EME2040-Reflection#4

Inquiry based learning is being a part and involved on what is being taught rather than just listening. By becoming a part of something you learn from it better rather than forgetting it by just listening. Inquiry means seeking for truth for information or knowledge. The process of inquiry begins with gathering different information by using all of our senses which are hearing, seeing, smelling, and touching. This process is used the second we are born. As soon as we are born we begin to use this process of inquiry. I believe it is very true that schools are becoming less prone to using the inquiry based process. Most students barely as questions in classrooms and just say and answer what they are expected to respond, and don’t share their own voice or opinion on things. Effective inquiry is when an individual asks a lot of questions in deeper level and uses the knowledge he/she intakes as important information. Inquiry is required to find solution for things because most of the time they don’t have answers. It helps us apply ourselves more and examine certain things. It helps you know more about your field inside and out even if they change the information around a bit you would still know what you are talking about. It isn’t just about knowing certain facts, but knowing the information in depth. A good well round education can give you knowledge and different circumstances and perspective of things around the world we live in. Inquiry learning helps us accumulate all the knowledge we have learned from grade to grade and apply it as we go. Everything learned, something newer will be learned after. Inquiry learning helps us have a better comprehension about the world around us in all the different ways possible. Traditional learning is more focused around the teacher and more focused on how to pass to the next grade level, or knowing the one right answer. Inquiry based learning is learning about something and asking questions, and becoming a part of what they are learning (participating) and actually learning it rather than just memorizing. It is about leaving it more up to the students, rather than the teachers leading the entire class. It helps students get more involved and give questions and suggestions on what is being taught. When something catches the attention of students like this, it helps them remember things and actually learn them. I believe this is very true because it has happened to me in only a few of the classes I’ve had in my life.

EME2040-Reflection#3

Constructivist lesson plans consist of six different elements. It is a plan based on real life experiences, thought based. It is a measurable change in behavior. These six elements are: situation, groupings, bridge, questions, exhibit, and reflections. It also has precedents that follow the six elements. There is a situation in which you put the students to explain the situation, some examples are is it going to be problem solving, answering questions, making decisions, etc. The way in which you are going to make them participate in the activities either as a whole or individual work which this is called grouping. You also have to see how you are going to group the materials that are going to be used. Bridge is when you connect the prior knowledge the student knows previously with the one they are learning. It is connecting the before and after. Constantly engaging with the students with their views on certain experiences and constantly asking them questions to introduce the new lesson, arrange different groups, and keep the learning mood going. In the exhibit students learn from each other’s work, and see new and different perspectives. Finally, the reflection is when the students reflect and express what they have learned in the new lesson, including when they saw their classmates exhibits also. The teachers in this lesson plan guide the students into the right direction but the students think for themselves first. It involves the point of view of the students as well as more detailed learning about the different subjects more in depth. In this lesson plan students also learn from one another. They observe each other’s opinions and views on the new lesson. It helps the students learn the material on their own first and for them to try to break down and do critical thinking. The constructivist lesson plan also helps connect what you know from the past with the material that you are learning that is new. It also helps the students interact with each other and learn from each other in a good way. By seeing the work of others they notice and open their minds to different ways of seeing certain things. It helps them become more experienced and also helps them learn more. It is important to use open ended questions for the students, have materials for them to use, using critical thinking, and making sure to give them a good understanding of the material before asking certain questions.

EME2040-Reflection#2

A behaviorist lesson plan is a way the teacher comprehends the lesson and how the students will learn it, and the objective of it. The behaviorist lesson plan has eight different steps. It includes the purpose/objective which explains the purpose of the lesson, anticipatory set which is a small activity to grab the students’ attention before the lesson begins, input is the things that need to be known in the lesson, modeling shows the students how something is supposed to look concrete in a visual way, guided practice the teacher shows the students the correct way of doing it, CFU to make sure students are understanding the material correctly, independent practice the teacher lets the students work on their own to see if they can do it, and lastly closure is the review of the entire lesson. The constructivist lesson plan is a more revise version of how they’ve been used years ago. It consists of six important elements. It involves: situation which has to do with what the students will have to deal with, groupings which specifies how it will be done either as a whole classroom or individually, etc, the bridge connects what they knew before with the new material they will be learning, questions will be done to challenge the students on what is being taught, exhibit is making a visual image/concrete thing on what was being taught so they can see each other’s different opinions. Last, reflection the students will express what they thought of each other’s exhibit. Through a constructivist plan everything is subject to change. On the other hand, a behaviorist approach doesn’t allow any change to happen, everything always remains the same. For example, the constructivist idea is used sometimes for punishment because there will always be a different punishment used when the child does something wrong depending on what it is that they did, this is obviously something that would be subject to change. I believe the lesson plan I would use would be the behaviorist one only because I am an organized person and like to do things as a routine. Once you do things as a routine, your students will begin to get used to doing things the right way and it will stick with them. If you are always changing, then there is no pattern of organization for them. Of course the lesson plan is also more detailed and consists of two more steps than the other one.

EME2040-Reflection#1

A lesson plan is something that is used by an instructor or teacher that you plan to do when teaching a lesson. A lesson plan is something very important because it is what the teacher uses to guide herself on how to demonstrate things to the class. It is the plan for the day for the students, because if you don’t keep the students entertained then they will be a mess throughout the day. You need to have a plan for them to do at all time. A lesson plan has the approximate time the material or lesson is going to take, and the order in which it will take place. It is sometimes more difficult to plan than to preach the lesson because you have to know what the students will be thinking and the point you are trying to make across. It contains all the points needed for the students to learn and interpret. It is based on how the teacher sees the behavior of the class to know when is the right time to teach or do certain activities. It helps the teacher stay organized and stay in track. This way she knows what was the last thing taught or where she left off on certain material. Children learn best on a routine basis when things are done the same way and form all the time. A lesson plan helps creating this. It is a form of document that a teacher uses to demonstrate her plans. It explains the procedure to use when teaching the material of a lesson. A lesson plan that is developed well is based on the needs of the students rather than just focusing on what is best for the teacher at that time. It is where she decides if the assignments are going to take place in a group or single. Everything has to be well thought out before writing these lesson plans because it is the guide that will be used when teaching the new material for the kids. Teachers also have to make sure the students are tested on the material they were taught to see how well they learned the material. Not only that, but each lesson plan needs to be evaluated to make sure the material, testing, assignments, and materials needed for each activity are used correctly. You need to make sure you don’t leave anything out. If someone comes to observe your classroom they will used your lesson plan as a guide and they will make sure you are following it correctly. The material must be demonstrated the same way it is being put in the lesson plan. This is why lesson plans are an important part of being a teacher, it also helps you stay organized.