Monday, February 21, 2011

Lesson Plan Critique


Lesson Plan Critique
Lesson Plan Title_____Lip Balm Science_________________    Reviewer ___________________

Question:
Yes
No
Is the target audience clear?
Yes

Does it provide enough detail to give a rich description of the classroom?
Yes

What other information would be helpful to know about the students or classroom?
If any of the students have any allergies. The students are making the different lip balms and could be allergic to some of the ingredients.



Does the author have a clear idea of what they want students to do?
Yes

Are the standards chosen appropriate for the target audience they outlined?
Yes

Does the objective match the state standards they chose?
Yes

Do the topic, goal, and standards seem compatible with the target audience?
Yes

Are there any objectives that you would revise, and how would you revise them?
No, the objectives stated in the lesson plan seem to be appropriate for 5th grade students.



Is the time appropriate for the lesson? Why or why not?.

Yes, the time is appropriate for the lesson because 2 hours seems sufficient enough to make and test out different lip balms.


Does the introduction activity get students engaged and focused?

Yes, the students are going to be actually making the lip balms. Everything will be hands on and will make the assignment more fun.



Does the author provide step by step instructions so that anyone can pick up the lesson and teach from it?

Yes, the author provides step by step instructions so anyone can pick up the lesson and teach from it.


Do the activities match the objectives?  Give an example.
Yes, because the procedure section of the lesson plan list out the recipes and procedures to make the lip balm. It later goes on to explain how the class is going to develop a form for collecting data. Then they collect and analyze the data.





Do the activities prepare the students for the assessment? Explain how.
Yes, the activities prepare the students for the assessment. Throughout the activity they are being prepared to be graded on collaboration, data produced, graphs and conclusions.





Do the plans for materials seem appropriate for the activities? How might you improve them?
Yes, there does not seem to be any changes necessary to improve them.





Do the plans for technology seem appropriate?  Are the students using the technology? Is the technology appropriate for the content?  How will the technology help students learn?
The plans for technology seem appropriate. The spreadsheet program is used for collecting data by the students and encourages using the spreadsheet software in the future.




Does the assessment seem to match the objectives? Give an example.
Yes, because one of the objectives is to analyze the data using a spreadsheet program and their being assessed on data produced and graphs.





What is a strength of this lesson plan? Use specific examples.

That it is hands on and it can keep a 5th graders attention while still achieving its objective.





How could this lesson be improved? Use specific examples.

Possibly we would have liked to have different variations of this assignment for different grade levels.



Website review: Evernote.com

Today in class I discovered Evernote.com, a handy site to store almost anything. This site can be used to store anything in the classroom such as class rosters, tests, quizzes, worksheets, etc. I think that this site can be very helpful for educators when it comes to organization in the classroom.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Module 3 Reflection-Components of a Performance Objective (Bloom's Taxonomy)

Proper planning makes sure success in teaching and learning. Many teachers write objectives and focus their teaching at the three lower levels of Bloom's Taxonomy Application, Comprehension, and Knowledge. Application makes the student apply information that is presented to them, solve problems with that information, and find new ways of using it. Comprehension helps explain, illustrate, and summarize concepts and information. Knowledge means memorizing, recognizing, or recalling facts and information. I think that all levels can help the learner because they are the main levels that are required to function as a successful student in the classroom.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Comparing Inventories


COMPARING INVENTORIES








Joanna Herbert
University of Alabama
February 10 2011
College of Education









After taking my Cognitive and Learning style inventory tests I learned that I have a Sensorial/ Rational cognitive style which means that I like to take in information though my senses and that I use a lot of common sense. I am also a 42% Auditory, 31% visual, and 26% Kinesthetic learner, meaning that I mainly learn better with some sort of noise, and like to be told things rather than have to read them. I like how the Learning style test told me how much of each learning style I am because it shows that I am not just one specific style.
I do believe that the results of my Cognitive style test are true because I tend to take things in through my senses and tend to be a pretty rational person. I tend to remember details of memories very well and that is one of the aspects of a sensorial/rational cognitive style. For example, I can remember what the weather was like on a day that I had a fight with a best friend, and can remember what a room looked like from a childhood memory.
 I also believe the percentages of my learning style test to be correct. I have always been better at doing things when people tell me how to do it rather than having to read directions. I can remember song lyrics better than class notes, and always work better with some sort of music or background noise. I constantly walk around singing songs from my past and that always helps me get through my day.
I think that I will be able to use this information in my future classroom. I will make sure that a lot of the activities that I do with my class are hands on and fun. I will play music during quiet work time and will encouraged my class to talk quietly to each other and work together in group, therefore encouraging communication within my classroom. Hopefully doing these things will some of my students learn better and also help me work better so I can be the best teacher I can possibly be.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Website Review: Livebinder

Today, in class, I was introduced to Livebinder.com. Livebinder.com looks like a very helpful tool for me, as a future educator, and also to current educators. I like how you can compile a list of links and different types of documents all in one place. This seems very helpful for presentations as well as just for organizational purposes.

I believe that this can be very helpful for teachers because they can keep up with a whole chapter of worksheets, tests, quizzes, and study guides all in one place. This makes it easier to find things in a hurry. Livebinder can also be helpful for presentations that involve web links in the classroom. You can tell the class to go to http://livebinder.com and direct them to your specific binder and have the class  follow the presentation by themselves.

NETS for Educators and Students:
*Creativity and Innovation
*Research and information Fluency
*Digital Citizenship
*Technology Operations and concepts

Sunday, February 6, 2011

The Three Learning Perspectives


The three types of perspectives on learning are the behaviorist, cognitivist, and constructivist perspective. The behaviorist perspective says that all behavior is because of some sort of external stimuli. Behaviorists believe that the way we learn and how we act go hand in hand with how we handle rewards and punishments. The Cognitivist perspective focuses on mental activity. Cognitivists believe that learning is a mental function that occurs when information goes to the brain through our senses. The Constructivist perspective states that knowledge is an element resulting from the learning process. The constructivist is different from cognitvist because its main focus is not souly on the mental process. It also focuses on how each individual’s experiences occur through the mental process.
One thing that these three perspectives have in common is that they believe that a stimulus needs to be involved in some way. Some differences of these perspectives are that the Behaviorist perspective believes learners need knowledge from rewards or punishment. Cognitivist perspective’s focus is on mental activity. Constructivist perspective has knowledge and experiences at its base.
I believe in the behaviorist perspective I have seen how children in the classroom respond to rewards and punishments and learn from knowing what will happen if they do something. This has also been how I have learned throughout school.