To me inquiry based learning is defined by seeking information by questioning. All humans carry on a process of inquiry from the time they are born until the time they die regardless of whether or not they reflect upon the process. In inquiry based learning, the student goes through a process of making observations, defining questions from their knowledge background, gathering evidence using technology, using previous research, proposing a possible explanation, considering other explanations, and finally communicating the explanation. In inquiry based learning, the form of inquiry depends largely on the educational goals of the students and teachers, but always involves improving the quality of student learning by enabling the abilities of inquiry.
In comparing the Connected Mathematics Project and my definition, I do feel that the CMP is a great example of inquiry-based learning. Connected Mathematics is a comprehensive, problem-centered curriculum designed for grades 6-8 and was developed by the Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) at Michigan State and funded by the National Science Foundation. In this program, algebra, geometry/measurement, probability and statistics are covered in EVERY grade in an increasingly sophisticated manner. The program seeks to make connections within mathematics, between mathematics and other subject areas, and to the real world. Furthermore, The CMP Instructional Model is a mathematics curriculum that helps students develop understanding of important concepts, skills, procedures, and ways of thinking and reasoning in number, geometry, measurement, algebra, probability, and statistics. The three instructional phases are similar to the inquiry based learning strategies and include launching, exploring and summarizing.
• Launching involves helping students understand the problem setting, the mathematical context, and the challenge.
• Exploring is the phase in which students work individually, in pairs, in small groups, or occasionally as a whole class to solve the problem and gather data, share ideas, look for patterns, make conjectures, and develop problem-solving strategies.
• Summarizing is the phase where students discuss their solutions as well as the strategies they used to approach the problem, organize the data, and find the solution.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Closure and Anticipatory Set
Closure
Closure is a major step in writing a strong and effective lesson plan. The Closure section provides a fitting conclusion and context for the student learning that has taken place. Closure is the time when the teacher wraps up a lesson plan and helps students organize the information into a meaningful context in their minds. A brief summary or overview is often appropriate, but a teacher can also have a quick discussion about what exactly the students learned and what the information means to them now.
Four ideas for closures:
1) The 3-2-1 approach: students write down three things they learned, two questions they have, and one thing they liked for closing discussion.
2) The Exit Pass: Students must write down questions about what they have learned or a short reflection and must turn this in before exiting the classroom.
3) Cliff Notes, Jr. – Students prepare a “cheat sheet” of what they have learned from the lesson that they feel would be useful for having during a quiz.
4) Choose from a dozen: students each choose two questions from a generic list to respond to about the lesson.
Links on Closure:
http://www2.okbu.edu/academics/natsci/ed/398/set.htm
http://www.edulink.org/lessonplans/closure.htm
http://template.aea267.iowapages.org/lessonplan/
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/writelessonplan-htm
Anticipatory Set
In the Anticipatory Set section, the teacher outlines what they will say and/or present to their students before the direct instruction of the lesson begins.
The purpose of the Anticipatory Set is to provide continuity from previous lessons, if applicable. It is also used to tell the students briefly what the lesson will be about and to gauge the students' level of collective background knowledge of the subject to help inform your instruction. It also let a teacher know the students’ interest level in the lesson and it can briefly expose the students to the lesson's objectives.
Three ideas for Anticipatory Set:
1) Have a short film, PowerPoint, photos, children’s literature, or a guest speaker available to help open your unit.
2) Use a graphic organizer to help students to construct their knowledge about the unit.
3) Have students perform Pair sharing, quick writing, or journaling about what the unit might entail.
Links on Anticipatory Set:
http://www.edulink.org/lessonplans/anticipa.htm
http://www2.okbu.edu/academics/natsci/ed/398/set.htm
http://template.aea267.iowapages.org/lessonplan/
http://www.educationoasis.com/instruction/bt/five_common_mistakes.htm
Closure is a major step in writing a strong and effective lesson plan. The Closure section provides a fitting conclusion and context for the student learning that has taken place. Closure is the time when the teacher wraps up a lesson plan and helps students organize the information into a meaningful context in their minds. A brief summary or overview is often appropriate, but a teacher can also have a quick discussion about what exactly the students learned and what the information means to them now.
Four ideas for closures:
1) The 3-2-1 approach: students write down three things they learned, two questions they have, and one thing they liked for closing discussion.
2) The Exit Pass: Students must write down questions about what they have learned or a short reflection and must turn this in before exiting the classroom.
3) Cliff Notes, Jr. – Students prepare a “cheat sheet” of what they have learned from the lesson that they feel would be useful for having during a quiz.
4) Choose from a dozen: students each choose two questions from a generic list to respond to about the lesson.
Links on Closure:
http://www2.okbu.edu/academics/natsci/ed/398/set.htm
http://www.edulink.org/lessonplans/closure.htm
http://template.aea267.iowapages.org/lessonplan/
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/writelessonplan-htm
Anticipatory Set
In the Anticipatory Set section, the teacher outlines what they will say and/or present to their students before the direct instruction of the lesson begins.
The purpose of the Anticipatory Set is to provide continuity from previous lessons, if applicable. It is also used to tell the students briefly what the lesson will be about and to gauge the students' level of collective background knowledge of the subject to help inform your instruction. It also let a teacher know the students’ interest level in the lesson and it can briefly expose the students to the lesson's objectives.
Three ideas for Anticipatory Set:
1) Have a short film, PowerPoint, photos, children’s literature, or a guest speaker available to help open your unit.
2) Use a graphic organizer to help students to construct their knowledge about the unit.
3) Have students perform Pair sharing, quick writing, or journaling about what the unit might entail.
Links on Anticipatory Set:
http://www.edulink.org/lessonplans/anticipa.htm
http://www2.okbu.edu/academics/natsci/ed/398/set.htm
http://template.aea267.iowapages.org/lessonplan/
http://www.educationoasis.com/instruction/bt/five_common_mistakes.htm
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Practicum - sharing a Lesson
My lesson plan was to create character trading cards for a fourth grade reading class.
Lesson Objectives:
My lesson objectives were to have the students perform an in-depth analysis of a main character’s personality traits, thoughts, words, and actions and to create description, insights, statements and actions of the character chosen.
What worked:
The hands-on activity was huge. The kids were extremely excited to pick their own character for their trading cards. I could tell that some of the students felt extremely passionate about the characters they picked and some of them could totally identify with their characters. It was great to see such enthusiasm from the students!
What strategies did you use?
During the lesson I had students meet with partners and share their cards. They worked through the questions with each other, making notes on their trading cards based on the feedback. I also observed and conferred with students to determine how they were doing and if they needed your support. I held formal and informal discussions to check for understanding after the first and second day. This helped me determine what information I needed to review with the students: did I need to review plot? did they understand a character analysis? etc. At the end of the project I graded their trading cards using a rubric.
What might I change next time?
Okay, so I now realize that stretching this lesson over four days was too much. Next time I'd make it a two or three day lesson plan. Also, next time I'd probably skip the modeling strategy and go right into guided practice. After we have discussed characters and character development, I think it would be better to have the students start working on their trading cards rather than me showing them a completed trading card and discussing how I came up with my character description. By skipping this, I think the students will be more creative in their descriptions.
Lesson Plan:
Kathleen Cluen
Fourth Grade Reading Class
Character Trading Cards Lesson Plan
Time Frame of Unit: Four 60-minute lesson plans
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Established Goals:
1) In depth analysis of main character’s personality traits, thoughts, words, and actions.
2) Create description, insights, statements and actions of the character chosen.
Understandings:
Students Will:
Essential Questions:
1) Create predictions and connections in the story based on an in depth analysis of the main characters.
2) Better understand a text by thinking about and discussing characters’ motivations and relationships to other characters.
3) How and why do good readers use prior knowledge, textual cues, and schemas to understand the characters in a story?
4) Compare and Contrast the traits of essential characters in the story.
Students will know…
Students will be able to…
1) How to identify characters’ most defining traits in relation to major events & the plot of the story.
1) Provide insight into the thoughts and feelings of a main character.
2) How to analyze a character from their physical appearance to their thoughts and feelings. 2) Define and describe a main character’s actions and interactions
3) Describe the main characters’ physical characteristics and personality traits.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks:
Students will:
1) Create character trading cards using words to describe characters’ personae and actions.
2) Analyze characters’ motivations and relationships to other characters. 1) Students will complete a Character Trading Card, which will be graded based on their in-depth character analysis (see rubric).
2) Teacher will complete a checklist noting how well students are able to work cooperatively with their peers and their ability to provide constructive feedback to each other.
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Day 1: 60 minute lesson plan
Introducing the Strategy
1. Introduce the topic of character development in stories with the goal of assessing what they already know. Ask them to think of a favorite story character and describe how that character developed (changed) in the story; ask students to discuss this with a partner. After students talk for a few minutes, ask:
• How did your characters change from the beginning of the story to the end?
• What kinds of things happened that caused your characters to change?
• Why are these changes important to the story?
• Why do authors create characters that change?
Summarize the conversation by stating that in most stories characters have a goal. A problem or conflict with this goal develops and the character spends the story working through the conflict to resolve it and meet the goal.
2. Show students the character trading cards you have collected or invite students who brought in cards to share them.
3. Discuss the purpose of trading cards. Ask students to study the trading cards and notice what kind of information is included. Ask them why they think trading cards were developed and how they use their trading cards. Review that trading cards provide the reader with some basic information about a person or character, include a picture, and can easily be traded.
4. Let students know that writers collect this same kind of basic information about characters before they write about them. They think about what their characters look like, where they live, what their personality is like, and what might happen to them. Explain to students that they will be creating their own trading cards in order to plan for a character they will include in the stories they are working on.
Modeling the Strategy
5. Show students the online Character Trading Cards tool (http://tradingcardmaker.net/) with an LCD projector. Using the text you have chosen, model how the author might have developed the main character by asking the questions that are on the card. Read the text aloud and stop along the way to model your thinking and let students observe and discuss the author's description of the character, the conflict/problem, and the resolution. Fill in the Character Trading Card online or write on the blank transparency of the card you have created.
6. Complete this section of the trading card as follows:
Example: Because of Winn Dixie
Setting: Where does the story take place?
"The author might have answered this by saying the story would take place in the small town of Dunlap, Florida."
Appearance: What does this character look like?
You might say, "Kate DiCamillo surely thought about what Opal might look like before she wrote his story." Ask students how they think he would have answered this question. Possible responses include: "Opal was a ten year old daughter of a preacher with short, brownish hair."
Personality: How would you describe the character's personality (funny, shy, daring)?
Ask students, "What kind of personality do you think Kate DiCamillo thought that Opal would have?" Possible responses include: "Opal is independent, friendly, and looking for new friends."
7. Model the completion of the rest of the card in a similar way. When you come to Section 3: Development, you might ask students to identify the problem in the story. Students may say, "Opal is meeting new people through her new dog, Winn Dixie. Winn Dixie is helping bring together people in the town who are just as lost as Opal." You can include this information on the trading card under the section labeled Problem.
8. Review how asking questions like the ones on the trading card can help authors plan their characters before writing.
Day 2 60-minute lesson plan
Guided Practice
1. Explain to students that they used the trading cards to study how authors (like Kate DiCamillo) describe and develop characters (like Opal) in their stories. They will now do the same work to plan their own characters.
2. Model for students, using your own idea for a narrative story, how you would use the trading card to plan a character. It will be enough to show students how you look at your story idea and think about your main character by asking a few of the questions on the trading card as an example.
3. Ask students to think about the story they are working on or to look at their list of story ideas and choose one. They should then focus on the main character in that story. Have students work in pairs for a few moments to talk through their story ideas and their character ideas. It is often helpful to talk through ideas before writing them, especially for struggling writers.
4. Have students use the Character Trading Cards tool to plan a character by asking questions just like Kate DiCamillo might have. Since computer time is limited, have students fill out the Character Trading Cards in preparation for the online activity.
Note: Since there are only four computers in the classroom, students are given the option to hand write their character cared on a blank copy or to type out the cards at home.
5. Conference with students as they work through the questions.
**TAG students will help ESL students with their trading cards if they finish in advance. Also, ESL students will partner with TAG students when we are working in groups.
Day 3 60-minute lesson plan
1. Have students work on their trading cards. If necessary, have them print out and review their trading cards. Also have them draw a picture of their character on the card.
2. Gather students and share some strong examples of students' work to provide models.
**TAG students will help ESL students with their trading cards if they finish in advance. Also, ESL students will partner with TAG students when we are working in groups.
Day 4 60-minute lesson plan
Feedback
1. Using a trading card you have created or a student's trading card, model how you would work with a peer to ask them questions and revise the trading card. List several questions on a chart and ask these questions of one of the students. For example, you might ask:
• Can you visualize my character from my description? Describe how you see my character. (This will help the writer see if the description is clear for the reader.)
• Describe how you see the conflict in the story based on my trading card.
• Does the resolution make sense based on what you know about my character and the conflict he/she/it is facing?
• Do you have any suggestions to make my character clearer, more interesting, or stronger?
Model for students how to make notes on the trading card based on the feedback you receive.
2. Have students meet with partners and share their cards. They should work through the questions with each other, making notes on their trading cards based on the feedback. Observe and confer with students to determine how they are doing and if they need your support.
3. Gather students to discuss this activity. Questions for discussion include:
• How did completing the trading cards help them think about the characters they were developing?
• Do they feel better prepared to write their story? Why or why not?
Remind students that they can use the strategy of asking themselves questions to plan story characters whenever they are preparing to write a narrative story
**TAG students will help ESL students with their trading cards if they finish in advance. Also, ESL students will partner with TAG students when we are working in groups.
Reflection:
1) What happened during my lesson (what did the students and I say and do)? How effective was my lesson design and teaching?
2) What evidence can I show about my students’ learning (e.g., student work)? How effective was my assessment plan for getting information about my students’ learning?
3) How did I do in meeting my desired results for this lesson? What are my next steps to improve student learning?
Lesson Objectives:
My lesson objectives were to have the students perform an in-depth analysis of a main character’s personality traits, thoughts, words, and actions and to create description, insights, statements and actions of the character chosen.
What worked:
The hands-on activity was huge. The kids were extremely excited to pick their own character for their trading cards. I could tell that some of the students felt extremely passionate about the characters they picked and some of them could totally identify with their characters. It was great to see such enthusiasm from the students!
What strategies did you use?
During the lesson I had students meet with partners and share their cards. They worked through the questions with each other, making notes on their trading cards based on the feedback. I also observed and conferred with students to determine how they were doing and if they needed your support. I held formal and informal discussions to check for understanding after the first and second day. This helped me determine what information I needed to review with the students: did I need to review plot? did they understand a character analysis? etc. At the end of the project I graded their trading cards using a rubric.
What might I change next time?
Okay, so I now realize that stretching this lesson over four days was too much. Next time I'd make it a two or three day lesson plan. Also, next time I'd probably skip the modeling strategy and go right into guided practice. After we have discussed characters and character development, I think it would be better to have the students start working on their trading cards rather than me showing them a completed trading card and discussing how I came up with my character description. By skipping this, I think the students will be more creative in their descriptions.
Lesson Plan:
Kathleen Cluen
Fourth Grade Reading Class
Character Trading Cards Lesson Plan
Time Frame of Unit: Four 60-minute lesson plans
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Established Goals:
1) In depth analysis of main character’s personality traits, thoughts, words, and actions.
2) Create description, insights, statements and actions of the character chosen.
Understandings:
Students Will:
Essential Questions:
1) Create predictions and connections in the story based on an in depth analysis of the main characters.
2) Better understand a text by thinking about and discussing characters’ motivations and relationships to other characters.
3) How and why do good readers use prior knowledge, textual cues, and schemas to understand the characters in a story?
4) Compare and Contrast the traits of essential characters in the story.
Students will know…
Students will be able to…
1) How to identify characters’ most defining traits in relation to major events & the plot of the story.
1) Provide insight into the thoughts and feelings of a main character.
2) How to analyze a character from their physical appearance to their thoughts and feelings. 2) Define and describe a main character’s actions and interactions
3) Describe the main characters’ physical characteristics and personality traits.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks:
Students will:
1) Create character trading cards using words to describe characters’ personae and actions.
2) Analyze characters’ motivations and relationships to other characters. 1) Students will complete a Character Trading Card, which will be graded based on their in-depth character analysis (see rubric).
2) Teacher will complete a checklist noting how well students are able to work cooperatively with their peers and their ability to provide constructive feedback to each other.
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Day 1: 60 minute lesson plan
Introducing the Strategy
1. Introduce the topic of character development in stories with the goal of assessing what they already know. Ask them to think of a favorite story character and describe how that character developed (changed) in the story; ask students to discuss this with a partner. After students talk for a few minutes, ask:
• How did your characters change from the beginning of the story to the end?
• What kinds of things happened that caused your characters to change?
• Why are these changes important to the story?
• Why do authors create characters that change?
Summarize the conversation by stating that in most stories characters have a goal. A problem or conflict with this goal develops and the character spends the story working through the conflict to resolve it and meet the goal.
2. Show students the character trading cards you have collected or invite students who brought in cards to share them.
3. Discuss the purpose of trading cards. Ask students to study the trading cards and notice what kind of information is included. Ask them why they think trading cards were developed and how they use their trading cards. Review that trading cards provide the reader with some basic information about a person or character, include a picture, and can easily be traded.
4. Let students know that writers collect this same kind of basic information about characters before they write about them. They think about what their characters look like, where they live, what their personality is like, and what might happen to them. Explain to students that they will be creating their own trading cards in order to plan for a character they will include in the stories they are working on.
Modeling the Strategy
5. Show students the online Character Trading Cards tool (http://tradingcardmaker.net/) with an LCD projector. Using the text you have chosen, model how the author might have developed the main character by asking the questions that are on the card. Read the text aloud and stop along the way to model your thinking and let students observe and discuss the author's description of the character, the conflict/problem, and the resolution. Fill in the Character Trading Card online or write on the blank transparency of the card you have created.
6. Complete this section of the trading card as follows:
Example: Because of Winn Dixie
Setting: Where does the story take place?
"The author might have answered this by saying the story would take place in the small town of Dunlap, Florida."
Appearance: What does this character look like?
You might say, "Kate DiCamillo surely thought about what Opal might look like before she wrote his story." Ask students how they think he would have answered this question. Possible responses include: "Opal was a ten year old daughter of a preacher with short, brownish hair."
Personality: How would you describe the character's personality (funny, shy, daring)?
Ask students, "What kind of personality do you think Kate DiCamillo thought that Opal would have?" Possible responses include: "Opal is independent, friendly, and looking for new friends."
7. Model the completion of the rest of the card in a similar way. When you come to Section 3: Development, you might ask students to identify the problem in the story. Students may say, "Opal is meeting new people through her new dog, Winn Dixie. Winn Dixie is helping bring together people in the town who are just as lost as Opal." You can include this information on the trading card under the section labeled Problem.
8. Review how asking questions like the ones on the trading card can help authors plan their characters before writing.
Day 2 60-minute lesson plan
Guided Practice
1. Explain to students that they used the trading cards to study how authors (like Kate DiCamillo) describe and develop characters (like Opal) in their stories. They will now do the same work to plan their own characters.
2. Model for students, using your own idea for a narrative story, how you would use the trading card to plan a character. It will be enough to show students how you look at your story idea and think about your main character by asking a few of the questions on the trading card as an example.
3. Ask students to think about the story they are working on or to look at their list of story ideas and choose one. They should then focus on the main character in that story. Have students work in pairs for a few moments to talk through their story ideas and their character ideas. It is often helpful to talk through ideas before writing them, especially for struggling writers.
4. Have students use the Character Trading Cards tool to plan a character by asking questions just like Kate DiCamillo might have. Since computer time is limited, have students fill out the Character Trading Cards in preparation for the online activity.
Note: Since there are only four computers in the classroom, students are given the option to hand write their character cared on a blank copy or to type out the cards at home.
5. Conference with students as they work through the questions.
**TAG students will help ESL students with their trading cards if they finish in advance. Also, ESL students will partner with TAG students when we are working in groups.
Day 3 60-minute lesson plan
1. Have students work on their trading cards. If necessary, have them print out and review their trading cards. Also have them draw a picture of their character on the card.
2. Gather students and share some strong examples of students' work to provide models.
**TAG students will help ESL students with their trading cards if they finish in advance. Also, ESL students will partner with TAG students when we are working in groups.
Day 4 60-minute lesson plan
Feedback
1. Using a trading card you have created or a student's trading card, model how you would work with a peer to ask them questions and revise the trading card. List several questions on a chart and ask these questions of one of the students. For example, you might ask:
• Can you visualize my character from my description? Describe how you see my character. (This will help the writer see if the description is clear for the reader.)
• Describe how you see the conflict in the story based on my trading card.
• Does the resolution make sense based on what you know about my character and the conflict he/she/it is facing?
• Do you have any suggestions to make my character clearer, more interesting, or stronger?
Model for students how to make notes on the trading card based on the feedback you receive.
2. Have students meet with partners and share their cards. They should work through the questions with each other, making notes on their trading cards based on the feedback. Observe and confer with students to determine how they are doing and if they need your support.
3. Gather students to discuss this activity. Questions for discussion include:
• How did completing the trading cards help them think about the characters they were developing?
• Do they feel better prepared to write their story? Why or why not?
Remind students that they can use the strategy of asking themselves questions to plan story characters whenever they are preparing to write a narrative story
**TAG students will help ESL students with their trading cards if they finish in advance. Also, ESL students will partner with TAG students when we are working in groups.
Reflection:
1) What happened during my lesson (what did the students and I say and do)? How effective was my lesson design and teaching?
2) What evidence can I show about my students’ learning (e.g., student work)? How effective was my assessment plan for getting information about my students’ learning?
3) How did I do in meeting my desired results for this lesson? What are my next steps to improve student learning?
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Warm-ups in Math Education - part 2
Great way to warm-up in math:
1 I can explain a concept to students and then ask them to explain the concept back to me when I am finished. This will help me make sure they are on track. If my students can explain the concept back to me, they probably have a pretty good idea of the main concept.
2) I can ask students to explain a concept to each other. Walk around the room and listen to the students as they attempt to explain the concept to other students. I can correct them if they are incorrect, or change your instruction if I see a need.
3) I can ask students to ask questions to me when I am finished. By answering their questions and seeing if there are other questions that come up, I will start to see whether my instruction has been successful. By the questions that the students ask, I'll start to see if my instruction has given students adequate information or if more is needed.
4) I can give students a task to complete to show what they have learned. The task can be a test over what's been done in class, a quick quiz to show their knowledge or a project or task that relates back to the particular math concept you have studied. Quick displays of knowledge at the end of every class will show you whether your instruction is on track and let you know if a review or a continuation is necessary.
1 I can explain a concept to students and then ask them to explain the concept back to me when I am finished. This will help me make sure they are on track. If my students can explain the concept back to me, they probably have a pretty good idea of the main concept.
2) I can ask students to explain a concept to each other. Walk around the room and listen to the students as they attempt to explain the concept to other students. I can correct them if they are incorrect, or change your instruction if I see a need.
3) I can ask students to ask questions to me when I am finished. By answering their questions and seeing if there are other questions that come up, I will start to see whether my instruction has been successful. By the questions that the students ask, I'll start to see if my instruction has given students adequate information or if more is needed.
4) I can give students a task to complete to show what they have learned. The task can be a test over what's been done in class, a quick quiz to show their knowledge or a project or task that relates back to the particular math concept you have studied. Quick displays of knowledge at the end of every class will show you whether your instruction is on track and let you know if a review or a continuation is necessary.
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