I really liked this lesson plan! Who knew kids could be so interested in learning about Louisiana songbirds? Because Mrs. Nicholson got creative in her approach, the kids seemed genuinely interested in the project. Its greatest strength was even though it was a science class, she incorporated elements of technology, writing, and speech. That multidisciplinary approach allowed her students to practice their problem-solving skills. It also showed the students how technology is not just a stand-alone topic, but a tool to be used in conjunction with other subjects.
Another aspect that I thought worked really well was how Mrs. Nicholson handled the fact that there weren't enough gadgets for everyone. So each student was assigned a different piece of equipment. However, each student was still able to learn about each of the gadgets because the other students taught them what they had learned. This role reversal for the students probably enabled them to learn more about each piece of equipment.
The only weakness that I noted may have been the one that could not be avoided: the time spent explaining what the kids would be doing. I noticed some of the students were getting a little antsy, as they waited to get started. I think Mrs. Nicholson could have explained about Excel and the websites while they were at the computers, so they could see up close what they would be doing. Besides that, I think it's a lesson worth repeating for next year's class.
One of the reasons I chose this video for us to view is because it incorporates so many technologies – and I think the teacher does an exceptional job integrating them. There is always room for improvement (as with all of us!), but overall, I think this video does a great job of showcasing how technologies can make a potentially dry topic more engaging. And quite frankly, I admire anyone who’s willing to have his/her teaching recorded and critiqued.
ReplyDeleteOne area I’d like to point out is the practice of students teaching students. When implemented well, it can be a great way to empower students. But I feel that before we can ask students to teach each other we need to teach them how to teach. And we need to be confident that they understand the skills they’ll be passing on to others – otherwise, we can end up with a version of the game ‘telephone’ where the content can become filtered and twisted. So I’d encourage you to take the time to model for the students how you want them to teach (not just tell them what they should teach) and have guidelines in place to make sure they themselves understand the content well enough to teach their classmates.
I only wish I could promise that you’ll have such great technologies available in your future schools…