In AEE 412 this week, we dug deeper into the problem solving approach in agricultural education. We learned about four different types of problem solving techniques to use in our classroom. The first was the fork road problem which allows students to solve a problem one way or another, like yes or no for example. The next technique we learned about was the possibilities factor problem which offers many choices or options as solutions for a problem. Another technique we learned about was the situation to be improved technique which allows students to determine that better options are needed to solve a problem. The last technique we learned about was the effect-cause technique where students figure out the cause of a problem that led to the present effect.
I ended up using the situation to be improved technique in lab on Wednesday. I based my lesson out of the PA aquatic life unit in my aquatic resources class. The basis for the lesson was that an endangered species was found on a piece of land that was soon to be developed into a shopping complex. Students were tasked with determining how to go about solving the issue and presenting their ideas and solutions in a letter addressed to the local township supervisor. As I found in lab, my idea sounded better in my head. When I got up to actually present my lab, I don’t think the problem was clear enough to students. This was the topic of discussion in class on Friday, improving our ability and understanding of the problem solving approach in order to effectively teach it in our classrooms.
As I look ahead to next week, we will be discussing how to evaluate learning through different assessment methods. I am very interested in this because assessment is one area I am struggling with as I write my unit plans. I do not want to just give a typical exam at the end of each unit. I want to allow students the opportunity to show what they have learned in ways other than taking an exam. I feel that students are constantly tested and I know that they would often prefer other means of assessment.
One way I plan to assess my students in several of the units I am teaching is through projects. I read the University of Florida’s article on Creating and Working with Rubrics and found it very beneficial. I have already started creating rubrics for some of my lessons and can work to improve them with information in the article. I also found some other great ways to assess students in the University of Florida’s Evaluating Learning in Laboratory Settings. I like the idea of a concept map; however I would not use this as a final unit assessment. I really like the idea of using student portfolios to assess student learning. I think that I can incorporate the use of portfolios into my agricultural business class this spring.
After completing the readings for the upcoming week, I am excited to learn more about evaluating instruction and assessment! I think this is a topic we as a cohort are all anxious to learn more about. I speculate my peers have a lot of questions as to different variations of evaluating instruction and assessment. The semester is rolling along quickly and I can’t wait to put all of my knowledge and skills to use at Elizabethtown in a few weeks!
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Figuring Out How to Teach a Problem Solving Lesson
In AEE 412 lab this week, I presented a 20 minute problem solving lab. We as student teacher candidates were required to create and present a lesson using one of the problem solving techniques we learned about in class on Monday: fork-road problem, possibilities-factor problem, situation to be improved, or effect-cause. I chose the situation to be improved technique for the lesson I would be teaching. The context for this lesson was in the aquatic resources class I will be teaching in the spring in the PA aquatic life unit. The background of my lesson was that a developer wanted to come in to a small town and develop an area where an endangered salamander species was found. The students had to identify stakeholders and factors in the issue and determine how a decision should be made, which was the situation to be improved.
Before I dig into my actual reflection, I must begin by saying that this was the first lab where I was not nervous to stand up in front of my peers, Mrs. Rice, or the video camera in the back of the classroom! This was such a huge step for me! I would always sike myself out before lab, get all worked up, and then my lab performance would be hindered because of it. That being said, I still have some work to do as far as my lab performance. I know that I need to have more command in front of the classroom and I must also let my personality and enthusiasm shine through.
I understand that this is a process and I will not become a great teacher overnight. I feel that I have taken another step in this process by not letting my nerves get the best of me. The next step is to show my personality and enthusiasm when teaching. I feel that it is important that I am recognizing that this is a process and things will happen in steps rather than all at once. I often found myself wishing that I could just snap my fingers and instantly become a better teacher. Sadly, I can’t. I must grow and develop as a young professional and I feel that I am well on my way! I also still find myself saying um a lot but I am working on it! I catch myself doing it when I talk, typically when I am starting to tell a story or provide an explanation. Since I have recognized this bad habit, I am continuing to improve upon it.
One thing that I feel I do well in lab is preparation and planning. The lesson plans and accompany materials I have turned in are detailed and organized. I feel that this shows the time and effort I put into planning. Preparation is something I take very seriously, a good habit that I will carry with me into my future career. I sometimes fear that I “over plan” or provide too much detail that I try to memorize when teaching my lesson. However, I feel that I have combatted this issue by not attempting to memorize what I have written on my lesson plan word for word. I know the material and must speak from my mind while ensuring to ask important questions that are included in my lesson plans.
Overall, I feel that I am slowly but surely improving in lab. Through reflection, identification of what went well, and recognizing areas to improve upon, I know that I will continue to improve my teaching. I have no doubt that I will continue to make improvements, big or small, and will feel confident to student teach in three months!
Before I dig into my actual reflection, I must begin by saying that this was the first lab where I was not nervous to stand up in front of my peers, Mrs. Rice, or the video camera in the back of the classroom! This was such a huge step for me! I would always sike myself out before lab, get all worked up, and then my lab performance would be hindered because of it. That being said, I still have some work to do as far as my lab performance. I know that I need to have more command in front of the classroom and I must also let my personality and enthusiasm shine through.
I understand that this is a process and I will not become a great teacher overnight. I feel that I have taken another step in this process by not letting my nerves get the best of me. The next step is to show my personality and enthusiasm when teaching. I feel that it is important that I am recognizing that this is a process and things will happen in steps rather than all at once. I often found myself wishing that I could just snap my fingers and instantly become a better teacher. Sadly, I can’t. I must grow and develop as a young professional and I feel that I am well on my way! I also still find myself saying um a lot but I am working on it! I catch myself doing it when I talk, typically when I am starting to tell a story or provide an explanation. Since I have recognized this bad habit, I am continuing to improve upon it.
One thing that I feel I do well in lab is preparation and planning. The lesson plans and accompany materials I have turned in are detailed and organized. I feel that this shows the time and effort I put into planning. Preparation is something I take very seriously, a good habit that I will carry with me into my future career. I sometimes fear that I “over plan” or provide too much detail that I try to memorize when teaching my lesson. However, I feel that I have combatted this issue by not attempting to memorize what I have written on my lesson plan word for word. I know the material and must speak from my mind while ensuring to ask important questions that are included in my lesson plans.
Overall, I feel that I am slowly but surely improving in lab. Through reflection, identification of what went well, and recognizing areas to improve upon, I know that I will continue to improve my teaching. I have no doubt that I will continue to make improvements, big or small, and will feel confident to student teach in three months!
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Changing Up Classes with Problem Based Learning!
Whew! What a busy and productive week! My week was filled with classes, officer meetings, the Teach Ag Genius Hour, the Northern Region PAAE meeting, and an IEP observation. Staying busy sure does make the week go by fast. In AEE 412 this week, we started off class on Monday by learning about effective directions and instructions. Four important elements that should be included in classroom directions include an action verb, an attentional signal, a time limit, and a beginning signal. While discussing these in class, I noted that I had already included several of these elements in my lesson plans without even realizing it!
The discussion then transitioned to how to effectively break students into groups and maintaining a good pace for the classroom. For the remainder of class, we talked about individual teaching techniques. These five techniques include experiments, supervised study, independent study, student notebooks, and worksheets. Reading about these in Newcomb’s and then reiterating the techniques in class really got me thinking about how I can use these in my future classroom.
On Wednesday in lab, I took part in the first ever Teach Ag Genius Hour. Each student teacher in the cohort was responsible for creating a two to three minute presentation about an idea or topic they are passionate about and how it can be used in an educational setting. My topic involved giving students a sense of ownership about what they’re learning through selection and presentation of a current agriculture issue they were passionate about. My fellow classmates had some great ideas as well. A live Twitter feed was set up and I must say we had conversations going with individuals all throughout the country.
On Friday, Dr. Ewing taught class and introduced us to problem solving and problem based approaches to learning. I felt that it was a good introduction but I am anxious to learn more about these ideas next week. From the lecture and this week’s reading assignments, I learned that problem based learning includes problem solving, inquiry learning, project-based teaching, and case studies. To my knowledge, learning begins with a problem or question; students work to find a solution/solve the problem while the teacher facilitates learning and allows the students to have ownership of the problem.
I also read about the need to teach problem solving in classrooms and I agree that this is a necessity. I feel that it requires deeper thinking on the student’s part. I also think that problem solving lessons can be more engaging and interesting than traditional lecture. In agriculture education, there are so many opportunities to turn traditional lessons into problem solving approaches. Sitting here typing this, I can think of several examples off the top of my head for different content areas of agriculture education!
One website that I found while I was researching problem based learning, Learning Theories, provided information about what problem based learning is, where it originated, defining characteristics, and history. The website also provided criticisms of problem based learning that I found interested. The website pointed out that students may not know what is important for them to learn and that teachers may not be able to cover as much material as a more lecture based classroom. While I do see and understand where these points are coming from, I believe that with trial and error, teachers will be able to figure out how to use problem based learning in their classroom effectively. I know that after gaining more insight into problem based learning and finding lessons with good examples, I will use this during student teaching and as a full time teacher. I’m not afraid to branch out and try new things, which is what student teaching will allow me to do!
References: Problem-Based Learning (PBL) | Learning Theories. (n.d.). Learning Theories. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from http://www.learning-theories.com/problem-based-learning-pbl.html
The discussion then transitioned to how to effectively break students into groups and maintaining a good pace for the classroom. For the remainder of class, we talked about individual teaching techniques. These five techniques include experiments, supervised study, independent study, student notebooks, and worksheets. Reading about these in Newcomb’s and then reiterating the techniques in class really got me thinking about how I can use these in my future classroom.
On Wednesday in lab, I took part in the first ever Teach Ag Genius Hour. Each student teacher in the cohort was responsible for creating a two to three minute presentation about an idea or topic they are passionate about and how it can be used in an educational setting. My topic involved giving students a sense of ownership about what they’re learning through selection and presentation of a current agriculture issue they were passionate about. My fellow classmates had some great ideas as well. A live Twitter feed was set up and I must say we had conversations going with individuals all throughout the country.
On Friday, Dr. Ewing taught class and introduced us to problem solving and problem based approaches to learning. I felt that it was a good introduction but I am anxious to learn more about these ideas next week. From the lecture and this week’s reading assignments, I learned that problem based learning includes problem solving, inquiry learning, project-based teaching, and case studies. To my knowledge, learning begins with a problem or question; students work to find a solution/solve the problem while the teacher facilitates learning and allows the students to have ownership of the problem.
I also read about the need to teach problem solving in classrooms and I agree that this is a necessity. I feel that it requires deeper thinking on the student’s part. I also think that problem solving lessons can be more engaging and interesting than traditional lecture. In agriculture education, there are so many opportunities to turn traditional lessons into problem solving approaches. Sitting here typing this, I can think of several examples off the top of my head for different content areas of agriculture education!
One website that I found while I was researching problem based learning, Learning Theories, provided information about what problem based learning is, where it originated, defining characteristics, and history. The website also provided criticisms of problem based learning that I found interested. The website pointed out that students may not know what is important for them to learn and that teachers may not be able to cover as much material as a more lecture based classroom. While I do see and understand where these points are coming from, I believe that with trial and error, teachers will be able to figure out how to use problem based learning in their classroom effectively. I know that after gaining more insight into problem based learning and finding lessons with good examples, I will use this during student teaching and as a full time teacher. I’m not afraid to branch out and try new things, which is what student teaching will allow me to do!
References: Problem-Based Learning (PBL) | Learning Theories. (n.d.). Learning Theories. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from http://www.learning-theories.com/problem-based-learning-pbl.html
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Teaching, Learning, Reflecting, and Looking Ahead!
With another week down, we are almost at the halfway point! It is crazy how fast the semester is moving. I will be student teaching in no time. I went home this weekend after several busy weeks on campus. I was able to hit the woods Saturday morning for the first day of archery. I did not see any deer during my time in the woods but I was able to reflect on the week and look ahead to the coming week. First, I reflected on the past week of classes. On Monday in AEE 412, I learned how to properly conduct a classroom demonstration. I was exposed to a three step method that I will definitely utilize in during my student teaching experience. During that same class period, I also learned five characteristics of cooperative learning. I was somewhat unfamiliar with what constitutes cooperative learning but felt more confident after class on Monday.
This past week was also the PA FFA’s Fall Leadership Conference in Altoona on Wednesday, October 1st. I was one of three student teachers running the treasurer workshop. This was my first time attended the conference and also my first time in an actual teaching setting this year. We had two and a half hours to teach a group of 21 PA FFA chapter treasurers about their position and duties. I feel that the workshop went well overall! The students learned a lot of information and had fun while doing so. I taught two activities during the workshop.
For the first activity, I was nervous and shy. I feel like I rushed through the information and did not perform as well as I would have liked. About halfway through our lesson, we changed things up a bit and had the students play the human knot game. This broke up the information overload they were receiving and demonstrated leadership and cooperation skills. It was after I took part in this activity that I felt so much more relaxed and confident! For the second activity, which occurred after the human knot game, I felt so much more comfortable in front of the students and performed much better while teaching! To wrap up the week, we discussed effective questioning and instruction in AEE 412 on Friday. I found this class very beneficial and started thinking ahead to implementing effective questioning into my classes during student teaching.
Looking ahead to this week, class will focus on individualized teaching techniques and problem solving approaches to learning. I was very fond of the readings in Newcomb’s Methods of Teaching Agriculture book this week. Chapter 7, Individualized Teaching Techniques, provided great insight into the individualized teaching method. Students learn different ways, at different paces, and have differing background knowledge in agricultural content areas. Newcomb describes supervised study, experiments, independent study, and the use of notebooks all as effective individualized teaching techniques. I found it interesting that the basis of an SAE project combines the idea of all four of these techniques into one!
I am gaining many perspectives about teaching and am viewing it in a different light. When I am sitting in class, I observe my professors and form connections with the teaching techniques and strategies I have read about. I make mental notes in my mind of what works well and how I can implement these into my future classroom one day. I have reflected on Fall Leadership Conference and that gave me the opportunity to see what worked for me and what areas I still need to improve upon. I know that the more teaching experience I have prior to student teaching, the better my performance as a student teacher will be!
This past week was also the PA FFA’s Fall Leadership Conference in Altoona on Wednesday, October 1st. I was one of three student teachers running the treasurer workshop. This was my first time attended the conference and also my first time in an actual teaching setting this year. We had two and a half hours to teach a group of 21 PA FFA chapter treasurers about their position and duties. I feel that the workshop went well overall! The students learned a lot of information and had fun while doing so. I taught two activities during the workshop.
For the first activity, I was nervous and shy. I feel like I rushed through the information and did not perform as well as I would have liked. About halfway through our lesson, we changed things up a bit and had the students play the human knot game. This broke up the information overload they were receiving and demonstrated leadership and cooperation skills. It was after I took part in this activity that I felt so much more relaxed and confident! For the second activity, which occurred after the human knot game, I felt so much more comfortable in front of the students and performed much better while teaching! To wrap up the week, we discussed effective questioning and instruction in AEE 412 on Friday. I found this class very beneficial and started thinking ahead to implementing effective questioning into my classes during student teaching.
Looking ahead to this week, class will focus on individualized teaching techniques and problem solving approaches to learning. I was very fond of the readings in Newcomb’s Methods of Teaching Agriculture book this week. Chapter 7, Individualized Teaching Techniques, provided great insight into the individualized teaching method. Students learn different ways, at different paces, and have differing background knowledge in agricultural content areas. Newcomb describes supervised study, experiments, independent study, and the use of notebooks all as effective individualized teaching techniques. I found it interesting that the basis of an SAE project combines the idea of all four of these techniques into one!
I am gaining many perspectives about teaching and am viewing it in a different light. When I am sitting in class, I observe my professors and form connections with the teaching techniques and strategies I have read about. I make mental notes in my mind of what works well and how I can implement these into my future classroom one day. I have reflected on Fall Leadership Conference and that gave me the opportunity to see what worked for me and what areas I still need to improve upon. I know that the more teaching experience I have prior to student teaching, the better my performance as a student teacher will be!
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