Rationale: Learning and F-16 Falcon Paper

Rationale for Micro Teach 1

I have chosen the topic of making an F-16 falcon paper aeroplane as an ice breaking exercise; this will create a fun atmosphere and will help build a good working rapport with my students helping the students to relax making the learning environment a lot more comfortable, which in turn will aid learning. Equal opportunities are met by this topic and the method is not gender, ethical, moral or socially biased. This initial lesson will help me gain an understanding of the student’s practical skill capabilities. A practical first lesson will help me visually assess student’s ability to work with equipment and to follow simple instructions, as students progress through the harder stages of the demonstration, some students will pick up the skill almost immediately whilst others may struggle informing me of the levels that these students will learn at.

Kolb learning cycle will help the students to achieve the final product. Through the actual process of creating the plane, students would be having concrete experience. Students will be able to observe and reflect at each stage helping them to perform each step at a time. Students will then be able to learn from the experience (Abstract Conceptualisation), through trial and error on the harder stages. Finally they will be making the final product and testing it, which refers back to the original concrete experience.

The use of PowerPoint to demonstrate the processes involved will be aimed towards the learners who learn via the cognitive domain, these learners work from visual knowledge by applying the instructions. This will be white writing on a blue background to help aid any learners with dyslexia as this is a preferred visual style.

Psychomotor domain learners will have the most benefit throughout the actual process of making the plane; these learners can then visually see the processes involved and will immediately be able to mimic the actions involved. There will be an underlying of the cognitive domain for these type learners to help reflect. I will have a pre-made product to show the class as an example, this type of resource can be passed around the class for all to see the method used in construction.

I am able to offer assistance to those pupils who I feel may lack in confidence with practical activities, as this type of exercise will allow me to move around the classroom and see learners progress on a one to one basis. The affective domain learners will gain from personal tuition, and in return will be able to complete this exercise. As I go from person to person giving advice and hands on help, I can also mentally assess those learners in the other two domains as I see them progress.

My learning objectives will be:

← Identify the basic history of Paper Aeroplanes.

← Construct an F-16 Falcon Paper Aeroplane.

← Produce a working model.

These are obtainable and I will know that they have been achieved by the end of the lesson, through the learners answering questions and once learners have successfully made the F-16.

As this is my first teaching experience I will be nervous but will teach with confidence, I have thoroughly researched this topic, and therefore have a strong basis of the topic being taught. Learners will see that I have a great knowledge of the subject and this will be portrayed throughout the lesson. I will achieve this by having correct posture, effective body language, and will use eye contact; I will use my voice to maintain a steady pace so that my language will flow.

“Whatever happens you need to cultivate a confident exterior, even if it is something of an act and you are feeling far from assured inside.” (Capel, Leask & Turner 2005)

References

Capel, S & Leask, M & Turner, T 2005, Learning to teach in the secondary school: a companion to school experience, London ; Routledge

Kolb learning cycle [Online]. Available from : http://www.ldu.leeds.ac.uk/ldu/sddu_multimedia/kolb/kolb_flash.htm

District, F D A C C 2010. Learning Domains [Online]. Available from : http://pixel.fhda.edu/id/learning_domain.html

References: Capel, S & Leask, M & Turner, T 2005, Learning to teach in the secondary school: a companion to school experience, London ; Routledge Kolb learning cycle [Online]. Available from : http://www.ldu.leeds.ac.uk/ldu/sddu_multimedia/kolb/kolb_flash.htm District, F D A C C 2010. Learning Domains [Online]. Available from : http://pixel.fhda.edu/id/learning_domain.html