General Learning Outcome: Students demonstrated an understanding and appreciation of how geographic, social and linguistic factors affect quality of life in communities in India, Tunisia, Ukraine and Peru.
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Below is a lesson plan used for Grade 3 Social. General Learning Outcome: Students demonstrated an understanding and appreciation of how geographic, social and linguistic factors affect quality of life in communities in India, Tunisia, Ukraine and Peru.
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Here is a lesson plan used in Grade 3 Art. Student task will be to: - choose two colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel to add value and dimension to their snowman. - Students will only be allowed to use two parts of the snowman to make for a more interesting composition. - Students will colour/shade the two parts of their snowman and add a background - Students will add texture to their background by using a watercolour and salt technique.
Here is a lesson from a Grade 3 Phys Ed class. Students really enjoyed playing this game and as they got better we were able to make modifications to increase the difficulty and tailor it to some students needs. Here is a picture of the WORK/VOLUME ZONE meter we use in Grade 3. Before using this as a class we discussed what each work zone would look and sound like. We also discussed when each work zone would be most appropriate to use. I find this strategy very effective in classroom management and very easy to refer back to during lessons. After instructions I often ask students which work zone they think would be most appropriate to work in today and why. The grade 3's demonstrate a strong understanding and respect for this type of management. I have found this strategy successful and would implement it in other classrooms. I have introduced my grade 3's to QR Codes! My practicum placement school is fortunate enough to have a supply of iPads for students to use. I have tried to incorporate the use of technology into a few of my lessons. The grade 3's were blown away that a "mixed up blob like that could magically turn into a website" (quoted by a grade 3 student). I found that QR codes excite the grade 3's and really engag them during some of my lessons. I have linked different QR codes to different websites to explore, learning games, google docs created by me and many other resources. The other day we used the iPads to create a video letter! After scripting their return letters in social the students were required to video themselves reading their letter. We talked about different ways students could use this technnology as well as inappropriate and appropriate forms. Students loved using the iPads and again students were engaged! After observing another grade level and another teacher at IF Cox I am able to contribute and add several more classroom management tips and strategies to my teaching toolbox. This grade 2 classroom set up was very conducive to group work. These grade 2's did not sit at individual desks but at 4 large, round tables. No students had assigned seating because throughout the day they are working in many different groups. Each table was equipped with a basket of common school supplies such as pencils and erasers. This allowed students to find their work space and begin working without struggling to find materials. Organization was key in this grade 2 classroom. Materials were ready when needed and instructions were clear. The flow of this classroom was exceptional. A few specific strategies I want to make note of are listed below. 1. Repetition of instructions - after instructions were given for many students it was beneficial when the teacher repeated the instructions several times in sequential order. For my classroom I would reiterate step one and then call on one student to tell the class step 2 and another student for step 3 and so on. 2. Pre-made groups - groups were already made before the lesson so when it was time to work the teacher assigned each group a work space, a group leader and read the list of the group members. Students were to immediately and silently move to their work space. The group leaders role was to gather the materials. This was very organized and I really liked the group leader idea- this way each group knows who is to collect the materials. 3. Time management - It proved very helpful to tell students how much time they had to complete the assigned activity. It was also helpful to remind students how much time was remaining. For example a simple statement such as "Grade 2's we will be meeting back on the carpet in 2 minutes." "One more minute of brainstorming time." This allowed students to start wrapping up their last thoughts and finishing the conversations. 4. Countdown - To regain attention or have students rejoin on the carpet the teacher used a countdown to gain attention. "Meet me on the carpet in 10, joining me in 9, eyes should be over here in 8, 7, 6..." 5. Simple Reminders: "Eyes on me" - As the teacher cycled from group to group while they were working she used simple reminders to refocus students. One way of refocusing that I liked was how she refocused students with a question about what they should be doing rather than telling them what they aren't doing. Her circulation around the room was a major part of her classroom management. Teaching Strategy 1. "Place mat brainstorming" - students worked in groups to brainstorm about a topic. Each student was given a pencil and an area on a large sheet of paper. This way students could discuss together and also contribute ideas at the same time. One thing I would like to try: Work Zone meter: There would an assigned noise level for specific activities. Students would know what was appropriate noise level for working time. One level might be "No talking- Working alone." Another might be "Whispering- partner work." Another "Inside voices- group work." The highest level might be "Outside voices." There would be an arrow pointing to the appropriate noise level. Here is a quick glimpse at my Professional Growth Plan for PS1. I intend to complete my primary goal through the actions outlined below by the end of my practicum, December 10, 2013. I have several resources I plan to manipulate to help me complete these goals including other teachers, research articles and my own experiences.
Grade 3 Social & Art Integration It was exciting to get students to start comparing cultures in Tunisia, Ukraine, Peru & India to our own. We started here by examining each cultures type of traditional clothing and special occasions they'd might be worn. This is the grade 3's diversity of Peruvian, Tunisian, Indian and Ukrainian clothing. The grade 3's really enjoyed being able to explore different books and then create their version of clothing. As you can see each one turned out very unique! As a student teacher at IF Cox I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a School Improvement Day with the rest of IF Cox teaching staff. This workshop was geared towards assessment; formative and summative. If I were to cover everything I found valuable in this workshop this blog post would take you 2 days to read. Instead I want to tell you the parts I found most beneficial, relevant and important for me as a student teacher in my PSI. 1. The importance of questioning! Questions for students should be structured to build understanding. Open ended questions are the best. There is also different levels of questioning that inflict different levels of understanding such as evaluation, interpretation, application, prospective, empathy, self knowledge. For example: "What is the key idea in....?" "How might we justify, confirm...?" "What does____ reveal about...?" "How could we use this to overcome...?" "How similar _________ to or different from...?" It is important that questions are phrased as a open ended question and do not require a "yes" or "no" answer. This forces students to think about their learning and therefore makes it more meaningful. 2. Assessment Teacher as a planner: Keeping the end in mind! Planning with the end in mind helps you keep your assessment focused explicitly on curriculum outcomes. Often it is easy to fall into the "crayola curriculum" and forget about "what do we really want out students to learn and how are we going to know if they have learned it?" This also involves thinking about who our learners are and what strengths do they exhibit or areas for improvement? Teacher as a Coach: Supporting learners through formative assessment strategies! Coaching= Assessment for learning This involves deciding what activities will engage our students in their learning? What opportunities will students have to practice skills and develop understanding? How will students use specific, descriptive and timely feedback to move their learning forward? How will teachers use evidence from formative assessment to inform instructional decisions? 3. Key strategies teachers can use to engage students in the assessment process is: - Clarifying, sharing and understanding learning intentions and criteria for success - Engineering effective discussions and activities that elicit evidence of learning - Providing feedback that moves learning forward - Activating learners as instructional resources for one another - Activating learners as owners of their own learning "As an educator, it is impossible to go through a school day without impacting someone's life...for better or worse. What a great responsibility. What an even greater opportunity." (Marzano and Pickering, 2005) Today I observed another grade 3 teacher in my practicum placement school. I was able to observe other teaching strategies and other classroom management strategies. A couple that particularly stuck out to me and I feel I could utilize are included in this blog post.
1. While grabbing attention starts with a raised voice and as students come to attention slowly lower his tone of voice to complete instructions. This was extremely effective. I would possibly use this while instructing in a gym class. Let's be honest a grade 3 gymnasium is loud and chaotic but when the students are quiet and waiting for instructions it's not necessary for me to always talk in a raised voice. 2. Wait time- After asking a question there was always a long wait time to allow students to process the question and a few more hands go up. Often he would choose the person who's hand went up first but I understand why the wait time is so important. Sometimes it seemed awkward long but still very important. 3. Compliments- when seeking a behaviour it is effective to compliment someone demonstrating that behaviour to encourage others to follow. |
AuthorI am currently a student teacher attending the University of Lethbridge Archives
April 2016
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