Backtracking a bit....

The following questions are reflection questions for the first lesson I posted integrating technology (the bar graph lesson). I wasn't feeling well last week and wasn't able to post the reflection at the appropriate time. If you were interested in the bar graph and lesson and would like to see what went right and what could have gone a little better with that lesson, feel free to continue reading! It was a great lesson and there are pictures of completed bar graphs also!

1. Instructional Decisions/Teaching (InTask Standard # 9): Discuss the implementation process and describe
• What went well and what didn't go well during the implementation of your lesson?

What I noticed went well during the implementation of my lesson was that the students were engaged and they seemed to understand the concept. The directions were simple and easy to follow. Everyone was able to collect their data and create a bar graph representing that dat. Something I noticed that didn’t go very well in the lesson was that it was too easy to follow. Even though the lesson was done with peers at a college level, I could still tell as I went through the lesson that it may be too simple for fifth graders. Maybe I could add another component to the data being collected to make the bar graph a little more complicated and challenge the students.

• How well was the alignment to objectives and standards maintained?

The alignment to the objective and standards was maintained well throughout the lesson. The elements of a graph were reviewed and students interacted with the graphs and were able to effectively collect data and create their own bar graphs will all of its essential elements.

• Describe any modifications made during the implementation of the lesson.

There were no modifications made during the implementation of the lesson. I think if I noticed that the task was too easy for the students, I should have added another component to the graph to give the students more of a challenge and make use of the time provided for the lesson.

2. Mechanics:
• What technologies did I use (for the teacher and the learner)?

The technologies used for this lesson were the SmartBoard and laptops for the students.

• How were the technologies used (by whom and in what manner)?

The SmartBoard was used by the teacher to show the students what a completed bar graph should look like. The students used laptops to open a Microsoft Word document and create their own bar graph.

• My lesson was not within the correct time frame…

I think I already began to address this issue in earlier response, my lesson was not within the correct time frame because I feel it was too simple and we went through every part of the lesson quickly. My lesson ran short. I feel that it ran extra short because it was done with my peers at a college level, but reflecting back on my lesson and hearing my instructions said aloud, I think it would have been too simple for the fifth grade students as well. I should make the lesson more challenging for the students by adding another component to the bar graph and maybe compare data collected as opposed to just collecting and recording it.

3. Assessment of Learning (InTask Standard # 6): Refer to Assessing Student Learning
• Include at least 2 digital artifacts that demonstrate what you or your students (peers) have created as a result of your lesson.

 













• Describe your students' level of success in achieving the standards and objectives for your lesson based on your assessment.

The students were all successful in achieving the standards and objectives for my lesson. The ease with which they reached success in such short time is also what helped me see that my lesson was too simple for this group of students and not very challenging.

• Describe the level of success you had in teaching the lesson

I believe that to a certain extent my lesson was successful because it was executed well and the objectives and standards were all met and the students were all involved and active during the lesson.

• How do your individual reflections support this?

I believe my individual reflections do support this, but also I think I need to acknowledge that maybe my lesson was so successful because it wasn’t challenging enough for the students. I should have added more and made sure the students were active during the whole half hour that was allotted for the lesson.

• How do the comments from your classmates support this?

I believe that the comments from my classmates support the success of the lesson because they all reached the objective and were able to follow my directions and engage in the lesson effectively. I did receive a few suggestions on making the lesson more challenging, solidifying what I already thought.