Nt1310 Unit 1 Assignment
TASK 1
A critical analysis of an individual child’s observed learning behaviour during a teaching session and analysis of the implications for their further learning and their support needs (i.e. the TA’s possible role in supporting and developing further learning) (1500 words)
INTRODUCTION
This essay is about how I, as a teaching assistant (TA), develop my understanding of how my learners learn and develop. I will rename the teacher as Ms K and the students as student M throughout the context. I have been assisting Ms K in Year 2C class for 3 months. The subject of the observation is student M from Iran, whose learning I analysed during a 40 minutes English lesson. I have known the student for 3 months, and as treats me like a friend, …show more content…
is honest and open with me. He discusses his favourite movies, toys, games and even confides in me. I have noticed that he is loquacious and as I give him more time, he has a closer relationship with me as compared to Ms K. I tend to spend my time with my learners during breaks. I have never experienced problem communicating with student M as he is able to speak good English, although he sometimes struggles with reading and writing. According to Janine Murphy ‘A teacher must be flexible and observant…’ (2011), so as a TA, I feel I should be more observant of the strengths, interests and learning needs of my learners.
STUDENT M’s BACKGROUND Student M is from Iran and is 8 years old.
He is slightly overweight and one of the tallest in the class. He does not like to sit at the same place for a long time and he prefers waking around the class and dancing.
I often see him bullying his friends, pushing them break, hitting them whenever he likes and also annoying them by singing loudly in class. He is quite sensitive when someone scolds him, but he never cries. He communicates well with other students and teachers. Moreover, he enjoys Physical Education (PE) and Dance most, as he gets to be more active and he works finely in group activities. He seems to hate English and this is maybe due to the way Ms K delivers her lessons which may not be able to conducive to his kinaesthetic learning style. The majority of the students in 2C class also seem to have a kinaesthetic style. According to David Glen “Almost certainly, you were told that your instruction should match your students learning styles…Now four psychologists argue that you were told wrong. There is no strong scientific evidence to support the “matching” idea…” …show more content…
(2009) I totally do not agree with that statement because I feel that by complying the needs of a learner will actually make them more interested to learn something rather than just wasting time in a place where they do not like.
There are for 4 aspects I have observed, learning style: 1. Personality and Learning style 2. Experience and interest 3. Stage of development 4. Abilities
DEFINATION OF KINAESTHETIC
We keep hearing things like, “My mind works better when I’m doing something physical, like running or walking.” “I like spending all my free time in the open air.” “I enjoy working with my hands.” All these form kinaesthetic intelligence. According to Ian Ducket “Kinaesthetic learners usually tend to remember things that they do and experience and may tend to tap their pencil or pen during a lesson…” (n.d)
As a TA I would try my best to make sure my learners will experience a perfect learning environment with suitable resources used to help them to understand more effectively. According to learning specialist, Pat Wyman, M.A., concept
“…is the importance of matching input and output in teaching. For example, it may be obvious to anyone that a child cannot acquire the skill of swimming (output) by reading about it in a book. He has to get in the water and practice the skill (input)…” (2012)
LESSON DELIVERED BY MS K ON 14/112011 FROM 10.40am – 11.20am I have chosen English lesson to observe and it is a teaching session of one period which is equivalent to 40 minutes Time | Record of Observation | 10.40am – 10.55am | Ms K entered the class and ordered them to sit on the floor in front of her. Then she did a recall session with them based on what they previously learnt, but I noticed student M was not paying attention as he was talking and singing to himself. Ms K read them a story titled ‘Secret’ from their Fitzroy book. The story is about a boy who cannot keep secrets and ends up destroying himself. Ms K told student M to be quite. However, he didn’t take notice, so, I decided to sit next to him on the floor. I was helping him to read the story step by step, as I am aware of his limited reading ability. However, he was not interested in reading, so I briefly explained about the story to him. I used examples and face expressions which engaged him and he even gave examples related to his experience. | 10.55am – 11.10am | After reading them the story, Ms K asked them to sit at their desks and wrote 5 questions on the whiteboard. All the students were required to copy the questions into their exercise book. Rather than, copying the questions, student M was busy doodling in his book. According to Shelley Vernon “…Kinaesthetic learners are often the students who just don't get what you're trying to teach in a traditional lecture or worksheet based lesson. Kinaesthetic learners take in information best when they use their whole bodies to complete practice exercises…” (2008) Ms K tried her best to persuade him to copy the questions, but in vain. He did copy a few letters as Ms K observed him, but once she left, he continued drawing and started singing again. Ms K told him if he does it again she will complain to his mother. Instead of obeying her, he replied saying that his mother was scared of him and he had even hit his mother before. He also stated that his dad does not say anything to him. I helped him to spell the words so it would be easier for him to write. In order to gauge his level. I asked him to write down the alphabets. From the result, it was clear that student M (the name of the students is not written for the anonymity of the institution, students and staff) does not know all the alphabets, and if the letters he knew, he wrote some upside down. Eventually, he did copy the questions but did not answer them due to a shortage of time. | 11.10am – 11.20am | Next, Ms K asked them to sit again on the floor in front of her to go through the answer with them. She picked a few students to read out their answers. One of those was student M who surprisingly answered the question correctly. Ms K did correct a few students who answered wrongly. At the end of the period, Ms K collected all the books to be marked. |
WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE TO SUPPORT THE LEARNERS
As a TA I would never make my learners feel scared of me because this will cause them to not share their problems with me. I would also sit with them and guide them to do their work and if there is having any doubt, I will always be there to clear their confusion.
However, I would make sure that the class environment is suitable with the needs of my learners such as I have decorated the class with more pictures as I know that my learners prefer to see rather than reading. According to Terry Farwell “Once students understand their learning styles, they can better adapt to their learning environment…” (2012). Since I know it is impossible to expect them to sit quietly for long and listen to something without experiencing it physically so it is better to give them tools and equipment to use in class. Rather than stopping them from moving, it is better to let their bodies build up through expression, enabling them to grow up into inspired individuals.
WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE AS A TEACHER Since I know that student M is a kinaesthetic learner, I would have created a lesson plan which involved more moving activity. According to Erin,
“While some students can learn effectively through quiet study, others gain the most information through active learning activities. If you are charged with the task of teaching English to a kinaesthetic learner, you can increase the effectiveness of the lessons you offer by mixing movement into your learning activities…” (2012)
At the beginning of the lesson I would have read them the story then I asked them to do role play in 4 groups where every group had a peer guide to guide the weaker ones. This way, student M would have had the chance to show off his talent, move around and talk loudly as he loves to. Once they had performed their role play, I would have asked them to remain in their groups and called every group leader to come forward to choose a question. They are required to show their answer in the form of a picture or drawing. According to Elizabeth, she stated “…kinaesthetic learners sometimes process information such as class notes better by drawing pictures than by writing words. Kinaesthetic learners may need to draw models, write in different colours if taking text notes and use highlighters to help them concentrate…” (2011).
Thus, this would give student M the opportunity to show his talent at drawing. Furthermore, this activity would not only have benefited student M; it will also benefit other students as well since they all love colouring.
Finally, every group would present their drawing and explain their answer to the class. Elizabeth also stated that “Allow kinaesthetic learners to assess orally through simple answers, presentations, poems or songs…”(2011) and I have to agree with her statements.
Student M would learn the story twice and thus improve his thinking and imagining skills.
I have also noticed that Ms K does not like any interruption when she is teaching even if students want to ask questions. If I were the teacher I would have given students the opportunity to ask questions, on condition that if they wish to ask a question they must first raise their hands and get permission. Ms K told me the reason she wants them to copy the questions is because she wants them to improve their writing and at the same time memorize the spelling. I feel it is a good practice but unfortunately it does not fit the learning style of student M.
CONCLUSION I HAVE MADE
I feel that as a teacher assistant (TA), it is my responsibility to make sure that every learner gains something from a lesson, since I believe that the teacher is busy and she cannot give individual attention to all 19 students.
Overall, I believe that as a TA, I will help student M to develop his skills by guiding him during learning session. I will try to divide my time equally everyday to all my learners so that no one will be left out. Albert Einstein once stated that
“…he felt it in his muscles, when he was thinking about something that later proved to be very significant. This heightened kinesthetic sense tells us that helping develop this kinesthetic sensitivity from an early age, instead of suppressing it, will help people turning out to be more creative individuals…”
(2008)
As a conclusion, I agree with Albert Einstein and I am also applying it in my role to support my learners. Furthermore, it is my responsibility to make sure my learners are in ease when the learning session is going on.
REFERENCING
Ducket, Ian., (n.d) Effective Practice: Learning styles and their application for effective learning, Available at: http://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/LearningStyles.pdf (date accessed: 05/01/2012)
Farwell, Terry., (2000 – 2012) Family Education: Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic Learners, Available at: http://school.familyeducation.com/intelligence/teaching-methods/38519.html (date accessed: 09/01/2012)
Glen, David., (2009) Matching Teaching Style to Learning Style May Not Help Students, Available at: http://chronicle.com/article/Matching-Teaching-Style-to/49497/ (date accessed: 03/01/2012)
Guffanti, Stephen., (2011) Learning Styles: What Does It Feels Like To Be A Kinesthetic Learner, Available at: http://www.howtolearn.com/2011/11/learning-styles-what-does-it-feel-like-to-be-a-kinesthetic-learner (date accessed: 10/01/2012)
Hasan, (2008) ‘Understanding Kinesthetic Intelligence!’ , Reaction Of Society, Available at: http://www.dirjournal.com/guides/understanding-kinesthetic-intelligence/ (date accessed: 12/01/2012)
Murphy, Janine., (2011) What Types of Communication Are Used in Teaching?, Available at: http://www.ehow.com/info_8420301_types-communications-used-teaching.html (date accessed: 25/12/2011)
Schreiner, Erin., (1999 – 2012) How to Teach English to Kinesthetic Learners, Available at: http://www.ehow.com/how_6914515_teach-english-kinesthetic-learners.html (date accessed: 10/01/2012)
Stover, Elizabeth., (2011) Adaptations for Kinesthetic Learners, Available at:: http://www.ehow.com/info_8718466_adaptations-kinesthetic-learners.html (date accessed: 12/01/2012)
Vernon, Shelley., (2006 – 2012) Teaching English Games: How to Teach English For Different Learning Styles, Available at: http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/Articles/Learning_Styles.htm (date accessed: 09/01/2012)
TABLE OF CONTENT FOR TASK 2 No | Topic / Area | Page | 1. | Introduction | 14 | 2. | Learner’s Background | 15 | 3. | How have I plan my lesson relate to my learners needs | 15 – 16 | 4. | Session plan for learning session of 120 minutes | 16 – 18 | 5. | How do I make sure that learning has take place | 19 | 6. | Evaluation of my lesson plan | 20 – 21 | 7. | Conclusion I have made | 21 | 8. | Reference | 22 – 23 | 9 | Appendix | 24 – 32 |
TASK 2
Plan and deliver a lesson in a core subject for a group of mixed ability pupils, ensuring that all are able to access learning through the use of a range of teaching strategies and resources. Include assessment opportunities and personalised provision as appropriate. Assess the learning that took place and evaluate the effectiveness of the planning and issues raised for consideration in future planning. The plan will form an appendix. The school’s preferred planning format can be used.
INTRODUCTION
This essay is about me, planning and delivering a Mathematics lesson for a group of mixed ability pupils for class PYP 1. PYP stands for Primary Year Programme. I have made sure that all my learners are able to access learning through the use of a range of teaching strategies and resources. I have also given them assessment to know their level of knowledge and how effective is my teaching towards them. As it is stated in the webpage of University of Western Australia “Assessment is that part of the learning process used to better understand the current knowledge that a student possesses…” (Anon., 2001)
I will rename my mentor as Ms R throughout the context. I have been assisting Ms R for 3 months and I have gained a lot of knowledgeable information from Ms R. I planned my lesson by not repeating the mistakes done by Ms R since I have been observing her for 3 months and I have learnt the face expression and how they react towards learning.
LEARNERS BACKGROUND
PYP 1 students are 5 years old to 7 years old and they are from mixed countries. There are 19 students in this class and they have well spoken English. Since I know the type of learners I am handling with which I realised they are mostly kinaesthetic and visual learners so I will conduct an activity that requires them to move around such as swapping their places with their friends. In addition, I will also choose the materials I am going to use according to my learners needs so that they will feel comfortable during my session and will concentrate on their learning.
I have identified the needs of my learners by conducting a diagnostic meeting and also observing them in the class when they are learning. I realised that they prefer to talk rather than listening and most of my learners prefer to learn by doing a moving activity. Every morning I am instructed by Ms R to collect their work book, while arranging their books I will check it before I hand it to Ms R and I usually will have a short conversation about our learners every morning.
According to Kimberly Olver, the meaning of diagnostic meeting is “…which is concerned with how well the students understand the concepts of a particular part of the curriculum…” (2012)
HOW HAVE I PLAN MY LESSON RELATE TO MY LEARNERS NEEDS
I have designed learning activities relate the learner needs by using ‘match and stretch’ method so that all the students will have the opportunity to fulfil their needs since not all the students requires the same learning style. Such as I will have more of visual r and kinaesthetic style of learning since the majority of my learners prefer not to read or listen but I will also have short activity involving reading complying the needs of other learners. There will be group activity and single activity I plan so that I will know their abilities on the subject and get to know my learner needs better. As it is stated that,
“To ensure the greatest probability of learning, we must carefully select and arrange activities that will produce the desired learning outcomes in our students. Only through careful planning can we be certain that we include all necessary information and have our lesson plan properly organized to achieve the lesson objective…” (Anon., n.d.)
The meaning of ‘match’ is when I comply with their needs of learning and the meaning of ‘stretch’ is when I go against their opposite needs. Such as, I give them quizzes using a projector and kinaesthetic learners will feel ‘stretch’ but will ‘match’ the visual learners. It is stated that “A learning stretch is defined as the demonstration of knowledge and research over and beyond previously learned material” (Anon., n.d)
There are quizzes (refer to appendix) and activity using projector. This will benefit the visual learners as they prefer to see pictures rather than reading. Furthermore, the worksheet that they will have to attempt requires them to move around. Such as, there will be 4 groups and each group will be located at a different area in the class and they have to swap places with another group in order to answer a new worksheet.
SESSION PLAN FOR LEARNING SESSION OF 120 MINUTES Session title | Additions : two digit numbers with tens |
Aim | To understand and able to solve mathematical addition involving two digit numbers by themselves |
Learning objectives | By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to solve addition involving to two digit numbers in many kind of ways within 30 minutes |
Plan Time | Teacher Activity | Learner Activity | Differentiation | Assessment | Materials / Resources | 5 minutes | Teacher recalls what is single and double digit is all about and provides a few examples for the students. | Student listens to teacher and tries to understand. | I target prepared open and closed questions at students of my choice. This exercise will give me instant feedback on the quality of their previous lesson knowledge. | Discussion and Questionnaire | * Whiteboard * Marker | 5 minutes | Teacher asks students to come out and give example of addition that they have learnt previously and then teacher will choose a student to answer the question. | Student engages with teacher and other students when creating their own questions in front of the class. Students should be alert and prepare with answers because they might be the chosen one to solve the question. | Students will understand more when their peer provides examples and explain how to solve it because this will help the weaker students. | Discussion and Questionnaire | * Whiteboard * Marker | 5 minutes | Teacher divides the students into 4 groups consist of 5 people and every group has a peer guide. Teacher tells them that there are 3 worksheet and what each group is require to do and explain the instruction of the worksheets. They will be ask to finish each activity within 10 minutes. | Students cooperate with the teacher by listening to her instruction and quietly move to the tables. | I choose the pairings based on which children I know can work together harmoniously. The seating arrangement is such that I can move freely between the pairs listening to their descriptions and evaluating their achievement. | Questionnaire | N/A | 30 minutes | Teacher shows where the needle of the watch will be after 10 minutes and they have to stop doing and swap their place to another table where there is another sheet of question paper with a different type of question. | Students view the clock on the wall while the teacher shows them when they should swap their places to proceed to the next activity. They start doing their worksheet in couples. | Record the achievement of each of my student, in particular who surprised me by being more or less able than I thought? | Group discussion and colouring the correct answer. | * Worksheet * Counters * Number cards * Number charts to 100 * Colour pencils | 10 minutes | Teacher collects the worksheets and asks the students to gather and ask them question based on what they have learnt. | Students attempts to answer question given by teacher, based on their level of understanding from what student has learnt. | I will give them feedback on their worksheet which I have observed them doing so that they can improve themselves. | Discussion and Questionnaire | * Whiteboard * Marker | 20 minutes | Teacher shows slides and examples of question and how to solve it. Teacher divides the students into 4 groups and starts a fun addition game with the students. | Students views slides shown by teacher. If unclear, students are supposed to ask teacher. Student engages with teacher and other students when playing the subtraction game. | I choose the pairings based on which children I know can work together harmoniously. The seating arrangement is such that I can move freely between the pairs listening to their descriptions and evaluating their achievement. | Discussion and Questionnaire. | * Projector * Google search * Questions on quizzes(www.mathsisfun.com) |
HOW DO I MAKE SURE THAT LEARNING HAS TAKE PLACE
In order for me to succeed in making my learners to learn, I would need the learners to be reflectors. As it is stated in the webpage of Campaign For Learning
“Reflectors like to stand back and look at a situation from different perspectives. They like to collect data and think about it carefully before coming to any conclusions. They enjoy observing others and will listen to their views before offering their own” (Anon., n.d) I would need them to reflect onto anything that they do not understand so that I will be able to help them. On the other hand, the students should also be good communicators. As they are many activities planned, I am hoping for the students to also engage well in all activities. According to Penelope Eckert “…engaged learning occurs when people appropriate the learning process in the service of their goals as individuals and as members of society...” (n.d)
To ensure that the element of active learning which are talking and listening, writing, reading, and reflecting has taken place, I will do summative assessment with them such as quiz and questionnaire based on what I have taught them. At the end, I will conclude what they have learnt since I know their level of knowledge since I have asked them questions before I start my lesson. As it stated in the webpage of University of Michigan, the meaning of active learning is define as “…a process whereby students engage in activities, such as reading, writing, discussion, or problem solving that promote analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of class content…” (n.d).
EVALUATION OF MY LESSON PLAN First and foremost, I will self-evaluate myself after I have delivered my lesson. I will also need the help of my learners and Ms R since she is the mentor. I completed a session with my learner’s form where I obtained oral feedback from them. I asked them a few questions to complete the session. As for my Ms R, I would evaluate my lesson after she completes the observation reports and also some oral feedback. I had one-to-one session with Ms R to improve myself as a teacher and I believe that Ms R has given me a lot of beneficial advice. As it is stated that evaluation can be in the form of,
“Formal and informal…formal evaluation done after instruction-testing-confirms whether the teacher and students have successfully accomplished the objectives, but its results often come too late to do the students much good….
Informal evaluation done during instruction is often the most useful and influential type.” (Anon., n.d)
I agree with the statement. I should always consider three levels of evaluation which is: * How did my learners react to the activity? * What did my learners learn from the activity? * How are my learners performing their role differently?
Evaluation procedures must obtain valuable information, whilst being as unobtrusive to the flow of my learners as possible.
I faced minor problems while delivering my lesson as I am very new to teaching. One of the problems I faced was giving instruction. According to Susana Maria Li Ruso “It is essential for teachers to develop an awareness of the importance of clear oral instructions for good class management.” (2002-2003)
Ms R told me that I should learn to give a simple instruction since my learners are very young so I have taken her advice and try to improve myself in future. I have attached my observation of feedback, observation of review and observation report done by Ms R as appendix.
CONCLUSION I HAVE MADE
Since I am trying my best to improve myself as teacher, I would always learn from mistakes that I have made and other teacher’s mistakes that I have been observing. I believe there is always space for improvement so I will never let anything to put me down as teacher to support my learners.
Moreover, as a TA who fosters positive relationships with their students create classroom environments more conducive to learning and meet students’ developmental, emotional and academic needs. Such as, my learners will always confront me if they have any problem at home or at school. As it is stated in the webpage of American Psychological Association, “If a student feels a personal connection to a teacher, experiences frequent communication with a teacher, and receives more guidance and praise than criticism from the teacher, then the student is likely to become more trustful of that teacher, show more engagement in the academic content presented, display better classroom behavior, and achieve at higher levels academically. Positive teacher-student relationships draw students into the process of learning and promote their desire to learn…” (2012).
REFERENCING
American Psychological Association (2012) Improving Students Relationships with Teachers to Provide Essential Support for Learning, Available at: http://www.apa.org/education/k12/relationships.aspx, (date accessed: 12/01/2012)
Arthur, F. (n.d) University Of Michigan: Teaching Strategies: Active Learning, Available at: http://www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tsal.php, (date accessed: 10/01/2011)
Campaign For Learning (n.d) Reflectors, Available at: http://www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk/cfl/yourlearning/whatlearner/reflector.asp (date accessed: 11/01/2012)
Eckert, Penelope. (n.d: 6), The School of Engaged Learners: Students Are Engaged Learners, Available at: http://www.stanford.edu/~eckert/PDF/SasCEL.pdf, (date accessed: 11/01/2012)
EGHS Senior Project, (n.d) What is a Learning Stretch? Available at: https://sites.google.com/site/eghsseniorproject/what-is-a-learning-stretch (date accessed: 10/01/2012)
Evaluation (n.d) Evaluation, Available at: http://linguistics.byu.edu/faculty/henrichsenl/lessonplanning/lp_14.html, (date accessed: 07/01/2012)
Homeport Training Norfolk, Virginia (n.d) Developing The Lesson Plan: The Importance of a Lesson Plan, Available at: http://www.mysdcc.sdccd.edu/Norfolk_Homeport_Training/Instructor_Info/Importance_of_a_Lesson_Plan.htm (date accessed: 10/01/2012)
Liruso, Susana Maria (2002 – 2003) ‘Giving Oral Feedback to EFL Young Learners’ Abstract, pp. 138, Available at: http://www.encuentrojournal.org/textos/13.13.pdf, (date accessed: 10/01/2012)
Olver, Kimberly., (2012) Article for Teachers: Class Meetings, Available at: http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/articles/index.pl?page=3;read=3554 (date accessed: 09/01/2012)
University of Western Australia (2001) Outcomes Based Education and Assessment at UWA, Available at: http://www.catl.uwa.edu.au/__data/page/77897/OBE_and_Assessment.pdf (date accessed: 08/01/2012)
A critical analysis of an individual child’s observed learning behaviour during a teaching session and analysis of the implications for their further learning and their support needs (i.e. the TA’s possible role in supporting and developing further learning) (1500 words)
INTRODUCTION
This essay is about how I, as a teaching assistant (TA), develop my understanding of how my learners learn and develop. I will rename the teacher as Ms K and the students as student M throughout the context. I have been assisting Ms K in Year 2C class for 3 months. The subject of the observation is student M from Iran, whose learning I analysed during a 40 minutes English lesson. I have known the student for 3 months, and as treats me like a friend, …show more content…
is honest and open with me. He discusses his favourite movies, toys, games and even confides in me. I have noticed that he is loquacious and as I give him more time, he has a closer relationship with me as compared to Ms K. I tend to spend my time with my learners during breaks. I have never experienced problem communicating with student M as he is able to speak good English, although he sometimes struggles with reading and writing. According to Janine Murphy ‘A teacher must be flexible and observant…’ (2011), so as a TA, I feel I should be more observant of the strengths, interests and learning needs of my learners.
STUDENT M’s BACKGROUND Student M is from Iran and is 8 years old.
He is slightly overweight and one of the tallest in the class. He does not like to sit at the same place for a long time and he prefers waking around the class and dancing.
I often see him bullying his friends, pushing them break, hitting them whenever he likes and also annoying them by singing loudly in class. He is quite sensitive when someone scolds him, but he never cries. He communicates well with other students and teachers. Moreover, he enjoys Physical Education (PE) and Dance most, as he gets to be more active and he works finely in group activities. He seems to hate English and this is maybe due to the way Ms K delivers her lessons which may not be able to conducive to his kinaesthetic learning style. The majority of the students in 2C class also seem to have a kinaesthetic style. According to David Glen “Almost certainly, you were told that your instruction should match your students learning styles…Now four psychologists argue that you were told wrong. There is no strong scientific evidence to support the “matching” idea…” …show more content…
(2009) I totally do not agree with that statement because I feel that by complying the needs of a learner will actually make them more interested to learn something rather than just wasting time in a place where they do not like.
There are for 4 aspects I have observed, learning style: 1. Personality and Learning style 2. Experience and interest 3. Stage of development 4. Abilities
DEFINATION OF KINAESTHETIC
We keep hearing things like, “My mind works better when I’m doing something physical, like running or walking.” “I like spending all my free time in the open air.” “I enjoy working with my hands.” All these form kinaesthetic intelligence. According to Ian Ducket “Kinaesthetic learners usually tend to remember things that they do and experience and may tend to tap their pencil or pen during a lesson…” (n.d)
As a TA I would try my best to make sure my learners will experience a perfect learning environment with suitable resources used to help them to understand more effectively. According to learning specialist, Pat Wyman, M.A., concept
“…is the importance of matching input and output in teaching. For example, it may be obvious to anyone that a child cannot acquire the skill of swimming (output) by reading about it in a book. He has to get in the water and practice the skill (input)…” (2012)
LESSON DELIVERED BY MS K ON 14/112011 FROM 10.40am – 11.20am I have chosen English lesson to observe and it is a teaching session of one period which is equivalent to 40 minutes Time | Record of Observation | 10.40am – 10.55am | Ms K entered the class and ordered them to sit on the floor in front of her. Then she did a recall session with them based on what they previously learnt, but I noticed student M was not paying attention as he was talking and singing to himself. Ms K read them a story titled ‘Secret’ from their Fitzroy book. The story is about a boy who cannot keep secrets and ends up destroying himself. Ms K told student M to be quite. However, he didn’t take notice, so, I decided to sit next to him on the floor. I was helping him to read the story step by step, as I am aware of his limited reading ability. However, he was not interested in reading, so I briefly explained about the story to him. I used examples and face expressions which engaged him and he even gave examples related to his experience. | 10.55am – 11.10am | After reading them the story, Ms K asked them to sit at their desks and wrote 5 questions on the whiteboard. All the students were required to copy the questions into their exercise book. Rather than, copying the questions, student M was busy doodling in his book. According to Shelley Vernon “…Kinaesthetic learners are often the students who just don't get what you're trying to teach in a traditional lecture or worksheet based lesson. Kinaesthetic learners take in information best when they use their whole bodies to complete practice exercises…” (2008) Ms K tried her best to persuade him to copy the questions, but in vain. He did copy a few letters as Ms K observed him, but once she left, he continued drawing and started singing again. Ms K told him if he does it again she will complain to his mother. Instead of obeying her, he replied saying that his mother was scared of him and he had even hit his mother before. He also stated that his dad does not say anything to him. I helped him to spell the words so it would be easier for him to write. In order to gauge his level. I asked him to write down the alphabets. From the result, it was clear that student M (the name of the students is not written for the anonymity of the institution, students and staff) does not know all the alphabets, and if the letters he knew, he wrote some upside down. Eventually, he did copy the questions but did not answer them due to a shortage of time. | 11.10am – 11.20am | Next, Ms K asked them to sit again on the floor in front of her to go through the answer with them. She picked a few students to read out their answers. One of those was student M who surprisingly answered the question correctly. Ms K did correct a few students who answered wrongly. At the end of the period, Ms K collected all the books to be marked. |
WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE TO SUPPORT THE LEARNERS
As a TA I would never make my learners feel scared of me because this will cause them to not share their problems with me. I would also sit with them and guide them to do their work and if there is having any doubt, I will always be there to clear their confusion.
However, I would make sure that the class environment is suitable with the needs of my learners such as I have decorated the class with more pictures as I know that my learners prefer to see rather than reading. According to Terry Farwell “Once students understand their learning styles, they can better adapt to their learning environment…” (2012). Since I know it is impossible to expect them to sit quietly for long and listen to something without experiencing it physically so it is better to give them tools and equipment to use in class. Rather than stopping them from moving, it is better to let their bodies build up through expression, enabling them to grow up into inspired individuals.
WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE AS A TEACHER Since I know that student M is a kinaesthetic learner, I would have created a lesson plan which involved more moving activity. According to Erin,
“While some students can learn effectively through quiet study, others gain the most information through active learning activities. If you are charged with the task of teaching English to a kinaesthetic learner, you can increase the effectiveness of the lessons you offer by mixing movement into your learning activities…” (2012)
At the beginning of the lesson I would have read them the story then I asked them to do role play in 4 groups where every group had a peer guide to guide the weaker ones. This way, student M would have had the chance to show off his talent, move around and talk loudly as he loves to. Once they had performed their role play, I would have asked them to remain in their groups and called every group leader to come forward to choose a question. They are required to show their answer in the form of a picture or drawing. According to Elizabeth, she stated “…kinaesthetic learners sometimes process information such as class notes better by drawing pictures than by writing words. Kinaesthetic learners may need to draw models, write in different colours if taking text notes and use highlighters to help them concentrate…” (2011).
Thus, this would give student M the opportunity to show his talent at drawing. Furthermore, this activity would not only have benefited student M; it will also benefit other students as well since they all love colouring.
Finally, every group would present their drawing and explain their answer to the class. Elizabeth also stated that “Allow kinaesthetic learners to assess orally through simple answers, presentations, poems or songs…”(2011) and I have to agree with her statements.
Student M would learn the story twice and thus improve his thinking and imagining skills.
I have also noticed that Ms K does not like any interruption when she is teaching even if students want to ask questions. If I were the teacher I would have given students the opportunity to ask questions, on condition that if they wish to ask a question they must first raise their hands and get permission. Ms K told me the reason she wants them to copy the questions is because she wants them to improve their writing and at the same time memorize the spelling. I feel it is a good practice but unfortunately it does not fit the learning style of student M.
CONCLUSION I HAVE MADE
I feel that as a teacher assistant (TA), it is my responsibility to make sure that every learner gains something from a lesson, since I believe that the teacher is busy and she cannot give individual attention to all 19 students.
Overall, I believe that as a TA, I will help student M to develop his skills by guiding him during learning session. I will try to divide my time equally everyday to all my learners so that no one will be left out. Albert Einstein once stated that
“…he felt it in his muscles, when he was thinking about something that later proved to be very significant. This heightened kinesthetic sense tells us that helping develop this kinesthetic sensitivity from an early age, instead of suppressing it, will help people turning out to be more creative individuals…”
(2008)
As a conclusion, I agree with Albert Einstein and I am also applying it in my role to support my learners. Furthermore, it is my responsibility to make sure my learners are in ease when the learning session is going on.
REFERENCING
Ducket, Ian., (n.d) Effective Practice: Learning styles and their application for effective learning, Available at: http://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/LearningStyles.pdf (date accessed: 05/01/2012)
Farwell, Terry., (2000 – 2012) Family Education: Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic Learners, Available at: http://school.familyeducation.com/intelligence/teaching-methods/38519.html (date accessed: 09/01/2012)
Glen, David., (2009) Matching Teaching Style to Learning Style May Not Help Students, Available at: http://chronicle.com/article/Matching-Teaching-Style-to/49497/ (date accessed: 03/01/2012)
Guffanti, Stephen., (2011) Learning Styles: What Does It Feels Like To Be A Kinesthetic Learner, Available at: http://www.howtolearn.com/2011/11/learning-styles-what-does-it-feel-like-to-be-a-kinesthetic-learner (date accessed: 10/01/2012)
Hasan, (2008) ‘Understanding Kinesthetic Intelligence!’ , Reaction Of Society, Available at: http://www.dirjournal.com/guides/understanding-kinesthetic-intelligence/ (date accessed: 12/01/2012)
Murphy, Janine., (2011) What Types of Communication Are Used in Teaching?, Available at: http://www.ehow.com/info_8420301_types-communications-used-teaching.html (date accessed: 25/12/2011)
Schreiner, Erin., (1999 – 2012) How to Teach English to Kinesthetic Learners, Available at: http://www.ehow.com/how_6914515_teach-english-kinesthetic-learners.html (date accessed: 10/01/2012)
Stover, Elizabeth., (2011) Adaptations for Kinesthetic Learners, Available at:: http://www.ehow.com/info_8718466_adaptations-kinesthetic-learners.html (date accessed: 12/01/2012)
Vernon, Shelley., (2006 – 2012) Teaching English Games: How to Teach English For Different Learning Styles, Available at: http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/Articles/Learning_Styles.htm (date accessed: 09/01/2012)
TABLE OF CONTENT FOR TASK 2 No | Topic / Area | Page | 1. | Introduction | 14 | 2. | Learner’s Background | 15 | 3. | How have I plan my lesson relate to my learners needs | 15 – 16 | 4. | Session plan for learning session of 120 minutes | 16 – 18 | 5. | How do I make sure that learning has take place | 19 | 6. | Evaluation of my lesson plan | 20 – 21 | 7. | Conclusion I have made | 21 | 8. | Reference | 22 – 23 | 9 | Appendix | 24 – 32 |
TASK 2
Plan and deliver a lesson in a core subject for a group of mixed ability pupils, ensuring that all are able to access learning through the use of a range of teaching strategies and resources. Include assessment opportunities and personalised provision as appropriate. Assess the learning that took place and evaluate the effectiveness of the planning and issues raised for consideration in future planning. The plan will form an appendix. The school’s preferred planning format can be used.
INTRODUCTION
This essay is about me, planning and delivering a Mathematics lesson for a group of mixed ability pupils for class PYP 1. PYP stands for Primary Year Programme. I have made sure that all my learners are able to access learning through the use of a range of teaching strategies and resources. I have also given them assessment to know their level of knowledge and how effective is my teaching towards them. As it is stated in the webpage of University of Western Australia “Assessment is that part of the learning process used to better understand the current knowledge that a student possesses…” (Anon., 2001)
I will rename my mentor as Ms R throughout the context. I have been assisting Ms R for 3 months and I have gained a lot of knowledgeable information from Ms R. I planned my lesson by not repeating the mistakes done by Ms R since I have been observing her for 3 months and I have learnt the face expression and how they react towards learning.
LEARNERS BACKGROUND
PYP 1 students are 5 years old to 7 years old and they are from mixed countries. There are 19 students in this class and they have well spoken English. Since I know the type of learners I am handling with which I realised they are mostly kinaesthetic and visual learners so I will conduct an activity that requires them to move around such as swapping their places with their friends. In addition, I will also choose the materials I am going to use according to my learners needs so that they will feel comfortable during my session and will concentrate on their learning.
I have identified the needs of my learners by conducting a diagnostic meeting and also observing them in the class when they are learning. I realised that they prefer to talk rather than listening and most of my learners prefer to learn by doing a moving activity. Every morning I am instructed by Ms R to collect their work book, while arranging their books I will check it before I hand it to Ms R and I usually will have a short conversation about our learners every morning.
According to Kimberly Olver, the meaning of diagnostic meeting is “…which is concerned with how well the students understand the concepts of a particular part of the curriculum…” (2012)
HOW HAVE I PLAN MY LESSON RELATE TO MY LEARNERS NEEDS
I have designed learning activities relate the learner needs by using ‘match and stretch’ method so that all the students will have the opportunity to fulfil their needs since not all the students requires the same learning style. Such as I will have more of visual r and kinaesthetic style of learning since the majority of my learners prefer not to read or listen but I will also have short activity involving reading complying the needs of other learners. There will be group activity and single activity I plan so that I will know their abilities on the subject and get to know my learner needs better. As it is stated that,
“To ensure the greatest probability of learning, we must carefully select and arrange activities that will produce the desired learning outcomes in our students. Only through careful planning can we be certain that we include all necessary information and have our lesson plan properly organized to achieve the lesson objective…” (Anon., n.d.)
The meaning of ‘match’ is when I comply with their needs of learning and the meaning of ‘stretch’ is when I go against their opposite needs. Such as, I give them quizzes using a projector and kinaesthetic learners will feel ‘stretch’ but will ‘match’ the visual learners. It is stated that “A learning stretch is defined as the demonstration of knowledge and research over and beyond previously learned material” (Anon., n.d)
There are quizzes (refer to appendix) and activity using projector. This will benefit the visual learners as they prefer to see pictures rather than reading. Furthermore, the worksheet that they will have to attempt requires them to move around. Such as, there will be 4 groups and each group will be located at a different area in the class and they have to swap places with another group in order to answer a new worksheet.
SESSION PLAN FOR LEARNING SESSION OF 120 MINUTES Session title | Additions : two digit numbers with tens |
Aim | To understand and able to solve mathematical addition involving two digit numbers by themselves |
Learning objectives | By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to solve addition involving to two digit numbers in many kind of ways within 30 minutes |
Plan Time | Teacher Activity | Learner Activity | Differentiation | Assessment | Materials / Resources | 5 minutes | Teacher recalls what is single and double digit is all about and provides a few examples for the students. | Student listens to teacher and tries to understand. | I target prepared open and closed questions at students of my choice. This exercise will give me instant feedback on the quality of their previous lesson knowledge. | Discussion and Questionnaire | * Whiteboard * Marker | 5 minutes | Teacher asks students to come out and give example of addition that they have learnt previously and then teacher will choose a student to answer the question. | Student engages with teacher and other students when creating their own questions in front of the class. Students should be alert and prepare with answers because they might be the chosen one to solve the question. | Students will understand more when their peer provides examples and explain how to solve it because this will help the weaker students. | Discussion and Questionnaire | * Whiteboard * Marker | 5 minutes | Teacher divides the students into 4 groups consist of 5 people and every group has a peer guide. Teacher tells them that there are 3 worksheet and what each group is require to do and explain the instruction of the worksheets. They will be ask to finish each activity within 10 minutes. | Students cooperate with the teacher by listening to her instruction and quietly move to the tables. | I choose the pairings based on which children I know can work together harmoniously. The seating arrangement is such that I can move freely between the pairs listening to their descriptions and evaluating their achievement. | Questionnaire | N/A | 30 minutes | Teacher shows where the needle of the watch will be after 10 minutes and they have to stop doing and swap their place to another table where there is another sheet of question paper with a different type of question. | Students view the clock on the wall while the teacher shows them when they should swap their places to proceed to the next activity. They start doing their worksheet in couples. | Record the achievement of each of my student, in particular who surprised me by being more or less able than I thought? | Group discussion and colouring the correct answer. | * Worksheet * Counters * Number cards * Number charts to 100 * Colour pencils | 10 minutes | Teacher collects the worksheets and asks the students to gather and ask them question based on what they have learnt. | Students attempts to answer question given by teacher, based on their level of understanding from what student has learnt. | I will give them feedback on their worksheet which I have observed them doing so that they can improve themselves. | Discussion and Questionnaire | * Whiteboard * Marker | 20 minutes | Teacher shows slides and examples of question and how to solve it. Teacher divides the students into 4 groups and starts a fun addition game with the students. | Students views slides shown by teacher. If unclear, students are supposed to ask teacher. Student engages with teacher and other students when playing the subtraction game. | I choose the pairings based on which children I know can work together harmoniously. The seating arrangement is such that I can move freely between the pairs listening to their descriptions and evaluating their achievement. | Discussion and Questionnaire. | * Projector * Google search * Questions on quizzes(www.mathsisfun.com) |
HOW DO I MAKE SURE THAT LEARNING HAS TAKE PLACE
In order for me to succeed in making my learners to learn, I would need the learners to be reflectors. As it is stated in the webpage of Campaign For Learning
“Reflectors like to stand back and look at a situation from different perspectives. They like to collect data and think about it carefully before coming to any conclusions. They enjoy observing others and will listen to their views before offering their own” (Anon., n.d) I would need them to reflect onto anything that they do not understand so that I will be able to help them. On the other hand, the students should also be good communicators. As they are many activities planned, I am hoping for the students to also engage well in all activities. According to Penelope Eckert “…engaged learning occurs when people appropriate the learning process in the service of their goals as individuals and as members of society...” (n.d)
To ensure that the element of active learning which are talking and listening, writing, reading, and reflecting has taken place, I will do summative assessment with them such as quiz and questionnaire based on what I have taught them. At the end, I will conclude what they have learnt since I know their level of knowledge since I have asked them questions before I start my lesson. As it stated in the webpage of University of Michigan, the meaning of active learning is define as “…a process whereby students engage in activities, such as reading, writing, discussion, or problem solving that promote analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of class content…” (n.d).
EVALUATION OF MY LESSON PLAN First and foremost, I will self-evaluate myself after I have delivered my lesson. I will also need the help of my learners and Ms R since she is the mentor. I completed a session with my learner’s form where I obtained oral feedback from them. I asked them a few questions to complete the session. As for my Ms R, I would evaluate my lesson after she completes the observation reports and also some oral feedback. I had one-to-one session with Ms R to improve myself as a teacher and I believe that Ms R has given me a lot of beneficial advice. As it is stated that evaluation can be in the form of,
“Formal and informal…formal evaluation done after instruction-testing-confirms whether the teacher and students have successfully accomplished the objectives, but its results often come too late to do the students much good….
Informal evaluation done during instruction is often the most useful and influential type.” (Anon., n.d)
I agree with the statement. I should always consider three levels of evaluation which is: * How did my learners react to the activity? * What did my learners learn from the activity? * How are my learners performing their role differently?
Evaluation procedures must obtain valuable information, whilst being as unobtrusive to the flow of my learners as possible.
I faced minor problems while delivering my lesson as I am very new to teaching. One of the problems I faced was giving instruction. According to Susana Maria Li Ruso “It is essential for teachers to develop an awareness of the importance of clear oral instructions for good class management.” (2002-2003)
Ms R told me that I should learn to give a simple instruction since my learners are very young so I have taken her advice and try to improve myself in future. I have attached my observation of feedback, observation of review and observation report done by Ms R as appendix.
CONCLUSION I HAVE MADE
Since I am trying my best to improve myself as teacher, I would always learn from mistakes that I have made and other teacher’s mistakes that I have been observing. I believe there is always space for improvement so I will never let anything to put me down as teacher to support my learners.
Moreover, as a TA who fosters positive relationships with their students create classroom environments more conducive to learning and meet students’ developmental, emotional and academic needs. Such as, my learners will always confront me if they have any problem at home or at school. As it is stated in the webpage of American Psychological Association, “If a student feels a personal connection to a teacher, experiences frequent communication with a teacher, and receives more guidance and praise than criticism from the teacher, then the student is likely to become more trustful of that teacher, show more engagement in the academic content presented, display better classroom behavior, and achieve at higher levels academically. Positive teacher-student relationships draw students into the process of learning and promote their desire to learn…” (2012).
REFERENCING
American Psychological Association (2012) Improving Students Relationships with Teachers to Provide Essential Support for Learning, Available at: http://www.apa.org/education/k12/relationships.aspx, (date accessed: 12/01/2012)
Arthur, F. (n.d) University Of Michigan: Teaching Strategies: Active Learning, Available at: http://www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tsal.php, (date accessed: 10/01/2011)
Campaign For Learning (n.d) Reflectors, Available at: http://www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk/cfl/yourlearning/whatlearner/reflector.asp (date accessed: 11/01/2012)
Eckert, Penelope. (n.d: 6), The School of Engaged Learners: Students Are Engaged Learners, Available at: http://www.stanford.edu/~eckert/PDF/SasCEL.pdf, (date accessed: 11/01/2012)
EGHS Senior Project, (n.d) What is a Learning Stretch? Available at: https://sites.google.com/site/eghsseniorproject/what-is-a-learning-stretch (date accessed: 10/01/2012)
Evaluation (n.d) Evaluation, Available at: http://linguistics.byu.edu/faculty/henrichsenl/lessonplanning/lp_14.html, (date accessed: 07/01/2012)
Homeport Training Norfolk, Virginia (n.d) Developing The Lesson Plan: The Importance of a Lesson Plan, Available at: http://www.mysdcc.sdccd.edu/Norfolk_Homeport_Training/Instructor_Info/Importance_of_a_Lesson_Plan.htm (date accessed: 10/01/2012)
Liruso, Susana Maria (2002 – 2003) ‘Giving Oral Feedback to EFL Young Learners’ Abstract, pp. 138, Available at: http://www.encuentrojournal.org/textos/13.13.pdf, (date accessed: 10/01/2012)
Olver, Kimberly., (2012) Article for Teachers: Class Meetings, Available at: http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/articles/index.pl?page=3;read=3554 (date accessed: 09/01/2012)
University of Western Australia (2001) Outcomes Based Education and Assessment at UWA, Available at: http://www.catl.uwa.edu.au/__data/page/77897/OBE_and_Assessment.pdf (date accessed: 08/01/2012)