I have to admit that this Problem Solving lab caused me the most stress of all the labs so far. I was struggling to come up with a topic (I explored three options, before finally resorting back to my original idea!), struggling to find information and struggling to format my lesson and questions. In other words, I was driving the struggle bus!
Despite all the hardships that I had with this lab, I definitely think that it has been my most successful thus far. I chose to utilize the problem solving approach to analyze and improve a swine operation's biosecurity measures. A 'friend' emailed me, saying that she needed help improving her biosecurity after an outbreak of TGE in her operation. She provided me with the protocol she uses for new swine, the protocol for visitors, the blue print of her facility, as well as some information in the email. I asked the students to use the provided information to come up with ways to improve her biosecurity measures.
When I first began presenting the problem, my 'students' didn't seem that interested (mind you, that I did not begin with bellwork, or with explaining the importance of biosecurity for lab!). However, as the lab progressed, they seemed more and more engaged. They started to bring up points that I never thought of, which was awesome! I was actually amazed that this happened, and it made me feel good that multiple people commented after lab that they felt as if they were actually in my class! I even noticed that their behavior roles seemed to disappear, as did side-conversations during the activity. I am really proud that I created such an engaging, relevant and applicable lesson!
Despite all of the positive aspects of my lesson, it did have some shortcomings. I noticed that I have some habits which are quite annoying. I have improved on my filler words, but continue to hold my lesson in my hand. I would really like to work on this! I also noticed that as students talk, I say "okay" a lot. It was to the point that it annoyed me in my ThereNow video, so I can only imagine how my students feel. I want to show them that I am actively listening, but I need to find another way to do it. Additionally, I really need to work on my questioning. This is something that I struggle with on every lesson that I write. Although it is hard, I know how important questions are, especially in a lesson like this one!
As the weeks go on and I watch my ThereNow videos, I see myself becoming more and more confident in front of the "class". I am glad that we have the opportunity to practice teaching to our lab sections, and I hope that I continue to improve and create engaging lessons!
Friday, October 17, 2014
Assessing Assessments
Evaluation is a key step in quality instruction. Not only does evaluation help gauge students' understanding of content, but it also helps ensure that the teacher is delivering that content in an effective manner. Whether it be an exam or a project, evaluation is completely necessary. Why, then, do students often cringe when they hear the word "exam"? What makes this word, along with assessment, quiz or test, "bad words" in a student's mind?
Perhaps the root of students' hatred for these words stems from experiencing assessments which were poorly thought-out, badly written, or simply ineffective. Too often, teachers turn to multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank and true/false exams. While utilizing these testing methods can have its benefits, only under certain conditions will they be effective.
Much like the reading by Warner & Myers hinted on this week, an exam often is not the most effective method of evaluation, although it may be easier to throw together an exam to evaluate students (and trust me, I find myself turning to the exam option far too often while writing lesson plans for class!). Instead, why don't teachers think outside the box, and move away from exams when they are able to? Why couldn't a project take the place of an exam? How about a presentation? A speech? The list of innovative assessments can go on and on.
These less traditional forms of assessments have their own benefits. Oftentimes, these non-traditional assessment methods are less stressful for students. Students can focus their time and energy completing a task, rather than memorizing content which will likely be forgotten in a matter of days. Furthermore, assessment methods, such as a project or presentation, can be easily guided by a rubric, ensuring less stress for the student. Teachers also benefit from rubrics. By utilizing working rubrics, teachers are able to set expectations for assessments before the students hand in their assessments to be graded. Furthermore, rubrics help the teacher remain objective and fair while grading assessments.
Perhaps the root of students' hatred for these words stems from experiencing assessments which were poorly thought-out, badly written, or simply ineffective. Too often, teachers turn to multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank and true/false exams. While utilizing these testing methods can have its benefits, only under certain conditions will they be effective.
Much like the reading by Warner & Myers hinted on this week, an exam often is not the most effective method of evaluation, although it may be easier to throw together an exam to evaluate students (and trust me, I find myself turning to the exam option far too often while writing lesson plans for class!). Instead, why don't teachers think outside the box, and move away from exams when they are able to? Why couldn't a project take the place of an exam? How about a presentation? A speech? The list of innovative assessments can go on and on.
These less traditional forms of assessments have their own benefits. Oftentimes, these non-traditional assessment methods are less stressful for students. Students can focus their time and energy completing a task, rather than memorizing content which will likely be forgotten in a matter of days. Furthermore, assessment methods, such as a project or presentation, can be easily guided by a rubric, ensuring less stress for the student. Teachers also benefit from rubrics. By utilizing working rubrics, teachers are able to set expectations for assessments before the students hand in their assessments to be graded. Furthermore, rubrics help the teacher remain objective and fair while grading assessments.
Ultimately, I believe that utilizing a variety of assessment
methods, including traditional (exams) and non-traditional, is important.
Caution should be taken, though, to ensure that the assessment method fits the
content. If teachers are able to utilize more varied and appropriate assessment
techniques, I believe that we will be able to combat the negative
connotation of the words “exam, test, assessment and quiz” once and for all!
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Problem: Solved!
Think back to when you were in school... Visualize the classroom, your classmates and your teacher. What does the classroom look like? What is the teacher doing? I would be willing to bet that many of you are picturing a classroom with attentive students seated in rows and a teacher lecturing at the front of the room. Unfortunately, this is what many typically picture when thinking about an American classroom.
All too often, teachers utilize lecturing to deliver content. While lecturing does have its perks, and can be an effective teaching method, it is certainly not a technique that should be utilized for every lesson. Variety is key in education, and perhaps one of the best ways to ensure variety is to utilize a range of teaching techniques, including problem solving.
Problem solving can bring a whole new outlook to your classroom. Not only do students become more involved in the lesson, but they also gain a sense of ownership, when they have a hand at figuring out the problem. Problem solving promotes real-world application and higher order thinking. These skills are essential in many aspects of life and in today's job market.
While the problem solving technique can be extremely effective, it can be scary to pre-service or new teachers. This week's reading suggested that teachers often resort to lecturing to deliver content because it is familiar and comfortable. Problem solving is not. Problem solving requires that teachers "let go of the reigns" and allow their students to essentially teach themselves the content through inquiry and investigation. This leaves a lot of room for misunderstanding or confusion.
However, this can be avoided by planning and implementing the problem solving technique properly. The teacher should make an effort to structure the problems in such a way that requires students to actively think in order to come up with a solution. Problem solving does not always have to have a right or a wrong answer. In fact, some of the best problems have infinite answers that stem from complex questions, requiring students to think on a higher level and apply their previous knowledge. An example of such a question would be "how do we solve global warming?".
In conclusion, I am looking forward to utilizing problem solving in my own classroom, in order to promote higher-level thinking and utilize a variety of teaching techniques. I hope that when my future students are asked to "think back to when they were in school" and to "picture the classroom and teacher", they do not picture me lecturing to them. Instead, I want them to picture a classroom where learning is fostered through interactive activities, such as problem solving.
All too often, teachers utilize lecturing to deliver content. While lecturing does have its perks, and can be an effective teaching method, it is certainly not a technique that should be utilized for every lesson. Variety is key in education, and perhaps one of the best ways to ensure variety is to utilize a range of teaching techniques, including problem solving.
Problem solving can bring a whole new outlook to your classroom. Not only do students become more involved in the lesson, but they also gain a sense of ownership, when they have a hand at figuring out the problem. Problem solving promotes real-world application and higher order thinking. These skills are essential in many aspects of life and in today's job market.
While the problem solving technique can be extremely effective, it can be scary to pre-service or new teachers. This week's reading suggested that teachers often resort to lecturing to deliver content because it is familiar and comfortable. Problem solving is not. Problem solving requires that teachers "let go of the reigns" and allow their students to essentially teach themselves the content through inquiry and investigation. This leaves a lot of room for misunderstanding or confusion.
However, this can be avoided by planning and implementing the problem solving technique properly. The teacher should make an effort to structure the problems in such a way that requires students to actively think in order to come up with a solution. Problem solving does not always have to have a right or a wrong answer. In fact, some of the best problems have infinite answers that stem from complex questions, requiring students to think on a higher level and apply their previous knowledge. An example of such a question would be "how do we solve global warming?".
In conclusion, I am looking forward to utilizing problem solving in my own classroom, in order to promote higher-level thinking and utilize a variety of teaching techniques. I hope that when my future students are asked to "think back to when they were in school" and to "picture the classroom and teacher", they do not picture me lecturing to them. Instead, I want them to picture a classroom where learning is fostered through interactive activities, such as problem solving.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Teaching Agriculture... and Independence, and Life Skills, and...
As the title of this blog implies, the job of an Ag teacher is never done! Not only should Ag teachers aim to teach content, but they also should incorporate life skills into their lessons as well. One of the most significant life skills that can be taught in any type of classroom is independence; a skill that is essential in the personal, professional and academic lives of students. Perhaps one of the best ways to promote student independence is to include individualized teaching techniques into lessons.
Individualized teaching techniques encourage students to learn, by seeking and applying information. These techniques make students responsible for their own learning, ultimately promoting self-reliance and creating an atmosphere that moves away from teacher-centered learning. There are four main individualized teaching techniques, including; supervised study, independent study, experiments, student notebooks and information/assignment/ skill sheets. Each of these, if utilized correctly, can create a more student-centered classroom, where independence thrives.
Personally, I really love the idea of individualized teaching techniques. I think that making the students responsible for their own learning a great idea, as I believe it is important to incorporate student-centered learning into a classroom. While it is essential that the teacher plans these techniques very carefully and supervises the learning that is occurring, it is also important that the students feel a sense of ownership. If a student 'owns' a lesson, they are more likely to be interested in and remember the content.
Perhaps my favorite technique is supervised study. I think that it is a great avenue to encourage students to solve a problem. Again, supervised study will promote this sense of 'ownership' in the lesson, but will also help students come to a conclusion that will ultimately teach content. I think that it is a genius combination!
Another thing that I really like about supervised study is the opportunity it provides for alteration. I think that it is nice that this technique gives you the option to have students work alone, or in groups. You can have students pull information from the same resources, or from different ones. It is completely up to you! It also gives you the chance to work one-on-one with students. You can provide more individualized assistance, and can help those students who may have learning disabilities in a discrete manner.
I can definitely see myself utilizing the supervised study technique in a managerial lesson plan in the near future! I am excited to create a lesson that encourages students to think critically to solve a problem. It is my hope that incorporating this technique will promote this sense of ownership, ultimately creating a student-centered classroom and an atmosphere that radiates independence!
Individualized teaching techniques encourage students to learn, by seeking and applying information. These techniques make students responsible for their own learning, ultimately promoting self-reliance and creating an atmosphere that moves away from teacher-centered learning. There are four main individualized teaching techniques, including; supervised study, independent study, experiments, student notebooks and information/assignment/ skill sheets. Each of these, if utilized correctly, can create a more student-centered classroom, where independence thrives.
Personally, I really love the idea of individualized teaching techniques. I think that making the students responsible for their own learning a great idea, as I believe it is important to incorporate student-centered learning into a classroom. While it is essential that the teacher plans these techniques very carefully and supervises the learning that is occurring, it is also important that the students feel a sense of ownership. If a student 'owns' a lesson, they are more likely to be interested in and remember the content.
Perhaps my favorite technique is supervised study. I think that it is a great avenue to encourage students to solve a problem. Again, supervised study will promote this sense of 'ownership' in the lesson, but will also help students come to a conclusion that will ultimately teach content. I think that it is a genius combination!
Another thing that I really like about supervised study is the opportunity it provides for alteration. I think that it is nice that this technique gives you the option to have students work alone, or in groups. You can have students pull information from the same resources, or from different ones. It is completely up to you! It also gives you the chance to work one-on-one with students. You can provide more individualized assistance, and can help those students who may have learning disabilities in a discrete manner.
I can definitely see myself utilizing the supervised study technique in a managerial lesson plan in the near future! I am excited to create a lesson that encourages students to think critically to solve a problem. It is my hope that incorporating this technique will promote this sense of ownership, ultimately creating a student-centered classroom and an atmosphere that radiates independence!
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Unit Plans: The First Step Towards a Successful (and Logical) Lesson!
A unit plan is certainly a useful tool. It helps guide the teacher towards their overarching goals during a unit, and allows them to lay out the unit in a logical manner. This was evidenced when I began writing my own unit plan, for the Public Speaking unit that I will be teaching next spring. Originally, I had lots of ideas of activities and concepts that I wanted my students to learn. Creating the unit plan helped me organize and summarize my ideas in a more logical way.
My public speaking unit will focus on two main aspects; the FFA Creed and prepared public speeches. Students will have the opportunity to pull meaning from the Creed, while learning and memorizing each paragraph in class. They will then be expected to deliver the Creed in front of their peers. Students will also be expected to create a prepared public speech. They will gain practice researching, citing sources and paraphrasing information. They will then deliver this speech in front of their peers. While the content in this lesson is important, it is my hope that students gain more than a better understanding of the Creed and their research topics from this unit.
Ultimately, I wanted to craft a unit that went beyond the black and white information. I wanted to provide my students with the opportunity to improve their communication skills, gain confidence in themselves and overcome their fears. Through memorizing and delivering the FFA Creed and through researching, constructing and delivering a prepared public speech, my students will be able to gain skills which they will be able to use in their academic, professional and personal lives.
When I turned my unit plan into my peers for evaluation, they made some really helpful suggestions, along with comments about little things that I needed to tweak to make the unit plan better. One of my reviewers reminded me to cite three sources, instead of just one. After doing a little more research, I found two more sources which I added to the introduction/need portion of my unit plan. Another suggestion that my reviewers made was to create more concrete objectives, both for my unit and for each individual lesson. I tried hard to make sure that my objectives contained all three essential parts, ultimately altering almost all of my unit and lesson objectives on my final draft of my unit plan.
Furthermore, my reviewers suggested that I include more detail in my plan, whether that be in the materials needed, or in the rubric that will be used to assess my students. This forced me to think a little more deeply about what I wanted to do daily in my unit, but I was ultimately able to compose a list of materials that I think I will need. I also decided to utilize the National FFA rubrics for their Creed Speaking CDE and their Junior Prepared Public Speaking CDE to evaluate my students. I also added a column in my table for assignments, and laid out all of the assignments that I plan to give during the unit. Additionally, I created a breakdown of how much each assignment will be weighted in the assessments section of the unit plan.
Perhaps the biggest thing that I changed to improve my unit plan was the order of my lessons. I was originally having a difficult time creating a logical order for this unit. My reviewers did not mention the order, but it was something that I was unhappy with. However, I think that the order that I decided on for my final draft makes the most sense and allows adequate time for my students to learn and craft their speeches.
Overall, I think that I did a nice job with my unit plan. I included enough detail that it could be used by another teacher, it is easy to follow and it flows in a logical manner. I can certainly see how creating these unit plans can be extremely helpful in forming lessons that compliment one another and highlighting important information!
My public speaking unit will focus on two main aspects; the FFA Creed and prepared public speeches. Students will have the opportunity to pull meaning from the Creed, while learning and memorizing each paragraph in class. They will then be expected to deliver the Creed in front of their peers. Students will also be expected to create a prepared public speech. They will gain practice researching, citing sources and paraphrasing information. They will then deliver this speech in front of their peers. While the content in this lesson is important, it is my hope that students gain more than a better understanding of the Creed and their research topics from this unit.
Ultimately, I wanted to craft a unit that went beyond the black and white information. I wanted to provide my students with the opportunity to improve their communication skills, gain confidence in themselves and overcome their fears. Through memorizing and delivering the FFA Creed and through researching, constructing and delivering a prepared public speech, my students will be able to gain skills which they will be able to use in their academic, professional and personal lives.
When I turned my unit plan into my peers for evaluation, they made some really helpful suggestions, along with comments about little things that I needed to tweak to make the unit plan better. One of my reviewers reminded me to cite three sources, instead of just one. After doing a little more research, I found two more sources which I added to the introduction/need portion of my unit plan. Another suggestion that my reviewers made was to create more concrete objectives, both for my unit and for each individual lesson. I tried hard to make sure that my objectives contained all three essential parts, ultimately altering almost all of my unit and lesson objectives on my final draft of my unit plan.
Furthermore, my reviewers suggested that I include more detail in my plan, whether that be in the materials needed, or in the rubric that will be used to assess my students. This forced me to think a little more deeply about what I wanted to do daily in my unit, but I was ultimately able to compose a list of materials that I think I will need. I also decided to utilize the National FFA rubrics for their Creed Speaking CDE and their Junior Prepared Public Speaking CDE to evaluate my students. I also added a column in my table for assignments, and laid out all of the assignments that I plan to give during the unit. Additionally, I created a breakdown of how much each assignment will be weighted in the assessments section of the unit plan.
Perhaps the biggest thing that I changed to improve my unit plan was the order of my lessons. I was originally having a difficult time creating a logical order for this unit. My reviewers did not mention the order, but it was something that I was unhappy with. However, I think that the order that I decided on for my final draft makes the most sense and allows adequate time for my students to learn and craft their speeches.
Overall, I think that I did a nice job with my unit plan. I included enough detail that it could be used by another teacher, it is easy to follow and it flows in a logical manner. I can certainly see how creating these unit plans can be extremely helpful in forming lessons that compliment one another and highlighting important information!
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