I enjoyed all of the mini lessons that were presented this semester. When the presentation first started I was wondering just how would this go; college women pretending to be students in grades first through fifth. After the fist lesson I was sure how it would, just like any other first through fifth grade class. At times it was a little extra but for the most part we were right on target.
One thing that I can say I was introduced to that I feel I will use in my own classroom is the popsicle sticks labeled red, yellow, and green. I like that system better then the other ones that I have seen used in other classrooms. I liked this one better because it seems more clearly defined, I see many teachers using stickers on cards and on boards to try and keep students behaviors controlled. The only problem with that is many if one or two students is allowed to get a sticker they all want a sticker. Many times a student is allowed to get a sticker for answering a question correctly and if that is done for question and every student the teacher would spend the entire day posting stickers. Then sometimes the teachers take stickers, that doesn’t always seem fair, there is also the problem as to of long does that go on, for the day the week or the month? I also don’t agree with using prizes so much to get students to behave. This system doesn’t use any of that.
The one critique that I did have is that some of the “teachers” seemed to get upset. As future teachers they need to learn not to “wear their feelings on their sleeves”. Student especially younger ones they react and behave according to the teacher’s mood. Also a lot of those behaviors are thing that happen in the class room I remember during my lesson some of the scenarios I had been through before and it made me laugh because I no longer saw my classmate I saw one of my previous students, it was like dejuv.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Final Post
Reflection of your lesson
I feel that my lesson went great! It was kind of hard to keep total control over the class for the whole period, even though that idea is unrealistic.
• How did you (and your partner) prepare?
My partner and I met up a few times after class to discuss what ideas we were coming up with on our own to give each other an idea as to where the other one thought the lesson should go. Then we met in the library a few days before the lesson plans were due to create a lesson plan trying to use each other’s ideas without leaving anything out. The morning of our mini teach met together a hour or so before class to make sure we both were clear with the plan, our podcast worked, and to set up the materials we brought in.
• Explain the objective and assessment measures of your lesson
I believe our assessment was a little less formal, meaning test and essays. We really felt that we could determine just how well the students understand the lesson by listening to them having them answer questions, and working together.
• Was your lesson plan executed exactly as it was written?
I wouldn’t say that our lesson plan went exactly the way it was written but it went well enough that after the lesson was over I felt like we succeed. I believe having that feeling is must important as a teacher.
• What was the most important thing you tried to teach your students?
I believe the main thing that I wanted to teach my students was that not every story is the same kind of story, and that our circle was a circle story and it would end the same way it began bring it around like a circle.
• How do you think it went?
It went completely different then I believed it would go walking in, both in a good and a bad way. I felt that the class may try to test us being that our lesson was kind of later in the semester plus my partner was known for causing some “trouble” during other lessons. Yes!! The class sure did test us but I believe that it made our lesson better it showed our classroom management skills and how we could work as a team.
`
• What did I learn from your students?
I can’t really think of anything I learned from my students as first graders, but as college women I learned that they are great actors and can really go into character.
• What would you have done differently?
The one thing that I would have changed is we plan to use a behavior chart but we decided against it for some reason believing that we wouldn’t need it. We did do a good job without it but it would have been another tool to use.
• How could you have made the lesson even more effective?
I know that all lessons can be made better but as of right now I can’t think of anything I would change. What really makes me feel this way is my students agreed that they learned something from our lesson even as college women.
• What do you think you need to improve or do differently?
I believe that activity that we had the student participate in on the floor I think that we should posted the picture on the board and maybe have the students help each other put the pictures in order by coming to the board one at a time, because with the students in such close quarters they really wanted to touch each other forcing them to become side tracked.
Reflection of Podcast
• How did you and your partner plan to use the podcast in your lesson?
We planned to use the podcast to introduce the students to the story. The first half of the podcast played great the second half was kind of low but we used that to our advantage. With the podcast being so low the students had to lesson closely, also we promised them if they behaved we would go to the computer lab and record it together.
• Did you use it during the class lesson? Why or why not?
Yes we used it to introduce the story.
• How did your students react to the podcast?
The students really did stop to lesson to the podcast.
• How do you think it went?
It was something new, something I had never done before.
• What could you have done to infuse the podcast into the lesson more effectively?
I think for this lesson that was the best way.
• Do you have any other ideas of how you would use podcasting in your lesson or future lessons?
For older students I would allow them to create their own. Or I would have other readings recorded for them to listen and write journals on at home.
I feel that my lesson went great! It was kind of hard to keep total control over the class for the whole period, even though that idea is unrealistic.
• How did you (and your partner) prepare?
My partner and I met up a few times after class to discuss what ideas we were coming up with on our own to give each other an idea as to where the other one thought the lesson should go. Then we met in the library a few days before the lesson plans were due to create a lesson plan trying to use each other’s ideas without leaving anything out. The morning of our mini teach met together a hour or so before class to make sure we both were clear with the plan, our podcast worked, and to set up the materials we brought in.
• Explain the objective and assessment measures of your lesson
I believe our assessment was a little less formal, meaning test and essays. We really felt that we could determine just how well the students understand the lesson by listening to them having them answer questions, and working together.
• Was your lesson plan executed exactly as it was written?
I wouldn’t say that our lesson plan went exactly the way it was written but it went well enough that after the lesson was over I felt like we succeed. I believe having that feeling is must important as a teacher.
• What was the most important thing you tried to teach your students?
I believe the main thing that I wanted to teach my students was that not every story is the same kind of story, and that our circle was a circle story and it would end the same way it began bring it around like a circle.
• How do you think it went?
It went completely different then I believed it would go walking in, both in a good and a bad way. I felt that the class may try to test us being that our lesson was kind of later in the semester plus my partner was known for causing some “trouble” during other lessons. Yes!! The class sure did test us but I believe that it made our lesson better it showed our classroom management skills and how we could work as a team.
`
• What did I learn from your students?
I can’t really think of anything I learned from my students as first graders, but as college women I learned that they are great actors and can really go into character.
• What would you have done differently?
The one thing that I would have changed is we plan to use a behavior chart but we decided against it for some reason believing that we wouldn’t need it. We did do a good job without it but it would have been another tool to use.
• How could you have made the lesson even more effective?
I know that all lessons can be made better but as of right now I can’t think of anything I would change. What really makes me feel this way is my students agreed that they learned something from our lesson even as college women.
• What do you think you need to improve or do differently?
I believe that activity that we had the student participate in on the floor I think that we should posted the picture on the board and maybe have the students help each other put the pictures in order by coming to the board one at a time, because with the students in such close quarters they really wanted to touch each other forcing them to become side tracked.
Reflection of Podcast
• How did you and your partner plan to use the podcast in your lesson?
We planned to use the podcast to introduce the students to the story. The first half of the podcast played great the second half was kind of low but we used that to our advantage. With the podcast being so low the students had to lesson closely, also we promised them if they behaved we would go to the computer lab and record it together.
• Did you use it during the class lesson? Why or why not?
Yes we used it to introduce the story.
• How did your students react to the podcast?
The students really did stop to lesson to the podcast.
• How do you think it went?
It was something new, something I had never done before.
• What could you have done to infuse the podcast into the lesson more effectively?
I think for this lesson that was the best way.
• Do you have any other ideas of how you would use podcasting in your lesson or future lessons?
For older students I would allow them to create their own. Or I would have other readings recorded for them to listen and write journals on at home.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
5 questions
1. List as many things as possible that the boy got the mouse.
2. What would you do if you had a mouse like the one in the story in your house?
3.What do you think would happen if the boy gave the mouse cheese instead of a cookie?
4. What do you think the mouse will do after he gets his milk and cookie? Do you think he'll be happy?
5. What would you ask for if you were the mouse?
Bonus- At the end of the story, what do you think the mouse will ask for after eating the cookie?
2. What would you do if you had a mouse like the one in the story in your house?
3.What do you think would happen if the boy gave the mouse cheese instead of a cookie?
4. What do you think the mouse will do after he gets his milk and cookie? Do you think he'll be happy?
5. What would you ask for if you were the mouse?
Bonus- At the end of the story, what do you think the mouse will ask for after eating the cookie?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Last post from the computer lab
Today wasnt as productive as I would have liked it to be. My partner didnt make it to class (emailed but no response),and I couldn't find the questions that we created so I was not able to post them. That upset me a little I do not like to feel unprepared. Looking on the bright side, misplacing things happen to the best of us, I used my time making my blog a little more creative, listening to the podcast to make sure they were all clear, and reviewing my last lesson plan. So I tried to remain a "busy bee" but I wasnt able to complete all that I wanted.
last day
Awwww today is our last day podcasting. It was fun while it lasted but now we are going to be getting into our group teaching. I can not wait for that becuase I love to teach my lessons, it seems a little more natural to me than writing a lesson plan. My partner doesnt seem to be here yet, but we are pretty much done with everything. I just have to post the five we created last time we met.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
"I feel good"
It seems like this project is coming along great. We finished our podcast again with only one try, well we did it twice just because. We even had enough time to create our five questions and come up with song and dance for our team teach. We enjoy podcasting so much that we are going to podcast our five questions. This is going to be so much fun and we are going to be wonderful teachers. We hope our "students" enjoy it as much as we did.
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