Lab: The Problem Solving Approach

This lab on the problem solving approach was by far the most difficult for me! Everything from coming up with an idea and writing the lesson plan seemed to be challenging. I finally decided to do my lesson on food supply and population growth. 

I began with a interest approach that involved cutting up an apple to display the different parts of the world where we are able to produce food. It ended with just a small piece of the skin that represented the total amount of land for food production. I was pretty excited about this part of the lesson and it went well. 

We then worked through a series of questions in small groups then as an entire class. I knew that questions were super important to the problem solving approach so I was really focused on making sure my questions were good while writing my lesson plan. However, when actually presenting in lab I felt my question could have been better. 

Another thing I struggled with was making the subject matter really relevant to the students and making sure they knew exactly what question we were trying to solve. The lab didn't go as well as I hoped but overall I really enjoyed it. 

I feel that the problem solving approach can be very beneficial and effective in the classroom! It may take some extra planning and thought but in the end can be really cool! I'm looking forward to use the problem solving approach during student teaching!

"Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven't planted"

~David Bly

Weekly Writing #8

Evaluation 

How can we assess our students learning without boring them to death or stressing them out about an exam? I can remember hating tests for end of unit assessments in high school. I either stressed out trying to study or felt like the exam really didn't measure what I had learned. 

So as I have been working on lesson plans and unit plans, I have been trying to figure out what type of evaluation would be the most effective. Throughout this week's reading assignment I was able to learn and different ways to evaluate learning and the advantages and disadvantages of each method!

The most interesting part of this week's readings was the section about how to effectively evaluate supervised agricultural experiences. This is such a integral part of an agriculture education program and it is important to measure the student's achievement. I found it interesting to read that teacher's should take into account the size or scope of the project, the student effort, and the condition or quality. 

"Empower everyone to be the best version of themselves"

Weekly Writing #7

Problem Solving 

Problem solving is a skill that today's learners need to know. These skills are ones that can be transferred across all subject matters. Math, Science, Technology, Engineering and even English all require an aspect of problem solving. We know these skills are important but how can we teach them in our classroom? Or how can we help students to use the problem solving skills they already have?

Due to a lot of research done in the last 20 years, we know that problem solving involves a complex set of cognitive, behavioral, and attitudinal components. Based on this information, Mayer found three characteristics of problem solving

1. Problem solving is cognitive but is inferred from behavior
2. Problem solving results in behavior that leads to a solution
3. Problem solving is a process that involves manipulation of or operation on previous knowledge. 

These three characteristics can be applied to this model of the problem solving process. 

One thing that I found really interesting was the Problem-based learning strategy. This strategy includes problem solving, inquiry based learning, project-based teaching and case studies.

To effectively use problem-based learning there must be a focus on problems that:

1. provide new learning experiences

2. lead to new knowledge

3. reinforce existing knowledge 

This all applies to Agriculture Education in many ways. John Dewey contended that learning from experience helps people solve future problems. Agriculture educators have drawn heavily on the work of Dewey in shaping a problem-solving approach to teaching. I am interesting in learning more about problem solving skills and the problem-based learning strategy. 

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."

-Albert Einstein 

Let's Kick it! Student Notebooks

Check out this fun video talking about the importance of student notebooks, one of the individualized teaching techniques!

Thanks to Janae, Janae, Rea, Kayla & Deanna for helping me out with this video and for always providing me with some great laughs! 

Professional E-mail Etiquette

The society we live in now, e-mail is a part of most peoples day to day lives. It has become a huge part of my life since starting college and is now one of my main ways of communication. With e-mail being an important part of my professional relationships, there are quite a few tips to put in place to make sure I am using proper email etiquette.

I was able to find many resources that all listed the same top 10 tips on ways to write an effective email. 

1. Make the subject line count

Make sure the subject line is detailed enough so the reader knows what is inside and make sure it is exciting or important enough that they want to read it!

2. Get to the point

Put the most important information in the first line. Readers often won't wait to the end of the email to get the important stuff!

3. Identify yourself

This is especially important when emailing professors. Be sure they know what class you are in and in any situation be sure that the reader knows what you are asking about. 

4. Keep the text language to yourself

Avoid text lingo such as "brb" or "ttyl"

5. Keep it short

The recipient will be more likely to read all of your email if you keep it under 2 paragraphs. If you must write more than that consider using bullet points. 

6. Say Hello

It is always polite to start your email with hello or good morning, etc. 

7. Proofread

Reading over your email before you send it can catch a lot of simple grammar mistakes. 

8. Be pleasant

It is important to always be polite in your emails. Even if you are annoyed with the situation or the person don't show it in your email!

9. Respond fast

Email is supposed to be fast. It is beneficial to respond within 24 hours. If you are not able to   fully answer the email be sure to send the person a short note letting them know that you received the email and you will be responding soon. 

10. Have an appropriate signature

 Make sure your signature is appropriate and free of smiley faces or silly fonts. Others may see this as immature and may not take your message as seriously. 

Overall it is important that your emails are professional and efficient. This fun video goes through all the key email tips in just 2 minutes! Check it out!

"You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere."

-Lee Iacocca

Sources:

"Email Etiquette." About Emails. 2013. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. Email Etiquette

Maynez, Neltje. "Inbox Detox". 10 Ways to Write Professional Emails:Advice for College Students. 

          2013. Web. 6 Oct. 2014.10 Ways to Write a Professional Email

Nordquist, Richard. "10 Tips on How to Write a Professional Email." About Education. 2014. Web. 6           Oct. 2014. 10 Tips on How to Write an Effective Email

Am I Clear?: Clarity of Instruction

One thing that is incredibly important to be a successful teacher is clarity of instruction. However, this is something I find myself struggling with. My instructions sound clear in my head but when I give them to a group they seem lost. How can I improve my ability to give clear and concise instructions?

I found many articles that talked about the importance of clarity. Mike Schmoker gives three elements that we should approach with the most simplicity and clarity in his article "The Importance of Simplicity, Clarity and Priority." Those three elements are what we teach, how we teach and authentic literacy. He talks about how all three of those things should be taken seriously but teachers should always be sure that they are not making it too intense that it is going over the heads of the students. 

So what we teach, how we teach and the language we use is important but how can I make sure that those three things are clear to my students? Montgomery County Schools in Maryland created a list of teacher behaviors that assist students in making sense of information. They included tips such as making sure you were teaching at a pace appropriate to the content and the students, asking questions, making sure all students understand before moving on. 

This article also provided a list of explanatory devices that teachers can use to help provide clarity. 
1. Mental imagery
2. Modeling thinking aloud
3. Progressive Cues
4. Analogies
5. Physical Models
6. Media/Technology
7. Charts
8. Blackboard

I really liked this devices because they helped me think of ways to incorporate them into my classes to help students understand what I am trying to get across! 

Another useful tool that I was able to find was the Instructional Clarity Checklist from the Arizona FFA. This checklist has 24 different questions that you can use to assess the clarity of your instruction. I think this would be a beneficial checklist to do yourself but also to have my students or cooperating teacher do as well. 

This YouTube video on giving clear classroom instructions expands on everything that I had read in the articles. The video really focuses on tips for the teacher to help make sure your directions are understood by all of the students. 

"Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven't planted."

-David Bly

Sources:

"Instructional Clarity Checklist." Instructional Techniques for New Instructors. Az. FFA, 2011. Web.
          3 Oct. 2014.

"Model Three Teacher Tip: Clarity." Montgomery County Schools. MCSD, 2012. Web. 3 Oct. 2014.

Schmoker, Mike. "The Importance of Simplicity, Clarity and Priority." ASCD. 2011. Web. 3 Oct.
          2014.

Weekly Writing #6

When is the best time to use group teaching techniques and when is the best time to use individualized teaching techniques? After reading and studying group teaching techniques these last couple weeks this is something I was asking myself. Well after my reading this week I have found the answer!

Every student has different needs, different personalities and learn in different ways. Their goals differ and they all have unique interests. Sometimes using individual teaching techniques can help students learn better.

Individualized teaching techniques can be beneficial because they
1. Help student learn to inquire subject matter
2. Promote independence
3. Learn to make use of more than one opinion
4. Learn how to evaluate and apply information
5. Teach students how to learn

All of these factors are beneficial and make individualized teaching a great technique but what are ways that we can effectively use this technique in the classroom?
This weeks reading talked about 5 different ways.

1. Supervised Study:
I really liked this idea but it truly gives the students the chance to work on something they are interested in. One thing it mentioned was for the supervised study to be effective the teacher must plan all the parts of it just as an other technique requires teacher planning.

2. Experiments:
Experiments are always interesting because whether the students are working alone or in a group there is a degree of real involvement. This often makes students more interested in the experiment and the subject matter.

3. Independent Study:
The role of independent study is to meet the needs of individual students. The teacher will take on more of a facilitator role during this individualized teaching technique.

4. The Use of Student Notebooks
Student notebooks have always been something I've been a fan of. The important thing is that teachers must be committed to using them but to also show the students that keeping good notes and an organized notebook has value.

5. Using Information Sheets, Assignment Sheets and Skill Sheets
These sheets are designed to guide student's learning experiences. They are valuable because they allow students to learn at their own rate.

This week's readings were really valuable to me because I wasn't really familiar with individualized teaching techniques. I felt like the information was definitely beneficial and it got my wheels turning on how I would be able to implement this during my student teaching experience.

"Be yourself. An original is always worth more than a copy."

The First Unit Plan!

For my first official unit plan I chose to do my Large Animal Science class and this unit focused on beef and sheep production. The unit consists of 15 sessions that are each 41 minutes long. I cover three main topics within this unit. They are genetics, reproduction and digestion. 

The unit plan process was actually more enjoyable and less stressful than I originally thought it would be. It was great to finally get all my ideas laid out and I could see where lessons would fit, what lessons needed more work and which ones wouldn't really fit at all. 

My original goal for my unit plan was to make sure all my lessons fit together and had solid titles and objectives. I also wanted to make sure I had adequate materials and evaluation methods for the students. 

My unit plan was given to two peers to review. From their feedback I was able to make some great changes to my plan. I made a few objectives more descriptive. Esp the ones that used the word "understand" because I now know that is a big no no! I also looked over my class materials and added some activities to add more variability to my lessons. 

It was brought to my attention that a lot of my materials were lesson plans and worksheets which can definitely get boring. I tried to add other activities such as e-moments to make my lessons more exciting. 

Overall, I was pleased with the way my first unit plan turned out. I am looking forward to doing my other ones because it really helps me wrap my head around the tons of lessons!

"The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just that little extra."

-Jimmy Johnson