Jigsaw Group Work

Often times, a typical classroom instruction looks like direct instruction. Teachers are the center of the lesson and provide students with the content that they need to know. However, students learn best by doing. The collaborative learning model allows students to work in a social environment with the goal of completing a big project with their group.

In class, Dr. Smirnova asked us to learn about collaborative learning by participating in a collaborative learning Jigsaw activity. Each group member was required to become an expert on their part of collaborative learning. Once we became experts, we were asked to go back to our groups and teach them what we have learned. Each member of the group had to actively participate in order for the group to have a complete understanding of what cooperative learning is. 

This type of learning is student controlled. Though the teacher is overseeing what students are doing, the students determine what they will be learning. Teachers are able to assist in the learning process by providing insights and feedback as they observe the conversations of each group. In class, we were the students and Dr. Smirnova was the teacher. She walked around the classroom as we discussed in our base groups what we learned while searching about our specific part of collaborative learning, Dr. Smirnova made comments and provided feedback to the groups. 

I thought that the way we learned about this learning method was very beneficial. By participating in a collaborative learning experience to learn about collaborative learning, I was able to make connections between what I learned and what we were doing. Rather than learning by being given the information and the answers by the teacher, students go through a process in which they learn by searching for the information. 

Visual Mapping...A Different Approach

Visual Mapping 

Learning occurs when the reading is transformed into a different form. By creating visual maps, teachers can encourage students to become active readers. Students can incorporate creativity with the key ideas from what they are learning. Below, you can see the visual map that I created while reading a chapter in my textbook. This map demonstrates the steps for developing a well-constructed unit plan.

                             

While creating my visual map, I felt that I became a more active reader. Although this is not my preferred method of taking notes, this process helped me to focus on my reading and really understand the key components of developing a unit plan. Using visual maps in the classroom can help students better their reading, understanding, and learning. Visual mapping allows for the students to organize and connect the concepts that they are learning. 

This method of note taking promotes learning at every level by assisting students in grasping and organizing the information that they are reading. Also, students will be making connections between and among concepts. Lastly, students can use this technique to help them make sense of the information that they are receiving. Because this is a visual method of learning, students are able to "see" the information. For many students creating a visual allows for the students to process, understand, and retain the information that they are learning. 

The Learning House

In class, we were asked to reflect on our own views of teaching and learning. Dr. Smirnova asked the class to build a learning house with the following components: assessment, instruction, standards/content/curriculum, and learning. My learning house that I build is shown below.

The Learning House

I constructed this house with the standards at the base. I believe that the standards and curriculum form the base for what we are going to teach. We take our ideas that we are going to teach from the curriculum. The walls of the house are composed of assessment and instruction. I feel that these two go hand in hand when teaching. Assessment should be ongoing rather than just at the end of a lesson. Lastly, at the roof of the house, I have learning. I believe that the ultimate goal of providing instruction and assessing students' understanding of the content is for the students to learn. 

As I mentioned before, assessment should take place as instruction is going on. There are three types of assessment that are to be used throughout the lesson. The first type of assessment is diagnostic assessment. This type of assessment allows for the teacher to see where the students are in understanding before instruction takes place. I think that this form of instruction can be very beneficial when planning lessons for your class because you can assess where the students are in their knowledge of the content and then use that information to know what to cover in your lessons. The next type of assessment is formative assessment. This type of assessment is ongoing and takes place throughout the lesson. The teacher should constantly  be assessing the students understanding as the lesson is taking place and adjusting the lesson to help the students grasp the concepts. Lastly, summative assessment can be used as a final check for understanding. For class, we were asked to fill out a graphic organizer based on our findings about assessment. In my reflection, I explained that there are several things that I had learned that can be applied to my future teaching. However, I really feel that it is important to understand the idea that instruction and assessment work together. As teachers, we should remember to assess our students and adjust our instruction based on the needs of our students. 

In the video, Assessing Students' Learning, I was able to observe teachers demonstrating various types of instruction and assessment in their classrooms. When assessing students, teachers should consider the following:

1. process
2. what 
3. purpose 
4. criteria
5. criteria in advance 
6. student awareness 
7. type of feedback 
8. opportunity to revise 
9. clue for teacher 

I think that these ideas are important to consider when assessing the students' knowledge and can create meaningful and successful assessments. 

One teacher that I enjoyed watching was Ms. Gonzalez. I liked how she brought up a previous topic that was learned in school and encouraged the students to draw connections at a personal level. She also was constantly assessing the students' knowledge and understanding as the lesson was going on. A more informal assessment occurred when Ms. Gonzalez led a class discussion. However, during this time, she did not give the students the correct answers. Rather, she allowed the students to make their own connections and come to an answer based on those connections. During this assessment, Ms. Gonzalez was assessing the students' understanding of needs and wants and some of the things that are necessary to live. After this informal assessment, Ms. Gonzalez asked the students to create a chart with needs on one side and wants on the other. This provided a more formal assessment for the students to show their understanding of the idea behind needs and wants. I thought that this activity was well structured and that the positive feedback provided as the charts were being created was helpful in the students' understanding.

In class this week, we also learned about creating good test items. We were also asked to create our own test for our peers to take that assessed our understanding on how to create the different types of questions. If you are interested in taking the test that I created, it can be found here. As I was taking my peers' tests, I found that there were some questions that encouraged reasoning and thinking. However, on the other hand, some of the questions assessed declarative knowledge. By creating my own test, I felt that it further developed my understanding of creating good test items.

Planning for Instruction!

When creating a unit plan, it is important to keep certain things in mind. The teacher must formulate specific strategies that will need to be followed in order for the goal of the lessons to be achieved.

The first type of instruction that should take place in the unit plan is direct instruction. At the start of a unit, it is very likely that the students have little to no understanding of the topic at hand. This type of instruction can be used to develop the students' basic skills and knowledge. However, a good unit will begin with a grabber. It is very important that the teacher presents the unit in such a way that it draws the attention of the class. One way a teacher can begin a unit is by creating a Wordle. The teacher can carefully select words and concepts to include in the Wordle. When showing the Wordle to the class, the teacher can assess the students prior knowledge by asking if they recognize any of the words.

The next form of instruction that should take place is a more indirect approach. Students should be given the opportunity to develop their understanding of a topic by investigating it further. The students are leading their own learning and have the teacher as a support or a guide for their learning. The teacher can provide the students with a problem to solve. Inquiry based lessons allow students to apply their basic knowledge and skills in order to develop a better understanding of a topic. Inquiry is about metacognition. Students are required to think about the reasons behind their thinking and provide evidence for the correct answers found. From this, each student will be able to gather their own information and then should be encouraged to share his or her new knowledge with his or her peers. Students should then be given some sort of project that can demonstrate a deeper understanding of a topic.

While planning instruction is very important, it is also critical that the teacher is able to assess the students' understanding as the lessons are being conducted. As teachers, it is important to observe the students and their answers to the questions proposed. It is also important to cater to the different types of learners. Different forms of instruction should be used throughout the unit because all students learn differently.

Differentiated instruction will provide students with different approaches to learning the material. Direct instruction involves providing students with the necessary information so that they are able to pass a written test. It really does not allow for the teacher to see if the students truly understand the material or if they are simply memorizing information for a test. On the other hand, inquiry based instruction requires the students to investigate and be the leaders in their own learning. As a result, this type of instruction demonstrates a higher level of thinking in the students and can be used to show a greater understanding of the material. 

This course requires me to create my own unit plan. I think that the information provided in the Powerpoint presentation will be very helpful in doing so. I think that it is will be beneficial for me to remember that differentiated instruction will help all students learn the content. I am very excited to use what I have learned when creating my own unit plan. 

Inquiry Based Activity- Actively Engaging Young Learners

One of the main ideas discussed this week in class was teaching meaningful and powerful Social Studies. When teaching history, teachers can create an authentic experience by allowing the students to take on the role of a historian. Historians study past events, investigate them, and draw connections between different events. By creating activities that actively engage students and require them to use their skills to draw conclusions, we can help students become historians rather than just Social Studies learners.

In class, we were given am artifact bag that contained pieces of a person's past. Below, you can see the items that were in my groups' bag.

I really thought that this project can be used to develop specific skills in young students. When you are given a collection of artifacts that you know nothing about, you are forced to try to draw connections between the items and figure out what they could mean. Featured on the bottom of the picture, is a Russian birth certificate. Through the use of the Internet, we were able to translate the birth certificate. This allowed us to see that the birth certificate belonged to our professor, Dr. Smirnova. From this information, we were able to conclude that these items were related to Dr. Smirnova's life and Russian culture. 

I think that this activity allows for students to become historians and investigate Russian culture. Students are using problem solving and critical thinking skills to put the puzzle pieces together. Students are also taking part in an inquiry based learning experience, where they are investigating the presented material. Activities, such as the artifact bag, can help students to build their knowledge from their experiences. 

An Authentic Learning Experience

Using the Artifact Bag activity can help students develop problem solving and critical thinking skills. It allows young students to draw connections between items that they know nothing about. Also, as young Social Studies learners, it is very important for students to become historians. This activity gives students the opportunity investigate and develop a better understanding of a specific culture or time period.

Some tips for implementing the Artifact Bag activity are:

1. Provide support, guidance and instruction to help develop the students' skills
2. It is important to activate the students' prior knowledge on the topic and guide the students to make connections between what they know and what they are going to be learning. 
3. The teacher should model higher levels of thinking for his or her students to follow.
4. Include authentic items in the artifact bag. This will create a more "real" experience for the students. 
5. Make sure that the activity is hands-on and actively engaging the students. 
6. Provide students with the necessary materials and guides to summarize their findings throughout the activity. 

Artifacts can be used in a classroom to create an authentic, personal learning experience for students. Teachers should be sure to include various ways in which the students can draw connections to the artifacts, and also make predictions and summarize their findings. Some suggestions for implementing the artifact bag activity include scaffolding instruction, activating prior knowledge, and modeling. Also, it is important for the teacher to prompt students' predictions and questions in order for them to gain knowledge from the experience. Having the teacher as a guide for learning may help many students reach their potential, with a little assistance. Another suggestion for the artifact bag activity is to incorporate other content areas in the lesson. By integrating literacy, reading, and writing into the lesson, the students will gain more from the activity than just an understanding on what an artifact is and some of the things it can tell us. Here is a link to my Wordle that contains several phrases and strategies on how teachers can carry out the artifact bag activity.

Using the Internet as a Resource

This week, we were required to read a chapter in our books that talked about how to engage students in examining history.The Internet plays a major role in actively engaging students in the material that they are learning.

The Internet can be used as a resource for research for both the students and the teacher. The teacher can use the Internet to expand their knowledge on a specific topic that they are planning to teach to their students. Also, students can further develop their understanding of a particular idea or concept by conducting research independently. I think that using the Internet as a tool for research has its benefits, but can be detrimental to learning if it is not used correctly. When completing research, it is important to distinguish between a reliable source and an unreliable source. Allowing students to conduct their own research will keep them actively engaged in the learning process but it should be monitored carefully so that false information is not being learned.

Another way in which the Internet can be used in teaching is through the use of interactive, educational games. This technique can be used to actively engage students in learning history. There are many interactive timelines of events online that can be used to teach certain time periods in the classroom. For example, in a lesson about Benjamin Franklin, I might use the interactive timeline to teach my students about his life and his contributions to the American society. I think that actively engaging students through the use of technology can help them learn the material and retain the information that they are receiving. I think that using these games and interactive activities can be very useful and are practical in the classroom because they do not require many additional materials.

In conclusion, the Internet can be very helpful in teaching and learning Social Studies if used correctly. The Internet can create a meaningful learning experience because it can be used as a tool to actively engage students in the day's lesson.

Powerful and Meaningful Social Studies...What does this mean?

In order for teachers to be successful in teaching social studies to elementary school students, the lessons created must be meaningful and engaging. Teachers must create challenging and engaging activities that are relevant to the material that is being taught. Often times, social studies is associated with teacher lectures; however, I believe that there are more effective ways to teach the content to students.

Through the interactive PowerPoint presentation, I was able to clear up some misconceptions that I had regarding the definition of social studies. Initially, when I thought of social studies, I thought history. Though this is a part of social studies, it is not all of it. Social studies encompasses a wider range of topics. From the presentation, I was able to come up with a more formal definition for social studies. Social studies is a body of integrated knowledge, concepts, skills, generalizations, and theories in the social studies field, which includes history, economics, geography, citizenship, and more. I think that this definition is very important because it demonstrates how, as teachers, we are not simply teaching the content, rather we are teaching the underlying principles, concepts, and skills. By teaching the underlying principles, concepts, and skills, we are equipping students with knowledge that can be applied across various subject areas.

One particular part of the presentation that I found very interesting was the learning pyramid. The learning pyramid shows how much students learn when they complete different tasks. The retention rate is extremely low when students are just reading or listening to information. However, when students are experiencing the content and teaching others the material, about 95% of the information is retained. By allowing students to actively participate in the lesson, teachers will be able to create a meaningful social studies experience for their students.

Prior to class, we were also asked to read an article that explained the various approaches to instruction and the different models that can be used. In order to create a meaningful learning experience for your students, it is important to consider the various types of instructional models and strategies that can be used to benefit your students. For example, teachers should be providing direct instruction lessons to students so that they are taught explicitly the material that they are required to know. However, this should not be the only form of instruction taking place. Some other instructional strategies that can be implemented in the classroom include interactive instruction, experiential learning, and independent study. Students learn best by doing and teaching others. Taking part in interactive instruction and providing them with experiences, such as field trips, may help the students retain more information than if they were simply being lectured. Also, by providing various teaching methods to your class, you are able to cater to many different learners. 

Learning for Oneself

One of the ways in which we are expected to learn in this class is by completing self-tests for the chapters that we read in the textbook. These tests are completed online and are for our own benefit. I think that it is very important for students to learn for themselves rather than learn because they want a good grade on the test.

Dr. Smirnova expects us to complete these self-tests for our own learning. I like how we have as many attempts at the test as we would like. When we are happy with the grade that we have received, we are required to send it to the instructor. Because of the multiple attempts allowed, we are able to see and learn from our mistakes. 

For my personal learning, I have found that these self-tests have been very helpful. By completing the test and seeing my initial results, I am able to look up the questions that I got wrong and learn the reasons why they were wrong. 

I think that self-testing can be used in many classrooms. By not counting the first grade, the student is learning for oneself rather than for the teacher. It also motivates the students because they are required to complete them and submit a grade that they are happy with, despite how many times it takes to achieve that grade. 

The Journey Begins: Weeks 1 & 2

"Teachers create all other professions"

As the semester begins, I look forward to learning about Social Studies and the ways in which technology can be used in the classroom. I have heard many students talk about this class and had a general idea of what to expect. Often times, students talked about the tremendous amount of work that is required for this class; however, all of the students I spoke to had said that this course is filled with so much useful information that will be able to be used in our future teaching careers. I am very excited to see what this semester has to offer and what knowledge and experience I can gain from this course. 

Day 1: 8/26/2013

On the first day of class, Dr. Smirnova introduced herself and created a very friendly and welcoming environment. Our first task for this class was to write our name with love on a folded piece of paper.

We were then told to think back to a good social studies teacher that we have had in the past. The activity was constructed in a way that allowed each student to work individually, as pairs, in small groups, and as a whole class. We each discussed our favorite teachers and our definitions of social studies. In doing so, we were able to picture some of the qualities of a good social studies teacher,  for example welcoming, knowledgeable, and resourceful. This assignment was a good way to help each of the students in the class get to know one another. However, I felt that most importantly, we were able to share our understanding of Social Studies with our peers by communicating our ideas. 

Day 2: 8/28/2013

On our second day of class, we met in the Curriculum Library on our school campus. This library has a lot of different resources that can be used throughout this course. I found the librarian, Tiffany, to be very helpful in letting us know what the library has to offer. I also think that it is important to be aware of the resources that are available to us, such as the computer program Kidspiration and the teacher textbooks.

Day 3: 8/30/2013

Today, we began presenting our About Me projects. This assignment was given to our class to familiarize ourselves with different types of technology that can be used in our classrooms in the future. I chose to make a Vizify. This website allows anyone with a Twitter profile to turn his or her page into a video. I found that it was very simple to use and a fun way to introduce oneself to his or her peers. Here is the link to my Vizify.

As each member of the class was presenting their creations, the rest of the class spent time reflecting on the presentation that was being given. During these reflections, we had to write three good things about the overall presentation and one way in which the presenter could improve. I think that this technique can be very useful because it is difficult to grow as a communicator and teacher if you are unable to receive feedback from the work that is being completed. I also thought that this assignment was very helpful because be became familiar with different programs and discussed or thought about how they could be used in an elementary school classroom. 

Day 4: 9/2/2013 

LABOR DAY - No class today

Day 5: 9/4/2013 

Today, we continued our About Me presentations and provided feedback to our peers on their presentations. 

Day 6: 9/6/2013 

Happy Friday! Today, Dr. Smirnova taught us how to set up our blogs! Each student created a title for their blog. This is my first experience blogging and I am really excited to continue blogging throughout the semester. We were also shown a song in class that can be used at the end of the week in an elementary school classroom.  

Introducing Me

Hello everyone,

My name is Christina Sayegh and I am currently in my third year at Mount Saint Mary College. I am a Mathematics major and a Psychology minor. I am also looking to get a dual certification in Elementary Education and Special Education.

Happy blogging!