The Haka
15 years ago
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Teaching about Internet Safety
For the 'doing' part of the internet safety assignment, I taught my mom and younger sister (age 15) about internet safety. After talking about what they already knew about internet safety and any questions they had about it, I talked to them about all the dangers that are out there on the internet that we should be aware of. Although they already knew about most of the dangers, I think it was good to remind them about being careful with the internet. We also talked about lots of the ways you can protect yourself when you are using the internet. Specifically, we talked about being careful with Facebook (not putting personal information on your profile, not talking to people you don't know, etc.) and not opening emails that you don't know who they are from or what might be in them. Also, I showed them how they could get to articles on internet safety through lds.org so they could go there if they have more questions. Overall, it was a good experience, and I think it served as a good reminder for all of us to be aware when we are using the internet. Lots of times, I think we feel like the problems that happen with the internet always happen to other people and we are somehow protected from everything that could happen, but it is important to remember that you need to be actively working to protect yourself and your family from problems that may arise on the internet.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
IP&T 301: Personal Learning Theory
I believe that in order for learning to take place, one of the most important things that must be present is a desire to learn. When there is a genuine desire to learn a new skill, the learner is then much more likely to put effort into the learning process and will take more meaning away from the experiences he or she has during learning. This desire may come from necessity of possessing a certain skill, or it may also come from simply wanting to know certain skills, knowledge, or other information. One scenario which often induces the development of new knowledge or skills is problem-based learning. In this type of learning, the learner encounters or is presented with a problem. The learner then learns through the process of figuring out a solution to the given problem.
In my experience, one of the most effective ways of learning something new is through interaction with a more knowledgeable other. This person knows more about the topic or skill to be learned, so he or she is able to use modeling to demonstrate to the learner what it is that the learner is learning. Throughout the learning process, the more knowledgeable other can scaffold the learner by guiding the student’s thinking, giving encouragement, and helping the learner to be able to do more with help than he or she would have been able to do without this assistance. I believe that this scaffolding is extremely effective because it helps learners to develop a deeper understanding and gain confidence in their abilities to learn the new task.
I have found that in the earlier years of a person’s life, there is more of a focus on learning through stimuli and responses to these stimuli. As children first begin moving body parts and manipulating objects around them, such as toys, blankets, etc., these children learn that when they move their fingers (stimulus), they can cause objects to move in certain ways (response). Also, children learn through experience that when they cry (stimulus), this will generally cause a parent to come to their assistance and meet their needs or give them the attention they desire (response). Another example of this includes the methods used by many teachers and parents to help children learn what behaviors are acceptable and desired, and which are not. Adults often use positive and negative reinforcement to encourage children to continue doing certain behaviors. Alternately, they utilize positive and negative punishment to discourage children from continuing certain behaviors. Children can also learn which behaviors are desired through vicarious reinforcement, in which the learner sees another person praised for doing a certain behavior and, therefore, tries to do the same behavior in hopes of receiving praise as well. In these examples, the behaviors that are exhibited by the students are the stimuli. These behaviors then cause the teachers to give certain responses, which can be either reinforcement or punishment, depending on whether the behavior was desired or not. By seeing which behaviors the teachers praise and which ones are discouraged by punishment, children then are able to learn which behaviors are acceptable, and they exhibit these behaviors more often because they desire the praise and rewards from their parents and teachers. As people get older, they often start to use more self-reinforcement as they teach and train themselves to continue certain desired behaviors and accomplishments. They also use more self-regulation to encourage themselves to continue working toward desired goals.
As we learn, it is important for the information we bring in to be meaningful so we can have strong connections with the information and use retrieval to easily bring it from the long-term memory into the working memory. In order for this to occur in learning, I believe that it is very important to provide learners with authentic tasks, or tasks that are easily relatable to real-world situations or problems that could arise in the learners’ future experiences. By teaching through these kinds of tasks, the learners are able to feel that the things they are learning are truly meaningful and will help them in their future endeavors.
I believe that learning is a life-long process, and everyone must go through this progression in order to mature and develop. As we are successful in our learning, we are then able to develop a sense of self-efficacy. I have seen in my experiences that this confidence in our own abilities to perform well at certain tasks and to be able to learn new information and skills effectively often determines the amount of effort we will put into learning new things. Our self-efficacy can increase our persistence when attempting to master new skills or concepts, and it can decrease our frustration as we have more patience with ourselves when we learn new things. As we strive to have confidence in our abilities and make our personal learning meaningful, I believe that we will be able to truly come to love learning.
In my experience, one of the most effective ways of learning something new is through interaction with a more knowledgeable other. This person knows more about the topic or skill to be learned, so he or she is able to use modeling to demonstrate to the learner what it is that the learner is learning. Throughout the learning process, the more knowledgeable other can scaffold the learner by guiding the student’s thinking, giving encouragement, and helping the learner to be able to do more with help than he or she would have been able to do without this assistance. I believe that this scaffolding is extremely effective because it helps learners to develop a deeper understanding and gain confidence in their abilities to learn the new task.
I have found that in the earlier years of a person’s life, there is more of a focus on learning through stimuli and responses to these stimuli. As children first begin moving body parts and manipulating objects around them, such as toys, blankets, etc., these children learn that when they move their fingers (stimulus), they can cause objects to move in certain ways (response). Also, children learn through experience that when they cry (stimulus), this will generally cause a parent to come to their assistance and meet their needs or give them the attention they desire (response). Another example of this includes the methods used by many teachers and parents to help children learn what behaviors are acceptable and desired, and which are not. Adults often use positive and negative reinforcement to encourage children to continue doing certain behaviors. Alternately, they utilize positive and negative punishment to discourage children from continuing certain behaviors. Children can also learn which behaviors are desired through vicarious reinforcement, in which the learner sees another person praised for doing a certain behavior and, therefore, tries to do the same behavior in hopes of receiving praise as well. In these examples, the behaviors that are exhibited by the students are the stimuli. These behaviors then cause the teachers to give certain responses, which can be either reinforcement or punishment, depending on whether the behavior was desired or not. By seeing which behaviors the teachers praise and which ones are discouraged by punishment, children then are able to learn which behaviors are acceptable, and they exhibit these behaviors more often because they desire the praise and rewards from their parents and teachers. As people get older, they often start to use more self-reinforcement as they teach and train themselves to continue certain desired behaviors and accomplishments. They also use more self-regulation to encourage themselves to continue working toward desired goals.
As we learn, it is important for the information we bring in to be meaningful so we can have strong connections with the information and use retrieval to easily bring it from the long-term memory into the working memory. In order for this to occur in learning, I believe that it is very important to provide learners with authentic tasks, or tasks that are easily relatable to real-world situations or problems that could arise in the learners’ future experiences. By teaching through these kinds of tasks, the learners are able to feel that the things they are learning are truly meaningful and will help them in their future endeavors.
I believe that learning is a life-long process, and everyone must go through this progression in order to mature and develop. As we are successful in our learning, we are then able to develop a sense of self-efficacy. I have seen in my experiences that this confidence in our own abilities to perform well at certain tasks and to be able to learn new information and skills effectively often determines the amount of effort we will put into learning new things. Our self-efficacy can increase our persistence when attempting to master new skills or concepts, and it can decrease our frustration as we have more patience with ourselves when we learn new things. As we strive to have confidence in our abilities and make our personal learning meaningful, I believe that we will be able to truly come to love learning.
IP&T 301: Personal Learning Report & Log
This semester, I chose to learn the skill of cooking for a large group by participating in a dinner group. In order to be part of the dinner group, I have had to cook a complete meal for 12 people once every three weeks. As I had never had to cook for this large of a group on my own before I joined this dinner group, I thought this would be a great new skill to focus on developing.
At first, it was very intimidating to have to cook such large amounts of food for my dinner group. In order to make sure I was successful with the meals I cooked, I always called my mom to get help planning appropriate meals and to get specific instructions for how to plan the meals, buy ingredients, put together the dishes, and cook/bake them. Because of her years of experience with cooking, my mom always seemed to have special directions for me to change something slightly in recipes to make them even better. My mom’s advice always helped me to make my dinners especially good, and she was usually able to give me pointers on how to get the meals done fairly quickly.
I always tried to be creative with my meals, and I made sure the dinners were balanced and nutritious. In order to do this, I consulted my mom and thought about incorporating each of the food groups into my meals. As the semester progressed, I found that I was getting better at estimating how much food I would need to make in order to have plenty for everyone, but not have too much left over. Also, it became easier for me to think of side dishes I could make that would go well with the main dish I had planned. I began to really enjoy cooking because I was able to make some delicious meals, and I started to have fun planning what I could make next.
Personal Learning Log
January 12: 3 hrs. – Grocery shopping, preparing and cooking food
January 31: 45 min. – Planning meal, grocery shopping
February 2: 2 ½ hrs. – Preparing and cooking food
February 20: 1 hr. – Planning meal, grocery shopping
February 23: 2 hrs. – Preparing and cooking food
March 14: 45 min. – Planning meal, grocery shopping
March 16: 2 ½ hrs. – Preparing and cooking food
March 28: 45 min. – Planning meal, grocery shopping
March 30: 2 hrs. – Preparing and cooking food
Total: 15 hrs, 15 min.
At first, it was very intimidating to have to cook such large amounts of food for my dinner group. In order to make sure I was successful with the meals I cooked, I always called my mom to get help planning appropriate meals and to get specific instructions for how to plan the meals, buy ingredients, put together the dishes, and cook/bake them. Because of her years of experience with cooking, my mom always seemed to have special directions for me to change something slightly in recipes to make them even better. My mom’s advice always helped me to make my dinners especially good, and she was usually able to give me pointers on how to get the meals done fairly quickly.
I always tried to be creative with my meals, and I made sure the dinners were balanced and nutritious. In order to do this, I consulted my mom and thought about incorporating each of the food groups into my meals. As the semester progressed, I found that I was getting better at estimating how much food I would need to make in order to have plenty for everyone, but not have too much left over. Also, it became easier for me to think of side dishes I could make that would go well with the main dish I had planned. I began to really enjoy cooking because I was able to make some delicious meals, and I started to have fun planning what I could make next.
Personal Learning Log
January 12: 3 hrs. – Grocery shopping, preparing and cooking food
January 31: 45 min. – Planning meal, grocery shopping
February 2: 2 ½ hrs. – Preparing and cooking food
February 20: 1 hr. – Planning meal, grocery shopping
February 23: 2 hrs. – Preparing and cooking food
March 14: 45 min. – Planning meal, grocery shopping
March 16: 2 ½ hrs. – Preparing and cooking food
March 28: 45 min. – Planning meal, grocery shopping
March 30: 2 hrs. – Preparing and cooking food
Technology Integration Ideas
There were some really great ideas presented in my group for ways technology can be integrated into lessons:
1. One of my favorite ones was to use photostory to have the children record themselves reading parts of a story so that they could hear what they sound like when they read. This is a great way to encourage the children to read with expression because it helps them to hear what their reading sounds like and help them to want to make their reading more interesting.
2. Another idea I got from my peers that looked like a great way to use technology was to use a game show template either online or on Powerpoint to make a lesson more fun. One of my peers used a template for "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," and another used a template for "Jeopardy" that she found online. I think that these templates could be used to enhance many different lessons, and it would be a really fun way to get the children excited to participate.
1. One of my favorite ones was to use photostory to have the children record themselves reading parts of a story so that they could hear what they sound like when they read. This is a great way to encourage the children to read with expression because it helps them to hear what their reading sounds like and help them to want to make their reading more interesting.
2. Another idea I got from my peers that looked like a great way to use technology was to use a game show template either online or on Powerpoint to make a lesson more fun. One of my peers used a template for "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," and another used a template for "Jeopardy" that she found online. I think that these templates could be used to enhance many different lessons, and it would be a really fun way to get the children excited to participate.
Monday, April 6, 2009
What I Learned from Other Project Presentations
I enjoyed looking at other people's presentations of what they did in their classrooms to incorporate technology into a lesson. One thing I learned from watching these presentations is just how much you can do with technology to enhance lessons. There are so many great resources, programs, and equipment that can be used to help children enjoy lessons and have more hands-on learning. I think that, as teachers, it is important to be willing to take a little extra time to incorporate technology into lessons because it really does add to the quality and effectiveness of lessons. Also, the children really enjoy the use of technology in lessons, and it helps them to develop their understanding of programs and equipment for their own future use of such technology.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Internet Safety
1. For my 4th article on internet safety, I chose to read "Fighting Internet Filth," by Mario Hipol. This article was very helpful and gave a lot of great suggestions for specific things parents could do to help protect their families from encountering problems and filth on the internet. The article was great because it described how to do specific things with the internet, and it was in simple terms and in great detail so that any parents could follow the instructions and use it in their homes.
2. I think that the most important thing I learned from the readings is that it is essential to make a commitment NOW to protect my home and my classroom from internet filth. I learned from these articles that there are so many things we can do as precautionary measures so that we prevent problems before they even happen. I recognized through these readings that we should do everything we can to prevent problems so that we don't have to deal with them when they arise.
3. After reading these articles, I have a new resolve to do what I can to protect my future family and my future classroom from all the filth and problems that can occur with the internet. Before I read these articles, I did recognize that there were lots of problems that could arise with the internet. However, I don't think I really realized how important it is to safeguard against these problems and to do everything I can to prevent issues before they arise.
4. I think that the most important thing I can do to help my family members and friends with internet safety would be to share what I have learned and make sure they are aware of all the things they can do to safeguard themselves and their families against the evils that can come up through the internet. I can help my friends and family to know how to get to resources that can help them with ensuring that they are protected from harmful internet content. Also, I can make sure they are aware of different ways they can be knowledgeable about the internet and other potentially harmful technology so that they will be able to protect those they love from problems that can arise.
2. I think that the most important thing I learned from the readings is that it is essential to make a commitment NOW to protect my home and my classroom from internet filth. I learned from these articles that there are so many things we can do as precautionary measures so that we prevent problems before they even happen. I recognized through these readings that we should do everything we can to prevent problems so that we don't have to deal with them when they arise.
3. After reading these articles, I have a new resolve to do what I can to protect my future family and my future classroom from all the filth and problems that can occur with the internet. Before I read these articles, I did recognize that there were lots of problems that could arise with the internet. However, I don't think I really realized how important it is to safeguard against these problems and to do everything I can to prevent issues before they arise.
4. I think that the most important thing I can do to help my family members and friends with internet safety would be to share what I have learned and make sure they are aware of all the things they can do to safeguard themselves and their families against the evils that can come up through the internet. I can help my friends and family to know how to get to resources that can help them with ensuring that they are protected from harmful internet content. Also, I can make sure they are aware of different ways they can be knowledgeable about the internet and other potentially harmful technology so that they will be able to protect those they love from problems that can arise.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Plans for Incorporating Technology
My plan for using technology in a lesson is to show a couple of short video clips at the beginning of a guided reading lesson I am doing tomorrow with a group of 4 students. The focus of my lesson is on helping the children to use vocal expression and intonation when they read, as well as reading smoothly instead of breaking up their reading word-by-word. I will be showing them a clip of monkeys making noises to talk about using expression and intonation when we read. Also, I will show them a clip of swans gliding smoothly to talk about making their reading smooth.
I think that this will be a fun way to get them thinking about what their reading should sound like. It will give them a visual and audio example of how to read smoothly and expressively. I think they will enjoy it, and I think it will be a helpful use of technology that will reinforce what I am teaching.
I think that this will be a fun way to get them thinking about what their reading should sound like. It will give them a visual and audio example of how to read smoothly and expressively. I think they will enjoy it, and I think it will be a helpful use of technology that will reinforce what I am teaching.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Technology in the Classroom
One idea I have for incorporating technology into a lesson would be to show a video clip at the beginning of or during a lesson to enhance whatever subject or topic is being taught. I think that video clips (digital storybooks, short educational videos, videos incorporating or illustrating whatever is being taught in the lesson, etc.) can often be a powerful tool for teaching children because they get very excited about watching them. Because of this, they will often pay close attention to the video clips and really learn from them. After watching the video clip, you can then guide the children's thinking to relate what they just saw to something that you are studying. Also, you could tell the children before they even watch the video clip what it is that you would like them to watch for in the clip.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Technology Inventory
I am currently doing my first cohort experience at Mapleton Elementary, where I am working in a first grade classroom. Through doing the technology inventory, I was able to see what all is available to teachers in that school. I was surprised at just how much the school really does provide to help teachers incorporate technology into their lessons and their classrooms. Although the classrooms at Mapleton (or at least the one I am in) do not really have computers available to the students, there are two large computer labs in the school that are available for teachers to schedule whenever they are available. Also, the children have a computer class incorporated into their weekly schedule.
I was very pleased at how much technology was available at this school. I know that Mapleton Elementary is one of the more wealthy schools in the area, and I can tell by all the technology in the school that a good amount of this money has been put toward improving technology at the school and making technological equipment readily available.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Link to Virtual Tour
Here is the link to my Virtual Tour in my filing cabinet:
http://sites.google.com/site/dehipt287/Home/virtual-tour
*Or, you can click on "Diane's Filing Cabinet" under My Links.
*Or, you can click on "Diane's Filing Cabinet" under My Links.
Monday, February 23, 2009
TPACK for Virtual Tour
3rd Grade Visual Arts Core Curriculum: Standard 1, Objective 1
a. Explain possible meanings or interpretations of some significant works of art.
b. Invent possible stories that may explain what is going on in these same works of art.
The content I'll be covering in my virtual tour will be analyzing art and trying to figure out the meanings of various works of art. In order to do this, we will focus on 4 famous European works of art. The students will read background information on each of the artists who painted these works. Then, they will look at each of the paintings and try to find meaning in them. They will try to come up with possible stories of what might be going on in the images.
The pedagogy I'll be using in the virtual tour will include knowing how to word the explanations of the backgrounds of the artists in such a way that the children will be able to easily read them and understand the meaning. Also, I will need to know how to organize the activity in such a way that it is easy for the children to complete. I will help the children as they work through the activity and be available to answer questions as they go along. Also, I will discuss the paintings and painters with them throughout the activity in order to scaffold their learning and make it more meaningful.
The technology I will be using in the virtual tour is Google Earth. This fits well with the pedagogy and content for this activity because Google Earth will provide the children with a great way to really visualize where these paintings were painted. Also, it will help them to recognize that these painters grew up in completely different cultures and had very different backgrounds than they have had. Therefore, they will need to really think about the perspectives of the painters when they analyze the paintings. As the children use Google Earth, I will be able to increase their learning by asking them questions and guiding their learning. This technology will work very well with the pedagogy and content of this lesson.
a. Explain possible meanings or interpretations of some significant works of art.
b. Invent possible stories that may explain what is going on in these same works of art.
The content I'll be covering in my virtual tour will be analyzing art and trying to figure out the meanings of various works of art. In order to do this, we will focus on 4 famous European works of art. The students will read background information on each of the artists who painted these works. Then, they will look at each of the paintings and try to find meaning in them. They will try to come up with possible stories of what might be going on in the images.
The pedagogy I'll be using in the virtual tour will include knowing how to word the explanations of the backgrounds of the artists in such a way that the children will be able to easily read them and understand the meaning. Also, I will need to know how to organize the activity in such a way that it is easy for the children to complete. I will help the children as they work through the activity and be available to answer questions as they go along. Also, I will discuss the paintings and painters with them throughout the activity in order to scaffold their learning and make it more meaningful.
The technology I will be using in the virtual tour is Google Earth. This fits well with the pedagogy and content for this activity because Google Earth will provide the children with a great way to really visualize where these paintings were painted. Also, it will help them to recognize that these painters grew up in completely different cultures and had very different backgrounds than they have had. Therefore, they will need to really think about the perspectives of the painters when they analyze the paintings. As the children use Google Earth, I will be able to increase their learning by asking them questions and guiding their learning. This technology will work very well with the pedagogy and content of this lesson.
IP&T 301: Social Constructivism Lesson Plan
I have decided to adjust this lesson plan to utilize the social learning strategy of Cognitive Apprenticeship. I believe that Cognitive Apprenticeship is a very successful way of teaching children because they have the opportunity to learn under the guidance of an expert or more knowledgeable other. By observing the expert, working with the help of the expert, and eventually working toward an independent knowledge of what is being taught, this learning strategy really helps students to develop a thorough understanding.
More Knowledgeable Other: In teaching this lesson on shapes with the Cognitive Apprenticeship approach, I would be the "more knowledgeable other," or expert on the information the children are learning. Throughout the lesson, the children would have opportunities to observe me and listen to my explanations of shapes and their characteristics in order to develop their own understanding of shapes.
Cultural or Symbolic Tools:
1. I Spy: We will use the common game of "I Spy" to begin the lesson on shapes. I will describe something I see in our classroom by stating the characteristics of its shape, and the children will guess what it is that I am describing.
2. Language: Language will be extremely important throughout the lesson because it will be used to describe and name each of the different shapes. It will help to clarify for the children any misconceptions or misunderstandings they may have about the different shapes. Also, we will use language and singing to learn a song about shapes that will help the children to remember the characteristics and names of each of the shapes we explore through this lesson.
3. Actual Cut-Outs of Shapes: I will provide the children with cut-outs of each of the shapes we will be learning about so that they will be able to manipulate them and really see what they are like.
4. Paper and Crayons: We will do a listening activity in which I will ask them to color each shape on their paper a certain color. This will help them to visualize which shape is which, and it will help me to assess their understanding of shape identification.
5. Riddles: I will use shape riddles to describe different shapes and see if they can guess which shape I am describing.
6. Numbers: We will use numbers as part of our explanations of shapes by describing the number of sides each shape has, the number of corners it has, etc.
7. Chart: As I teach the students about shapes, I will help them to be able to compare the different shapes by making a chart in which we write all the similarities and differences between the shapes.
Zone of Proximal Development: As I teach this lesson, I will make sure that I am always paying attention to how well my students are understanding what I am teaching to make sure that the instruction I give is at an instructional level for them. I will be sure to begin the lesson by modeling shape identification myself so that the students will be able to see what they will be asked to do later in the lesson. After I have modeled shape identification for them, I will then use the concept of the Zone of Proximal Development as a guide for my instruction. I will make sure that my instruction stays within my students' Zone of Proximal Development by first doing a lot of shape identification as a whole class. As they get more comfortable with identification as a class, I will then move into doing shape descriptions and identification in small groups. After they have become very comfortable with the group work, I will then give them individual assignments and activities so that they can show what they have learned. By gradually giving them more independence and more responsibility throughout the lesson, I will be able to keep them in their Zone of Proximal Development and make sure that they are always being pushed a little further to reach their individual potential. I will pay attention to the cues I get from my students during the lesson in order to know when it is appropriate to move to the next phase of the lesson so that I do not move too quickly or too slowly.
Scaffolding: I would use scaffolding throughout the lesson in order to help the children to be able to do a little more than they would be able to on their own. This will help them to then be able to develop the abilities to do the activities they do with my help on their own once they have a full understanding of it. In the beginning of the lesson, the students will need a lot more scaffolding from me because shape characteristics and identification will be somewhat unfamiliar to them. Throughout the lesson, they will get gradually more familiar with the information and the process of shape identification, so they will not need as much help from me. As we work together as a class in the beginning of the lesson, this will scaffold their learning so that they can begin to understand the concept of shapes. We will then move to group work, in which the scaffolding provided will be the assistance of other members of their groups, as well as my assistance as I move from group to group to help wherever is needed. Then, I will give them work to do individually so that they can show me what they personally have learned. However, I will be available to them to scaffold further when my students have any further questions. One final assignment I will give my students will be to go home and explain each shape to a family member. The family member must then find something in the house that is each shape described, and the student will explain why or why not the object is the same as the shape described. In this activity, the student becomes the teacher, but the student's learning is still being scaffolded by the family member.
Dialectical Relationship between Learner and MKO: As I work extensively with my students, I will be able to help them to increase their understanding of shapes and their characteristics. I will assist them in improving their abilities to recognize and identify shapes in their surroundings. Also, I will be able to increase their confidence in their abilities by being encouraging and supportive to them throughout the lesson, as well as through giving them good instruction so that they are able to develop a thorough understanding of the topic. In addition to the information I will give them, I will also learn a lot from my students as we go through the lesson. I will be able to solidify my understanding of the various descriptions of all shapes, and my students will be able to show me many different ways of thinking in order to identify and describe shapes. I will also come to a better understanding of my students, which will help me to be able to further assist them in their learning and development.
More Knowledgeable Other: In teaching this lesson on shapes with the Cognitive Apprenticeship approach, I would be the "more knowledgeable other," or expert on the information the children are learning. Throughout the lesson, the children would have opportunities to observe me and listen to my explanations of shapes and their characteristics in order to develop their own understanding of shapes.
Cultural or Symbolic Tools:
1. I Spy: We will use the common game of "I Spy" to begin the lesson on shapes. I will describe something I see in our classroom by stating the characteristics of its shape, and the children will guess what it is that I am describing.
2. Language: Language will be extremely important throughout the lesson because it will be used to describe and name each of the different shapes. It will help to clarify for the children any misconceptions or misunderstandings they may have about the different shapes. Also, we will use language and singing to learn a song about shapes that will help the children to remember the characteristics and names of each of the shapes we explore through this lesson.
3. Actual Cut-Outs of Shapes: I will provide the children with cut-outs of each of the shapes we will be learning about so that they will be able to manipulate them and really see what they are like.
4. Paper and Crayons: We will do a listening activity in which I will ask them to color each shape on their paper a certain color. This will help them to visualize which shape is which, and it will help me to assess their understanding of shape identification.
5. Riddles: I will use shape riddles to describe different shapes and see if they can guess which shape I am describing.
6. Numbers: We will use numbers as part of our explanations of shapes by describing the number of sides each shape has, the number of corners it has, etc.
7. Chart: As I teach the students about shapes, I will help them to be able to compare the different shapes by making a chart in which we write all the similarities and differences between the shapes.
Zone of Proximal Development: As I teach this lesson, I will make sure that I am always paying attention to how well my students are understanding what I am teaching to make sure that the instruction I give is at an instructional level for them. I will be sure to begin the lesson by modeling shape identification myself so that the students will be able to see what they will be asked to do later in the lesson. After I have modeled shape identification for them, I will then use the concept of the Zone of Proximal Development as a guide for my instruction. I will make sure that my instruction stays within my students' Zone of Proximal Development by first doing a lot of shape identification as a whole class. As they get more comfortable with identification as a class, I will then move into doing shape descriptions and identification in small groups. After they have become very comfortable with the group work, I will then give them individual assignments and activities so that they can show what they have learned. By gradually giving them more independence and more responsibility throughout the lesson, I will be able to keep them in their Zone of Proximal Development and make sure that they are always being pushed a little further to reach their individual potential. I will pay attention to the cues I get from my students during the lesson in order to know when it is appropriate to move to the next phase of the lesson so that I do not move too quickly or too slowly.
Scaffolding: I would use scaffolding throughout the lesson in order to help the children to be able to do a little more than they would be able to on their own. This will help them to then be able to develop the abilities to do the activities they do with my help on their own once they have a full understanding of it. In the beginning of the lesson, the students will need a lot more scaffolding from me because shape characteristics and identification will be somewhat unfamiliar to them. Throughout the lesson, they will get gradually more familiar with the information and the process of shape identification, so they will not need as much help from me. As we work together as a class in the beginning of the lesson, this will scaffold their learning so that they can begin to understand the concept of shapes. We will then move to group work, in which the scaffolding provided will be the assistance of other members of their groups, as well as my assistance as I move from group to group to help wherever is needed. Then, I will give them work to do individually so that they can show me what they personally have learned. However, I will be available to them to scaffold further when my students have any further questions. One final assignment I will give my students will be to go home and explain each shape to a family member. The family member must then find something in the house that is each shape described, and the student will explain why or why not the object is the same as the shape described. In this activity, the student becomes the teacher, but the student's learning is still being scaffolded by the family member.
Dialectical Relationship between Learner and MKO: As I work extensively with my students, I will be able to help them to increase their understanding of shapes and their characteristics. I will assist them in improving their abilities to recognize and identify shapes in their surroundings. Also, I will be able to increase their confidence in their abilities by being encouraging and supportive to them throughout the lesson, as well as through giving them good instruction so that they are able to develop a thorough understanding of the topic. In addition to the information I will give them, I will also learn a lot from my students as we go through the lesson. I will be able to solidify my understanding of the various descriptions of all shapes, and my students will be able to show me many different ways of thinking in order to identify and describe shapes. I will also come to a better understanding of my students, which will help me to be able to further assist them in their learning and development.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
IP&T 301: Developmental Cognition Lesson Plan
By incorporating Piagetian constructivist learning principles in my lesson, I believe that I could really improve the quality of my lesson. Some Piagetian concepts I would take into account would be:
1. Stage-based learning: Because my students would mostly still be in the preoperational stage of development, I would make sure I did not expect too much of them. I need to understand that there are certain concepts and ways of thinking that are above their developmental abilities. Many of my students will not have mastered mental operatioins, so they may struggle with some logical thinking. Therefore, I will need to guide their thinking to help them learn about different shapes while not expecting them to have a perfect understanding of the things I teach them.
2. Uniqueness of individual learning: Each of my students will learn differently and will have different schemas that they are working with. Because everyone will come to my classroom with different backgrounds and experiences, I will need to tailor my instruction to best meet the needs of each individual member of the class. I will base my teaching strategies on the individual learning styles and experiences of my students.
3. Experience that involves action: Children mature and become increasingly able to act on their environment and learn from what they experience. As children physically interact with the environment, they are often able to visualize things much more easily. In order to help my students learn more effectively, I will involve them in physically interacting with shapes and other objects in the classroom to help them internalize the lesson on shapes much more easily.
4. Necessity of social interaction: Acording to Piaget, a great deal of what we learn comes through social interaction. Lots of the knowledge we gain is offered by our culture, and without social interaction, we would have to develop a lot of this knowledge on our own. Because I believe that social interaction will help my students understand shapes much better, I will lead class discussions about shapes and give them opportunities to work in small groups to help teach each other.
I will use the following concepts in my lesson:
Adaptation: In order to make sure the new information I teach my students is really internalized and makes sense to them, I will help them to connect the information I teach them to the schemas they already have through assimilation. If adjustments to their existing schemas, I will help them to use accommodation to make sense of any new information that doesn't fit in their existing ideas. As we explore the various characteristics of shapes, I will help them to expand their understanding of what certain shapes can look like by giving them many different examples. (Ex: show them that a square is also a type of rectangle, and rectangles can also be short and wide, thin and tall, etc.) By doing this, the students will not think that there is only one way to make certain shapes.
Disequilibrium: When disequilibrium occurs and the children are having trouble making sense of the lesson, I will ehlp them to use assimilation and accommodation to comprehend the new information. Also, I will recognize that disequilibrium is a very important part of learning, and it is not a bad thing for the children to struggle through concepts a little.
Schemas: My students will come with all different schemas because they all come from different backgrounds and have had very different experiences. Therefore, I will need to use lots of different examples in my teaching as some will be meaningful to certain students while other examples will be more meaningful to different students. If I use a variety of different objects as examples of the various shapes I am teaching about, the students will be more likely to be able to make connections with some of them and have more meaningful learning.
Discovery or Guided Discovery Learning: After talking about the different aspects of shapes, I will give the children the opportunity to learn thrugh guided discovery by finding various shapes around the room and figuring out what they are. I will give them the opportunity to work in small groups so they have social interaction and are able to talk about their findings with their peers. This will help them to develop a deeper understanding of shape names and characteristics. Also, I will take them outside to see all the shapes in the natural environment. I will let them explore outside on their own so that they have the opportunity to really discover for themselves that shapes are all around them.
Classification: Because many of my students will still by in the preoperational stage of development, some of them may struggle a little with the classification of the shapes we learn about. With my knowledge of Piaget's developmental stages of learning, I will recognize that these students may have simply not developed to that point yet. Therefore, I will not be pushy with my students, and I will not expect too much of them. If they are not ready to classify shapes, I will not require them or push them to do so.
1. Stage-based learning: Because my students would mostly still be in the preoperational stage of development, I would make sure I did not expect too much of them. I need to understand that there are certain concepts and ways of thinking that are above their developmental abilities. Many of my students will not have mastered mental operatioins, so they may struggle with some logical thinking. Therefore, I will need to guide their thinking to help them learn about different shapes while not expecting them to have a perfect understanding of the things I teach them.
2. Uniqueness of individual learning: Each of my students will learn differently and will have different schemas that they are working with. Because everyone will come to my classroom with different backgrounds and experiences, I will need to tailor my instruction to best meet the needs of each individual member of the class. I will base my teaching strategies on the individual learning styles and experiences of my students.
3. Experience that involves action: Children mature and become increasingly able to act on their environment and learn from what they experience. As children physically interact with the environment, they are often able to visualize things much more easily. In order to help my students learn more effectively, I will involve them in physically interacting with shapes and other objects in the classroom to help them internalize the lesson on shapes much more easily.
4. Necessity of social interaction: Acording to Piaget, a great deal of what we learn comes through social interaction. Lots of the knowledge we gain is offered by our culture, and without social interaction, we would have to develop a lot of this knowledge on our own. Because I believe that social interaction will help my students understand shapes much better, I will lead class discussions about shapes and give them opportunities to work in small groups to help teach each other.
I will use the following concepts in my lesson:
Adaptation: In order to make sure the new information I teach my students is really internalized and makes sense to them, I will help them to connect the information I teach them to the schemas they already have through assimilation. If adjustments to their existing schemas, I will help them to use accommodation to make sense of any new information that doesn't fit in their existing ideas. As we explore the various characteristics of shapes, I will help them to expand their understanding of what certain shapes can look like by giving them many different examples. (Ex: show them that a square is also a type of rectangle, and rectangles can also be short and wide, thin and tall, etc.) By doing this, the students will not think that there is only one way to make certain shapes.
Disequilibrium: When disequilibrium occurs and the children are having trouble making sense of the lesson, I will ehlp them to use assimilation and accommodation to comprehend the new information. Also, I will recognize that disequilibrium is a very important part of learning, and it is not a bad thing for the children to struggle through concepts a little.
Schemas: My students will come with all different schemas because they all come from different backgrounds and have had very different experiences. Therefore, I will need to use lots of different examples in my teaching as some will be meaningful to certain students while other examples will be more meaningful to different students. If I use a variety of different objects as examples of the various shapes I am teaching about, the students will be more likely to be able to make connections with some of them and have more meaningful learning.
Discovery or Guided Discovery Learning: After talking about the different aspects of shapes, I will give the children the opportunity to learn thrugh guided discovery by finding various shapes around the room and figuring out what they are. I will give them the opportunity to work in small groups so they have social interaction and are able to talk about their findings with their peers. This will help them to develop a deeper understanding of shape names and characteristics. Also, I will take them outside to see all the shapes in the natural environment. I will let them explore outside on their own so that they have the opportunity to really discover for themselves that shapes are all around them.
Classification: Because many of my students will still by in the preoperational stage of development, some of them may struggle a little with the classification of the shapes we learn about. With my knowledge of Piaget's developmental stages of learning, I will recognize that these students may have simply not developed to that point yet. Therefore, I will not be pushy with my students, and I will not expect too much of them. If they are not ready to classify shapes, I will not require them or push them to do so.
Virtual Tour Plan: Learning about European Art
| Location | Activity | Google Earth Content |
| 1. Florence, Italy | In the first activity, I will have the students go to Florence, Italy and read information about Leonardo da Vinci and his famous painting, the Mona Lisa. They will then speculate possible meanings of the painting and reasons why da Vinci chose to paint her in the way he did. | I will have them look at an image of the Mona Lisa and read about the background of Leonardo da Vinci. |
| 2. Paris, France | For the second activity, I will send the students to Paris, France, where Jacques Louis David was born. He painted Napoleon at the Saint Bernard Pass. They will read about David and his connections with Napoleon. Then, they will speculate possible meanings of the painting. | I will have the students look at an image of Napoleon at the Saint Bernard Pass. I will have a connection to a Wikipedia article in which it discusses David's connections with Napoleon to give the students more background on the painting. |
| 3. Barcelona, Spain | I will then take the students to Barcelona, Spain. This is where a famous Spanish painter, Diego Velasquez, painted Las Meninas. The students will then analyze this painting as they have the others, speculating what the artist intended as the meaning and any possible story of what may be going on in the painting. | The children will look at an image of Las Meninas and read general background information about Velasquez. |
| 4. London, England | I will have the children go to London, England, where John Constable painted The Haywain. The students will read about John Constable and look at the image of this painting. After doing this, they will look for meanings in the painting and guess a possible story of what might be going on. | The students will look at an image of The Haywain and will read background information about John Constable. |
| Details of image overlay / path / polygon: | Since this lesson will be focusing on European art, I plan to insert a polygon around Europe to show the students where the borders of Europe are. | |
Thursday, February 12, 2009
IP&T 301 Applied Lesson Plan - Behaviorism
Behavioral Objective: After exploring the characteristics of various shapes, the students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of these characteristics through identifying the names of certain shapes when given a list of their attributes.
Task Analysis:
1. Assess previous knowledge of shape names and characteristics by laying a game of memory with pictures of shapes on half of the cards and the shape names on the other half The children then have to match each shape picture with its correct name.
2. Increase the children's knowledge of shapes by teaching them a song about shapes:
Shapes
(Sung to Are You Sleeping?)
This is a square. This is a square.
Can you tell? Can you tell?
It has four sides, all the same size.
It’s a square. It’s a square.
This is a circle. This is a circle.
Can you tell? Can you tell?
It goes round and round. No end can be found.
It’s a circle. It’s a circle.
This is a triangle. This is a triangle.
Can you tell? Can you tell?
It only has three sides that join to make three corners.
It’s a triangle. It’s a triangle.
This is a rectangle. This is a rectangle.
Can you tell? Can you tell?
My sides are sometimes short or long. I sing a happy song.
It’s a rectangle. It’s a rectangle.
3. Give the students an opportunity to apply their knowledge of shapes by finding objects around the room that are certain shapes and explaining how they know what shape it is (name specific characteristics).
4. After they have had some practice with identifying shapes and their characteristics, do a listening activity with the children. They will have crayons and a paper with many different shapes on it, each outlined in black. Have the children:
Color the circle red
Color the triangle blue
Color the square orange
Color the rectangle yellow
Name objects that look like these shapes
Critical Thinking Skills: Can you think of an object that has more than one shape?
5. Assess each students understanding by naming characteristics of a shape and having them tell you what shape it is. If they have difficulty visualizing the shapes with just an explanation of the characteristics, you can also show them pictures of the shapes.
I will include the following behaviorist principles:
Positive Reinforcement: I will use positive reinforcement throughout the lesson by praising the children and giving them more free time when they behave well and stay on task.
Negative punishment: In contrast to my strategies for reinforcing their good behavior, I will use negative punishment to encourage them not to repeat bad behavior that they display during the lesson. If the children do not stay on task, cause problems during the lesson, or display other unacceptable behavior, I will remove part of their free time from their schedule to show them the importance of behaving properly.
Shaping: I will use shaping to encourage the students to keep working on learning their shapes and to emphasize the progress they are making throughout the lesson. After each portion of the lesson that is completed successfully, I will tell them how pleased I am with their work. Also, I will give them choices of activities they would like to do (such as art projects involving shapes, coloring shapes, playing various games involving shapes with their classmates, etc.) to give them breaks from the direct instruction.
Observational Learning: In order to help the children understand the activities we will do to help them learn about shapes, I will teach through observational learning. I will make sure I model each of the activities before asking the children to do them so that they will be able to see what I do and learn from what they see. Also, I will model the identification of shapes and explaining characteristics of shapes so that they will be able to model their language after mine.
Positive Practice: Whenever children identify shapes or state shape characteristics incorrectly, I will explain the correct answer to them and have them practice more with the shapes and characteristics they struggled with. I will do this immediately after the error so that the children do not get the wrong information too ingrained in their heads. By using positive practice, they will be able to correct any wrong understandings they may have so that they will be able to successfully reach the lesson objective.
Task Analysis:
1. Assess previous knowledge of shape names and characteristics by laying a game of memory with pictures of shapes on half of the cards and the shape names on the other half The children then have to match each shape picture with its correct name.
2. Increase the children's knowledge of shapes by teaching them a song about shapes:
Shapes
(Sung to Are You Sleeping?)
This is a square. This is a square.
Can you tell? Can you tell?
It has four sides, all the same size.
It’s a square. It’s a square.
This is a circle. This is a circle.
Can you tell? Can you tell?
It goes round and round. No end can be found.
It’s a circle. It’s a circle.
This is a triangle. This is a triangle.
Can you tell? Can you tell?
It only has three sides that join to make three corners.
It’s a triangle. It’s a triangle.
This is a rectangle. This is a rectangle.
Can you tell? Can you tell?
My sides are sometimes short or long. I sing a happy song.
It’s a rectangle. It’s a rectangle.
3. Give the students an opportunity to apply their knowledge of shapes by finding objects around the room that are certain shapes and explaining how they know what shape it is (name specific characteristics).
4. After they have had some practice with identifying shapes and their characteristics, do a listening activity with the children. They will have crayons and a paper with many different shapes on it, each outlined in black. Have the children:
Color the circle red
Color the triangle blue
Color the square orange
Color the rectangle yellow
Name objects that look like these shapes
Critical Thinking Skills: Can you think of an object that has more than one shape?
5. Assess each students understanding by naming characteristics of a shape and having them tell you what shape it is. If they have difficulty visualizing the shapes with just an explanation of the characteristics, you can also show them pictures of the shapes.
I will include the following behaviorist principles:
Positive Reinforcement: I will use positive reinforcement throughout the lesson by praising the children and giving them more free time when they behave well and stay on task.
Negative punishment: In contrast to my strategies for reinforcing their good behavior, I will use negative punishment to encourage them not to repeat bad behavior that they display during the lesson. If the children do not stay on task, cause problems during the lesson, or display other unacceptable behavior, I will remove part of their free time from their schedule to show them the importance of behaving properly.
Shaping: I will use shaping to encourage the students to keep working on learning their shapes and to emphasize the progress they are making throughout the lesson. After each portion of the lesson that is completed successfully, I will tell them how pleased I am with their work. Also, I will give them choices of activities they would like to do (such as art projects involving shapes, coloring shapes, playing various games involving shapes with their classmates, etc.) to give them breaks from the direct instruction.
Observational Learning: In order to help the children understand the activities we will do to help them learn about shapes, I will teach through observational learning. I will make sure I model each of the activities before asking the children to do them so that they will be able to see what I do and learn from what they see. Also, I will model the identification of shapes and explaining characteristics of shapes so that they will be able to model their language after mine.
Positive Practice: Whenever children identify shapes or state shape characteristics incorrectly, I will explain the correct answer to them and have them practice more with the shapes and characteristics they struggled with. I will do this immediately after the error so that the children do not get the wrong information too ingrained in their heads. By using positive practice, they will be able to correct any wrong understandings they may have so that they will be able to successfully reach the lesson objective.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
TPACK in Digital Storybook
Through using a digital storybook, I will help my students to develop their reading comprehension by reading, interpreting, and analyzing the text to a song that they know. In my example, I am using the text to "Ode to Joy." The children will analyze the text to the song they have chosen by making connections to themselves and to their prior knowledge. Based on their analysis of the text, they will come up with symbols or picture they can draw that will represent the lines of the text. They will then draw these pictures and use them as the background for the lines they go along with. For pedagogy in this lesson, I will need to know how to help the children best interpret their text. I will need to come up with good thought questions for my students to help them connect the text with their prior experiences and knowledge. The technology I'll be using in this lesson is PhotoStory, which will allow the students and myself to create our own digital storybooks. Also, we will use freeplaymusic.com to get music for the background of our storybooks.
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