Domain+Three

Domain III: Instruction Component 3a: Communicating with Students Description: The purpose of the lesson and explicit directions are imperative to revising student's schemata. If a student can connect to that purpose the lesson becomes meaningful and comprehension is more readily gained. These artifacts are videos of an opening to a lesson and a closure to a different lesson. It is my goal to explicitly state the purpose of the lesson, linking it to a broader purpose, and student interests and to revisit that purpose as the lesson closes.

Artifacts: media type="youtube" key="ERR7I5rbA3E" height="275" width="498" align="center"

media type="youtube" key="5r_ijgsEk1I" height="275" width="498" align="center"

Reflection: During my Student Teaching experience, I've grown in my knowledge of the importance of communicating explicitly with students. I knew the concept but implementing it and making that communication effective required me to think as a 4th grader thinks. At first, I realized that I was making assumptions that were creating misunderstandings and I had to give directions in procedures using the gradual release model. The challenge of communicating how this content relates to their background knowledge and experiences has become an intregal part of my instruction. I love connecting content to their world and making the content relevant to them.

Component 3b: Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques Description: Students assuming responsibility for the success of a discussion by formulating their own questions allows them to have a 'voice' in the class and elevates the level of participation for all learners. One strategy I use is an interactive, whole class K-W-L (Know/Wondering/Learned) chart so students recognize their present knowledge/background knowledge, develop questions, and monitor learning by revising schemata. My Artifact: Reflection: In previous lessons I've used a worksheet version of a KWL, but this proved so much more engaging. Students were able to reflect on learning and move their sticky note from Wondering to Learned as comprehension increased, allowing them to kinesthetically interact with their knowledge. This strategy also was effective for high quality questioning as we discussed if their previous knowledge was correct or incorrect and how their new knowledge extended previous knowledge. Component 3c: Engaging Students in LearningDescription: Cognitive engagement and student exploration of content is a priority in my classroom. During my Student Teaching experience, I utilized The Kagan Method of engagement and have included an artifact to some articles on this research-based strategy. Below you'll also find my artifacts of students using Cheez-Its for a Math Lesson, taking water temperatures for an evaporation lesson, and a Math lesson/domain summary that incorporated the use of manipulatives. My Artifacts:[|The Kagan Method] [|Math Lesson Summary]Reflection: As a student teacher I was at a school that emphasized the Kagan Method for classroom management and engagment. This method has grown my pedagogy by leaps and bounds. I've set the bar for my classroom that all learners are actively engaged through activities such as cooperative learning, hands-on activities, observations of self-generated experiments, etc. This reduces behavior distractions and allows all learners to be learning at all times. I was so impressed by the heightened sense of awareness of one's one learning that this method brings and will continue to use this strategy to provide a highly engaged learning experience for my students.