When I decided to do my searches for "active engagement" I added high school math to my searches. Being a math teacher I read many good articles that sound great but then have trouble applying them to an upper level math course. As many of us may remember our days in math class, teacher lectures shows so examples and assigns problems. I have to admit I have fallen into that trap at times, is it hard to do something new and find a new way when there is very little support of it. So when I do searches I try to find good articles that I can apply to my classroom. The article I read, Struggling Helps Students Master Math by Bernice Yeung, really had me thinking. Help students by making them feel frustrated, doesn't seem to make sense. The more I thought about it the more it made me realize what I like about math. Some of you may have done the Sudoku in the paper, and I love the ones that really make me think. Even though I might it frustrated and even have to go back and erase parts the satisfaction I get by completing it is what makes me want to do another one. In math class I never really thought of challenging the students to that extreme point. As a teacher this can be a great way to involve the students and get them engaged in word problems. Give them questions that will challenge them beyond the normal drill and practice problems. As a teacher it can be hard at times watching them really struggle but this is when I need to step back and let them work it out on their own. There also have been times in class where I purposely make a common mistakes to see when the students catch it, and so they can see how a little error can lead to an incorrect answer.
The video I watched was Developing Minds: Learning How to Rebuild a Town- The UrbanPlan Project. This video discussed a project which seemed to cover several classes, math, economics and government. Engaging students within your classroom is a great way for students to master content, but once students see how subjects overlap then a new understanding can develop. As a math teacher there are several standards that can relate to different styles of art and also to most science classrooms. Of course it takes a lot of extra planning but being able to create projects that cross into other subjects is an excellent way for students to see how standards tie together. In Algebra I students need to solve equations, and in chemistry students need to balance atoms within elements. By teaching these two concepts together students can see their relevance, but taught individually the standards seem too abstract.
In Larry Ferlazzo's blog he has a post titled When Are Teenagers in the "Flow"? In his post he discuss how teenagers learn best when they are active in the learning. They are easily distracted during lecture type lessons. The article really is focused on how many social studies classes are lecture based. He states that art classes are the extreme of student guided classes, but also that an art class may not be rigor enough. Ferlazzo feels that most experiment based science classes represent the perfect balance between lecture and student lead instruction. I feel the math classes can fall into this category as long as their in time for the students to experiment their own hypothesis and have opportunity to fail and learn from their mistakes.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Task 4
I have chosen to work with Domain 3- Instruction.
Which component from this domain are you most comfortable with?
The component that I feel I am the strongest at is communicating with my students. I feel that I have very good report with my students. I feel comfortable with my students both inside the classroom and outside. By having students see you outside the classroom at sporting events, musical performances and even simply shopping at the mall, they students gain a new respect for you. Once the students are comfortable with you as a teacher then they are willing to work a little harder for you, and are not scared to come ask questions when they need help.
The other component to instruction that I feel I excel at is the fact I can quickly adapt to unexpected bumps in the road. If I need to change my lesson plan I can adjust without delay. Many times I have started a lesson and realized it was not working because the class really needed another day on yesterday's standard. I have also had days when I thought a lesson and assignment would take the entire period and then the kids fly through it and I add more to the lesson or begin the next standard.
Which component from this domain do you believe most strongly ties to instruction?
The questioning and discussion techniques are very important to instruction. We have all had that teacher who clearly knows a great amount of material but are unable to pass on that knowledge. This is due to the way the teacher presents material and gives assessments. Lecture type lessons may work for some material while an experiment may work better in other situations. As teachers we need to be aware that not all students will understand material the same way. If we need to review material again because the students struggled, then we must also know we need to review the material in a different way.
Which component from this domain would you like to zero in on in your own instruction?
The component that I would like to focus in on is engaging the students in learning. Too many times I teach math by going over examples with my students and showing them the steps to solving a given set of problems. I would like to find new ways of instructing mathematics so that I involve the students more. In math there has also been this way of doing it and no one really has changed that mindset. I have tried to find new ways of instructing the new material but still feel I have a long way to go.
Which component from this domain are you most comfortable with?
The component that I feel I am the strongest at is communicating with my students. I feel that I have very good report with my students. I feel comfortable with my students both inside the classroom and outside. By having students see you outside the classroom at sporting events, musical performances and even simply shopping at the mall, they students gain a new respect for you. Once the students are comfortable with you as a teacher then they are willing to work a little harder for you, and are not scared to come ask questions when they need help.
The other component to instruction that I feel I excel at is the fact I can quickly adapt to unexpected bumps in the road. If I need to change my lesson plan I can adjust without delay. Many times I have started a lesson and realized it was not working because the class really needed another day on yesterday's standard. I have also had days when I thought a lesson and assignment would take the entire period and then the kids fly through it and I add more to the lesson or begin the next standard.
Which component from this domain do you believe most strongly ties to instruction?
The questioning and discussion techniques are very important to instruction. We have all had that teacher who clearly knows a great amount of material but are unable to pass on that knowledge. This is due to the way the teacher presents material and gives assessments. Lecture type lessons may work for some material while an experiment may work better in other situations. As teachers we need to be aware that not all students will understand material the same way. If we need to review material again because the students struggled, then we must also know we need to review the material in a different way.
Which component from this domain would you like to zero in on in your own instruction?
The component that I would like to focus in on is engaging the students in learning. Too many times I teach math by going over examples with my students and showing them the steps to solving a given set of problems. I would like to find new ways of instructing mathematics so that I involve the students more. In math there has also been this way of doing it and no one really has changed that mindset. I have tried to find new ways of instructing the new material but still feel I have a long way to go.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Task 3
Sorry I have been away for awhile. My laptop crashed this last week and I had to get it repaired. And unfortunately my school has blocked Blackboard... guess they do not like me doing homework doing my planning period. :)
I believe I have the same assumptions as many of my fellow teachers. All children can learn and that all children have a desire to learn. But I feel that as teachers we may have to dig deep in some students to spark their interests. As Walker stated, " by the age of 12 (middle/high school) students become lethargic about school work." (Walker, pg. 37) When I hear the question "when will I need this is life", I know it is time for some intervention and some application.
As I said all students can learn, but that does not mean that they will all learn at the same pace or even in the same way. Some of our students will grasp a new concept quickly while others fall behind. Some fall behind due to a lack of background knowledge and they may need some re-teaching. Other students may need an activity to see math problem in a concrete way as to an abstract lecture and example. Teachers have opportunity to influence the way students learn by adding variety and individualize attention when needed.
I believe I have the same assumptions as many of my fellow teachers. All children can learn and that all children have a desire to learn. But I feel that as teachers we may have to dig deep in some students to spark their interests. As Walker stated, " by the age of 12 (middle/high school) students become lethargic about school work." (Walker, pg. 37) When I hear the question "when will I need this is life", I know it is time for some intervention and some application.
As I said all students can learn, but that does not mean that they will all learn at the same pace or even in the same way. Some of our students will grasp a new concept quickly while others fall behind. Some fall behind due to a lack of background knowledge and they may need some re-teaching. Other students may need an activity to see math problem in a concrete way as to an abstract lecture and example. Teachers have opportunity to influence the way students learn by adding variety and individualize attention when needed.
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