Combustion Main Lesson
Main Lesson Combustion Class 7: The beginnings
I have spent the last few weeks developing a Combustion main lesson for Class 7. Today was my final chance to get the chemistry lab ready for the lessons to start tomorrow. For the first week I have planned to introduce fire in a number of ways which will be in the coming days posts.
Students will be asked to develop a pamphlet which could be distributed for community education about a famous chemist and their discovery which is still used in the modern era. I have created a pamphlet as the handout. This will be their only homework set for the first two weeks.
I look forward to the next three weeks and teaching the main lesson.
Posted in chemistry, Design, Creativity and Technology, Main lesson, reflection, Science, Science, Subject, Waldorf, Year 7
Tagged analysis, reflection, science
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Class 2 finishing work
I had a wonderful opportunity to teach Class 2 from Collingwood College. They were completing journal work and main lesson writing work. There was vast range of completion of work and managing a large group of spirited individuals require a high level of patience and direction for myself. Just as teenagers do, seven and eight year olds will test you. I knew the clear requirements students needed to do before moving on with the next piece of work but on numerous occasions I was told certainly that what they had shown me was all they need to do. Staying firm the testing was shorted lived when they realised their teacher and I had similar expectations of their work. Having not been in a classroom with this age group on my own before I was slow to read the signs that they needed a change but was saved by the lunchtime bell which was timed perfectly for the session. I need to remember to be more dynamic and not worry about shortening tasks if it means holding the group together in a more harmonious way. Time and more experience will hone these skills.
Posted in Communication, reflection, Waldorf, writing, Year 2
Tagged boundaries, group dynamics, learning, reflection
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potato maths
In early June I spent an hour with class 1 students planting seed potatoes. Students needed to estimate how many new potatoes would be generated when planting 9 seed potatoes in each large container. Students used stones to create groups to help them determine a total sum. Most students where limited to counting by 1′s, 5′s and 10′s.
MY LEARNING
I underestimated the time needed to describe and break down the components of the learning activity. Having done all teaching to date with teens the overall class dynamic and my expectations where completely underestimated. The rapore the class teacher had with her class demonstrated how understanding you class members can make such a huge difference in the overall group dynamic.
I returned to harvest and count the potatoes in December 2011. The 4 months since the first class students had developed and enhanced their mathematical understanding with students being able to group and count in 2′s and some in 4′s.
Questions I askedand student responses
“how do you remember numbers?”
“I put it in my head” “I use my fingers” “it is a little more than my age”
How many potatoes do you think we will harvest?
“millions” ”hundreds” ”more than 9″
- Little potatoes ordered
Posted in Maths, Science, Waldorf, Year 1
Tagged learning, reflection, student responses
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Analysis of Student Learning Case Study Student A
Student A- Prior Knowledge and Skills, Challenges in Learning
- Student A interactive with the teacher and gains some confidence with the complements and praise of the teacher. Student A has Dyslexia, is hard working and a perfectionist. She will seek ongoing advice to double check that what she is working on is “what the teacher has described”. At times the student will need further clarification to link conceptual idea to experimental experiences.
Work Sample From Activity 1- Research, Poster and Presentation
Work Sample From Activity 2-Enzyme Browning Reaction
Posted in chemistry, experiments, Main lesson, Professional Development, Science, Teacher Resistration, Waldorf, Year 8
Tagged analysis, development, examples
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Reflection on the Teaching and Learning Plan
- I felt that the combination of experimental work with thinking activities was well balanced. The creative element of experiments and linkages is definitely something I feel comfortable to do and it worked well to balance this unit of work. The time taken to undertake the experiments was more that I expected and students were not efficient as moving from experiments to clean up and back to work. I underestimated this time and this meant that sections of what I want to do were dropped. I Could have spent more time with students for their project and perhaps expected more knowledge of this process that was actually known to students. If I could do this main lesson again I would have more theory for students to copy and discuss. I relied on verbal communication for this information too often and could have had more written explanations for other learning styles. I would also like to do this unit in a laboratory facility to have students take the safety aspect of experiments a little more seriously. Monitoring students work on a teacher check basis did work for the majority of students however I wonder if using a Can-Ban ticket system combine with students periodically handing in work would prevent some of the delayed submissions at the end of the unit. From the analysis of my own teaching the learning of the students I would like to change how I manage difficult students who are reluctant to do work. Although I did have one-on-one talks with difficult students to stamp out negative talk and “no work in class attitude” I think that involving parents and other teachers earlier to prevent these attitudes and habits would be beneficial. Having weekly quizzes on concepts covered would also help me to monitor students understanding and help students with a more competitive nature “need to want to learn concepts”. This unit of work certainly has improved my confidence and has helped me to consolidate all the teaching learning I have done over the 2010 academic year. In the future I would like to obtain a better understanding of how to monitor the learning of groups of students with multiple learning limitations. I was fortunate to have a Dyslexic student who has effectively found a way to overcome her disability, but how do I help other who have not found how to succeed when faced with a learning difficulty. I would also like to also focus on how to sustain and extend smarter students int he class while maintaining their involvement in group activities.
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Analysis of student learning study case Student B
Student B- Prior Knowledge and Skills, Challenges in Learning
- Student B finds learning concepts easy but does not have a strong work ethic and can be resistant to participating in a positive manner with teachers and students in class. He is outspoken and particularly rude to teachers. He does not do much work in class even when micro-managed and will only engage on his own terms. There is a competitive element to this student but social elements are his key focus.
Work Sample From Activity 1- Research, Poster and Presentation
Work Sample From Activity 2-Enzyme Browning Reaction
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Teaching and Learning sequence for teacher registration
Below is a A SEQUENCE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING which I was required to develop and analyse to complete my teacher registration.
THE CLASS GROUP
Main Lesson: Food Chemistry
Class 8
Key Concepts:
- The processes of changing food substances into body building food.
- Food Substances found in nature can be transformed.
- The human body can build itself through the transformation of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and water as either inner or outer processes.
- Analysis of foods PLANTS, SEEDS, MILK, EGGS, SUGAR and CHOCOLATE have similar or unique components.
Key Skills:
- Safety when conducting experiments
- Research, presentation skills and poster condensing
- Connecting micro and macro components of food chemistry ie the browning of an apple connected with enzymes
VELs Outcomes:
- Science: Science knowledge and understanding: students explain change in terms of cause and effect in experimental examples
- Science: Science at Work: students can explain how sustainable practices have been developed and/or are applied in their local environment
- Communication: Presenting: students summarise and organise ideas and information, logically and clearly in an oral presentations
FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE TEACHING
The School: A city based Steiner school city based in transition to a senior IB program. Split facility across two campus in transaction to one. Student have a core class teacher till class 8 who will cover most subjects.
Characteristics of students which may affect their learning:
A mixed ability class with students who have always been in Waldorf education mixed with students new to Waldorf in Class 8. Some students will have educational disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD and numeracy and literacy limitations. The majority of students at a average to above average level for their expected VELs outcomes.
Teaching Challenges presented by the class or students
A very talkative groups who need to be reminded to not talk while other are. Some students define chemistry as “explosion” and do not connect with a subtle version of chemistry. Student of class 8 undertook a major year long project with a number choosing cooking or food as a focus so have an active interest in the main lesson topic.
Physical Learning environment:
The classroom for Class 8 and the utilisation of local walking paths through the Collingwood Children’s Farm
Other important factors to consider:
No Laboratory available. Daily 2 hour class for 3 weeks with a science double class utilised for the main lesson.
PLANNING FOR THE LEARNING SEQUENCE OF WORK
Dates: November 1-19th 2010 Main lesson times 8:55am-10:45am Daily
What student should know at the conclusion of the unit:
- The components which constitute food, carbohydrates, proteins, sugars.
- How enzymes act in browning of fruits and how this can be prevented.
- How to write and develop an experimental procedure
- Linking the sun energy to available energy in food
Prior knowledge and skills:
- Combustion carbon and heating processes
- Anatomy of human digestion
- Observational skills and drawing
- Chance and Data main lesson
- Animal Biology
Teaching and learning activities to engage students and achieve learning aims:
o Experiments:
- § Enzyme browning reaction
- § Seed Dissection
- § Little Miss Muffet: making curd and whey protein coagulation
- § Identifying the presence of starch
o Art:
- § Boarders
- § Drawing observations
- § Diagrams
- § Milk Image
o Reading and Listening:
- § Teach reading from text
- § Thinking and reasoning via verbal based questioning and discussion
o Maths and Analysis:
- § Pie chart of mammal milk comparison and comparison between species
o Food Diary:
- § Food Kilometers
- § Mood based on food diary
o Research and presentation
- § Poster on history and chemistry of fruit/veg
- § Cook with this fruit and veg
- § Class presentation
Monitoring student learning and effectiveness of teaching:
Questions at the start of each lesson to recap and summarise what was covered the day before, having students write their own procedures from an experiment conducted the previous session. Review of homework,
3 day rhythm- eg allowing students to experience an experiment day 1, develop their procedure, aims and observations in good copy day 2 and discuss the theory. Write conclusions based on discussion from day 2 on day 3. Using open questions, targeting individual students.
Assessment Tasks:
Project Poster: includes drafting, research skill and the final poster layout
Food Chemistry Project Student Handout
Project Presentation: a 5 minute class presentation which summarises the information used in the poster with supporting food props examples
Main Lesson Test: A main lesson overview to recall and problem solve food science concepts covered in the main lesson.
Main Lesson Book: The main lesson book is a record of class work. It should be neat, ordered and contain all notes, diagrams and tasks completed during the unit of work. (A-E)
Completeness: all elements of the main lesson book present (A-E)
Beauty: elements of colour, layout and theme throughout the book (A-E)
Accuracy: spelling, science concepts and diagrams accurate (A-E)
PLANNING NOTES AND RESOURCES
CHOCOLATE
Master Chief: Tempering chocolate
Tempering Chocolate Poh Julie Venn
References
String Art
To consolidate the learning of geometry students where asked to design and create an image using a compass, protractor, wood, nail, hammer and wool.
Arranging tables to channel specific focus
Change the environment for different units of work can alter the learning outcomes. Without a laboratory, the seating of students and arrangement of tables and chairs helped to focus students.
Arrangement of tables for experiments:
Table formation for class discussion and board focused work:
Posted in Education Model, Main lesson, Science, Year 8
Tagged science, teacher registration
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