6.3 Field Experiences
Candidates engage in appropriate field experiences to synthesize and apply the content and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions identified in these standards. (PSC 6.3)
Artifact: Field Experience
Reflection:
The artifact used for this standard is a field experience I participated in. This experience was the creation of a Lesson Plan for the ITEC 7430 class.
This lesson plan was geared toward a third grade mathematics classroom. Students completed a culminating task on a unit on multiplication and division. The students were expected to create word problems which reflected their skills in multiplication and division. These skills included inverse operations, properties of multiplication, repeated addition, and equal groups. Students were given three options to create their projects. These options were using a Webquest, creating a presentation in Google Docs or PowerPoint, or using Jing. Students were paired up but were able to choose the way they presented their project.
Since this was a culminating task, students were expected to use Jing, PowerPoint or other presentation, or to create a project displaying their knowledge of multiplication and division. Throughout the project, a checklist was used to ensure students were displaying the elements which were important. Students were also given the same checklist before beginning the project. At the conclusion of the project, students self-assessed and reflected what they had created. This reflection and rubric was written in language they could easily understand. The final assessment for this project was a rubric. Differentiation was present based on the types of projects students created. Students were given the requirements, but it was up to them how they displayed the knowledge.
Since this was a culminating task, students had in depth knowledge of strategies for multiplication and division. Students were familiar with vocabulary, word problem strategies, and properties. By students creating the project, I was able to assess their knowledge of vocabulary, word problems, properties, and strategies for solving multiplication and division equations. Therefore, the checklist provided to the students helped to guide them to display all of these elements. To ensure students were familiar with vocabulary, a list of just vocabulary words was included. The way students use these and identify them in their work gave me a clear understanding of what they understood.
With everything there are difficulties. Some students had trouble reading and pronouncing the vocabulary correctly. Also, some had trouble
with reading and understanding rubrics. It was important to closely monitor students to ensure they were not getting behind or having difficulties. Another
difficulty was managing several groups of students doing several different projects. Since the students chose how they would like to display their
information, it was important to ensure all students completely understood what they were doing.
During this activity, I was the facilitator. It was important for my students to show me what they had learned. I mostly monitored progress throughout the project. My students took on three roles. They were explorers, teachers, and producers. They had the freedom to take the knowledge they had learned throughout this unit and created anything they would like with it. Some were teachers because they were helping their partner learn and apply concepts also. They were producers because they were making a product which was useful to them and their peers. Students were using all aspects of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Students used their knowledge to solve problems. While they created their own word problems, they applied the knowledge they had learned
throughout the unit. Technology gave students a more motivating option for displaying their knowledge. It gave them the chance to add pictures or other
things which made their own personal work. They became more accountable. Students used technology to create a product which was useful to them and useful to others in the future. Students collaborated with their partners. The project was shared with students in my other math classes. This helped them share ideas and possibly learn from each other.
Students were provided a rubric on which they were graded. The rubric was written in kid friendly verbiage so students understood what was expected of them. Additionally, students were asked to self-assess themselves. The data helped me to determine things students enjoyed and things they did not. I also completed a self-assessment as I was observing to determine what I could do differently next time. Overall, I feel the project went very well. The students found interest and motivation because they were using technology. Many of them created projects so good I will be able to use them as a teaching resource in the future. One thing that did go well was some of the partner groups. For this lesson, I paired students up, but maybe next time I will let them choose. Some of the students felt uncomfortable with their partners I feel like. Since I have these great examples, the next time I do the
project, I will be able to some examples of what is expected instead of just communicating it.
My advice to any teacher doing a lesson with many types of technology is to be familiar with what the students are using. When a teacher isn’t familiar with the technology and something happens, students get frustrated and often do not want to continue working. So, it is important to be able to have basic troubleshooting skills and test the products before having students use them.
Artifact: Field Experience
Reflection:
The artifact used for this standard is a field experience I participated in. This experience was the creation of a Lesson Plan for the ITEC 7430 class.
This lesson plan was geared toward a third grade mathematics classroom. Students completed a culminating task on a unit on multiplication and division. The students were expected to create word problems which reflected their skills in multiplication and division. These skills included inverse operations, properties of multiplication, repeated addition, and equal groups. Students were given three options to create their projects. These options were using a Webquest, creating a presentation in Google Docs or PowerPoint, or using Jing. Students were paired up but were able to choose the way they presented their project.
Since this was a culminating task, students were expected to use Jing, PowerPoint or other presentation, or to create a project displaying their knowledge of multiplication and division. Throughout the project, a checklist was used to ensure students were displaying the elements which were important. Students were also given the same checklist before beginning the project. At the conclusion of the project, students self-assessed and reflected what they had created. This reflection and rubric was written in language they could easily understand. The final assessment for this project was a rubric. Differentiation was present based on the types of projects students created. Students were given the requirements, but it was up to them how they displayed the knowledge.
Since this was a culminating task, students had in depth knowledge of strategies for multiplication and division. Students were familiar with vocabulary, word problem strategies, and properties. By students creating the project, I was able to assess their knowledge of vocabulary, word problems, properties, and strategies for solving multiplication and division equations. Therefore, the checklist provided to the students helped to guide them to display all of these elements. To ensure students were familiar with vocabulary, a list of just vocabulary words was included. The way students use these and identify them in their work gave me a clear understanding of what they understood.
With everything there are difficulties. Some students had trouble reading and pronouncing the vocabulary correctly. Also, some had trouble
with reading and understanding rubrics. It was important to closely monitor students to ensure they were not getting behind or having difficulties. Another
difficulty was managing several groups of students doing several different projects. Since the students chose how they would like to display their
information, it was important to ensure all students completely understood what they were doing.
During this activity, I was the facilitator. It was important for my students to show me what they had learned. I mostly monitored progress throughout the project. My students took on three roles. They were explorers, teachers, and producers. They had the freedom to take the knowledge they had learned throughout this unit and created anything they would like with it. Some were teachers because they were helping their partner learn and apply concepts also. They were producers because they were making a product which was useful to them and their peers. Students were using all aspects of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Students used their knowledge to solve problems. While they created their own word problems, they applied the knowledge they had learned
throughout the unit. Technology gave students a more motivating option for displaying their knowledge. It gave them the chance to add pictures or other
things which made their own personal work. They became more accountable. Students used technology to create a product which was useful to them and useful to others in the future. Students collaborated with their partners. The project was shared with students in my other math classes. This helped them share ideas and possibly learn from each other.
Students were provided a rubric on which they were graded. The rubric was written in kid friendly verbiage so students understood what was expected of them. Additionally, students were asked to self-assess themselves. The data helped me to determine things students enjoyed and things they did not. I also completed a self-assessment as I was observing to determine what I could do differently next time. Overall, I feel the project went very well. The students found interest and motivation because they were using technology. Many of them created projects so good I will be able to use them as a teaching resource in the future. One thing that did go well was some of the partner groups. For this lesson, I paired students up, but maybe next time I will let them choose. Some of the students felt uncomfortable with their partners I feel like. Since I have these great examples, the next time I do the
project, I will be able to some examples of what is expected instead of just communicating it.
My advice to any teacher doing a lesson with many types of technology is to be familiar with what the students are using. When a teacher isn’t familiar with the technology and something happens, students get frustrated and often do not want to continue working. So, it is important to be able to have basic troubleshooting skills and test the products before having students use them.