Mini Lesson

This was a very effective assignment. It was really good to go through the process prior to teaching the lesson on the computer we would be using so that I could see any differences that might pop up. Maggie did a great job of laying the foundation for the learning. That was great to see as I knew exactly what my role was and what we were going to be learning. It was good to have a framework to work from.

I really enjoyed the process of planning the mini lesson and then teaching it. Having a moment to check for understanding was good. I think if you were doing this for a full classroom it would be a lot different. I would want to go to each student and have them demonstrate the learning and talk them through any difficulties they might have. Giving the class guidance is really important. Letting the class know what we are learning and why, and then telling them how we are going to apply the learning is helpful. The learner needs to know what the expectation is and what the end product is intended to be. That way when they get to the end of the lesson they know when they have been successful.

Having a full class would make this set up a bit more challenging. You would have to have the students grouped very specifically so that you could have the more advanced students help the students that may need it. This would lesson the load on the teacher when managing thirty students. This way the teacher could check on each group and monitor progress that way. Overall this experience was a great start to how to prepare to teach the webquest.

Inquiry Learning

The experience of the Lifesaver lesson accurately describes the attributes of inquiry learning. Through this experience it became evident that inquiry results can be subjective. Everyone's interpretation of the data was different. The time that it took to get to the results varied from person to person.Everyone's thought process was different. While many of the groups came to the same conclusion, the reasoning was different. This was a very beneficial demonstration.
This shows that there are definite benefits to inquiry learning. If the goal is to allow students to gather information and then to use that information to draw a conclusion, there is no right or wrong answer. This can be an effective tool in teaching. This gives the student the chance to apply what they know to draw conclusions, and then they are able to defend their conclusions and communicate that to the larger group. This can be very useful in any classroom.

technology in scaffolding

As a learner, the lesson activities supported my achievement by taking things in steps. The process was simplified into very clear and identifiable steps. I knew where we were ultimately going. I knew the steps we were taking to get there. It was a very effective way to present a task and learning objective.

Technology assisted me as a learner to modify files and meet my needs and the needs of the group in many ways. First, we were able to share ideas cooperatively through technology. We were able to collaboratively work as a group to complete the task at hand. We were able to use technology to complete our task and have many resources at our fingertips. We were able to to collectively contribute and be creative using the technology we had. It was a very meaningful learning experience.

Widget

How do I envision discovery learning in my classroom?

As seen in today's activity, discovery learning has a great use as a teaching tool in the classroom. Given the right parameters, students can learn a lot from each other in a group setting with social interaction. A lot of the success of the discovery learning hinges on the specifics or lack of specifics that are given to the students. How much creativity is involved? What are the key points that every group has to cover? What do you do as a teacher if one aspect of the assignment is not addressed? It is a great way to get students to interact and teach themselves in a way. You don't have to stand in front of a board and give them all of the information. The most meaningful learning can be accomplished through self discovery.

I think that the most important part of the practical application will be the formulation of the actual assignment. Making the resources available to all of the students will be key. Also, the formulation of the groups will be important. Even distribution of knowledge and skills will be critical. Supervision will be equally important. Making yourself available to those with questions, observing progress, and giving direction to those that are not quite getting where they need to go will insure that all learners will get the most out of the assignment. The point of discovery learning as I see it is to get the student to the next step in their learning on a particular skill or subject. As a teacher, it is important to execute the assignment in such a way that the entire class benefits and can progress in their learning

belief statement

Q :"What are your beliefs about learning and technology? Describe how technology has supported learning in classrooms you have observed?"

A: I believe technology is a great tool in the teaching and learning process. In my experience, technology computers and technology have helped to keep children engaged in what they are learning. It keeps the material fresh. Also, it helps to reinforce the skills you are teaching. If technology is used effectively, It will be an essential tool in the classroom.
I have not had a lot of experience observing children in formal classrooms. In the classrooms that I have observed, technology has been used to reinforce skills taught during lessons. Instructors have used computers in creative ways to keep the learning process going. Computers and technology have also been used in the formation of the lesson to introduce material in a new way. When you use technology to design a lesson in a new way you are able to present the material in a new way that makes the learning process more effective.