1.
Analysis
of clarity and effectiveness of lesson plan
·
Our lesson plan was very well written and very clear
to follow which made it easy to stay focused during the lesson.
·
Having
all of the materials clearly labeled reminded us of what we needed
to make sure to have ready for the lesson.
·
Our objective was very clear and connected everything
that we did in our lesson. We had a comment stating that we should
make the objective more personalized to the students and not just
say, “Students will be able to…” By having it more
personalized it may interest the students more.
·
We laid out our introduction in a way so we would have
a clear path of what to do and say. It also allowed us a section
where we could tell the students how the objective connects to the
task. We did not write out exactly what we were going to say but
we did have a clear step-by-step procedure.
·
One
thing that was nice about our lesson plan was that we didn’t
write out exactly what we were going to say which made the lesson
more personable and also made our lesson more flexible
·
The body of our lesson plan was also very step-by-step
and we had hand written sheets for our benefit besides the lesson
plan reminding us who was going to do what part of the lesson. These
notes/reminders helped us keep the lesson plan flowing from start
to finish and it helped us work together as a team.
·
Our conclusion went a little different than what we
put in our lesson plan. We modified it by having the students all
interact by raising their hands to display who finished the task and
who was almost there. This was much better than having them just
compare their results at their table because it got everyone involved.
For those students who are less likely to take charge with group interaction,
raising hands is an easy and effective way to get them involved.
The flash on the PowerPoint was also very effective and went smoothly
because we had planned it out so well by testing and retesting that
it would work.
·
Our assessment was also very organized and effective.
It helped to have it on the PowerPoint slide as well as stated verbally
for students who did not hear it or for students who were visual or
auditory learners. The assessment part of our lesson plan also tied
in well with the warm-up and the objective, connecting fractional
parts and fraction addition to the geometric pieces.
·
It
would have been nice in our lesson plan to plan on showing students
how we figured out how the biggest triangles were ¼ of the picture
instead of just telling them it was.
·
Instead
of just asking students to work with a partner we should have had
partners set up and ready to go for the students, that way this would
not have been such a distraction and if no one would be unable to
find a partner.
·
Instead
of just writing to ask students questions while working on the tangram
activity we should have written down some questions that we could
ask, that we could now better what each one of the three of us were
telling the students.
·
The
last thing that our lesson plan needed was transitions, we didn’t
write out all of our transitions which made the transitions harder
for us, and also to know who was going to do the transition.
2. Organization of Lesson
·
Because of our extensive planning and preparation as
to who was going to do which part of the lesson, our lesson was very
well organized.
·
Along
with our lesson plan, since we were team teaching we each had a written
sheet of who was going to run each part of the lesson.
·
Our
warm-up got us started right away and it really helped us flow into
the introduction to the tangrams.
·
We used PowerPoint to assist us through the lesson
so we had visual examples that the entire class could see and it also
gave us a backdrop for the students to follow what we were doing.
We did not use PowerPoint to transmit the information we were learning,
but instead we used it as a visual aid and as a tool to show our objective
and the homework.
·
We had all of our materials well prepared and organized
so we could get the students on task right away and there was not
much time wasted handing out items.
·
We were all very familiar with the lesson and so supervising
the class as they worked on the puzzle and asking questions referring
to the puzzle went smoothly. We were also able to answer any questions
that the students had because of our complete understanding of the
lesson.
·
We should have planned out our wrap-up better by writing
out exactly what we were going to say and do because we rushed a little
at the end. We could have also made more of a connection from the
tangrams to the fractions by having a better-prepared conclusion.
·
Our
homework PowerPoint slide was a good wrap-up and we tied in our objective
as well so the students knew exactly what was to be done for the next
class.
·
One
thing that could have been nice to do is organize a group to each
one of us to give hints to, because sometimes we didn’t know
if we had given hints out to someone, and I think we may not have
given everybody a hint, and some students more then one hint, so organizing
the class into groups could have helped avoid this.
·
Again
organizing questions to ask, as the students worked would have been
helpful for all of us to give the same types of hints and to help
students all move towards the same goal.
3.
Effectiveness
of Lesson Introduction
·
We
started our lesson by having a warm-up of solving fraction addition,
which was a review of previously learned material and an important
part of the new material coming.
·
Right away we got the class involved by having them
raise their hands to answer the warm-up questions. However, we called
on the first hand raised, which we should have waited for more students
so we could see how many were following along. We also called on
two males to answer the questions. It may have been better to tell
them at the beginning that they would be randomly called on to give
their solutions. This would set them up for success because they
knew they would be called on and then we could make sure we called
on both males and females.
·
In our introduction we had our objective displayed
on the PowerPoint allowing all students to be able to see it well.
Our objective was not very personal to the students because it started
off, “The students will be able…” I think that if we
made it personal to the class, “After examining pieces of tangrams
we will discover the relationship between geometric pieces and fractions
of a whole,” they would have paid more attention to it and thought
about what we were going to do during the class period.
·
Then we showed a picture of geometric pieces and got
the whole class involved by showing hands of who believed it would
make a perfect square and who didn’t. This really got them interested
because they each had ideas about why it would make a square or why
it wouldn’t. This was an excellent way to work into our hands-on
activity of solving our question and working in the fractional point.
4. Transitions from one part of the lesson
to the next
·
Our warm-up was on the board and our objective was
on the PowerPoint. This made it easy to keep the students focused
between finishing the warm-up and beginning the new lesson. Changing
their focal point keeps them interested and less likely to start talking.
·
Right from our objective we put up the geometric picture
and question, which really got them thinking and involved. This picture/question
was an excellent transition into our lesson because it caught their
attention and they wanted to know the correct answer. After asking
the question, two of us quickly handed out the tangrams and we got
them started. Keeping the students involved and interested between
parts of the lesson was important because it helped us control the
classroom and no one got off task.
·
To help the transition run a little smother then it
did we should have assigned partners at each table to keep the buzz
down and to allow all students a chance to have a partner. This way
nobody gets hurt if they cant find a partner, and it reduces the risk
of two students talking the whole time because they are friends.
·
After we gave the class significant amount of time
to work on the project we had to regain their attention with another
transition. We did not really plan out transitions but they are a
very important part of the lesson because if you cannot get their
attention to move onto the next part you lose some of the students.
Our transition between working with the tangrams and giving the solution
was difficult because they did have that physical distraction in front
of them. We asked them to set down their tangrams and give us their
full attention, which helped.
·
After showing the flash animation of the tangram being
put together we should have had a transition into giving homework.
We should have asked students to take out their planner and write
down the homework for that night.
5. Effectiveness of your questioning
techniques
·
We did an excellent job of questioning the students.
At the beginning we got students involved right away by asking them
the solutions for the warm-up. We could have used the “set them
up for success” idea and selectively called on students. This
would have forced them to all work on the problems because they would
not know if they were going to be called on. We also need to watch
who we call on because we called on the first people who raised their
hands and they were both boys.
·
While showing the geometric pieces we got the entire
class involved by asking them to raise their hands if they thought
it would make a square or not. This was a great way to make sure
everyone had an opinion and everyone was interested.
·
While giving them work time we walked around the room
asking individual questions relating the geometric pieces to the fractions
that we had previously worked on. While this was effective it could
have been more effective if we were to write down the questions in
our lesson plan before we asked them and we could have split the class
in three so that we knew that each group was asked at least one question.
6.
Classroom
management
·
Because of our well laid out lesson plan and our smooth
transitions from one part of the lesson to the next we did not have
any problems with classroom management.
·
The students were all very interested in the lesson
and motivated to complete the puzzle so they did not cause any disruptions.
However, some students did get frustrated by not being able to complete
the puzzle and voiced their frustrations. By walking around the room
and giving hints or suggestions the students responded well and continued
to try to solve the puzzle.
·
Walking around the room is such an effective classroom
management technique. By having 3 teachers it is also very easy to
use this technique without having your back to some students while
talking. We all positioned ourselves around the room so we were not
in just one area.
·
It was hard to get the students attention when we wanted
to move onto the solution and the fractional connection. We had to
use a louder voice and ask the students to put down their materials.
I think two of us were in front of the class when we did this. Maybe
if we had been more spaced out around the tables we could have caught
their attention faster. Our presence by the tables would have made
them focus because they would not want to be singled out.
·
Keeping everyone involved throughout the lesson by
asking group questions with hand responses and the hands-on task was
an essential part to the classroom management. If we were not as
organized as we were, there may have been a lot of down time and the
class could have gotten out of control very easily. This would cause
you to spend a lot of your time regaining their attention. That is
why it is so important to have a well laid out lesson plan describing
every detail, even if it is modified along the way. This is also
why it is so important to have good transitions and good interest
catchers to keep the class involved and the lesson flowing.
·
Having Connie Stand in the back of the classroom while
we were going over the Board work and the introduction helped with
proximity control for the students in the back. This way the students
knew that they were all being watched.
7. Movement around the room and body
language
·
At
the beginning of the lesson we were all up front and this focused
the students attention to the warm-up that was also on the board up
front. I think that if we had been in the back of the room telling
them to look at the warm-up they might not have been as focused because
they would be looking for the warm-up and not listening to the instructions.
·
During the rest of the lesson we were all very much
spread out around the room, observing the different tables and moving
around quite a bit. The students had the tangram puzzle to focus
on and so it was not important for us to be in a certain area as a
focal point.
·
When we were asking questions or helping out students
with their puzzle we knelt down to be eye to eye with them, or we
bent over so we were closer to their level. This is important, especially
with adolescents, because it makes them feel on equal grounds with
you as the instructor. There is less intimidation and thus, the student
may feel more comfortable asking questions or giving solutions.
·
When we regained their attention to show the solution
worked two of us were up front and one was towards the back. I think
only one of us should have been up front giving the solution and that
way we could have more parameter control since it was difficult to
keep them from being distracted by the tangrams.
8. Effectiveness of Lesson Closure
·
Our lesson closure consisted of showing them how the
tangrams and fractions work together. This related back to our objective,
however, we did not actually state our objective again, which would
have been beneficial. By stating the objective again we could have
reinforced what we were learning today and what the students should
know. It would have also given students who need to see things out
in writing that extra help so we don’t lose their attention.
·
Our PowerPoint visual of the partially completed tangram
had the fractional parts fly in so we could really focus the students’
attention on the specific pieces that we wanted them to look at.
·
We had a mistake in our PowerPoint visual title because
the fractions did not appear. We modified this by writing it on the
board so students could connect the fractions on the tangram pieces
to fraction addition and fractions of a whole.
·
Keeping their attention at the end was difficult because
they were still trying to figure out the puzzle and trying to copy
the solution. If we would have written out exactly what we were going
to say and do for our closure we may have been able to have better
control and attention.
·
Some
students commented on how the flash went to fast, having the flash
go slower so that the students could solve the puzzle along with the
flash animation, also starting with the big triangles would have been
nice to have come in first because that’s what we had most of
the students start with.
·
Our assessment was done on an individual basis, class
basis, and also the homework would have been part of the assessment.
Walking around the room and asking individuals questions allowed us
to gain perspective on how well the students understood the task and
the connection to the math aspect. Having the students raise their
hands for responses allowed us to see where the students were standing
in their thoughts and if students did not raise their hand then we
knew that they may have been unsure. The homework would have given
us a concrete perspective on how well the students were linking the
geometric concept with the fractions.
·
We
did get flustered at the end because we did not have the control we
wanted and our time crunch caused us to conclude with not as much
connection to the fractions and pieces that we would have liked.
9. Use of Different Teaching Strategies
(especially use of learner centered/constructivist methods)
·
For our warm-up, objective, fractional tie in with
geometric pieces, and homework we used both a written and verbal explanation,
which allows students to expand their verbal/linguistic intelligence.
·
Our objective for the day was to connect fractions
to the geometric pieces of a whole. By having the students do this
hands-on activity of creating a whole from the pieces and understanding
how they are fractional parts allowed them to see connections between
distinct pieces of information, which allows students to expand their
logical/mathematical intelligence.
·
Our tangram puzzle made the students visualize how
the end result would look like and it made them look at each piece
from different perspective to try to get them to work together. This
allowed the students to expand on their visual/spatial intelligence.
·
The students were required to work in groups of two
to solve the tangram puzzle. This forced them to work on their interpersonal
intelligence, working cooperatively within their small groups and
to communicate with those people effectively to finish the task at
hand.
10. Enthusiasm, confidence and ability
to capture student’s attention
·
We were all so excited to do this lesson because we
thought it would be so much fun and everyone would be interested in
it.
·
We could have been more efficient in getting the students
to not give up when they got frustrated. By writing out interest
catchers in our lesson, in case students did lose interest or get
frustrated, we could have gotten them back on track. However, I think
that by giving those students small hints on what piece to start with,
they did get hooked again in the task.
·
We all knew the material so well that our confidence
was impeccable. We could have each done the entire lesson by ourselves
and still have done a fabulous job.
·
I think that the nature of the task, a puzzle, was
a huge help with getting the students attention because it was something
other than listening to someone talk or reading or doing actual work.
It got them involved and that helped keep them on task.
·
Our enthusiasm of the tangram lesson was shown through
our excitement when the students almost had the solution correct yet
they were not quite there yet. It was also shown through our praise
when they finally got the puzzle and were able to see the fractional
pieces inside the whole part.
11. Anything else you noticed about
the lesson
·
This is a great way to get everyone involved and interested!
Learner Centered Instruction is definitely worth the time that it
takes to prepare. It creates lessons that the students will remember
because they are interesting and because the students become part
of the lesson…it becomes their lesson!
·
We
all felt confident in doing this lesson, which helped our classroom
management and our flow through the lesson.
·
We
all also enjoy this activity and teaching about mathematics, which
helps gain students interest and build a sense of community in such
a short time.
12. Overall Summary of what you learned
from teaching and from your lesson analysis
·
It is so hard to have such a hands on lesson in only
10 minutes. You have to make sure they know how to do the prerequisites
before doing the actual lesson and if you have problems with the warm-up/prerequisites
then you will have to spend more time on that and you may not have
enough time to complete your lesson. This may also reflect on how
well the new lesson is understood by the students. Also the time
crunch makes us think that we have to hurry through parts of the material
so that the students can enjoy the hands on learning.
·
Learner
Centered Instruction lessons are much more effective in teaching ideas
and getting the students to think.
·
It
is very important to write down transitions in our lesson plans because
the hands on task makes students so focused that it is hard to get
their attention on the spot when switching from one part of the lesson
to another.
·
In
a learner centered lesson plan one must be organized because there
is a lot of movement in the lesson, and the students are being stimulated
so it makes it a very important to be organized so that you can stay
on task and you can keep your students on track.