Tweeting to Teach!

I came across this video and thought it was very interesting.  Our general methods class is highly focused on incorporating technology into the classroom.  Throughout this semester we have been using the smart board, googledocs, videos and power point presentations.  Twitter is one more new and innovative way that learning and collaboration can occur in the field of education.  I believe it is very important for teachers to remain up to date and knowledgeable on the latest technological resources available.  The majority of students today are highly involved in social medias like twitter, facebook, blogs etc. and if teachers are can connect with students through these social medias student learning and teacher collaboration will be greatly benefited.  

In this video, twitter is being used as a communication and learning tool. If teachers can connect to students via these popular social medias it will strengthen student learning, engagement level and peer collaboration.  For example, if there is a big unit test coming up a teacher could tweet to his or her students what information they must know in order to do well. Teachers should not be afraid to embrace new technologies or  automatically view them as  negative distractions. Technology is evolving more and more everyday and the classroom should be evolving as well.

You decide: Is tweeting a teacher's friend or foe? Here is the link to the video: 
http://tinyurl.com/25lfvyj

Wordle: a simple tool that will enrich a lesson.

Wordle is a great site where teachers and students can make word puzzles, 

review sheets,games etc.using key 

vocabulary words.  Teachers can use 

these puzzles throughout the lesson,  perhaps in  the anticipatory set, as a diagnostic assessment tool, in the 

closure section of 

direct instruction.  Students can be 

assigned to pick out key vocabulary 

words/terms in the lesson and make 

their own 

wordle.  Visit the following site to 

browse or 

make your own wordles:  www.wordle.net

plan, plan, plan and expect the unexpected

Lesson planning- the bane of a teacher's existence.  This week in class we focused on lesson planning. I have to admit, lesson planning has always intimidated me and still does.  After this weeks class I do feel I have a better understanding of the basics of lesson planning.  Lesson planning is a neat science that requires the teacher to lay out all the specifics in a neat highly organized fashion.  Learning about the 3 stages of lesson planning has been extremely useful. The pre-planning phrase, lesson planning/implementation, and post lesson activities divide lesson planning into three neat categories.  I believe that the only way that one can get good at lesson planning is through lots and lots of practice and experience.  I enjoyed working   and discussing lesson planning with my peers in class.  We worked together to come up with definitions and shared helpful lesson planning websites.    What resonated the most with me is the fact that lesson plans do have to be very well calculated and specific but during  the actually implementation  of the lesson a teacher cannot be rigid and inflexible. A teacher should constantly be adjusting and modifying to fit the situation and needs of his or her class.  If a teacher is not flexible during a lesson this can lower  student learning outcomes. It made me think of this rule of thumb: when planning and writing a lesson make sure you are using a pencil with a good eraser.  Here are some more  facts that I learned about  lesson planning: 


A lesson is a period of instruction during which the learner is taught a particular subject. In a broader sense a lesson is a new insight gained by a learner that they previously did not have.

A plan is a calculated, well devised plan of "attack" to achieve the desired learning outcome. It is series of steps that are formulated to carry out a particular goal.

A lesson plan is a guide to classroom instruction. It details the steps that will be taken so that a particular subject or skill can be successfully conveyed to students. The way that a lesson is structured is dependent on several factors: the teacher's style, student needs, subject matter, and the environment. In every lesson plan there are goals and objectives that must be achieved in order demonstrate that learning has occurred. Lesson plans are guiding principles but should be delivered in a flexible manner. As we all know in a live classroom many different situations arise that were not incorporated in to the devised lesson plan. Adaptations need to be made as different circumstances will undoubtably arise. 


There are 3 stages of lesson planning:

1)pre-lesson preparation: content, goals, student levels, needs are all considered,

2)lesson planning/implentation: unit title, instructional goals, objectives,rationale, content, procedures, evaluation materials.

3)post lesson activities- evaluation and revision (this should be occuring throughout the implentation of the lesson as well).

The number of lessons possible are as unlimited as the imagination/creativity of the teacher. Teachers employ and custom fit a lesson to best serve their students. Some include: whole class activities, whole class lecture, role-play, cluster involvement, independent work, peer groups, webquests, guided instruction, readings, case study, etc.

Below are three websites that offer a plethora of lesson plans for all different subjects and grade levels. You can get very good starting ideas and add a creative twist to make the lessson your own. Plus they are free.
 www.lessonplanspage.com
www.educationworld.com
www.lessonplansearch.com


www.rubistar.com- Is also a great site that allows you to design your own rubrics and look through the rubrics of other educators. It is  free to use as well. : )

"A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron." ~Horace Mann

Models, Methods, Strategies

This week in class we focused on models,strategies and methods.  There was certainly a lot of information and new concepts to take in.  However, after our class on Wednesday my understanding got clearer.  During class we divided into small peer groups to discuss and our understandings and this helped me a lot.  I understand that models are broad instructional practices for example the behavioral model, strategies are more specific (for example direct instruction) and methods create the appropriate atmosphere of the chosen  model and strategy.

You have to decide what model fits best for you as a teacher, your students and your particular situation.
Every student that enters your classroom is a unique individual that has different experiences, different interests, different abilities, etc. No two students are ever exactly alike. Therefore, a teacher has the very important task of modifying and adapting learning to teach students at the highest level.


The reading stated that, " Effective teachers do not use the same set of practices for every lesson . . . Instead, what effective teachers do is constantly reflect about their work, observe whether students are learning or not, and, then adjust their practice accordingly." This is very important. An effective teacher is always making adjustments to meet the needs of his or her class that changes from year to year, subject to subject. A teacher must make the decision as to what the most effective model, method and strategies are to employ in his or her particular circumstance in order to make learning a custom fitted experience for students.
 
Models are the broadest level of instructional practices. Models are used to format and select methods and strategies. The learning process stems from the model that is chosen. Within each model are several strategies that a teacher can employ to achieve objectives. Methods are set the stage for the learning that will occur. Methods create the appropriate learning environment. Particular methods are associated with strategies chosen by the teacher. I found the triangle diagram very helpful in understanding models, methods and strategies.

Aims, Goal, Objects (A-G-0)

This week in class we focused on aims, goals and objectives.  Having to create and critique our own and others objectives was a very helpful.  Often when I am writing an objective I tend to get very wordy and the objectives becomes unclear.  I also learned that objectives should be written in singular form and should not use the term, "students will be able to."  Reading my peers objectives and getting feedback in class was very useful.  Writing objectives is an essential part of lesson planning and I know that the more practice I get the better.  Here are some of my objectives in the MSMC C-B-C format:

-Given a graphic organizer, the student will list the characteristics of living and nonliving things with 100% accuracy.Science
-Given a worksheet with 20 multiple choice questions on the periodic table of elements, students will identify the chemical symbol of elements with 80% accuracy.
- Given the topic of living organisms, the student will compose a 4-5 page research paper on the characters of living organisms with 90% accuracy based on the provided rubric.
-Given a worksheet with the times tables for numbers 1-10, students will compute the answers with 100% accuracy.

After reflecting on the readings the concepts of aims, goals and objective have become clearer. Aims are general statements that provide direction as to what educational direction the students will be taking. Similar to a compass. Goals are more specific than aims but slightly narrow down the topic at hand. Objectives are specific statements that include a specific outcome.

All three are vital to measuring learning. You must know the direction that learning is to go in and get more and more specific so ultimate learning outcomes can be effectively measured.