A Little More Meta-Cognitve Thought Please! THINKING ABOUT THINKING!

Up until this point in the semester, we have been focusing a lot on learning styles, theories, different lesson plans, specific models, methods and strategies, use of technology in the classroom and classroom management. These are all vital elements in teaching.  However, it is also important to think about how all of these this new information and knowledge is affecting student learning and motivation.  In others words, how is all this new fantastic information I have learned about impacted students, cooperating teachers and my peers.  Buckle up we are about to take a trip down Meta-cognition lane....introspection is a requirement!  




Learning about direct instruction and creating a direct instruction lesson, I learned that this type of lesson is very bare basics and scripted.  Students are presented with material by the teacher and are asked to discover and inquire about information on their own.  Direction instruction lessons are necessary when you are introducing a new concept that students are not familiar with. DI lessons give students the foundational knowledge necessary to succeed at higher more innovative levels in future lessons in the unit.  When teaching my DI lesson on the solar system, I was merely introducing the students to the 8 planets of the solar system.  I was reading facts about each planet off a power point.  The students were taking notes and listening to the lecture.  However, the DI lesson structure that  allowed for little student engagement and interaction.  I did however check for understanding often, but the level of student creativity was limited, as I was provided them with all the information. 


 I know that when I create  and implement my IMP and SIM lessons, I will see a huge difference in the way the students process and engagement.  Direction Instruction lessons are definitely necessary to build a foundation, but they are not my favorite type of lesson to teach.  I believe students should be active learners and explorers of information, which is why I am excited to create and teach IMP and SIM lessons. 


After teaching this DI lesson, I was truly about to see how the framework of a lesson effects the metacognition of both the students and the teacher.  The students are being feed information in a DI lesson and the teacher is reading off facts about a topic.  This highly limits student and teacher creativity.  I was left with the final thought that no model, method or strategy can be used in isolation or should be considered the best.  All should be used together and at different points in the unit, as they tap into different types of thinking.


In closing, BE COGNITIVE ABOUT YOUR COGNITION! 

There may be no such thing as a "free lunch" but here are 7 FREE Social Media Tools that every Teacher should know about.

Using social media tools in the classroom can provide countless benefits to the learning process.  The article below explains 7 different kinds of social media tools that can be used in the classroom.  I found all 7 to be interesting and useful.  I was particularly excited about "Edublogs",  "Edmodo," Teachertube," and "Kidsblog."  All of these tools promote collaboration, increase teacher/student communication and increase the speed of feedback, just to name a few of the benefits.

Check out the article below.  Which social media tool(s) would you use in your classroom? http://t.co/tc3chXA

Google Applications Coming Soon to a K-12 New York Public School near you!

Technology is coming full force into the classroom.  The google applications that we know and love and  have been using throughout our methods course are now going to be used in local public school districts.  This is exciting news for current and future educators, as we get to take full advantage of the educational power that technology has to offer.   Teachers can design exciting lesson plans, effectively engage students, provide instant feedback and better prepare students for the world of technology that they are living in. Check out the article and video. Here is the link:http://goo.gl/ZeEg

September Snapshot: Times flies when you are having fun.

  
Wow! I can't believe that September is over already!  As I review my class notes and moodle postings, I reflect on how much content we have covered in the span of a month.  From aims, goals and objectives to direction instruction, I feel I had gained invaluable knowledge that I can add to my "teacher toolkit."

Several themes stick out in my head: technology, peer work, collaboration and feedback.

 I feel I have become a lot more knowledgeable about incorporating technology into the classroom.  The fact this this is a "paperless","green" class has really inspired me to become more technologically savvy and creative.  Getting and posting assignment via moodle is somewhat new to me and I am becoming much more comfortable doing so.  I also discovered some great, useful tools such as googledocs, vokis,  and wikispaces that I know I will be using in the future. I am also new to the world of blogging and I have to say that this is a great space to reflect, analyze and review.   I plan on using these tools in my future classroom.

I have really enjoyed working with my classmates  and collaborating with them.  Breaking in small peer groups to discuss and review class reading and assignments is a very effective way of strengthening understanding and correcting misconceptions.   Getting quick feedback is essential to the learning process and  I feel that through feedback I have learned a lot about methods of instruction.

As we enter into October, I look forward to learning more ways to incorporate technology, present material, engage students and become the best teacher I can be.

Practice Makes Perfect: Direct Instruction Presentations

Last week's class was dedicated to group presentations on direct instruction.  The class divided into six groups and each became experts on one section of a lesson.  We could chose between 1) methods for attention anticipatory set, 2)methods of presentation, demo, modeling, 3)guided practice, check for understanding, 4)drill and practice methods, 5)independent practice, homework, 6)methods for closure and evaluation.  I felt that each group did an outstanding job.  Each was unique and creative.  It was very interesting to see the different techniques that groups chose to implement the content.

On a broad scale, these presentations demonstrated a microcosm of the world of teaching.  Every teacher is different and works in a different way to convey information to students.  A prospective teacher should not try and copy another more experienced teacher.  Instead, one must find what works best for them and  independently define themselves as a teacher.

I learned a lot from each presentation. Creating anticipatory sets has always been a bit of a challenge for me.  Group 1 did a great group of defining and demonstrating anticipatory sets.  The class was given a topic and asked to make an anticipatory set.  This guided practice portion of direct instruction was very effective.  I collaborated with other members of the class and came up with some good ideas together.  I have to remember that during an AS you are not asking students questions about the content that they are about to learn, but merely setting the tone, grabbing their attention, and diagnostically assessing their prior knowledge.  For example dressing up in a themed costume that reflects what the students are about to learn, decorating the classroom, playing a song, showing a picture are all possible anticipatory sets. I was also introduced to a learning tool called a voki, which I plan on using in future lesson plans.

Each part of the lesson is intertwined with one another and in order for a teacher to have a strong lesson every section must be well constructed.

I worked on methods for closure and evaluation and had a very positive experience with my group.  We each brought a different strength to the presentation.  Googledocs allowed us to collaborate efficiently  and effectively in light of our very different schedules.  Involving the class as much as possible and creating a highly interactive lesson yields the strongest results.  It is also important to try to use direct medias in the presentation such as a video, song, demonstration etc.
It was really great to get some experience in front of the classroom and put the direct instruction strategy to the test.  Collaboration with fellow teacher is also very important and this project allowed me to do just this.
I was very impressed with my classmates and look forward to creating and watching future presentations.

Last ,but certainly not least, I would like to include the video that my group incorporated into our presentation.  It shows a clear example of formative assessment in direct instruction.  Note how the students are actively engaged and give each other constant feedback.  Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxfvCtmiDhI

Direct Instruction phrase to live by: "I do it, we do it, you do it." - Behavioral Model

Over the past few weeks we have been studying the direct instruction strategy/behavioral model.     I really enjoy the DI/BM.  When I am teaching in the classroom, I plan on using this model a lot. I believe that DI/BM gives students the essential foundational knowledge that they need to succeed.  I would not use  DI/BM in insolation but  when introducing new material.

Let's back up a bit. What is exactly is direct instruction?  

Direct Instruction is a teacher- centered strategy of instruction that takes leaners through systematic steps, allowing students to see the purpose and the result of each step.  

-Clear goals for students are established.

-Explanations of subject matter are concise, explicit and clear cut.

-Well organized assignments, frequent questions and opportunities to demonstrate learning are constants.  

-Teachers provide the foundations/basics to students so that they are able to build.  Systematic learning steps are used.

-Highly researched class scripts are employed to convey information in the most effective way, along with much student interaction.

-Homogenous skill grouping.

-Teaching to mastery.

Some examples of methods of instruction : direct lecture, peer work, corrective feedback, group project, guided practice, prior knowledge, graphic organizers, modeling, demonstrations, questioning.

Below are the three significant things I have learned from the course readings:

1) Direct instruction should no be used in isolation from other forms of instruction.  I would use direct instruction when introducing a unit so that students would obtain basic knowledge on the subject and then I would move a more towards an inquiry  based approach.

2) Direct Instruction is not the opposite constructivism.  DI guides students as they obtain new knowledge.  Students need to understand the basics.  After this, they can develop their own unique thoughts and insights.

3) Direct instruction uses highly scripted class sessions, which can limited the creativity of the lesson.  In teaching, staying too rigid can interfere with the effectiveness of the lesson.

Of course DI/BM is not the only way to go.  Other models include: 

-Social Interaction- In this approach, students focus on developing and strengthening their social skills with peers, teachers and other adults. 

-Information Processing: Much like that of a computer system, this approach focuses on developing how students access, store, process, and organize information. This is a student-centered model.

-Personal: In this approach students develop their self concept, self identity and self esteem. 

Whatever method of instruction a teacher uses it is important that they do not use this method in isolation.  Each method provides essential skills to students and mixing all four creates a rich, multifaceted learning environment.  

Integrating technology into a lesson can be quite easy and fun!

A voki is animated speaking character that you can personalize and design.  It is great device to incorporate into learning activities perhaps in the anticipatory set or throughout the entire lesson. It is a fun way to catch  students' attention and a simple way to incorporate technology. You can make vokis fit the season,  for example for Halloween you can make a voki pumpkin to place in a power point presentation, or fit the content area, in a science lesson a dinosaur voki.  It is a great tool that students love.     You can make your own voki(it's free!) by going to the following site:

 http://www.voki.com/create.php