Module 6 Reflection Blog (ED 640)

Our sixth grade science class has been working on plate tectonics and concepts related to the subject for the past few weeks. Their final project for the unit consists of writing a mock proposal to city council regarding the building of a city hall in an earthquake prone area. In this simulation they are playing the role as an engineer to make sure the city hall building will be put in the safest spot along with setting the proper foundation for the assembly of the building. The project was put in to place to showcase their expanded knowledge from the past few weeks while also allowing for individual inquiry in to the task at hand. Students needed to display research skills as well as content knowledge application.

Although the goal was to have students inquire themselves with the background knowledge provided on the simulation, I was quick to learn this may not always be the case. Often times a task that may seem self-explanatory so to speak may come across as slightly confusing for a student. During this activity I learned that even though students appear to be working on the project and understanding, that we should still check on students throughout to make sure they are on the right path. About half way through the period I discovered a student who appeared to be working his way through the simulation actually had no clue how to even get started. What I also quickly found is that he did not fully read the directions which immediately made sense to him once going through them again. As was the case with a handful of other students as well, and what I took away from this was that for some projects it may be better to check for understanding at points throughout the lesson.  Defining clear objectives and procedures may be the make or break point for any lesson or activity. Setting a consistent routine in each lesson when doing so can help students gain familiarity with the class. Moving forward I will look to follow this type of format so that all students can maximize their time and efficiency in the classroom. 

Looking at the classroom as a series of mini-lessons, rather than large chunks, helps the classroom in several ways. First, students will begin to see these lessons as expanding on one another, ultimately allowing for a greater connection between material. So often they are used to one big lesson, a test on that material, and moving on to a separate topic with no sense between the two units. Also, these mini-lessons will allow students to stay engaged as it switches up the activities. Again, if students spend time on one big lesson it gets monotonous and they are quick to lose focus. With each new activity comes another opportunity to regain their creativity and offers a chance for them to showcase that in a new way. Due to this we should look to tap in to as many styles of learning as possible in each of our mini-lessons.

Module 4 Reflection Blog (ED 640)

Over the past week, two of our eighth grade science classes have been working with a unit focused on potential and kinetic energy. To allow students to fully explore concepts related to the unit, they are currently embarked in an activity of building “roller coasters” and using a marble as their cart. Using materials such as cardboard, newspaper, popsicle sticks, and straws students must create a coaster in which the marble travels for a minimum of eight seconds. In this experience there is a vast amount of personal exploration and inquiry as students work in pairs of two. During this construction period, there is a lot of opportunity for formative assessment and scaffolding to help students achieve their objectives. It is in this time I have been able to get some first-hand experience and valuable teaching knowledge.

It was easy to see how quickly some of the students were able to express creativity and their engineering-type mindsets with their designs. As with any material, some students had an upper hand compared to others. While walking around and helping, it was easy to get caught up with the groups who had a ton of ideas and wanted to share their enjoyment for their thoughts on the best designs they could build. As the period flew by, I was almost shocked to see how far some groups had gotten and how little others had done. Rather than put the so-called blame on these groups who were behind, I realized that I had spent more time with the groups who had a better sense of how to get started. If I had focused on those who needed a little more scaffolding than everyone could have achieved an equal workload for that day.

This example is something I believe all new teachers have to fully experience before mastering. It may take a while to learn the strengths and weaknesses of students, and this can vary from class to class, unit to unit. After some time, you can scaffold lessons and differentiate them where needed to help all students conquer objectives. Teaching in such a way is exactly what students are entitled to and what they ultimately should expect from us teachers. Over the next few days I made sure to keep this important observation in mind, and by the end of the week all students had completed designs and met their criteria for the assignment. 

This activity in itself allowed students to pursue knowledge of their own interests. Prior to starting the builds, we discussed our own experiences with roller coasters and amusement rides and what students preferred. It was interesting to see students take their own background on the subject and be enthusiastic and how to incorporate that in to their own designs. One student who considered himself a “daredevil”, as he put it, made sure that he had jumps, steep drops, and loops in his model. Two of the girls in the class who were not huge fans of amusement rides chose a more casual approach and created a long gradual twisting model in which the marble slowly made its way down. The best part was seeing how my mentor teacher encouraged this process and made sure to highlight the differences among the groups. Allowing freedom to incorporate their own predispositions in to the model helped make the project more personal as they explored potential and kinetic energy within their coasters.

Module 2 Reflection Blog (ED 640)

While over the past two weeks I have observed multiple examples of differentiation, there is one instance, or one activity, in which meeting the needs for all students in the class definitely took place. To finish up our unit on the rock cycle and types of rock, students were given a summative assessment that touched upon their creative sides and learning styles. Working within a group, or individually, students were instructed to create a poem, song, play or any other type of creative expression summing up the rock cycle and key concepts learned within the unit. The main variance within the lesson consisted with the students choice of picking their own groups and choosing how to work. While some work better alone, they could do just that and not feel uneasy working with others. Vice versa, for those who work better in a team environment they had the chance to fully display their knowledge doing just that.

Students were open to interpret their best form of expressing their course material in whatever way seemed most fit for them. This opportunity provided a way to activate background knowledge that met the interests for all students. One student had recalled their time at a museum and their experience with fossils in sediment rock, using this background knowledge he constructed a show and tell style project discussing how these rocks allow fossils to form within them. Another student had a slight obsession with volcanoes and lava, their prime focus for his group was a mini-play focusing on the forming of igneous rock. As you can see students were allowed to tap in to their own backgrounds and experiences to garner more interest in the unit.

In terms of keeping the students engaged, the instructions for the lesson forced them to do just that, be engaged. The performance nature of the assessment forced students to get up out of their seats, think critically, and apply creativity in their work. The students were given a handful of days to brainstorm and work on their performances, in this time numerous forms of formative assessment could take place by myself and my mentor teacher. There were times to ask leading questions along with short quizzing on vocabulary and concepts. During this allotted preparation time, the teacher could provide options for the types of executive functions in goal setting and strategy development. Students could ask questions in their research phase and had access to computers, textbooks, and handouts. Different forms of references allowed a variety of student learners to fully access needed material. 

Throughout this time some of the rubric on which they were being evaluated could also be completed. While each student brings different skill sets to a group, these are noted for not only participation points but for prove of knowledge as well. My mentor teacher was able to note how students contributed and assign them points during the preparation phase of the project. To further help keep the students engaged in the project, it was discussed several times that it was okay for students to be more comfortable in the preparation or design phase of the project versus the actual performance, or public speaking aspect of it. By discussing this with the students they were able to focus on the aspect that they enjoyed the most to showcase their knowledge, and not dwell on the part that debilitated their learning. For some students, this was the performance part, as one of the girls loved to sing so her team created a song in which she could do so. For another boy in the class, he loved drawing and art but was very quiet, so his team created a comic in which he drew the illustrations while the other two boys re-enacted the scenes.

A project such as this draws on students to play their strengths so to speak. So often students are told to work on their weaknesses or that they need to improve those weaknesses to truly excel in whatever the task at hand may be. However, the solution could very well be to truly master one skill or ability. In doing so you create a diverse subset of thinkers and creators. Students can proceed with content at their pace and in their best fashion. Ultimately what this does is create an environment in which all students can enjoy their learning journey and take away more knowledge than what they originally walked in with.