PLE Post 6: Constructivism

Make a list of the sequence skills necessary for ultimate mastery of the content of your lesson through a constructivist approach.  Which of these learning activities/skills lend themselves to student's individual or group construction?  How might you structure learning activities that lead students to discover these skills/these principles? 

For this post, I chose to focus on a first grade math lesson (Previously discussed in PLE Post 4).  This lesson focuses on the greater than/less than concept.  For students to reach grade level mastery of the content, students must be able to "compare two two-digit numbers based on meanings of the tens and ones digits, recording the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, and <" (CCSS).

List of skills needed to achieve mastery...

• Activate students prior knowledge of greater than/less than concepts
• Present students with two uneven piles of M&Ms and have them explain which pile is greater and why?  Because this involves class discussion and exploration, this task involves social construction.
• Ask students to think of a time they had to determine which amount was greater than/less than (money, food, beads, toys, etc).  Have them share their thoughts and experiences with their partners/classmates.  This particular task involves both individual and social construction.  
• Address misconceptions/confirmation bias
• Students may determine the greater number using an incorrect method (looking at the ones place rather than the tens place, 28 > 32).  
• Conduct activities that help students realize why and how their misconceptions are incorrect
• Use math manipulatives to reveal to students why they need to first compare the tens place of the two numbers, then move on to compare the ones place if the two numbers share the same tens place digit.  Students' hands-on interaction with manipulatives can help them realize that comparing the ones place of two numbers is insufficient to determine which number is greater and which number is lesser.  
• Readdress misconceptions.  Discuss why misconceptions about greater than/less than concept were wrong.  Also, discuss the reconstruction of ideas about greater than/less than concept.  
• Classroom dialogue (social construction).  During this classroom dialogue, students share what they thought they knew about the greater than/less than concept and what they've learned.  
• Students write in reflective journals (individual reconstruction).  In this journal entry, students reflect on what they've learned about the greater than/less than concept.    
• Engage in multiple authentic activities on greater than/less than concept
• I visited Education.com and found some valuable information on developing and implementing authentic activities in the classroom.  In visiting this webpage, I learned that authentic activities are "relevant, accessible, feasible, sustainable, and aligned with learning goals."  
• Present students with problems possessing real-life relevance (Individual or social construction).
• For example..."If you have 42 cents and your brother has 28 cents, which of you has more money?"    
• Continual engagement in authentic activities, reflection, and class dialogue.  

PLE Post 5: Memory and Instruction

How might your knowledge of the memory processes guide your instructional decisions?

We, our Ed Psych class, have spent the last few class periods discussing and learning about long-term memory storage and retrieval.  I now understand the effect rehearsal, regular practice, meaningful instruction, making connections, relevance, learning across contexts, emotional connections, retrieval cues, distinctiveness, and allotting adequate wait time have on one's ability to remember.  After investigating and discovering how students remember, I now know how to teach in such a way that will facilitate this "remembering."  When planning, I will always allow time for activating prior knowledge, making connections, explaining relevance, and review.  When introducing novel concepts, I always want to provide distinct examples for clarification, application, and deeper understanding.  I will also consciously focus on allowing adequate wait time.  Last semester, my Reading Education 430 instructor shared with our class that she provides 8 seconds of wait time before answering the question herself or altering her question.  I intend to model her method.  When appropriate, I also want to enable students to make emotional connections, teach retrieval cues such as HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior), and practice cross-curricular instruction.

Earlier today, Allie Carey and I presented on long-term retrieval to our Ed Psych class.  We conducted a "smells activity" to demonstrate the effect that odor has on one's ability to recall memories formed long ago.  We found an article on the Association for Psychological Science website, that discussed the strong influence odors have on memory, especially in children.  We distributed different scents (objects with distinctive odors such as crayons, cedar chips, pencil shavings in ziploc baggies) to students and asked them to share any memories conjured up by the smell with their nearby classmates.  While I understand that few opportunities to incorporate "smells" into my lessons will arise, I want to try to involve "smells" in my lessons whenever appropriate.  For example, if students are learning about the plant life cycle, I might bring in flowers for students to sniff.  Perhaps then my students might make an association between their knowledge of the plant life cycle and a floral scent.  Hopefully, this association will strengthen students' understanding and knowledge of the plant life cycle and will allow them to store this knowledge in their long-term memory.

PLE Post 4: Cognitive Learning

What are the essential skills and/or learning outcomes you want your students to know and be able to do that relate to cognitive learning?

Even though I intend to teach early elementary students, I want my students to understand that in order to learn, one must think.  I understand that, for young students, "cognition" and "metacognition" may be difficult concepts to grasp.  However, I really want to help my students understand that they must stimulate their minds in order to learn.

To help my students better understand these intimidating terms, I might engage in a whole-class discussion on "cognition" and "metacognition" with my students.  I would guide the discussion and acknowledge/expound on student input.  Students are capable of understanding that "cognition" refers to thinking processes.  Additionally, in the case of metacognition, I want my students to determine how they, as individuals, learn best.  I might have my students complete a learning style inventory to help them identify their preferred learning style.  Although I would have to adapt this inventory for younger elementary students, I really like this learning styles survey I found on Edutopia Survey.  I plan to carefully consider the different types of learners in my future classroom and differentiate my instruction based on their needs.

On Education.com, I found a great article on developing metacognitive behaviors in students.  The author proposes 6 strategies for "developing metacognitive behaviors:"

1. Identifying "what you know" and "what you don't know."
2. Talking about thinking.  (Think-Aloud)
3. Keeping a thinking journal.
4. Planning and self-regulation.
5. Debriefing the thinking process.
6. Self-evaluation.  

I intend to foster students' development of these metacognitive strategies in my future classroom. 

PLE Post 4: Chapter 14 Assessment

Think of a lesson plan from your licensure area.  Know that assessment is an integral part of teaching, explain at least four formal and informal assessments that you will use in your lesson plan to provide you with feedback and involve the students in assessing their own learning.   

This past Monday, for the math portion of my Elementary Education 422 class, we all (students) completed a lesson planning activity.  Our class broke up into small groups, and each group member conducted his or her lesson for the group, as if group members were elementary students.  I absolutely loved one of my group member's lessons.  This math lesson involves the greater than/less than concept and symbols and is intended for first graders.  I found an example of this particular lesson on a teaching blog, Pre-K and K Sharing Blog.  Hopefully, exploring that link will better convey the components of the lesson.  Keep in mind that the example lesson shown here is intended for Pre-K-K.  To adapt this lesson for first grade, simply use two-digit numbers.  

Standard addressed in this activity...

CCSS.Math.Content.1.1.NBT.3  Compare two two-digit numbers based on meanings of the tens and ones digits, recording the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, and <.  

Brief outline of this lesson...

1. Review greater than/less than concept and signs (<, =, >).  
2. Introduce the alligator jaws made out of popsicle sticks.  Explain that the "alligator" is very hungry and that its mouth should always be open to larger number because he wants to "eat" as much as possible.  
3. Explain that the alligator mouth represents the greater than and less than signs.  Explain to students that two numbers will be presented to them, and they are to place the alligator's mouth open to the larger number (because alligator is hungry and he wants the greater/larger portion). 
4. Have students work in pairs on the activity.  Monitor the task and question students about their reasoning as you work your way around the room.  Have students record their answers on a worksheet containing each question.  For example the worksheet would read "9     7."  Students would write in the correct sign, "9 > 7." 
5. At the end of the lesson, teacher should pose questions to students and have them offer up their thoughts on the activity and their reasoning behind their choices. 

Now that I have provided a rough outline of this lesson, I will now include 4 informal and 4 formal forms of assessment that I could use to provide me with feedback on students' learning/understanding and to involve my students in assessing their own learning.  

4 possible informal assessments I could use in relation to this lesson...

1. Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down/Thumbs in the Middle:  During this lesson, I could periodically ask students how they are feeling about the activity.  If students are feeling confident in working with the greater than/less than alligator sign, then they should signal "thumbs up."  If students are feeling okay about their ability to correctly place the greater than/less than sign, then they should signal "thumbs in the middle."  If students are really confused about what they are supposed to be doing or the concept of greater than/less than, then they should signal "thumbs down."  This form of assessment would provide me with immediate information on students' level of understanding on this task.  
2. Post Its:  After conducting this lesson, I would place a sticky note (Post It) on each child's desk.  I would ask students to write how they are feeling about the greater than/less than concept on the sticky notes.  These sticky notes would provide me with valuable information that would help me determine future lessons/instruction.
3. Explain to your neighbor/Observation:  In this assessment form, I would instruct students to explain the game of "Alligator Greater than/Less Than" to the person sitting next to them.  I would walk around the room and listen to check for understanding.  While I would not be able to assess each child's understanding through this assessment form, I could get a general idea of how the class as a whole is comprehending the concept.
4. Mini-Quiz:  At the end of the lesson, I could pose 2 to 3 greater than/less than (inequality) problems on the board.  I would ask each student to work the problems on a sheet of notebook paper.  I would then collect these "mini-quizzes."  This brief assessment would help me gauge understanding and plan appropriate future lessons/instruction. 

4 possible formal assessments I could use in relation to this lesson (Note:  First Graders may not be subject to formal assessments very often)...

1. Unit Test:  At the end of a math unit, I would likely administer a formal, summative unit test.  The greater than/less than concept would be one of multiple concepts assessed through this unit tests.  
2. Math Journal:  While this may be best categorized under "informal assessment," I chose to include "Math Journal" under "formal assessment" because it requires pre-planning.  I might have each of my students keep a "Math Journal."  I will provide prompts for each journal entry.  For this particular journal entry, I may ask them work a greater than/less than problem.  I hope that this journal will help students keep track of their own progress in math throughout the year.
3. State/District Assessment:  While many first graders are exempt from state/district tests, some first graders have to participate in these assessments.  I would predict that knowledge of the greater than/less than concept would be assessed through these exams.  
4. Data collection through observation:  I might keep a record of each child's understanding of different math concepts.  I could record a check plus, a check, or a check minus to indicate and track each child's current understanding and progress.  I could determine whether to record a check plus, a check, or a check minus based on my informal assessments.