Understanding of Individual and Group Motivation - Assignment Example

INTASC Principle #5 The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. Artifact: Creation of Artifact: Spring 2012 Grade and Subject area: 7th grade / Family and Consumer Science For what class or learning experience this artifact was created: A lesson plan developed for the students to discover more about fruits through a fun learning environment filled with group interaction and participation. Artifact: A classroom (kitchen) activity that helps students use technology and social interaction to create warm or cold fruit desserts. The lesson involves INTASC principle #5 of behavior and motivation. Character Education: This artifact represents the teacher's mastery of INTASC principle # 5 because it displays the teacher's ability to use classroom management principles in order to increase student participation and motivation, thus create a more positive interaction and relationship among students. It also helps students learn how to be accountable to individual and group behaviors, thus promote a goal-directed learning in the classroom. The students will be asked to read and incorporate in the group activity the verse from Philippians 2:4 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” The main classroom management plan that is used for this activity is based on the principle of active student involvement. Students are tasked to use the internet to search for kitchen safety rules and kitchen hazards. This is necessary prior to the kitchen activity itself. The students, in their groups, will talk about how to implement the safety precautions in the kitchen. Each group will be tasked to oversee a particular safety precaution they discussed in the classroom, and they will be responsible for ensuring that it is maintained throughout the whole kitchen activity. Each group will have a different kitchen safety precaution to manage. Through this activity, the students will be able to use technology to do their own research. Also, they will experience the importance of team work and active engagement in group interactions. Furthermore, giving the students the feeling of being trusted to determine kitchen rules for their activity could increase their sense of motivation. Reflection: I think that this lesson is very engaging for students because it involves everyone in a class activity that promotes positive team/group work. It also lets the students experience how it is to be responsible both for themselves and for others. My role here as a teacher is to look for means where students will have constant interaction through social engagement and make them see how important these are to make the group work successful. One area that needs to be addressed in this activity is the English communication skills of the non-native speakers of English. Another is the inclusion of children with disabilities in the group activity. Even though the class was divided evenly according to various ethnicity, socioeconomic, and academic considerations, children with special needs and the non-native speakers should not be excluded in the groups, and the teacher should make a careful balancing of whether to allow the class to decide on their own what their individual roles would be (with consideration to special needs children and the non-native speakers), or make the decision for the whole class on this matter. This is where the part of incorporating the Biblical verse becomes very important, as students will be made responsible for each other and each other's participation and performance throughout the activity. Classroom Management Plan: Technology is essential in the artifact. This involves students accessing information online to complete the activity. This computer can also be used as a tool to integrate INTASC Principle #5 on motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. Philosophical Statement The artifact for INTASC Principle 5 requires group work --- a concept that could benefit from allowing students to have internet access while in their respective groups. Such strategy will help them learn from me as their teacher, as well as learn from each other as they move together towards more learning. It also aids in opening an avenue for each group member to assist each other, thus promote the idea of social interaction and active engagement. Class Arrangement Computers will not be available individually to each student. Each group will have access to one computer with internet. As class discussion go on, each group will have to assign one team/group member at a time to verify the information or get answers online. This will create a bonding on each group members because thy will have to rely on each other for every information they gather online. They will also be allowed to provide suggestion to the person who is managing the online search for a particular question or lecture part. Thus, this means that despite the other students not accessing the internet at some parts of the class discussion, they will not be left idle because they also have to ensure that their group answers are acceptable for each member, because it will represent their whole team. This strategy will foster active exchange of ideas among students, use of technology, social interaction, and group participation. Rules The whole lesson will include a kitchen activity to complete the artifact for INTASC principle #5. For the kitchen activity, students will also be in groups, and each group will be tasked to formulate safety rules and regulations in the kitchen. The information can be gathered over the internet, and students will be allowed to discuss from among their groups, and then among the whole class, in order to allow them to decide which rules to implement, and which group will be tasked to ensure the implementation of a specific rule. The idea is to let each group manage one rule and make sure that everyone abides by it. Also, while doing online research, proper classroom behavior should still be kept, thus very loud voices or noises will not be acceptable. This is to promote the idea of respect to others who try to learn with their own groups too. Computer Placement Teachers will not always have total control where to place computers inside the classrooms. Usually, computers will be near power outlets. However, one should make it a point that monitor will be visible from almost every place inside the classroom. Even if the students are allowed to manage the online search for information, teachers should be able to easily monitor all the computer screens from all places inside the classroom. This is for safety purposes. Furthermore, since it is a group activity, every group member has to see what is going on it the computer search of their group mates, and not just sit idly and fail to provide active participation. Conclusion Technology has so many uses, and if a teacher is creative enough, it can be used to foster motivation and behavior inside the classroom. Several learning and motivational theories can also be incorporated even in tasks as simple as online research. Furthermore, such new concept in group work can foster feelings of excitement among students, which can increase their participation in the whole activity. INTASC Principle # 7 The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals. Artifact: Creation of Artifact: Spring 2012 Grade and Subject area: 2nd grade / Mathematics For what class or learning experience this artifact was created: A mathematics lesson plan developed for the students to learn about time, data, and tables or graphs. The class consists of students who are considered to be advanced in their knowledge in mathematics. Artifact: A class activity that is aimed to teach students to tell the time accurately and to the nearest 5 minutes. Also, it aims to teach students to conduct surveys and graph the data gathered from the surveys. It aims to makes student learn how to read data on tables and graphs. Character Education: This artifact represents the teacher's mastery of INTASC principle # 7 because it displays the teacher's ability to plan instructions based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals, while interweaving these with Maslow's educational theory. It provides the students with a sense of motivation toward learning due to meeting their self-actualization need. The students will be asked to internalize and relate the Biblical verse from Psalms 139:14 “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” to the results of the lesson. The lesson plan will use the students' drive to achieve through a pre-evaluation of their previous knowledge in telling time, and interpreting graphs and tables. Those who will be able to successfully tell time to the nearest five minutes will then move forward to conducting surveys and creating tables and graphs. The students will go through a day of class lecture regarding telling time, and then go through the assessment, and then move forward to the next level of conducting surveys and creating tables and graphs. The students will be able to showcase their skills in the simple task of telling time, and be grouped with other students who are able to accomplish the task ahead of the others. This could serve as a motivating factor for students to belong to the “first” groups who are moving ahead of others in the class. Reflection: I think that this lesson is very engaging for students because it involves showcasing the students' individual mathematics skills. My role here as a teacher is to encourage everyone to do their best to be ahead, and not feel demotivated when they are falling behind. One area that needs to be addressed is the possibility of those who are falling behind to lack the desired motivation to step up and do more to keep up with others. According to the educational theory of Maslow, it is human nature to for individual potential to be blocked because of unmet needs. As as teacher, I need to make sure safety, respect, and esteem as still met no matter what, because further learning can only take place when the basic needs are met. I have learned that the sense of competition paves the way for self-actualization of those who really do their best to perform. However, since the class consists of children who are known to be advanced in mathematics, no one would really feel left behind because they all know from the start that they are already ahead of their contemporaries in other classes. I recognized that the reward for self-actualization can be a strong motivator for some students who are naturally competitive. They know that rewards to recognize their achievement will be known throughout the whole grade level, and this encourages the students to strive more to achieve more. This impacts the students' learning experience because it provides them with a detailed lesson plan while receiving rewards for their hard work. Lesson Plan: Teacher Candidate: Mathematics teacher Course: Mathematics Lesson Preparation: before the lesson Topic: Telling Time and Creating and Interpreting Graphs Concept: Students will learn how to tell the time to the nearest 10 minutes. They will also learn to observe, conduct surveys, and create graphs and interpret them. Subject: Hours and Graphs Grade: 2nd grade Primary Objective: 1) The students will be able to tell time to the nearest 10 minutes. 2) The students will be able to recognize the before and after hour. 3) The students will be able to compete with on another in terms of faster learning to tell time accurately. 4) The students will be able to understand the concept of rounding off, and apply it to graphs and charts. 5) The students will be able to interpret and read graphs. Classroom Diversity and Differentiated Instruction: The lesson will begin as a whole class lecture to respond to cognitive learning and allow the students to acquire information on an equal basis. After the class lecture, the students will be asked to tell the time through class participation. After the class participation, students who were able to accurately tell the time to the nearest 10 minutes can move to the next activity of creating charts. Every 5 students to finish will be formed in a group, so the first 5 will form group 1 for the next activity. The group activity of creating charts will make students conduct simple surveys and put the data in charts. Th group activity will respond to the affective learning. Since this is a special class consisting of 2nd grade students who are considered advanced in their mathematics knowledge and skills, the primary goal of the students is to be considered the first to finish all activities through individual and group work. Materials/Equipment: The whole lesson will require an analog clock with big numbers, rulers, colored pencils, rulers, and sheets of papers. Technology Integration: The students will be shown (through powerpoint presentation) pictures of simple line and bar graphs where they could base their graphs on. Lesson Presentation: Lecture and discussion will be done at the start of the lesson to make sure that the students will be equipped with basic knowledge on telling time and graphs. Set: Students will incorporate what as learned in the class lecture to their group activity of graph making. The graphs will be based on data they have learned or gathered from class participation in telling time. Teacher Instruction: The teacher will demonstrate to the whole class how to tell the time to the nearest ten minutes. After the lecture, students will each be called to demonstrate their understanding of the lesson by reading the time that the teacher will set on the analog clock. Teacher Modeling: The teacher will demonstrate to students how to read time by doing samples of reading the time, if possible, for every hour and for every ten minutes. Guided Student Practice: The teacher will involve the whole class to tell the time through chorus participation. This is prior to the individual time-telling after the class discussion and chorus participation. Independent Student Practice: The teacher will let students tell the time individually. Each student will have to be able to tell the time to the nearest ten minutes for 5 times. The order of recitation is voluntary,, and each mistake put the student to 5 slots backwards, allowing other students to have the chance to finish ahead. Closure: The students will be asked to write a short essay based on experience. The essay will be a tip on how to easily read the time to the nearest 10 minutes. This will ensure that the students have understood the whole concept of telling the time. Summative Assessment: The individual class participation is an authentic assessment tool that will gauge what the students learned from the lesson in general. The essay writing is a traditional assessment tool that will evaluate how each student understood the lesson. INTASC Principle # 10 The teacher fosters relationships with colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and well being. Artifact: Creation of Artifact: Spring 2012 Grade and Subject area: 2nd grade / Mathematics For what class or learning experience this artifact was created: A mathematics lesson plan developed for the students to learn about time, data, and tables or graphs. The class consists of students who are considered to be advanced in their knowledge in mathematics. Artifact: This artifact will demonstrate the teacher's ability to incorporate INTASC Principle # 10 to the learning experience of the students. Through lessons on Mathematics that is similar to that explained in INTASC Principle # 7, the teacher and students will maximize the available resources and support of the community and the student's environment to foster learning. Because telling the time is a skill that can still be difficult for 2nd graders, it is necessary to give students as much time to practice this skill as possible. Therefore, at the onset of the class, students' parents will be contacted to seek their help and support in giving their children with extra home-practice in telling the time. Character Education: This artifact represents the teacher's mastery of INTASC principle # 10 because it displays the teacher's ability to plan lessons that obtains support from the child's learning environment outside the school premises. This interweaves with Knowles' learning theory in setting a cooperative learning climate, creating mutual plans with the student's parents toward a common learning objective, and evaluating the results along with the parents. The students will be asked to internalize and relate the home-based activity to the Biblical verse from Proverbs 1:8 “My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don't neglect your mother's instruction.” This activity is in relation to the activities presented for INTASC Principle # 7 to promote a smooth flow of learning inclusive of INTASC Principles. Class lectures will be given to answer to the cognitive learning of the students, and class activities such as games and other interesting plays related to telling the time will be done to respond to the students' psychomotor learning. Group activities and games will also be incorporated for affective learning among the class. The students will be able to showcase their skills in telling the time either individually or by groups. Reflection: Relationships are crucial in many parts of a person's life. Even in students as young as these 2nd graders, forming relationships is very much rewarding. There are many forms of relationships, but in young students, the most crucial are those with family, teachers, and classmates. Thus, in fostering a positive learning experience, it is good to acknowledge the importance of these relationships, and use them to inspire learning. As a teacher, I learned that my responsibility not only lies in my relationship to my colleagues and my students, but also with my students' parents and learning/life environment. Involving myself in those will help me understand the learning needs and opportunities on my students as a group and individually. The result of such is that I will have a better opportunity to plan lessons and activities that will answer to the unique needs of my students, while maximizing their full potential for learning and development. It is a great responsibility as a teacher to establish relationships with the students' parents and community because it is beneficial for both the teacher's responsibility as educator, and the child's learning opportunities. I have also learned that Knowles learning theory can interweave with INTASC Principle # 10, and it emphasizes further the importance of creating a means for mutual planning (in this case, with parents) and arranging the evaluation of the students' needs and interests by constant communication with parents and noting their observations of their children. These strategies enable me to learn more about my students' learning process outside the classroom, and thus formulate objective to meet what is lacking or what else is needed. I have also learned that understanding how other outside-school elements such as family, community, and environment influence the student's, not only learning, but also life, is crucial for me as a teacher because it makes me see how such positive and negative elements manifest themselves in school lessons and activities. Understanding the root cause of the student's learning behavior is necessary for me to be an effective teacher. Lesson Plan: Teacher Candidate: Mathematics teacher Course: Mathematics Lesson Preparation: before the lesson Topic: Telling Time Concept: Students will learn how to tell the time to the nearest 10 minutes. They will also experience learning with their family. Subject: Hours Grade: 2nd grade Primary Objective: 1) The students will be able to tell time to the nearest 10 minutes. 2) The students will be able to recognize the before and after hour. 3) The students will be able to understand the concept of rounding off the time. 4) The students will experience learning based on INTASC Principle #10. Classroom Diversity and Differentiated Instruction: Prior to the lesson, the teacher will enlist the parents' participation in the lesson. The lesson will begin as a whole class lecture to respond to cognitive learning and allow the students to acquire information on an equal basis. After the class lecture, the students will be asked to tell the time through class participation. The students will then take home an activity handout wherein the instructions will be for the parents, and the activity is about telling the time. The parents will evaluate their child's performance on the blank sheets on the handouts, and the students will return the handouts to the teacher after the agreed date of completion of the scheduled home lessons. Materials/Equipment: Handouts, analog clock with big numbers, analog clocks at home (or cardboard hand-made clocks with hour hand and minute-hand). Technology Integration: The parents will be asked to use the internet to check the current hour in different states and countries, and the children will have to read that time, and set that time on the analog clock at home. Lesson Presentation: Lecture and discussion will be done at the start of the lesson to make sure that the students will be equipped with basic knowledge on telling time. Take-home lessons will not only ensure that students can rad the time, but will be asked to set the clock to specific times to check their understanding of the concept. Set: Students will incorporate what as learned in the class lecture to their home activity of telling the time and setting the clock. Teacher Instruction: The teacher will demonstrate to the whole class how to tell the time to the nearest ten minutes. After the lecture, the students will first be asked volunteer to set the analog clock to the specific time that the teacher will say. This will help students have a deeper understanding of telling the time. Teacher Modeling: Since telling the time is already included in the previous lectures, the teacher will demonstrate how to set the time to the nearest ten minutes at least. Guided Student Practice: The teacher will demonstrate to the class how to set the time to the nearest 10 minutes. This is prior to allowing the students the set the time themselves. Independent Student Practice: The teacher will have the initial activity of letting students volunteer to set the time themselves. This is prior to the take-home lessons where they will do the activity with their parents or older siblings. Closure: The parents (or other older close relatives of the students) will be asked to write their evaluation of the student which they will present to the teacher. They could suggest ideas that could help maximize the student's strengths, and improve the weaknesses, regarding telling the time. This could be incorporated and considered in the next lessons prepared by the teacher. Summative Assessment: The voluntary individual class participation is an authentic assessment tool that will gauge what the students learned from the lesson in general. The evaluation submitted by parents will also serve as an assessment tool evaluate how to help students learn more about the lesson. Read More

 

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