Instruction and Delivery and Learning Environment Reflective logs
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Below are reflective logs on both instruction and delivery as well as learning environment reflection. Both can be downloaded as well.
The Florida Educator Accomplished Practices:
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT:
3.3-Student’s written self-assessment of teaching competencies during or after practicum or internship experiences, including specific reflections on progress made and areas of improvement needed.
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING:
7.4-Student papers, products, or course assignments requiring analyses of developmentally appropriate techniques used to provide a positive learning environment during internship experiences.
LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS:
9.4-Student self-evaluation of techniques used for creating and maintaining a positive learning environment and managing student behavior during internship experiences.
Five entries in reflective log focusing on instruction and delivery. Variety of strategies used throughout the week. Focusing on two highly effective strategies and two less effective strategies
REFLECTIONS FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES:
For each highly effective strategy:
INSTRUCTION AND DELIVERY REFLECTION
Highly Effective Strategies
They had another dihybrid to do for homework and before leaving I made sure they could tell me what the genotype of the mother and father were so they had a good start for determining their fly dihybrid cross for homework. Students seemed very confident when leaving the classroom and most of the test results were very good compared to other classes on the test.
Less Effective Strategies
To make this better next time, although it may be tedious, maybe I could keep time of the students and give them each their own beaks and allow them to get it all at the same, with myself keeping the timer. By doing this, I would know all the students are on the same pace and I could give them a certain amount of time to answer the questions. By doing this, I think I could give a good summary at the end of the class having students participate and answer the questions I was asking individual groups as a class in order for all the students to hear what their peers had to say.
A little of the Good and Bad in one lesson
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT REFLECTION
2. HELPS LEARNERS DEVELOP POSITIVE SELF-CONCEPTS: During the Build your DNA and Eat it Too Lab, I made sure to circulate the room effectively trying to ask every group if they needed help. Students did not hesitate to ask me for help or tell me that they were confused with the subject matter. I would ask them where they were getting stuck at and talk them through the steps one by one asking them engaging questions relation the candy and materials they were using to the actual molecule of the DNA and RNA strands. When they would answer a question correctly, I would smile at them and praise them, which you could tell made them feel confident and proud that they were understanding the subject matter. Even if the students did make a mistake and their group was giving them a hard time about it, I would use it as a learning strategy and tell them that this was a perfect example for us to see how mutations happen and how DNA cannot be made into a protein. The students then worked together to see where the base pairing had gone wrong. Even if I wasn’t working with a group personally and I saw a student or group excelling, I would make sure to give them praise and tell them they were doing a good job. If I were to make this better next time, I wouldn’t spend as much time at one single group so I could move around the room in a more efficient manner to make sure everyone was getting the help they needed to keep up to pace.
3. COMMUNICATES PERSONAL ENTHUSIASM: During the DNA building kit, I was personally very enthusiastic about the subject as well as the activity because I had made all the work sheets the students were going to be using to build their DNA as well as answer questions. Plus this was the first time that they could take what they had been learning and apply it in a visibly tangible manner. During this I made sure to go up to every student and ask them how they were doing, making sure to use their names to make it more personal and one-on-one. I made sure to go around quickly to groups and to point out things they were doing correctly and tell them it looks good. I would always make eye to eye contact with whomever I was talking to and stress points I thought were important for them to know, making sure to use voice inflections when I knew later on they would have to answer a question on their sheet about that specific subject matter. For future reference, I was tired that day, and it may have shined through at some points, so even if I am having a tired day, I need to know the students are having one too because it’s the end of the day and just tough it out for one more hour not allowing them to see any tired expressions or mannerisms during my teaching or assisting in their activities.
4. STIMULATES LEARNER INTEREST: The day I taught DNA Replication, I was very excited because I had created the powerpoint and I knew it was a little different then what they were normally used to. I made sure to let my personal enthusiasm shine through, throughout teaching the lesson. I made sure to emphasize important parts and steps in the process of DNA Replication as well as vocabulary they should be familiar with. I made sure to reiterate and intertwine what they had previously learned in other lessons to this lesson to show topics coincide with one another. Students had an outline of the notes with parts missing, so I would make sure to ask engaging questions to see if students knew what should go in their fill-in-the-blank section before I showed it on the screen, making sure to give praise where needed and not put anyone down if they didn’t get the answer right. For example, when talking about the two bonds, most students remembered the covalent bonding, but couldn’t remember the weak bonds between the base pairs. If they answer incorrectly, I would make sure to tell them, yes that’s one of them, but not the one I’m looking for and ask if anyone else knew. I would give them clues to other subject matter they knew, like saying it was the bonding with water molecules. I also related this lesson back the activity they did in class as well as relating the subject matter to things they understood and could relate to. For example, DNA Replication occurs in both directions just like opening a backpack zipper from the middle. In the beginning student’s were a little hesitant to answer questions and the same would answer every time, but since it was my first time I didn’t want to call out students seeing as I didn’t know all of their names yet. Next time I will do random calling or use candy when they get an answer right to encourage more participation.
5. Classroom Environment: To make the classroom more appealing I will soon be hanging posters around the room to make the walls less bare since they were taken down for the walls to be painted. This will make the classroom a little more visually appealing and comfortable. Also, I am going to make new lab station numbers for the back in their school colors with paw prints on them for their mascot. Right now there are only six numbers and I will be making twelve to have more grouping available and allow for easier instruction. I also had been doing a lot of prep-work for the labs that students saw me doing in the back. By making the amino acids laminated and by sorting up the materials they needed to work with, I think the students realized that I was putting in my time and efforts in order to make the lab easier on them. Showing the students I could put in the extra work I think made them take the lab more seriously because they were thankful that I had put in the extra time to help them out. I have noticed in the classroom that not all students have a book under their desk and I planned on asking Mrs. Bozeman if I can make sure each desk has a book so students don’t have to get up and go looking around for one or use a person’s next to them.
The Florida Educator Accomplished Practices:
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT:
3.3-Student’s written self-assessment of teaching competencies during or after practicum or internship experiences, including specific reflections on progress made and areas of improvement needed.
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING:
7.4-Student papers, products, or course assignments requiring analyses of developmentally appropriate techniques used to provide a positive learning environment during internship experiences.
LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS:
9.4-Student self-evaluation of techniques used for creating and maintaining a positive learning environment and managing student behavior during internship experiences.
Five entries in reflective log focusing on instruction and delivery. Variety of strategies used throughout the week. Focusing on two highly effective strategies and two less effective strategies
REFLECTIONS FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES:
For each highly effective strategy:
- Identify the specific strategies planned and a rationale for the strategy,
- Explain how the class went and why you think these strategies helped the lesson,
- Identify the specific instructional strategies planned and a rationale for the strategy,
- Explain how the class went and why you think it was not effective,
- Describe planned changes or alterations of these instructional strategies for the future.
INSTRUCTION AND DELIVERY REFLECTION
Highly Effective Strategies
- During our Genetics Unit in our Punnett Square section, we looked at dihybrid crosses. The tool that made this highly effective with the students was the Elmo allowing students to see the dihybrid cross being filled in step by step. Students had the same sheet as myself at the Elmo which allowed them to follow steps in showing how to solve for a dihybrid cross, including: using the FOIL method (having students write arrows and numbers of which alleles went with which when factoring, Placing the proper alleles in their dihybrid cross to cross, as well as color coordinating genotypes in order to visually see the ratios found in the cross in order for them to determine the percentage of phenotypes.
They had another dihybrid to do for homework and before leaving I made sure they could tell me what the genotype of the mother and father were so they had a good start for determining their fly dihybrid cross for homework. Students seemed very confident when leaving the classroom and most of the test results were very good compared to other classes on the test.
- The Chromosomes and Inheritance PowerPoint seemed to be very effective with the students. This PowerPoint was a little different then their average lectures. I made sure to use their school colors and a unique font to make it more visually appealing along with using effects on the bullet points and visual pictures. Pictures such as using the tests for red green colorblindness intrigued students since both classes I taught (since Mrs. Bozeman was really ill during 5th period as well) there was a boy who was colorblind that I had try and tell me the numbers they saw and come up to the board and trace the line they saw. This gave students a visual of how color blind individuals see and in the case that there were no students in that class, I found pictures of red and green apples that showed a yellowish brown apple too in order to show how they see. There was also a picture of someone walking a dog comparing two pictures of how they would be seen by a normal vision person as well as a colorblind person. I also told them how red and green in traffic lights are a special red and green for people to see. Using these real life applications and allowing them to see how the genetic disorder applied to people around them, made them more attentive when breaking it down and looking at the Punnett Square aspect.
Less Effective Strategies
- I was a little caught off guard in coming back from spring break and going over a lab. Students watched a video on natural selection and how things are better suited for their environment which led into doing a very fun and exciting Darwin’s finches simulation lab using bird seed. My introduction into the lab was not very well planned and I just told them they were trying to see how much they could eat (birdseeds) using different beaks and explained what beaks they would be using. Had I been better prepared I would have related the lab more to the video they had just watched. Also, to make it more visual, I could have used the Elmo and shown them their worksheet that they would have been filling out and asked the girls to help distinguish for the guys the difference between a hairpin and hairclip. One of the students doesn’t speak English well since he’s from Korea and using more visuals would have helped him more with the lab.
To make this better next time, although it may be tedious, maybe I could keep time of the students and give them each their own beaks and allow them to get it all at the same, with myself keeping the timer. By doing this, I would know all the students are on the same pace and I could give them a certain amount of time to answer the questions. By doing this, I think I could give a good summary at the end of the class having students participate and answer the questions I was asking individual groups as a class in order for all the students to hear what their peers had to say.
- Reviewing over the fossil record homework the students had as well as the PowerPoint did not seem to go as smoothly as most lectures do. Participation was limited and I used wait time quiet often, but usually had to call on students because the same students were participating even when I asked for someone new. Sine the answers for their homework was straight out of the book and students worked on it together, most answer were verbatim to the book, making going over it very boring for the students. The day before I had explained wait time and used twizzlers to encourage more participation which really seemed to work when bringing out candy. Being the last period of the day and close to spring break, it seems that surprise days with an incentive like a small treat, wouldn’t be harmful to encourage more participation.
A little of the Good and Bad in one lesson
- In order to change up reviewing over the homework like I normally do, I used props to encourage participating. I used a pair of “jeans” for students to pass to each other in order to answer questions about inheriting “genes”. I told the students that this was corny, but supposed to be fun and they really seemed to enjoy being able to throw around the genes to the next student. However, like always, most answers were pretty verbatim from the book so student weren’t that engaged in what students were answering. They did answer further questions I asked them about the subject though.
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT REFLECTION
- Identify the specific strategies planned and a rationale for the strategy,
- Explain how the class went (what worked, didn’t work, and why),
- Describe planned changes or alterations of these learning environment strategies for the future.
2. HELPS LEARNERS DEVELOP POSITIVE SELF-CONCEPTS: During the Build your DNA and Eat it Too Lab, I made sure to circulate the room effectively trying to ask every group if they needed help. Students did not hesitate to ask me for help or tell me that they were confused with the subject matter. I would ask them where they were getting stuck at and talk them through the steps one by one asking them engaging questions relation the candy and materials they were using to the actual molecule of the DNA and RNA strands. When they would answer a question correctly, I would smile at them and praise them, which you could tell made them feel confident and proud that they were understanding the subject matter. Even if the students did make a mistake and their group was giving them a hard time about it, I would use it as a learning strategy and tell them that this was a perfect example for us to see how mutations happen and how DNA cannot be made into a protein. The students then worked together to see where the base pairing had gone wrong. Even if I wasn’t working with a group personally and I saw a student or group excelling, I would make sure to give them praise and tell them they were doing a good job. If I were to make this better next time, I wouldn’t spend as much time at one single group so I could move around the room in a more efficient manner to make sure everyone was getting the help they needed to keep up to pace.
3. COMMUNICATES PERSONAL ENTHUSIASM: During the DNA building kit, I was personally very enthusiastic about the subject as well as the activity because I had made all the work sheets the students were going to be using to build their DNA as well as answer questions. Plus this was the first time that they could take what they had been learning and apply it in a visibly tangible manner. During this I made sure to go up to every student and ask them how they were doing, making sure to use their names to make it more personal and one-on-one. I made sure to go around quickly to groups and to point out things they were doing correctly and tell them it looks good. I would always make eye to eye contact with whomever I was talking to and stress points I thought were important for them to know, making sure to use voice inflections when I knew later on they would have to answer a question on their sheet about that specific subject matter. For future reference, I was tired that day, and it may have shined through at some points, so even if I am having a tired day, I need to know the students are having one too because it’s the end of the day and just tough it out for one more hour not allowing them to see any tired expressions or mannerisms during my teaching or assisting in their activities.
4. STIMULATES LEARNER INTEREST: The day I taught DNA Replication, I was very excited because I had created the powerpoint and I knew it was a little different then what they were normally used to. I made sure to let my personal enthusiasm shine through, throughout teaching the lesson. I made sure to emphasize important parts and steps in the process of DNA Replication as well as vocabulary they should be familiar with. I made sure to reiterate and intertwine what they had previously learned in other lessons to this lesson to show topics coincide with one another. Students had an outline of the notes with parts missing, so I would make sure to ask engaging questions to see if students knew what should go in their fill-in-the-blank section before I showed it on the screen, making sure to give praise where needed and not put anyone down if they didn’t get the answer right. For example, when talking about the two bonds, most students remembered the covalent bonding, but couldn’t remember the weak bonds between the base pairs. If they answer incorrectly, I would make sure to tell them, yes that’s one of them, but not the one I’m looking for and ask if anyone else knew. I would give them clues to other subject matter they knew, like saying it was the bonding with water molecules. I also related this lesson back the activity they did in class as well as relating the subject matter to things they understood and could relate to. For example, DNA Replication occurs in both directions just like opening a backpack zipper from the middle. In the beginning student’s were a little hesitant to answer questions and the same would answer every time, but since it was my first time I didn’t want to call out students seeing as I didn’t know all of their names yet. Next time I will do random calling or use candy when they get an answer right to encourage more participation.
5. Classroom Environment: To make the classroom more appealing I will soon be hanging posters around the room to make the walls less bare since they were taken down for the walls to be painted. This will make the classroom a little more visually appealing and comfortable. Also, I am going to make new lab station numbers for the back in their school colors with paw prints on them for their mascot. Right now there are only six numbers and I will be making twelve to have more grouping available and allow for easier instruction. I also had been doing a lot of prep-work for the labs that students saw me doing in the back. By making the amino acids laminated and by sorting up the materials they needed to work with, I think the students realized that I was putting in my time and efforts in order to make the lab easier on them. Showing the students I could put in the extra work I think made them take the lab more seriously because they were thankful that I had put in the extra time to help them out. I have noticed in the classroom that not all students have a book under their desk and I planned on asking Mrs. Bozeman if I can make sure each desk has a book so students don’t have to get up and go looking around for one or use a person’s next to them.