like that we had to reflect on our own work and others work to make changes and help make our lesson plans better. Working with our peers to fix and adjust our lessons helped me. They were working on the same project and had ideas that were creative and interesting. This was the point of cooperative learning and the SIM lesson plan.

Informing Myself about Info-Processing

We've started to talk about the Information-Processing Model. The teacher used this model while introducing the method to us. She gave us a puzzle to solve, which is what you do when using IPM. The puzzle had to do with decided which teacher seemed to be the direct instruction teacher and the indirect instruction teacher. We took features from each teacher and matched them up to their model. The teacher taught using IPM to show us how it actually works in the classroom. It showed us how we could use IPM in our own classroom. We were able to connect different resources a teacher had in their room to what type of method they use to teach. For instance, desk setup in a "U" shape tells me the teacher is more IPM then Direct Instruction. Also, materials like computers, magazines, and videos tells you the teacher may use more IPM methods in the classroom. We were able to take this information and solve the puzzle by connecting what we knew about IPM and what goes on in classrooms that use IPM.

IPM is an indirect method of teaching. The teacher is a facilitator. The students work on their own. They are given a puzzle or question to solve. The students go on their own to formulate their answers. It seems like IPM is a really fun and interesting method to use in the classroom. It engages students and helps them reach higher levels of thinking according to Bloom's taxonomy. 

We were given an assignment to make a treasure hunt using a strategy having to do with IPM. I decided to do my treasure hunt on Project-Based Learning. PjBL is when students complete projects to learn about something in depth. They work on their own without the teacher drilling information into their heads. The students create projects, which demonstrate their understanding. The treasure hunt helped us develop a project using IPM. This assignment helped us work on a lesson that used IPM while we learned about another strategy of IPM. The assignment showed me how to set up a lesson using IPM. By sending out other professionals on a hunt for information, they are participating in IPM because they are given resources and have to find out answers and informations to help them reach a consensus.

I am excited to learn more about IPM so that I can use it in my classroom. I want to know how to assist my students to reach higher levels of thinking. I want to create a fun learning environment for my students so they stay and engaged and learn an abundant amount of information. 

This diagram serves as a model to show us how humans process information. I thought it was helpful to view this diagram because it gave me a better understanding of how information gets to a person and where it goes in their memory, either long or short term. 

After we completed learning about information processing, we had to develop our own lesson plan. I really enjoyed creating this lesson plan. So far, this is my favorite method. I developed a lesson where students would be given pictures of two different types of plants from two different habitats. Then, they will need to explore on their own the parts of each plants from each habittat. They will need to compare and contrast the parts of each plant to see if they are the same or different. Then, they have to create a project explaining the similarities and differences they discovered on their own. I feel that I have gained a developed understanding of the IPM by doing a lesson plan that incorporates this template. I now know how to incorporate this method in my classroom. It will help me to help my students achieve a higher level of knowledge. They will also be able to work with

Wrapping Up DI and Moving on to the Next Method!

I enjoyed learning about direct instruction. It is a way to teach that I was familiar with because I think most of my teachers taught this way for the most part. Unfortunately, these weren't always the most entertaining classes.

Direct instruction is the perfect method to use when you are teaching a totally new concept or skill to students. This method is very useful because it helps reach automaticity through memorization. The teacher can introduce the new concept or skill, then help "drill" it into the students head as they practice it.

Direct instruction is a method that only deals with Bloom's first level of knowledge.There is no room with the direct instruction method to move up levels or expand knowledge. There is no room for students to question either. There is no way for students to eventually reach metacognition because they are stuck just memorizing and not connecting what they are learning to anything else.

These reason make it so important that teachers do not teacher just using only direct instruction. One, it can become extremely boring for students, and they will fall off track. Also, it does not help students explore their creativity and discover any of their multiple intelligences. Teachers should add variety to the the class to keep students interested and help them reach the highest level of thinking, metacognition. I always enjoyed the classes where you didn't know what to expect and the teacher was creative and fun. I want my class to feel that way also because I think my students would get the most from every lesson.

I am glad we have learned about this method because it definitly is important and needs to be used when introducing a new concept or skill. I am making a promise to myself that I will only use direct instruction when I am teaching my students a new skill or concept. It is easy for teachers to fall into the habit of using direct instruction often, because it is easier sometimes. Teachers must remember that although it is easy, it is not a good way to expand your students knowlege.

I am excited to see what the information processing model is all about. It seems really interesting. I feel like I may like this method of teaching more than direct instruction because your helping students learn through questioning and experimenting. The method seems like the exact opposite of direct instruction. I am anxious to see what this method is all about so I can use it in my own lesson plans!

Dissecting Direct-Instruction

In this class, we will be learning about all different models of instruction used in the classroom. There are four models we will learn about in depth this semester. These models are the behavioral model, the information-processing model, the social interactive model, and the personal model. As you go from one model to the next, they become harder and reach for more student knowledge.

The behavior model has to do with the behaviorism theory. This means that behavior and the ones environment can determine human behavior and learning. The behavior model is a direct instruction strategy. It addresses students basic skills and knowledge. This type of instruction is facilitated by the teacher by demonstrating or lecture basic skills to helps students master them. This instruction has and introduction, development, and closure. The opening can include an anticipatory set and pre-assessment. The development or presentation is guided practice, independent practice, feedback, and sometimes assessment. The closure can end with homework or assessment to test the students' knowledge.

I am better aware of the direct instruction strategy after working with it in class. I do like this model and I feel that it is imperative to use this in the classroom. I do however, think that this strategy of teaching is not complex and does not allow for students' multiple intelligences and learning styles. I will use direct-instruction at the beginning of each new unit. I will introduce the topic and get the students familiar with concepts or skills they may need to master for the unit. I will use the step-by-step process to get each student on the same page so they can understand the basic skills and knowledge of the content being studied. I will promise not to resort to this method for each lesson though. It is probably the easiest strategy to use when planning a lesson, but it will not always engage students. I want my students to always be engaged so they do not go off task. I want to learn about the other model of teaching so that I can learn how to get creative with lesson plans in the classroom. I want my students to have fun while learning and I think using different approaches to teaching will help me do this. I want every student to reach meta-cognition and they will be able to do so once they can be creative and think for themselves.

This is a great way to design direct instruction lessons. This is exactly what we talked out in class. This outline clearly shows how to design the lesson. Now I can always go back and reference this when I need to think about making a direct instruction lesson when I am playing to introduce a new topic to my students.

The concept map about the direct instruction was very helpful. I liked the idea that we were allowed to work on it by ourselves, and then edit it once we really got into an in-depth discussion of the strategy in class. I realized that I had the basic concept down about the topic, but there were some areas I was unsure. I did not realize that Albert Bandura's technique of modeling had to do with direct instruction so I added that to my graph when we were able to edit it. It makes sense though because the teacher models and demonstrates everything so the students will repeat and later memorize that task.

I hope we continue to use the concept map for each strategy and model we learn this semester.It has helped me realize my mistakes and gave me a change to fix them which was a big help for me to learn. I would use this idea in my own classroom. If we were studying a certain topic, I would have students pair up and fill-in the graphic organizer I provide for them. Then, I would have each student pair up with a different person and have them make changes and add things they seen in the other persons. Then, as a class we could discuss our ideas together to make a huge collaboration of ideas. The organizer can be taken home as a study guide also. The organizer serves as a great way to learn a new topic and to expand on it. Hopefully I can have students do the graphic organizers on the computer that way they can incorporate technology and continually add to it. They will have it always saved on the computer too if they ever need to reference it. The map is a very useful tool to both the teacher and students and I will definitely use it in my classroom for all those reasons.

The presentations on direct instruction were great. I am glad that we were able to learn about direct instruction through the classes power points instead of just reading some text. Not only did we get to practice being in front of the class, we also got to get an in-depth idea of the different steps of direct instruction. Now we are able to view everyone's power points to go back in case we missed anything important. Having students use power points is a great idea. Not only are the ones who are doing the power point learning, the rest of the class is learning what they are teaching. I will definitely implement projects like this with my own class so that they too can learn to become comfortable in front of the class, and they can also learn in a different way from the usual lecture.

Going Behind the Scenes of Teaching

This weeks classes focused on review in planning curriculum. We started with the basics by defining aims, goals, and objectives. The most important thing I took from this was that as you go through each of these terms, they become more specific. My most specific and detail-oriented planning will be when I formulate my objectives for my lessons. They need to be very specific so that if a substitute teacher is there, even he or she knows exactly what the students are expected to do with exactly what materials. He or she will even no how to evaluate them based on the objectives. This made me really understand why you need to be so particular in writing objectives. It helps to do this so that anyone could follow what you are trying to say and they could make a lesson around the objective.

To better understand the formulation of objectives, we read and talked about Bloom's taxonomy.

This chart is especially helpful to me, and I refer to it constantly when writing objectives. When we use the CBC format (Condition, Behavior, Criteria), this is very helpful. The verbs in the picture are verbs you can use to when explaining what the student will be doing. For example. If I take the verb "locating," I could make an objective. The objective could say: Given a map of the thirteen colonies of America, the student will locate 11 of the 13 colonies correctly. This shows you that the students will be on the "knowledge" level. This is the broadest and most basic understanding when it comes to knowledge. As we go up the pyramid, it becomes more specific. This is helpful to me because I can always refer to Bloom's taxonomy and make sure I am using a proper verb to formulate my objectives. This shows me that I am making an objective that is observable and I can measure and evaluate what the student has learned, while following national and state standards for each subject.


For homework, we were able to formulate our own objectives based on science and mathematics. We then critiqued our partners objectives. This helped me to realize the mistakes I made in my objective. Every objective must be about a single student. This makes sense because the objective may need to change for each different student. No two students are alike so the objectives need to be written out according to each persons needs. I also learned that using the verb "identify" is not correct because you cannot measure if the student identified something. If you cannot measure the progress than the objective is completely pointless because then there is no way to evaluate the student. We were able to go through our own objectives to make the changes also. This helped me a lot because I was able to pinpoint exactly where I was making mistakes. That is helpful to me because when I make a mistake I usually am more aware of if and think twice before making it again. Hopefully that means I will be able to write great objectives to base my lesson plans on.

I enjoy learning the behind the scenes of planning for teachers. It all just sort of clicks and makes so much sense when you see the methods used to plan out a lesson. It all revolves around the objectives you are going to use. The objectives talk about the activity and how you will assess what the student has learned. It is good to know that there is a formative way to go about planning a lesson, that way I can always refer back to it at any point.


Self-tutorial

Beginning the Journey

This first week of class was exciting, but not as intimidating as last semester. I feel like I have a better sense of what is expected of me.

The t-shirt project was a great idea to get to know other students. Not only did we find out interesting things about our classmates that may have not come up in a regular discussion, we found out about every ones views on education and teaching.
(My T-shirt Project)

The project was a great ice breaker to help us feel comfortable standing up in front of the class and speaking. It also made the class feel more connected as a group too. This project helped me expand my creativity because it was a hard project to do since we could only use images and not words to tell everyone about us. I'd love to use this sort of project in my own classroom. I want students to be comfortable in their classroom and with their peers and teacher. I want everyone to have some kind of idea of each other, and I also want to know my students also. I want to use this sort of project so that everyone can express their creative side, since that there is more than one type of knowledge and multiple intelligences.

Not only did I learn about others views, I was able to reflect on how I feel about becoming a teacher in the upcoming years. The project made me realize how proud I am of even going to college and furthering my education. I also realized my anxieties of teaching were not unusual. Everybody felt pretty much the same way I did about being scared of students not being interested or being able to understand. I also found out that anxieties about teaching did not have to be a bad thing. I learned that I am anxious to start teaching because I am excited to offer everything I have learned to a younger generation.

The video, "Learning to Change-Changing to Learn," was a video that held very valid points. The one speaker at the end of the video summed up the point of the video. He said that it is the "death of education," but, "the dawn of learning." What teachers and students are going through right now in the classroom is an enormous change. The way education was dealt with has been fairly the same for decades. More and more are schools are integrating technology into everyday school work. Even though I was in high school only three years ago, we barely used any type of technology as part of our work aside from the few power point slides and research papers. Old fashioned education is dying out, but learning is becoming even more prevalent because it can even be taught through different types of technology.

Today's students are very advanced in all sorts of technology. It is a part of their everyday lives. What a better way to get students involved and interested in school work by incorporating technology. Technology is like the students lingo, and it is a great way for teachers to connect to their students on another level.

I was even able to accept the idea that technology must be apart of everyday school work with students. I've learned to step up and take on different technologies to help get across to my students and have them get interested. Technology serves as a whole new connection for students and teachers. There is a lot of good to come from this. Students will be even more prepared for life with technology on their sides.

I really have a much better outlook this year and I can't wait for what is to come!


Here of some blogs I follow to share my ideas with!


Erin's Blog

Melissa's Blog