“In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.”

 

 

This semester is finally coming to an end; and what a semester it has been! I can honestly say this has been one of the most challenging semesters of my college career thus far. From fieldwork, to lesson plans, to tests, to projects, the work was never ending. As i write my final blog entry I would like to reflect on this semester as a whole, and the person I have become after completing this Methods course.

In the beginning of the semester, I was hesitant to take this course because I knew it was going to be a lot of work. Once the semester had started, I was still nervous because I had found out that the course was all online, and it involved the use of a lot of technology. The use of technology was something that I was not used to in my previous experiences in college. Now, looking back at this semester, I realize that I have learned SO much about computers and different programs that are available to aid in my teaching. I had never used Gmail before, and now I believe it is so convenient when you are working on a group project. It is especially helpful if not all of the group members have the same schedule and it is hard to meet to work on the project. I can say that Gmail has saved my life throughout this course. Also, attending the Smart Board workshop has definitely opened up my eyes to the wonderful tool that is the Smart Board. Now, as many classrooms are acquiring this wonderful piece of technology, it is very important to understand how to use it, as a future teacher. I now appreciate the abundance of technology that was incorporated into this course. Students are becoming more and more tech-savvy and we as future teachers need to be one step ahead of them. I have changed a tremendous amount from the beginning of the semester to now, especially with regards to my new found appreciation of technology. Thank you, Dr. Smirnova!

I have learned so much about being a teacher. The number one thing that I have learned as a result of taking this course is that teaching is NOT an easy profession. To be a teacher requires one to have the patience of a saint, and a heart of gold. I have realized that teachers put a lot of time and effort into their lesson plans, and also accommodating them so that all students can learn to the best of their ability. I have learned the importance of accommodating lessons to fit the needs of many diverse students. For example, ELL students, students with learning disabilities, or even students with physical disabilities.

I enjoyed learning about the three methods of teaching in class. We studied direct instruction, information processing model, and social interactive model throughout the semester. In my opinion, each method of teaching has its own time and place in the classroom setting, and some methods are more effective than others. For example, I absolutely love the social interactive model of teaching. I believe that this method is the most effective form of teaching because it allows students to work together collaboratively in groups to learn, gather information, and teach each other. Since the SIM method is student centered, it is almost the complete opposite of the direct instruction teaching approach. I believe that learning should be student centered because they are the ones who are learning! Working in groups is a great way for students to share their thoughts, develop social skills, and grow as learners. Therefore, I believe that Cooperative Learning (Social Interactive Model) is the most effective and beneficial way that a student can learn and I look forward to using this method in my own elementary school classroom one day.

Although this semester has come to an end, there are some things that I plan to improve in myself in the future. For example, instead of waiting until the last minute to complete assignments, I plan on completing the assignments as they are assigned to me. Procrastination is one of my biggest downfalls. Even though everything gets done eventually, it would be to my benefit if I did not wait until the last minute to complete assignments. This is something that I WILL improve on in the semesters to come!

All in all, this course has given me the materials, skills and knowledge that I will need to become a technologically advanced teacher in my years to come!

 I believe that Winston Churchill said it best,

"This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

 

 

DI > IPM > SIM > JIGSAW

       Throughout this course we have learned about three different methods of teaching. They are the Direct Instruction method, Information Processing method, and Social Interactive method. Each method is different in and of itself, and each method has the right time and place to be used in the classroom setting.

       The Social Interactive method of teaching, in my opinion, is the most beneficial method for the student. It allows cooperative learning among students, and allows for students to engage in group work activities. By implementing the social interactive model in the classroom, students learn different social skills and this is very important, especially for students when they enter the real world as adults.

       Because the social interactive model is student-centered, it is almost the complete opposite of the direct instruction model, which is strictly teacher-centered. I believe that it is crucial for the students to be the center of their own learning. When learning about the SIM model, we learned many different teaching methods. Some of them include: Think-Pair-Share, T-G-T, Numbered Heads Together, STAD, and 6 Thinking Hats. Together, working in groups, we demonstrated each of these teaching methods to the class. This exercise was very beneficial because it allowed us to see the methods in action. It personally helped me to better understand what the social interactive model of teaching was all about.

The following is a link to a youtube video in which the "Numbered Heads Together" teaching method is being used:

Youtube Video Clip

“Our treasure lies in the beehive of our knowledge. We are perpetually on the way thither, being by nature winged insects and honey gatherers of the mind.”

In class we were asked to design a treasure hunt teaching our peers about a specific teaching method of the Information Processing Model. Theresa and I decided to focus on the Socratic Method of teaching. This method is an inquiry (question based) method of teaching.



The goal of this method of inquiry is for students to internalize a mode of questioning that will enable them to achieve a higher level of understanding and realization through content related areas of study.

By making a treasure hunt, we were able to demonstrate what the socratic method of teaching is by actually using an inquiry based, interactive treasure hunt. When th assignment was first brought to light, I, as well as many of me peers had no idea what a treasure hunt actually was, with respect to teaching. As it was finally explained more in depth, and we were shown examples, it became clear, and actually fun to create. From making our own treasure hunt, and by looking at the treasure hunts that my peers created, I was able to learn so much about different methods of teaching from the

information processing model.

Here is the link to my treasure hunt:
Socratic Method TH
Please feel free to check it out for yourself!