In video case 9, Practicing Presentation and Audience Skills Through Science Presentations, the teacher is in a kindergarten classroom with twenty students and assesses her class verbally throughout the video. Her students are engaged in a cross curricular lesson that includes language arts, science observation, active listening, and speaking skills. The teacher first assesses the students by asking for oral responses. At 2:35 into the video, she initiates an informal demonstration performance task, where all the students need to demonstrate their mastery of active listening skills and observation while they watch a video about weather. At 6:29 the teacher begins another performance assessment, calling each student to stand and present their work, demonstrating the effective speaking guidelines previously taught. While one student is presenting the remainder of the class is also practicing their active listening skills.
This is an appropriate assessment for the age group because it quickly assesses comprehension. It is an authentic form of assessment because students are enacting their grasp of the topics. The relaxed performance assessment is also a good choice because the children can demonstrate their full understanding and not be hampered by limited reading or writing skills, as would be the case with a more formal paper and pencil quiz.
After observing this teacher, I can see that this was a very effective way to assess students. To ensure that all students in the classroom are successful I would continue to reinforce the skills being taught by modeling them myself (i.e. using the same active listening skills when students are speaking to me) and by giving additional positive reinforcement by calling out when I see a student displaying those skills. This would ensure that students who may not yet be independently displaying these skills are given adequate examples of what is expected. I would then repeat the same presentation experience, allowing everyone to demonstrate their abilities again.
Case 74, Understanding Characterization, gives an excellent example of utilizing well matched instructional strategies. The teacher in the video has arranged her students in small groups to read and analyze a grade level text. In reading the teachers comments, her motivation behind using this strategy is clarified. She explains that her class is made up of predominantly English language learners, and the spread of reading levels is vast. To support her less developed readers and help them succeed in interacting with grade appropriate language resources, she groups the students intentionally so that they can support one another’s comprehension. She also notes that all the students are more comfortable communicating orally in English rather than writing. By grouping them, they can first refine their thinking aloud which helps them construct written response that have more depth and meaning.
This strategy is very effective at meeting the student’s needs. It strengthens the student’s confidence and gives them resources where they need support. Combining those aspects sets all the students up for success.
I already implement this technique when I’m teaching multi-age homeschool groups. By grouping the students into mixed grade groups I am able to differentiate easily. The higher comprehension students are given the opportunity to dig deeper into the topic at hand and model effective learning. The others who may struggle to handle resources at or above their grade level can still participate fully with the support of the group, and the social dynamic. This strategy will be even more useful in a traditional classroom setting, where the large number of students make it difficult for the teacher to give everyone the specified support they need.
Case 2451, Constructing Rectangular Prisms to Build Understanding of Volume is a good example of a teacher utilizing a learning theory. This video deals with a teacher instructing students in small groups during a math block. She has the class separated into 4 small groups, tasked with exploring the operations necessary to determine volume of rectangular prisms built with blocks. The teacher’s commentary notes that she reviewed previously covered skills dealing with perimeter, and surface area so that the students would have the background information needed to move into discussion about volume. The theory she is operating under is social constructivism. The teacher is aware of her classes prior knowledge, and ability levels, so she scaffolds the lesson at the edge of their zone of proximal development. Through peer conversations and with gentle prompting and guidance from the teacher, the students succeed in creating a formula to find volume. This type of learning is consistent with constructivism because it relies on prior knowledge, multiple perspective, self -regulation, and authentic learning.
One theorist who’s work aligns with the social constructivists theory is Vygotsky. The term zone of proximal development belongs to Vygotsky and in general refers to the difference between what a child can do independently and what they can do with help. This theory is evident in case 2451 because the teacher is asking the students to solve a new problem but relying on their prior mastery of mathematical concepts and her own guidance for the students to take on a new concept.
In my classroom I will apply this same theory by also facilitating learning that is authentic and at the edge of my student’s capabilities. Hands on learning, completed in small groups, with open ended exploration, the ability to make mistakes and then discuss them with peers and advisors, and naturally refine thinking, seems like the most impactful way to learn. One way I plan to implement this theory is by introducing long term, small group interest led projects. Building off the interests of the students, I will design projects that require creative novel thinking, creating and analyzing results. Examples could be stem builds, research projects, writing our own plays, or analyzing the newest fad in TV. Really the options are endless.
In video 1163 Collaborating and Utilizing Technology to Create Animations, an excellent incorporation of technology in the classroom can be observed. The video is in an art classroom, and the class present is a selected group of students who showed aptitude in art. The teacher is introducing the layers of art and technology used to make stop animation films. The class is engaged in a cooperative assignment, utilizing many art forms and extensive technology to make their own film.
The use of technology aligns with best practices because it allows the students to delve into an art form that is not accessible without technology. The technology use also depends upon the students cooperation and communication with one another. It works cross cirricularly, involves skills covering many standards. It also engages the students higher thinking, asking them to analyze, evaluate and create.
Case 53, Observing and Measuring the Weather, provides an example of using learning resources in alignment with best practices. The teacher in the video incorporate many resourse to enhance learning in the classroom during a science unit about weather. Rather than just learn about weather from a lecture or a book, the teacher assigns the class into small groups who work together to measure different aspect of the weather outside the classroom door. The students employ many resources, but one that is particularly effective is a simple thermometer. The students use the thermometers to measure the temperature outside the classroom.
The thermometer proves to be very effective. It engages the students because they have to first wait for the temperature reading to adjust. This creates a temporary discrepancy between the thermometers, which creates the opportunity for the students to be confused and thus, seek an explanation. This is a developmentally appropriate resource because using it effectively involves principles the students are learning in other areas, for example number lines and integers.
The teacher in this video also uses a number of other appropriate resources. One that she does not use, and I would consider adding, is a technology component. Perhaps rather then recording their observations on paper they could use Chromebooks and a spread sheet, and then learn to manipulate the information to make graphs showing the weather changes. Or the groups could tandem track their own weather and the weather in another place of their choosing. Either extension would take the unit study to a deeper level.
Video 680, Applying Listening and Speaking Skills while Presenting a Digital Scrapbook about the Early Settlers, demonstrates a classroom where students are engaged in listening, speaking, and writing activities that calls for them to use higher order thinking skills. The second-grade students are engaged in a cross circular language arts/ social studies lesson. The class is first instructed in good listening and speaking protocol then given the opportunity to use those skills during a video. The teacher’s commentary says that the students were also tasked with researching the topic and had the opportunity to go on a related field trip. After all of these pieces of the unit, students were put in small groups and asked to create a digital scrapbook which was presented to the class. Assembling their research and experinces into a meaningful presentation is an example of higher- order thinking.
To further enhance student engagement in higher-order thinking in the lesson plan from the video, I would include a peer evaluation portion. As the students present with their small groups, their peers could give feedback about the information presented. This would engage the audience and require students to compare peer answers with their own knowledge.
When thinking about my own teaching philosophy, I personally subscribe most closely to a constructivist theory. I believe in combining these techniques to create meaningful learning in the classroom and promote a lifelong love for learning in my students. I plan to facilitate this in my classroom by offering interest led small group projects throughout the year.
In video 680 I observed the teacher teaching cross circular lessons, which is something I would like to emulate in my own classroom. I also hope to offer my students lessons they can really dive deep in, like the art project in video 1163. I also hope to let my students explore and answer open ended questions like they did in video.
After careful consideration one strategy I would like to avoid is extensive drilling for route learning, as was seen in video phonic one on one. While that was an appropriate strategy for the circumstances of the video and acknowledging that there is a time and a place for route knowledge, it seems like there are many other ways to reach mastery in these situations that are more meaningful.
Classroom environment is important, the class needs to feel comfortable, not be over stimulating, but also not drab. I liked the flexible seating option used in video, where the teacher is one on one with a student who is sitting on a yoga ball. This adds novelty to what could otherwise be a dull tutoring session. It also sets a wiggly student up for success by building movement into a seated assignment. I really appreciated all the storage for long term projects that was added by racks in video. The art classroom utilized pull out trays to maximize space for student projects. Another component I classroom environment that I think is really important is outdoor access. Windows, or a door to a courtyard, like in video, where they used the courtyard to measure weather. I really liked the layout of the classroom in video (maye he first one?). The teacher included a floorplan in the instructional materials and I appreciated the different zones she had set up. The student desks were grouped in pods of four, and there were separate areas for reading and other stations. That layout seems very conducive to hands on learning which is what I will strove for as well.
References
- Atlas (Producer). (2014). Applying Listening and Speaking Skills while Presenting a Digital Scrapbook about the Early Settlers [Video file]. Retrieved from https://atlas.nbpts.org/cases/680
- Atlas (Producer). (2014). Collaborating and Utilizing Technology to Create Animations [Video file]. Retrieved from https://atlas.nbpts.org/cases/1163/
- Atlas (Producer). (2014). Constructing rectangular prisms to build understanding of volume [Video file]. Retrieved from https://atlas.nbpts.org/cases/2451/
- Atlas (Producer). (2014). Observing and Measuring the Weather [Video file]. Retrieved from https://atlas.nbpts.org/cases/53/
- Atlas (Producer). (2015). Practicing presentation and audience skills through science presentations [Video file]. Retrieved from https://atlas.nbpts.org/cases/9/Atlas (Producer). (2014). Understanding characterization [Video file]. Retrieved from https://atlas.nbpts.org/cases/74/
