Analyzing Learners and the context they bring with them to the classroom is the basis for the first few weeks of school for a classroom teacher. As we get to know our new batch of students, we figure out where they are coming from academically, emotionally and socially. All these bits of information become factors on how we set up our learning situations to be the most effective they can be.
As I wrote up my lesson plan for teaching my first graders computer next week, I realized that my hope for my learners, may not fit what their learning possibility is due to the current situation in the computer lab. Let me explain further. They have been typing "ABC in word" with a program called MAX WRITE. Many of them have completed it and started fussing with the font. I wanted them to print them next week. When we try to print from Max Write, we get a default message. I could take them through the steps to print it through Microsoft word. But I think my first grade learners would get lost in the additional steps. I will wait until our tech guy can fix the problem before I attempt to get those projects typed.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Analysis
So once a goal is classified, the goal analysis continues by determining the subordinate skills as well as the entry skills needed to complete the goal. The Instructional Designer's method of noting this is with diagram or a flow chart, like Professor Monson has said early on, and often.
The idea of entry level skills is one that often presents struggles to teachers. We have a classroom full of a certain age level of children with varied abilities. To teach the bulk of the group effectively, we often choose an ability level to teach to. If we go with the lower entry skills/knowledge students we leave the higher entry skills/knowledge students without much engagement and vice versa. I appreciated Dick, Carey, and Carey's idea of using "several starting points within the instruction." A classroom teacher can start instruction with one group, and pull in the others when the group has received the entry skills needed.
The idea of entry level skills is one that often presents struggles to teachers. We have a classroom full of a certain age level of children with varied abilities. To teach the bulk of the group effectively, we often choose an ability level to teach to. If we go with the lower entry skills/knowledge students we leave the higher entry skills/knowledge students without much engagement and vice versa. I appreciated Dick, Carey, and Carey's idea of using "several starting points within the instruction." A classroom teacher can start instruction with one group, and pull in the others when the group has received the entry skills needed.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Instructional Design
As I'm reading and thinking about what is "Instructional Design" a number of thoughts are coming to my head.
1 - My husband is a civil engineer with specialty in the materials used to build our roads. When he talks about his job, he uses some of the words I continue to read: problem solving, analysis, specifications, and evaluation. I see him using some of the processes of Instructional Design in his line of work.
2 - In the Schiffman article on "Instructional Systems Design, Five Views of the Field," I appreciated this note about ISD: "a blend of psychology, education, communications, management, systems theory, and social science." This fits with the thoughts I had about my husband's work and the use of ID.
3 - The Schiffman artcile also recommended that rather than getting hung up on a specific title for this academic field or using specific terms for exact meanings within the field, one should balance each aspect of Instructional Design within the process.
1 - My husband is a civil engineer with specialty in the materials used to build our roads. When he talks about his job, he uses some of the words I continue to read: problem solving, analysis, specifications, and evaluation. I see him using some of the processes of Instructional Design in his line of work.
2 - In the Schiffman article on "Instructional Systems Design, Five Views of the Field," I appreciated this note about ISD: "a blend of psychology, education, communications, management, systems theory, and social science." This fits with the thoughts I had about my husband's work and the use of ID.
3 - The Schiffman artcile also recommended that rather than getting hung up on a specific title for this academic field or using specific terms for exact meanings within the field, one should balance each aspect of Instructional Design within the process.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Speaking My Language
This week's readings were speaking my language, teacherease. I'm understanding the "Backward Design" process to be
1 - identifing learning goals: including the learners, their final tasks, the situation the task will be completed and the supplies the learner will use for task completion. (Dick, Carey, Carey)
2 - determining what the evidence of the goals learned will be: How will we know the students have arrived?
and
3 - setting up the learning plan: creating "minds-on" lessons that effectively achieve the learning goals.
As I thought about the clear goals and outcomes being in front of the lesson planning, I thought about a number of instances in my life where I have been using goals first, then how will it look, and then setting a plan. One of those situations is about the accreditation process my school is going through this year. We are looking at how we've been doing with our goals and outcomes that we've been working on for the last 6 years. The process helps us to keep a big picture goal in the midst of our smaller daily, weekly, or monthly goals.
Another situation this fits is how I use goal setting and communicating that within my family. My husband and I have 3 kids: 11, 9 and 6. If we start out the average day with them knowing what is happening, and what is expected of them, we have much more success having them come along with us in the cleaning, homework, piano practice, etc. They know what is expected of them. If we spring the responsibilities on them, they have a harder time accepting their tasks.
I have also thought about the times I have been in class as a student and an instructor asked us to read material for a specific purpose. It guided my reading in such a way that I learned more because I was looking for something.
Question is, in these processes have we really figured out the "assessment evidence" as Wiggins calls it, or is it just setting clear goals?
1 - identifing learning goals: including the learners, their final tasks, the situation the task will be completed and the supplies the learner will use for task completion. (Dick, Carey, Carey)
2 - determining what the evidence of the goals learned will be: How will we know the students have arrived?
and
3 - setting up the learning plan: creating "minds-on" lessons that effectively achieve the learning goals.
As I thought about the clear goals and outcomes being in front of the lesson planning, I thought about a number of instances in my life where I have been using goals first, then how will it look, and then setting a plan. One of those situations is about the accreditation process my school is going through this year. We are looking at how we've been doing with our goals and outcomes that we've been working on for the last 6 years. The process helps us to keep a big picture goal in the midst of our smaller daily, weekly, or monthly goals.
Another situation this fits is how I use goal setting and communicating that within my family. My husband and I have 3 kids: 11, 9 and 6. If we start out the average day with them knowing what is happening, and what is expected of them, we have much more success having them come along with us in the cleaning, homework, piano practice, etc. They know what is expected of them. If we spring the responsibilities on them, they have a harder time accepting their tasks.
I have also thought about the times I have been in class as a student and an instructor asked us to read material for a specific purpose. It guided my reading in such a way that I learned more because I was looking for something.
Question is, in these processes have we really figured out the "assessment evidence" as Wiggins calls it, or is it just setting clear goals?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
