Teaching All About Ecosystems

Today my group taught our direct instruction lesson about ecosystems. My group and I met up 2 hours before we taught in the library to practice our slides. We were all really nervous but after practicing we felt confident. Unfortunately when we got to the classroom at the school the students were taking a test, which delayed the start of our lesson. We started at almost 1 instead of 12:45. We started off my reviewing our class rules, then we explained our teacher vs class game. The students really enjoyed that game and throughout the whole lesson they were very quiet and kept telling each other to quiet down or the teachers would get a point. Cierra talked about ecosystems and played a game with the students where they had to hold popsicle sticks with the correct picture of the ecosystem. Next Marie talked about what a habitat was and how that affects the world around it. While Cierra and Marie were teaching I was walking around the classroom making sure the students were filling our their note sheets correctly. I was helping one student in the back who kept getting up from their seat and walking around. They were very distracted the whole lesson so I was near them to keep them on track and writing the correct words down for each slide. Next were my slides about predator, prey and the food chain and food web. The students were really into these slides because it was something they were all familiar with. When I asked them if they have ever heard of the word predator or prey before many of them had. I asked them to explain what they knew and many of them said what I had already planned to say which was great! Students were familiar with the food chain and food web as well which made my teaching easier because they students were able to correctly answer all the questions I was asking. For my check for understanding slide the students got a little bit too nosey. I put a picture of either a predator or prey on the board and I wanted them to discuss with their group which they thought it was.
Now when I made this slide I tried to find pictures that they could easily decide if it was a predator or prey but unfortunately that did not work. Many students started calling out that the picture could be either a predator or a prey which they were right but in my mind it was clearly a prey. But thats ok I told the students they were right it can be both but for todays lesson we are going to say it was a prey. Once my slides were done, Ganny took over and talked about pollination and fertilization. This is when we started to get low on time. Because of the students taking a test at the beginning of the lesson, we were unable to start on time and had to skip our guided practice. I was disappointed because we had a really fun activity planned but it was something we could not control. Marie then explained the independent practice and made sure the students worked INDEPENDENTLY and without their note sheet. The students did excellent with this and they were extremely quiet. After this we told them that they had won our teacher vs class game and that their teacher will give them their prize later since we ran out of time. Overall I think this lesson went really well besides the time problem. I’m very excited to teach our inquiry lesson on Thursday!!!    

Group 2 Investigates with Inquiry

Today group 2 did their inquiry lesson about light energy. They began by reviewing the class rules with the students. Next they had several slides that reviewed their lesson from Tuesday. The teachers each reviewed a different topic taught, and all of the students seemed to remember it all so the teachers should be really proud of themselves!! One thing I wish the teachers had done differently was make the review more fun for the students. I think instead of doing oral questions the teachers could have made a Kahoot with 5 questions to refresh the students memory. I think the questions were a lot and took up more time that could have been used for the activity. Before explaining the activity, the teachers explained the scientific method since the students would be using that throughout their experiment. The teachers then explained their light energy experiment. The students were divided into four groups and they went to each of the four stations designed by the teachers. The stations were about reflection, refraction, and absorption. Students were given objects that the teachers brought in which I thought was a really great idea. Some objects included mirrors, prisms, flashlights, and jars filled with water. These experiments was very well thought out and you can tell how much time and effort these teachers put into this lesson.
The students were given a packet that asked them to develop a hypothesis, and make observations about what they had in their station. They really loved the stations and I could see that at the reflection station students were writing a lot about what they saw which was great! One suggestion for the teachers is to have a timer on the smartboard so that students know how much time is left to complete that station. Once the groups rotated through all the stations, the teachers asked the students to share their findings with the class. Students were even sharing what they found interesting at the stations which was amazing because it showed how much they enjoyed the activity. For independent practice the students wrote a letter to their teacher about why light energy is important in a sensory garden. Students were working very quietly during this and completed it independently like they were expected to. Overall both lessons were really great and group 2 should be really proud of themselves for such well thought out lessons!



As for my group, we are now the next group to teach and we’re all very excited! Today we finished our direct instruction lesson and I think it’s really great. We put a lot of time and effort into it so I hope that will be reflected in our teaching next Tuesday. Now we are going to practice and start working on our inquiry lesson. We have a great idea for that. Now all we have to do is put it together in a powerpoint and get our supplies. This time next week we will be done with both our lessons!! I’m very excited for the students to see and learn about what we have planned for them.

Group 2 Does Direct Instruction

On Tuesday group 2 taught their direct instruction lesson on light energy. Group 2 consists of Meghan, Kelly, and Bailey and none of them have taught a full class like this before. For it being their first time, I thought they did a really great job! Before they started teaching they explained their stoplight activity. Every student got 3 cards; yellow, green, and red. The teachers explained that when students were confused or needed help throughout the lesson they should hold up the red card. When students wanted to teachers to slow down they should hold up the yellow card. And when the students understood everything perfectly they should hold up the green card. They began the lesson by asking if any of the students can tell them what they will be learning about based on the introduction slide. Some students were able to tell the teachers what light energy was, but many of them could not. Kelly explained that light energy is the white light that we can’t see such as sunlight. Then they reviewed the class rules with the students and had them chorally read them aloud. The teachers created a word cloud with the key terms from their lesson and asked the students if any of them had heard or seen those words before. For those students who have the teachers asked them to explain what they know about them. Then the teachers moved into the development part of their lesson. They had multiple checks for understanding throughout the lesson which was excellent. One of these checks was a list the teachers created about light and how it is created and factors that play into that. The students were asked to turn and talk in their groups to come up with some ideas, then the teachers asked for their responses. One thing I thought the teachers could have done differently here was call on different students to answer. Many times throughout the lesson the same students were called on, which is great to see them actively participating, but as a teacher you want to make sure all the students understand. Throughout the lesson students were very loud and often time the teachers would have to talk over them. I think the teachers should come up with a student friendly and engaging way to get the students to settle down without saying “shh.” Some ideas could be “hands on your head if you can hear me” “touch your nose, touch her cheeks, eyes on the board so I know you’re ready to listen.” Those are great way to get the students to quiet down without talking over them because saying “shhhh” will only make the students louder by trying to quiet down other students.
For guided practice students were asked to complete the questions on the back of their note sheet. In this “light hunt” students had to find objects in the room that reflected light and record it. I wish the teachers walked around to help the students more throughout this time instead of letting them work on their own. Guided practice is meant for the teachers and students to work together to enhance their knowledge on a task and answer any questions the students may still have on the topic. For independent practice students filled out a worksheet. The major concern I had during this was that the teachers allowed the students to work together on this. This should ALWAYS be done INDEPENDENTLY. As teachers we need to know what students have learned themselves rather than getting help from others. But overall group 2 did a great job for it being their first time teacher whole class!
As for my group we met Tuesday before class for an hour and a half to work on our lesson. We accomplished a lot and I was really happy with the progress we made. We are almost done with the powerpoint, now all we need is the write out the written lesson. As for the inquiry lesson, we have a great idea going and I’m really excited to start working on it. It involves the ecosystems and I think students will really love it!! 

Inquiry with Group 1

On Thursday group 1 did their inquiry lesson with the 4th grade. They started out by reviewing their LEARN poster from last time and had the students choral read the rules. To review what they learned on Tuesday, the teachers created a Kahoot for the students. Unfortunately the Kahoot did not work, but that didn't stop the teachers from reviewing. They improvised and began asking the students questions orally instead. Although the students weren't happy about this the teachers handled the situation very well and should all be proud of themselves!! After this the teachers explained the scientific method since the students will be using that throughout lesson. The teachers asked the students to give an example of a hypothesis. One students connected this lesson to a lesson they are learning in a different subject which was great to see them connecting the 2 lessons. The teachers then showed a video about a region that had a water crisis and explained to students that this region needs their help in finding ways to conserve water. I thought the video was a great way to explain to the students what a water crisis was and they all loved it. Some of the students wanted to watch it again! The students were then placed into 4 small groups where they worked on a Webquest designed by the teachers.
The Webquest included an article and a video the students had to read and watch. The students were provided with a packet they had to fill out based on what they completed in their quest. I liked how all the teachers were walking around the room while the students were working to see if any of them needed help or had questions. Unfortunately due to the technical problem with Kahoot at the beginning of the lesson, the students did not have enough time to share their findings with the class. I would have liked to hear what they discovered, but that was something out of their control. Before ending the lesson the teachers presented a video about the water crisis in Newburgh. I liked this video because it made a connection to the students everyday lives instead of them learning about something they cannot relate to. All the students were very concerned about this, it was great to see them wanting to get involved. Overall I thought group 1 did a really great job especially for having to go first with only a week to complete their lesson.
As for my group, we started our lesson powerpoint this week and next week we plan to meet everyday to work on it. I think my group has great ideas so I am excited to continue working with them to create an amazing interactive lesson! 

Weather and Water Direct Instruction

Today group 1 taught their lesson about water and weather. Group 1 consisted of Amanda, Michaela, and Kim. I give this group a lot of credit for going first because they didn't have much time to prepare and it's always scary to be the first people to go! But they did a really great job you would think that they that weeks and weeks of practice. Their first lesson was direct instruction so it was all teacher-centered with many checks for understanding. Their powerpoint was very engaging and colorful which is good for students, especially young students. To start off their lesson Michaela explained the rules of the classroom with a LEARN poster. I loved this idea because it allows students to know what the expectations are while learning. Next they had a poster with the tree of knowledge, which was like the stoplight I used last semester for my lesson. Students were given sticky notes either blue or yellow. They were asked to write down what they know about water and weather and what they want to learn. After this the teachers handed out a notes sheet where the students would fill out the key terms they learn. These key terms were bolded and in a different color in their powerpoint to make it easier for students to find these words. Their powerpoint had 2 videos which was great because it gave students a brain break while still learning. Also the students loved the videos and even asked if they can watch it again! All the teachers were very enthusiastic in their teaching and their voices were loud enough for everyone to hear. I liked the note sheet and graphic organizer idea because it kept students on track and aware of what they were learning. For the independent practice students were given a sheet with 7 questions and were asked to complete it on their own to the best of their ability without their notepad. Overall group 1 did an amazing job and their lesson was very engaging and fun. They should all be very proud!!

As for my group we still have 2 weeks to plan and we're going to start meeting up to design our lesson. We have already started to write ideas down so we aren't rushing last minute. I think my group is keeping on track and when we bring our ideas together we'll have a great lesson! But I'm excited to see group 1's inquiry lesson on Thursday!!

Getting to Know the 4th Grade

This week we began our first day of fieldwork with our 4th graders! I was very excited because last semester I worked with the 5th graders so I was looking forward to teaching new faces. We also made our fieldwork groups and I'm in a group with Marie, Ganny, and Cierra! I can't wait to work with them because I know they are hard workers and will bring good ideas to the table. For our getting to know you activity we designed a board game that looked like candy land and made it science related. We printed out a board that looked like a worm to go with the science theme! Each space in the board was labeled with either "science, family, fun fact, or school" which related to the question cards we made. We then came up with questions as a group that related to our science topic of variation and adaptation as well as questions in those categories of family, school and fun facts about the students. Cierra brought in her monopoly pieces for the students to represent themselves on the board. The students loved picking which character they wanted to be. Walking into the 4th grade classroom, I didn't know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. The students were great, they were enthusiastic and very easy to work with. Since we are teaching them about the components of a garden, their teacher had them make us paper flowers with a poem attached, which they handed to us as they were introduced to us. I though that was the cutest thing!! Before we played our games with the students they were asked to complete the pretest we created for them with questions from the different topics we will be teaching. Once students finished that, they were placed into 4 groups and rotated through each of our activities. The students really enjoyed our board game and gave very insightful answers especially with the science ones. I was very surprised because many of the students knew a little bit about our topic, but we explained to them that they will learn a lot more once we dive in to our topic!!

Before we left for the day, we brought the students to look at the garden that they will be creating based on the topics we teach. They were all very excited and were eager in asking questions about what they would plant and how we would get the plants to them. Overall I really enjoyed this first session with them and I am look forward to planning and teaching my lesson to them. Just 2 weeks until my group teaches, but I know the time will be here before we know it so time to get lesson planning!!!!!

Take Away's from the About Me Experience

We took time to do the "About Me" activity because it gets us to know each other more and 
we were able to become familiar with different technology to use in the classroom. We could see how we would use them in the classroom and how well students would be able to navigate it. By doing this I learned that I need to be more engaging with the class and ask more questions because students retain the most when they interact with the material. I wish I made my presentation longer but the technology I used, with was Voki, only allowed me to make my video 1 minute long. Something I can improve on is don't using "guys" when I'm teaching. Instead use "boys and girls" or "friends."
This lesson was an introductory lesson in how to engage students and how to use different tools to get to know your students rather than a worksheet.
You can do this lesson with students at the beginning of the school year to get the know them and they can get to know each other. This also can help in getting to know how students work and who they would work well with when designing group work. I liked the feedback because it helped me to see where I can improve on and the things my peers caught that I didn't catch while teaching. One of the technologies that my peers used was word art. You can use this to check for understanding, and at the beginning of the lesson to assess prior knowledge. You can also use this at the end of the lesson and ask students what each word means, how it relates to the topic you taught, and what is a word that they didn't know at the beginning of the lesson that they know about now. I can take something from everyones presentations in my future teaching, such as their teaching styles, and how they interact with students.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND DURING FIELDWORK

• Design ways to check for understanding, don't just talk to students, ask questions throughout the lesson
• Know the content you are teaching well. This will make you look and feel confident and gets your point across
• Modeling- a mental process, show your thinking process the students
• Demonstrating- hands on experience; "how to"
• Challenge students, don't just give them straight forward questions, make them think 
• Memorization is key for students. You have to repeat things so students remember better and the information will get stored in their long-term memory.
• You need 3-5 activities for guided practice and make it throughout your lesson not just at the end
• Closure should be engaging students in what they know. Be competitive with students because they love that
• Independent practice should not be a test. But they need to do it on their own; no help from you or other students.