I found the following on the Course Topics menu and was thrilled when I read it. For a minute I thought I had written it as it mirrors so closely my own teaching philosophy on my web site! I believe this aspect of teaching is often ignored in teaching education, yet I feel it is among the most important topics! It is titled Teachers as Models, and this is what it said:
Discussion of the teacher's role in fostering critical and creative thinking must begin from a recognition of the teacher as a person whose unique character, interests and desires can not be separated out from the idea of the teacher's role. Good teachers are doing more when they teach than acting according to prescribed roles. Their desire to nurture a love for learning, to help students recognize and act upon their capabilities, and to establish a classroom climate which is based upon mutual regard and respect gives their teaching purpose and meaning beyond any technical description of the teacher's role. What is required is that teachers be authentic individuals who are striving to improve their practice through the use of critical and creative thought. Acting upon their belief in the importance of critical and creative reflection, teachers would attempt to: analyze their own thinking processes and classroom practices and provide reasons for what they do; be open-minded, encouraging students to follow their own thinking and not simply repeat what the teacher has said; change their own positions when the evidence warrants, being willing to admit a mistake; consistently provide opportunities for students to select activities and assignments from a range of appropriate choices; exhibit genuine interest, curiosity and commitment to learning; undertake the organization and preparation required to achieve learning goals; seek imaginative, appropriate and ethical solutions to problems; be sensitive to others' feelings, level of knowledge and degree of sophistication; show sensitivity to the physical elements which contribute to a stimulating learning environment through the physical arrangements and displays they provide or facilitate; allow for student participation in rule setting and decision making related to all aspects of learning, including assessment and evaluation.
Read My Teaching Philosophy on my web site and you'll see why I reacted so positively to this! http://msmcmethods.googlepages.com/myteachingphilosophy
Another great site I found in the course topics readings was 6 Thinking Hats Method by Edward De Bono. Take a look at this link, if you haven't already--it's well worth your time!
Moving on to the Information Processing Model. Not unlike direct instruction, I am having some trouble "processing" this model! I get it but, then again, I don't. The sheer volume of information is, in itself, somewhat overwhelming. However, I felt this way about direct instruction until I wrote my lesson plan and--epiphany!--everything suddenly came together. It was a perfect example of taking the DI we received through our readings and class lectures and combining it with IPM-hands on LP construction--to make both the concept and the skill stick! I think of it as "hands do, head remembers"! I am hoping, and expecting, that the same will occur when I write my IPM LP. Speaking of which, I had a terrible time coming up with an inquiry based lesson for my completely ELA unit on the writing process. All the examples for inquiry are in the areas of science and social studies, with a few math examples thrown in. I could find nothing on ELA, which left me to make something up...but, I couldn't! I became convinced by the absence of ELA inquiry examples and LPs that this method and strategies simply did not go with this content area. Well, you know me when faced with a challenge--overcome it! So, I searched (and searched, and searched...) the web looking for ELA inquiry examples. Nothing! Then, suddenly, I chanced upon an activity for having students get rid of words and phrases that they overuse by committing them to the Dead Word Graveyard and having a brief ceremony to say goodbye. These were words such as cool, awesome, nice, very, great, fun, best, etc. I thought this was a clever idea (though, I would call the words lazy words) and then, suddenly, it sparked another idea, a better idea, an inquiry learning idea! What if I had my students select several words that they over use, that all have other, better alternative words (the students could refer to their writing journals and student portfolios, if necessary, to determine their lists). Then, using exploratory tools such as hard copy dictionaries and thesauruses, on-line dictionaries and thesauruses, along with recording sheets and specific, step-by-step guidelines, they set out to find alternatives for these overused words. At the end, each student will create a brief power point of their overused words and the new alternatives, something like; NOT____, BUT _____. We would then print these out and chain them around the room for daily reference. I'm also playing with the idea of creating some kind of reward system for students who self-correct following this lesson. Anyway, I am hoping this fits the IPM using a guided inquiry strategy. I won't really know until I attempt to write the LP. Stayed tuned!
I completed my Treasure Hunt on web inquiry projects (WIPs). This is a daunting topic that many teachers prefer to ignore. This is completely understandable but NOT acceptable. Like most things, the IDEA is more frightening than the REALITY. This is the approach I took with my TH, in the hope of showing my participants that WIPS are not only possible, they can actually be fun. I'll wait for the feedback before reporting whether or not I achieved my goal. For a sneak peek, go to http://wips.pbwiki.com/FrontPage
I am off to start my IPM LP. God, I hope it works! If it does, maybe I can post it on the internet with a big banner: ONE OF THE VERY FEW INQUIRY LESSON PLANS AVAILABLE FOR ELEMENTARY ELA!!
Until next time...
No comments:
Post a Comment