Skip to main content

Reflecting on the Week's Readings

       It seems like the lessons we have had in my courses are swinging more to a pragmatic style of teaching, where the learning is more student-focused and teacher-facilitated compared to the traditional lecture format that has been so common, where the teacher is the expert imparting information, and the students are the simple receptors and regurgitators of what they have been taught. On one hand, it seems like a lot more work for teachers, since they have to curate and manage lessons that can have many variables, including differentiation of delivery as well as differentiation of tools. I once had a friend who told me it would be easier to teach high school, since the teachers only have to plan a few lessons, since they repeat them for different groups throughout the day. From another point of view, it may ease the load teachers have when planning lessons, since the students are so involved with pulling meaning from their lessons. In the traditional format, it is hard for teachers to fit in the time to observe students as they work when they are the ones telling students what they need to know.

    The video, Engaging in Argument from Evidence, that had a presentation about how science and social studies use argumentation as a way of discovery and refinement was very intriguing. Since critical thinking are evident in these genres, using an inquiry model can help students begin to use argumentation.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RJeVY0-WrA

I am working in kindergarten, and a lesson we did that I thought was. It could be expanded to include argumentation, which would be our opinion writing unit. I'm not sure that argumentation is a standard at this grade level. It would be interesting to see the children begin to learn how to listen to differing opinions without getting upset. Articulating a reason for their opinions was part of the lesson, but the next step could include talking about why their selection was better than the other one.


The closest we have come to debate is usually during math lessons. One day, the kids went back and forth about how many links were needed to add to a chain to have a total of eight links. On top of the chain, there were only 3 red linksconnected. Children gave a few different answers, then had to explain what they were thinking before the correct amount was given. For each answer, Ms. V adjusted the chain to show what each student suggested be done so they could see how their answers played out. This has been a very non-confrontational way that the kids have gotten to experience working out differences of opinion to figure out a task.

The chain on the right, in the ones-column only had the top three red links to begin with. The correct number of links to add to get to eight links was to first add two more red links, and then to follow them with three blue links.




 

Think Aloud while encoding the word squid.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nice Try   This week, I have been learning about the 5E Model of Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning.  The 5Es refers to a set of 5 phases that teachers can use for an inquiry-based method of teaching. They are Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. These phases are not necessarily linear and can be incorporated within many content areas. There are many benefits for students and teachers alike. I think I have begun experiencing them personally. I can explain. The overarching task to complete for this class is to create and teach two Inquiry Lesson Cycle Plans- one for Science and the other for Social Studies. So, the professor set up the task for us to choose topics for each, including the Colorado Content Standards and Student Friendly Objectives. It's pretty open-ended.  Well, I spoke to my mentor teacher at my field placement and quickly came up with an idea for a science topic. We found something in the current curriculum that the teacher has used before. ...
Post a Comment
Read more
Week 3Primary and Secondary Sources 100th Day Celebration- Children dressed as centenarians. They were so cute! It was such a jam-packed day. In the morning, I helped assess students on letter sounds for the and cvc words. After recess, I continued until lunchtime. I put together some pictures on a slide show, things from 1926 to compare with today's things, the night before, inspired by this week's readings in chapter 5. " Students of all ages enjoy looking at photographs, which are perfect for introducing young children to the concept of primary sources (Kopp, 2010)." There was no time to share it. Fortunately, in the cafeteria, I had a chance to play some music from 1926. It was super noisy, but they noticed it a bit. We could have done a now-and-then lesson or compared now to when parents were in kindergarten. Kids could have explored by asking their parents and grandparents for mementos from the past. I assessed students and ran a station during the festivities....
Post a Comment
Read more

My Story

  Hello everyone! My name is Angela Diedrichs. I am enthusiastic to begin learning about inquiry-based social studies and science with you. This topic is new to me, so I have a lot to learn. I'm currently working on earning a Master's Degree in Elementary Education with Initial Licensure and a CLD endorsement.  I am currently working as an instructional paraprofessional at a suburban school.  My role has me in a kindergarten class serving 23 5 and 6-year-olds, including five who are MLLs. I love it! My mentor teacher, Ms. V, and I have been paired up for many years, and she is excited to mentor me and help me take this step toward becoming a licensed teacher.   I have worked as a paraprofessional for many years. During the pandemic, I had a chance to act in the role of classroom teacher for a large portion of one school year. I admit the days were challenging- delivering lessons, reflecting on them, and adjusting the plans; keeping records and making sure everyo...
1 comment
Read more