Creativity Lab

You Found What? Where?

 

This week we took the time as lab groups with our instructor to do a creativity lab. What is that you may ask? It's like new teacher 101. many of us struggle with creative to keep our lessons interesting and have that desired variability.

So we did what any group of young teachers would do....We went to the Dollar Store!

Never underestimate any store for its teaching qualities. many unexpected things can be used for lesson enhancement. Especially, when you are on a budget and your school supplies are low. necessity, is indeed the mother of invention. For this lab I chose to focus on a landscaping unit. I wanted to find something that would allow students to conceptualize some of the things we would be talking about, and boost their creativity. I wandered around for what felt like eternity, until at last bam it hit like a ton of bricks! Or a foam brick that is lol. I found floral/ craft foam at the dollar store. This would be my ground or "landscape". The I found some colored push pins, and sharpies in the business supplies. I decided that the students would label their pins with the markers for the different components of a landscape then create a model using the foam. maybe not the most glorious thing in the world but it really gives you an activity that students wont forget. I chose to use the white type of foam so that it wouldn't be as messy as the softer greet kind. we are going for creation not messy destruction. Some variations to this would be using different shapes of foam for different landscapes. also shaping softer green foam to create the actual land formation. Different shaped pins could also be utilized. A great little extra will be that the students will have to make a key for their pins! Id say this lab was fun, but really took some serious thought for something that seems so simple.



Day 2 and 3 micro teaching

whew.. day 1 was over, oh wait there is more!!!!
So after my first day micro teaching I felt like I had a better handle on what was going to work for these students. I had gone home from the previous days and changed my lesson plans. I was still very nervous the second day but that odd calm hit me again and I went to work. we talked about wood products more in depth since I had introduced it the first day. We looked at various items I had brought in. The kids were defiantly into that and they asked questions and even kept me on task with their interest. It was a very simple activity but it seemed to resonate with them well. I also had them read again. but this time we read more of a fact sheet each person read two or three lines about pa wood. I walked back the rows as each child read. I was ale to provide help and use their names and then provide praise. I had another small but important triumph with the reading. after everyone had read one piece there was one row of facts left. I asked for volunteers to read those ones. A young girl in the middle, of whom I believe had an IEP and some difficultly with reading, raised her hand. she said she would read it for me. she read it nice and loud and stumbled on one word that I helped her through. I felt really good about this. it was clear that she may not have been so good at reading but she tried it. Seriously good moment.. Between going over the products and the reading that was the whole period. was a pretty good felt awesome.
Day three we finished up with careers. I felt like I could have connected the importance to this better. I thought that it spoke for itself but you have to explain and connect everything for it to be relevant. I also decided to do an activity because that was something on my reviews from the previous day. the activity was alright. but it got to the point where doing an activity for the sake of doing one just isn't the best. These kids were interested in just learning than doing some activity. I think that I learned that just doing an activity because its in PSU's goods teaching tool belt, does not mean every class, everyday. You have to know those students and what is going to fit in that class. I had them finish up with a small quiz. I think that it may have cause some anxiety. some of the kids were not there the whole time and the stress was written all over their faces. I reassured them after seeing that in the first few minutes that it was just to see what you learned and that it was important to know, but it wasn't something to fear.
I also gave them a teacher evaluation. I did not want to do the quiz and the eval back to back. So I read to them a short piece about wood products put out by the PSU extension. I then gave then the form at the very and asked them to help me be better. I thanked them for their time and good behavior, and just like that they were gone. The whole experience was over.....I felt good, and crazy, and tired, and a million other things all at once.

Day one of micro teaching

I can't even believe this was real. Like I was floating outside of my body. I have been labs all year to prepare for this snip bit in teaching time. However, I do not know if they did me direct justice they were nothing alike. And if I thought my nerves were high during lab, they were on planet mars when I arrived at central mountain. I knew that I had prepared and planned for that day but wow I felt like a melt down could occur at any moment. I signed in to the office to the office thinking o no this is really real, I walked down the hall thinking oh crap this is set in stone real. When I reached the classroom, it was like game. I used to give speeches n the ffa and I would reach this weird state of nervous calm. That is exactly what happened. I set up the computer for a video, and placed my papers in front of the room. one by one the students started to trickle in. It was time, and away I went! started off by introducing myself, and giving them a small run down of what we were going to do and why I was there. I had them read a small article to get them thinking of why woodworking was still important, and the products associated. I had them each tell me something interesting they found or did not already know. We then watched a short history channel clip on the same thing. we talked about the products and associated industries to wood. The kids asked questions which I was happy to answer, but it tossed me for a loop. I knew that I knew the answers but to come up with them right then in that moment was hard. I fumbled a few of them for sure. when each kid read or did something that I could praise them for I did. I was complimented on that by my supervisor which felt nice. I also had started to kind of loose the two boys in the back, but as soon as they drifted I caught it instantly with out thinking if I should say something I just did it. I was really proud of myself for that one. A small personal triumph for my classroom management. I really think that micro teaching went a million times better than my labs. I had several things to work on from the first day but overall it was really good and I learned a lot. It was also nice to teach my first day ever in an ag class with my ag teacher there. I really appreciated that. I had a ton of constructive feedback and felt better about how to conduct the second day. From student to teacher, what a progression.......
 

Inquiry based instruction

IBI-Inquiry Based Instruction
For this weeks lab we were to use a teaching technique called Inquiry Based Instruction. This can be a difficult strategy to implement, but students can gain a wealth of knowledge from this type of instruction.
     I chose to do my lesson on seeds. Students were to dissect seed and find the parts that we had covered in a " previous lesson". They were to see where they were located and what they really looked like. Also I tossed in a few second reminder bit on how o properly hold a scalpel to prevent injury and help the dissection process. I wanted the students to natural formulate questions and answers. my main objective a teacher was to have them go across the top row of this chart. I think the lab went pretty well this time. Again my reviews said to say things with more confidence, and to keep the enthusiasm up. Those are things I have on my radar for sure. My teacher evaluation had me in all different columns on the Inquiry chart. I think this is good because this was my first time trying it and also inquiry doesn't have to be all teacher or all student centered. I was more on the student centered side with marks in both the C&D columns. However, The students from the class felt slightly lost. this was something particularly interesting that I found.
I think inquiry is a good thing but it takes some skill and digression. I don't think that its good for everything, and its all about execution. It is definitely something that will use and continue to grow with as an ever evolving teacher.

weekly reading 10/22

A Blue print for teacher evaluation.....

  I think teacher evaluations are a good thing. However I don't know that they criteria or how they are done are always executed correctly. Back wen I was in  high school many of the really terrible teacher would put on  a good show for the observer and pass. these were some of the worst teachers in the district and they would pass with flying colors. When I teach I want anyone from any walk of life to be able to come into my classroom on any day and be thrilled. I want them to know and see that I am a good teacher everyday not just when it counts. I also want to them to leave knowing something new.
They will evaluate me by:

A coherent definition of the domain of teaching (the “What?”), including decisions concerning the standard for acceptable performance (“How good is good enough?”).

Techniques and procedures for assessing all aspects of teaching (the “How?”).

Trained evaluators who can make consistent judgments about performance, based on evidence of the teaching as manifested in the procedures.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
Domain 1 (Planning and Preparation) includes comprehensive understanding of the content to be taught, knowledge of the student's backgrounds, and designing instruction and assessment. Its components are:

• 1a. Demonstrating knowledge of content and pedagogy
• 1b. Demonstrating knowledge of students
• 1c. Selecting instructional goals
• 1d. Demonstrating knowledge of resources
• 1e. Designing coherent instruction
• 1f. Assessing student learning

Domain 2: The Classroom Environment
Domain 2 (The Classroom Environment) addresses the teacher's skill in establishing an environment conducive to learning, including both the physical and interpersonal aspects of the environment. Its components are:

• 2a. Creating an environment of respect and rapport
• 2b. Establishing a culture for learning
• 2c. Managing classroom procedures
• 2d. Managing student behavior
• 2e. Organizing physical space

Domain 3: Instruction
Domain 3 (Instruction) is concerned with the teacher's skill in engaging students in learning the content, and includes the wide range of instructional strategies that enable students to learn. Its components are:

• 3a. Communicating clearly and accurately

These are the components of a professional practice. theses are the things that administrators want to see in order to ensure that their students have an adequate teacher. these things are directly in line with what we are learning in our AEE classes. its not about trying to pass an evaluation , it is about trying to become the best teacher you can be. where evaluations only solidify what you and your students know. We are trying to become the model for the evaluation. not because we want to be the best , flashiest, poster child of a teacher. we are learning how to be great because the students deserve the best.

problem solving problems 10/16

This week in lab another flop. I worked on this lesson plan making sure it was better than the previous. I had three versions of it before I thought it was good enough. I went into lab thinking that I had it down.

        I got lost in my train of thought of trying to make sure that I evidenced the problem solving approach. even though I had a better plan than the previous ones it kind of snow balled. I think to have made this go better I should have given some background before the class started. setting up a situation would have helped me and my students with the actual problem solving method. 

         once I realized that I had messed up the enthusiasm level went down which you can clearly see. I also got a bit confused on try to use the method in a lesson to set up a unit. After Laura's quick mini reteach on the subject I finally made the connection . Learning the approach Monday and then recycling it into a lesson so fast definitely through me off. I tried to put way too much information into a lesson. It also would have lacked severe variability had I don't the entire lesson with a real class. On a higher note I think that I at least developed a better lesson plan this time even though it was too much. My next mountain to tackle is figuring out how much information to put in a lesson plan and to make them a successful one day lesson with variability. I struggle with this because there is so much for them to know.

Lab 10/2 reflection

       So this lab went not according plan. I struggled with finding a demo since I wood tech/ carpentray. I got this really cool idea to show students what shims are and how to use those to show how to level projects. The idea was how to use a shim and how to use a level. I created a cardbourd box cabint made out of a shoe box, the box is unlevel because of the lid. the students would use the shims to make thbox level. They had a bubble level on top of the bix to see the change as they did it. I also used a glass of what on top the box to represent level in another more visual way. The lesson plan got blurred I think and become or appeared to become more about setting a cabinet than using tools. I really need to make sure that my lessons are concse. I alos noticed that my demo seemed to drag even though they are supposed to be engaging. was really excited about the idea of this activity that I think it over shadowed to actual purpose and content of my lesson. This was one where thinking deeply was probably a good idea. Shims are very common in home imporvent and building construction and I thought it would be good to use them in an intro class. This lesson was a completet flop but there is definantely room for improvement. I know that at my center i will be teaching saftey and demos can be a crucial part of safety. I definantly want to make sure my students are safe. to be continued..

I think in lab I fall into this lack stage where I know there is another one where I can be better. But, when teaching you get one chance in reality. The students get one chance to learn from you. You have them for only a brief moment in the timeline of their lives. What can we as educators give them in that brief precious moment. This is what I am starting to think about as I reflect on these labs.