Blog #4

• Which specific teaching strategies are used by the teacher most effectively; i.e., they help students learn best?

The predominate teaching strategy Mrs. B uses in her classroom is a top down, teacher centered, strategy. Mrs. B is organized and her class is very structured. She often lectures first, and then she gives them a worksheet. She hardly uses PowerPoint for lectures, but she does frequently use overhead transparencies to give notes. She uses graphic organizers as well. The students usually work on assignments in class individually, and if they do not finish in class, it becomes homework. Sometimes they go to the computer lab to do different kinds of activities and projects but generally, the routine remains the same. The worksheets are not exactly challenging and mostly require the students to regurgitate the material. In addition, Mrs. B does not give out homework or assignments that challenge the students to go beyond the material and think outside the box. The assignments are just busy work in my opinion. They occasionally work in groups because she fears the interaction proves mainly a distraction. At the same time, they still talk while they work and sometimes the students have a hard time focusing on their work. To me, this may not seem like the best teaching strategy. Mrs. B does use projects where the students have some choices and can develop the topic in their own way. These projects allow her students to express their creative sides while reinforcing content. If Mrs. B would do this more often and change her teaching methods to a more student centered approach, then it would be much more effective. She is halfway there. Her honor students are doing very well in terms of grades. However, when I observe, I can see how quickly they get bored when doing worksheets and filling in maps. However, they are a little more excited when watching movies, but it all depends on the topic. Mrs. B just needs to release some control. She would be a much more effective teacher. She also needs to use technology in a more effective manner. She did a poster project. Posters are fun but with computers you can make much more engaging posters. There are free websites and tools on the Internet students can use. Technology does wonders in the classroom especially in a social studies classroom. It makes the content much more interesting and realistic when technology comes into play. Students can watch videos, listen to music, read biographies and autobiographies, take virtual tours, do WebQuests, the possibilities are endless. Mrs. B does some of this, but she could incorporate more technology in her classroom to meet the needs of all her students. Bray, Brown, and Green suggest, “Technology can be an empowering tool. For it to be empowering, however, teachers must be deliberate and thoughtful in how it is integrated and utilized in the classroom (Bray, Brown, Green 76).

• How do they demonstrate best practices as described by the authors of our course readings? 

Mrs. B partially represents the two standards we discussed so far– learner development and learner differences. Mrs. B does acknowledge learner differences and learner development in her classroom. The class I observe is an honor class, so cognitively and developmentally these students are where they should be. However, certain assignments Mrs. B has to modify because it may be out of their zone of proximal development. She often guides them and scaffolds when necessary. In addition, when she switches up her routine, she sometimes applies differentiated instruction. According to Carol Tomlinson, “Students who are the same age differ in their readiness to learn, their interests, their styles of learning, their experiences, and their life circumstances” (Tomlinson 1). Mrs. B does her best to acknowledge this. She is constantly making connections to real world examples, so the students can relate and connect with the content. She tries to incorporate their interests and learning styles within the particular activities and projects they do. She even has one student who has a 504 plan. She is constantly making accommodations and modifications for that student to best serve his needs. Overall, Mrs. B is a great teacher, she just needs to improve her instructional approach and incorporate more technology to become a much more effective teacher.

• Which specific teaching strategies will you use when you teach?  Why?

I am particularly fond of a student centered instructional strategy. In my educational experience, I had mostly top down, instructor centered learning. This was not necessarily a bad thing. In my educational framework courses in college, I realized there are so many more options to pursue in the classroom. The teacher just needs to be comfortable gradually releasing control back to the students. I think this can be very empowering for the students. It allows them to shape their own knowledge. They become much more mentally and emotionally vested in their education. So many students today, do not like school because of how rigid and structured some teachers are. I am totally for structure in the classroom, but structure can also relate to how the class is “structured”. In addition, growing up in the 21^st century allowed me to see the numerous benefits of incorporating technology in the classroom. It opens up so many learning opportunities not only for the students but for the teacher as well. Learning becomes much more engaging and interactive. The learning is not forced but natural. Using visual literacy in the classroom gives students the opportunity to develop skills that will not only benefit them in the classroom but also help them in the real world. Overall, when using a student centered instructional approach with technology, students are much more vested in their own education. This is one of the many teaching strategies I will pursue in the future.