Week 8
Class: 10/14/13, Monday
Today we had no field work at Bishop Dunn Memorial, since it was Columbus day holiday. Today was a review day in class. Groups 1 & 2 reflected on their inquiry lesson. The groups shared with the class what went well and what they could improve on. Dr. Smirnova gave the groups suggestions on how they can improve their lessons and teaching. Dr. Smirnova asked our group and group 4 on our opinions on group 1 & 2 teaching. We gave the groups some suggestions along with things we thought they did positively. We also received time in class today to continue to work on our own lesson plans.
Class: 10/20/13, Wed.
Today was the 1st current events presentation. The teachers in this group included: Kristen, Christina, and Courtney. The teachers told everyone previously before the class to read an article called "U.S Safety Strained by Government Shutdown". The article was about the government shutdown and the unsafe situations it is causing in the country. The teachers began their lesson by reviewing the 5 w's. This bridged into the lesson because the teachers then handed out a worksheet with the 5 w's chart.
This was the worksheet they gave us:
We had to fill out the worksheet based on the information in the article.The teachers told us to switch papers with other student. Then we had to write a summary on the back based on what that person wrote in their chart. Then the class came together and each group was given a bubble to write in. The students were able to come to the board. After we were finished writing on the board, the teachers came together to review. The teachers asked the class if they agreed or disagreed with the answer on the board. If the class disagreed, then the teachers asked if there was another solution for an answer. I think that Courtney did a great job with this part. She had positive feedback and reassurance if one of the answers were not correct. I think the group was very well organized. The teachers were prepared and their presentation was very straightforward. I thought it was great that they showed us additional resources on the topic and other sources we can use for our current event lesson. I learned a lot about the current event and teaching techniques from this lesson.
My reflection on eClass:
Dear Christina, Kristen and Courtney,
+1. Courtney- I think you did a great job adding on to the answer that someone gave to the "where". Your explanation was positive to the person who gave the first answer, and then to the person who added it on.
+2. Kristen- you answered my question very clearly.
+3. Christina- you spoke with a clear voice and were knowledgeable about the topic.
I wish we had a smart board because the chart could also serve as a smartboard activity
Class: 10/18/13
Today we were back at Bishop Dunn Memorial for field work. Today was the last day for Groups 1 & 2 to teach their lessons. Their final lessons were on cooperative learning.
Group 1:Alex introduced the lesson. She refreshed the students' memories by telling them what they talked about in previous classes (Colonial New York). She then asked students: "Why do we work together?". The students gave their answers, and the teachers bridged their answers by lists of reasons why we work together and how to work together efficiently. The teachers explained that for this lesson, the students will be working together. Students were given a word and had 2 minutes to find the definition with their partners. When time was up, the group had to share their definition with the class. The next activity the students had to pair up into groups and each group was given a different activity. Each teacher went to the groups for guided practice. The teachers worked closely with the groups in order to create their activities. When time was up, each group presented their activity. The first group made a poem on colonial New York. The second group wrote a skit pretending to be students during colonial times. The next group wrote a song about the 13 colonies. The 4th group came up with an advertisement for tools used during that time. The teachers closed their lesson by telling the students they worked together in order to create an activity and gather their knowledge they all learned about Colonial New York to create them.
Evaluation: For the introduction, Alex needed to grab the students' attention more. It was a Friday, so I think the students were probably more rowdy. From sitting in the back of the room, I could see the students were not paying attention. I would also suggest that Alex could speak more loudly and clearly so students will gain attention. I think that it was good that the teachers explained why we work together and how to work together in groups. For the activity, I liked how the teachers told each student they needed to have a role in the group. I think James did a great job explaining what each role was and the responsibility it has. The teachers did a good job guiding the students with their activities. I thought the closure was great that each group got to present their activity. I thought this cooperative lesson was really creative because each group got an activity to do. The activities tied in really well to the topic and what material was covered over the previous sessions. What could go better- trying to get students' attention and have them to focus. Also, Madison could have a voice more, I feel that she does not get much of a chance to speak.
Group 2: The teachers started off the lesson by asking students if they remember what historical event they were covering in the previous sessions. They showed students pictures to see if they remembered. The teachers received a couple of different answers, but told the class the main topic was "The American Revolution". The teachers had an activity on the board. They asked students if they knew what each letter in "TEAM" could stand for. The students participated and gave excellent answers. The answers would transition and come onto the screen. The teachers bridged this activity by telling students that they were going to work in groups for this lesson and they needed to have teamwork. The teachers told students they need to each have a role in their group. This included: manager, time-keeper, etc. The students were given a picture of an event during the American Revolution and they had to determine the series of events that it followed during that time period. The teachers came around and helped each group. For closure, the teachers asked the students to come up and put their picture in the time slot where they think it took place on the timeline. The students came up and placed their pictures in order. The teachers asked the students if it looked correct. Everyone agreed, the students were able to list the events that occurred during the American Revolution in the correct order. The students were excited that they placed the pictures in the correct order. The teachers went over the events in chronological order on the timeline. The teachers handed out students scrolls to keep as souvenirs.
Evaluation: I think group 2 did a good job introducing the lesson. They helped refresh what they had been talking about in the last 2 sessions. The American Revolution is a detailed topic and event, and I think they did a great job narrowing down on the basics and important events. I loved the timeline activity! I thought this was such a creative way of showing students how timelines work and to apply that to what they learned about the American Revolution. I could see that students had a fun time with this activity and got excited when they created the timeline in the correct order. The closure also went well for the teachers. They were able to manage their time and close the lesson completely. The thing that could have gone differently is that the teachers could have explained more the importance of a timeline and why we need timelines when learning about history. The teachers just need more explanation and detail about how to do their activities.
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