I am a believer in constructivist teaching, and hands-on practice. Students learn by inquiry; they find out things on their own rather than by listening to a lecture how it is done. You don't need to favor this teaching method, but in order to accept or reject it, you should experiment with it a bit.
Today, we are going to model a Mini Lesson as an example for the ones each student is going to present.
This is the topic: the difference between "Me" and "My" plus -ing form. For example: Do you like my teaching? Do you like me teaching? Other examples from a teacher's instruction:
FINITE AND NON-FINITE CLAUSES
Finite clauses /sentences – finite verb forms, i.e. the verb is conjugated (past, present, future)
Non-finite clause – non-finite verb forms (no time aspect)
-ing clauses and infinitive clauses
Examples of non-finite clauses:
-ing clause with a subject:
Your changing the plan has caused a lot of trouble.
Do you mind me/my smoking?
I heard about Jim arguing all night.
Hint: you can use websites such as this one for help.
Your first task for this hour (and your homework for Friday, August 22nd, if you can't finish in class today) will be to create a Learning Cycle (LC) for an English class (grade level of your choice)about this topic.
This is an explanation of a Learning Cycle: LC
According to this model, a Learning Cycle consists of 5 E's:
Engage (you catch your students' attention to the topic)
Explore (the kids find things out by themselves)
Explain (students try to analyze the problem; you explain the rules to them)
Expand (kids get a different task to apply what they've found out)
Evaluate (you assess their comprehension)
Some people even suggest that a LC does not only have 5 E's, but 6! The mysterious number six is "E-search." Read the following article: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2005-05/sc0411_47.pdf
Now, develop a lesson how you would teach the ME/MY grammatical issue to your audience, using all 6 E's, and email this lesson plan to me. You can make a separate heading for all 6 E's, and just say what you would do, and what the students would do. You are allowed to use the Internet for ideas. For the "explore" and "expand" part especially, you are welcome to do games or quizzes, etc. For the "evaluate" part, you should create a small test or quiz with sample questions. It should look user-friendly, depending on the age-group you chose - a handout you would actually use if you were the teacher of a class.
When you're done with this, here's your second task:
Post a short comment on this blog what you think about the Learning Cycle model. Originally, it was conceived for math or sciences classes. Do you think it is useful for English (or any language, or ESL) classes? Would you use it? Were you taught this way? Your personal opinion...
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19 comments:
The learning cycle may have been created for Math and Science classes, but I believe that it can be used for almost any subject. It may be a little more difficult to use it in an English class or an Art class, but I think it can be done, it just takes a little more planning and creativity. I like the learning cycle because it is engaging. I am sure that some of my past teachers have implemented the learning cycle, but not so that I actually knew that that is what we were doing. When I teach I plan to use it, mainly because I feel it is engaging and because it can work at any grade level.
Reading about the learning cycle relaxed me towards teaching. It takes any teaching style for any level and breaks it down to make it easier to understand. It creates 6 steps to organize any lesson plans for each day. I liked it because I know that organization is needed, especially because there is only one teacher that has many students to control and teach. It lays out all the information for you, and all the teacher has to do for their lesson plans is to fill in the information as well as their own opinions, ideas, and styles.
The learning cycle, in my opinion, can be used in any classroom and could take some boredom out of a class that is all lecture. The learning cycle provides a change in the traditional classroom structure, and I will probably use it frequently in the future.
I think that the learning cycle can be used for any type of class, not just math and science. However, I think applying it to an English class (or ESL, or any sort of non-math/science class) would require a little more creativity and thought. The steps are a little easier to apply in a science class because science is such a concrete subject. For instance, the E-Search article talked about applying the learning cycle to a lesson on rocks. Applying the learning cycle looks easier in this situation because you could bring a rock into class, the students could look at the rock and experiment on it, etc. However, bringing an exciting sentence into class is a little bit harder. ;) I think the learning cycle can definitely--and should be--used in all classes, I just think it might take a little more work in a class that isn't math or science.
Looking back , I can definitely see that the learning process was used in my classes, but like Sharon said, I had no idea that's what they were doing. I know my grade school teachers especially used it, and I feel that it worked very well. Teaching students who are actually engaged in the subject seems like it would be a lot easier than teaching students who didn't care about it at all. :)
jennifer.gulley
I wasn't familiar with the Learning Cycle by name, but I have already been constructing lesson plans in the same basic format. At first I was unsure about how to use technology (e-search) in the classroom, but I saw how it was used in the class that I observed in last fall. This helped me to become more comfortable with having the students use the computers in the classroom.
When I think back to all the good teachers I had, they all used the learning cycle. It is an effective way for students to learn the material, and it is an easy outline for the teacher to follow. This cycle works with students of all ages. I'm glad I got to see the actually lay-out. It seems so obvious now how to plan lessons.
The Learning Cycle Method can be used in English without a doubt. This method helps the students understand the reason why they are learning the information and actually get a chance to evaluate it for themselves. The "engaging" factor is the glue of the entire cycle because if the students are not engaged then everything you do would be in vain. Regardless of age, this cycle can effectively communicate information to any student willing to listen.
Why stop at math and science classes with the Learning Cycle? No two students are the same so an effective teacher should try any way possible to reach students. Involving students in a lesson plan using the five E's is a good idea for any grade level. I like that the second article took it a step further and involved modern technology. Technology is an important component of our society and so it should be addressed in our classrooms.
I think the Learning Cycle is a very good method for teaching. I can noticed the different methods like the engage,extend, and evaluate parts being used more in everyday teaching. But the explore and extend parts being sometimes put behind. I think students do learn more when they actually find out for themselves what is intended for them to learn. I can see myself using this method when I become a teacher someday!
I think that the learning cycle method is very effective. Not that I knew what it was called at the time, but I am quite positive that several of my teachers used it. All of the steps are equally important. A lot of teachers spend too much time on the explaining step. Some spend too much time on the exploring step. Neither of these steps can be truly effective if the students are not engaged. At the end of it all, the expanding and evaluating will help us to be that we are doing our job well. Its the perfect mechanism.
Although I do think the learning cycle can be applicable to English studies rather than science, there are core differences between the exploration and teaching of the two disciplines which need to be taken notice of. Mainly, the fact that science relies on personal exploration far more than English does. It seems completely reasonable to have an entire grammar lesson conducted in the group format, without the use of the students engaging and learning the topic on their own in silence.
This article shows how easily technology can be incorporated into daily lessons for students. I believe that students respond better to being able to work with the computer, digital cameras, etc. because it is something they use at home and have grown up with. I know that when I was in elementary and high school, I would get so excited to find out our class was going to be in the computer lab.
Adding that 6th "E" to the Learning Cycle, in my opinion, makes it an even better way to teach because it will increase student's interest. It just will take some extra time to try to figure out how to incorporate English lessons into this format.
I agree that the learning cycle is an excellent way to initiate learning in students. It allows students to learn in different ways, to test their own hypothesis, and to come to a conclusion with their peers. I also agree with the authors of this article that "esearch" is an important part of this process. When it is used, the students are actually DOING instead of just HEARING. I am excited to use this in my own classroom in the future.
The learning cycle, though new to me, will certainly become integral in my future lesson plans. When used correctly, any subject can become more interesting and alive which will certainly draw the students in and help increase their learning. Incorporating technology through E-search is a great idea because it seems that the children of today will rely more and more on computers as they grow up. Teaching them to use technology in an educational setting is important.
The learning cycle seems to be a very good way to get the students interested in the subject that they are studying. at first it seems that it would be difficult to do this for grammar, but with a little imagination it may be used effectively. It gives the teacher and the student 5 guidelines to focus on that gives the building blocks for the ultimate understanding of the subject. It also gives the teacher flexibility in creating an engaging learning environment for the different kinds of age groups and difficulty levels.
This method of teaching was used in a lot of the classes that I took, especially when the teachers were trying to teach more abstract lessons. I think that it's a good way to break down what you want students to learn. This method allows for the student to learn more effectively, and as a learner, I wouldn't feel as overwhelmed by the instruction of new material. The learning cycle keeps students involved in the learning process.
The learning cycle is a great tool to use for every subject. It gives students from all types of backgrounds a different outlook on their education. I think this would be especially important for elementary school students because it gives them the opportunity to go beyond the four walls of the classroom. It helps them to become active learners and critical thinkers, which is a trait they will need to possess in the future. When I become a teacher I will definitely try to incorporate the 6 E’s into my lessons.
I believe the learning cycle provides all teachers with an effective way of engaging their students. However, I do see how it could be hard for non- math and science teachers to apply it to their curriculum. Although I plan on being an English teacher I plan on implementing the learning cycle in my classroom even though I will have to more creative as to how I use it.
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