Tasks and Comments on Micro-Teaching - Assignment Example

TASKS AND COMMENTS ON MICRO-TEACHING REPORT SHEET Compilation Presented By: Submitted: TASKS AND COMMENTS ON MICRO-TEACHING REPORT SHEET Micro-teaching Assignment S3 Sheet 1: to be handed in at the start of the session Trainee Tutor/Mentor Date Skill: Mathematical Instruction through Presentations Year: 7 Topic - Ratios and Proportions Rationale showing the decision making process behind your session. Why did you choose this topic and age group This is a university assignment. The students have exposure to pie charts and its basic use. The students are taught the use of pie charts and other data representations such as bar charts in school. Therefore, as a topic, pie chart has relevance and acceptance among students in the university age group. And because of this particular fact, it would be easier to handle visual presentation of the data of the subject being presented to the class so as to make it easier for the entire student body to see through the different options of learning that they could garner from the process of teaching being presented to them through the chart. (Gardner, 2000, 45) How did you set about preparing your slot I got hold of some school text books as well as college books on mathematics and statistics. I studied these in depth. I made sure that I understood every word in the explanations. I did quite a few numbers in the exercises to practice. It was not possible to try every sum because they were in large numbers. I referred some experienced teachers on the subject. I also went online and studied pie charts in bona fide websites. In addition to this process, I tried many times to make the presentation more understandable to the level of age that the class I am to teach is under. This would help them realize the subject more practically. (Erickson, 2006, 76) What discussions did you have and with whom I discussed pie charts and how they are to be taught to university students. I discussed this with one senior and experienced teacher of statistics in the university. I discussed the basic features of pie charts and their use. I also talked to a few students to get an idea of what they expected from teachers. I also learnt when pie charts are best used. These conversations allowed me to see through the process of learning that would most likely work on the students I am particularly dedicating the presentation to. (Gardner, 2001, 54) Through the advice and the perceptions of the people I talked to, I realized when is it best to utilize pie charts and rather give them a more practical sense of function in the class during certain conventional discussions may it be about math or other subjects. How did you select materials I talked to students in the second and third years of their college. I got wind of the text books that contain explanations and problems in pie charts. The teacher I spoke to in this regard also helped me. I also had an idea about the school text books that contained explanations of pie charts. I also went online and used key words to select website that had explanations on pie charts. Through these implicative understanding garnered through research, I made it a point that what I would be presenting to the class would not simply be a functional piece of aide for teaching, but it would also be something that would make learning an easier task for all the students in class regardless of whatever age or whatever level of learning they might be able to grasp.(Tyler, 2001, 54) This made my presentation more applicable to all ages and all learners both in secondary school and university school classes. What alternative approaches did you consider I did think about using audio visuals. Proper use of audio visuals impact students' minds rapidly and clearly. It also becomes easy to explain pie charts use thoroughly with the help of audio visuals. Audio visuals come in many forms. I prefer using my laptop for the purpose. I will have to prepare the notes and charts. I knew that this approach would be able to stimulate the process by which the students comprehend with the subject presented to them using both their visual and auditory senses as per suggested by Gardner(2000) in explaining the possibility of students learning through multiple intelligence theory (43). Why did you reject these I did not think I will have sufficient time to prepare the notes and pie charts. Even if I do the notes and charts I will have to use them appropriately to enable students to grasp what I teach them. I am not sure I will be able to get the students to concentrate on the topic and I am not sure how to go about using my laptop in the presentation. Besides, the technicalities of the presentation my cause much longer time that could well be used in explaining to the class the practicality of the method I am using to teach them. It could also be considered that even though I do consider the theory of multiple intelligence being applied in my process, I still realize that having both procedures used altogether at the same time may cause the minds of my student to cloud up on the presentations and not on the elements that are actually presented to them through the process (Tyler, 2001, 76) What Subject Method sessions did you draw upon I decided to use the simple method of communicating the basics of pie chart. I will be using pictures of pie charts. I will dwell on the advantages of pie charts and the useful purpose they serve to communicate data. I decided to keep the teaching session simple because the subject is complex. The students might find it difficult to understand if I decided to explain complex material about pie charts to them. Therefore, I purposely decided not to teach them more than what the syllabus required. (Tyler, 2001, 99) Through realizing my objective to teach and not to impress the students, I decided to make use of the pie chart presentation for the understanding of the students through practically introducing them to the process first and given them an insight as to why and how I managed to decide on utilizing this particular process of sending them the message of learning I so hope they would accept. How did they influence your decisions Instructions are a basic aspect of the learning process. They are all formulated to guide students in their gradual learning process in their respective fields. In educational curriculum, instructions serve as a form of communicated information that has a command and explanation nature. Thus, instructions are descriptive explanations for how an action, behaviour, method, or task is to be began, completed, conducted, or executed (Erickson,2006, 32). I have done some teaching in the past. I have been a tutor for mathematics. This has helped me to realize that the best explanation is done by concentrating on the basics. The basics are always easy to understand. It just requires a few statements to state the facts and their use. This must be repeated so that every student grasps what has been taught. When the students understand what is taught it becomes easier for them to try the harder steps on their own later on. What literature did you refer to and what did you draw from it in preparing your session I used the mathematics text books for the fifth and sixth grades. I also used the first year college text books for statistics. The fifth and sixth grade textbooks helped me with the most basic lessons on pie charts. (Clark, 2007, internet)The first year college text book on statistics helped me with the more complex use of pie charts such as use of pie charts on a given topic for countries situated in different latitudes and longitudes. University of Reading Sheet 2: to be handed in at the start of the session Micro-teaching session plan Trainee Tutor/Mentor Date Skill: Mathematical Presentation of Formula Through Visuals Year: 9 Resources: School Text books and the Internet Topic: prime factor decomposition and highest common factors What I do What I say What Pupils do/say I put my preparatory notes in order I wish the students and tell them that we are about to study pie charts The pupils respond by listening to what I have to say I have a good grasp of the first lesson on pie chart I tell the students that pie charts are used to express data of one particular subject for different variables The students continue to listen carefully I take the picture of pie chart and attach it to the wall in front of the class I tell the class that this is the pie chart. The pie chart we are looking at represents the elements in the atmosphere. Nitrogen is the biggest slice of the pie chart, and it shows that the highest percent of gas in the air is nitrogen. The students are engrossed in the teaching I make use of some applications I tell the class that pie charts are also used to express more complex data such as amount of rainfall in different regions of the globe in a particular period of the year The student are now free to ask questions Micro-teaching Assignment S3 Sheet 3: to be handed in after the session Trainee Tutor/Mentor Date Skill: Mathematical Presentation of Formula Through Visuals Year: 8 Resources: School Text books and the Internet Aim/ Objective(s): To find better ways to assist students understand the use of pie charts in deciphering the possible ways to calculate the area of squares in triangles in a much practical procedure. New learning: Pie charts are easier to visualize than written formulas. The students responded enthusiastically as I presented them with the visuals and helped them see the alternative procedures they could use to solve for the area of squares and triangles. Prior learning: formulas used to solve area of squares and triangles are at some point not that easy to remember; but with use of visual presentations, the formulas become more useful and practical for the students to utilize for learning. Topic: Areas of Squares and triangles Include comments on the following lines: Did I achieve my objectives I achieved my objective of explaining the pie charts and their uses. With an overall observation, I could say that the class was attentive and well behaved. What did the pupils learn The pupils already had some idea about pie charts. They had seen pie charts on various occasions and also studied them in their school years. They were, however, taught the use of pie charts in more complex situations. I also taught them the situations when the pie charts' use was the best as compared to other form of data representations. How do I know By and large, the students responded well during the question and answer session at the end. What I explained to them was simple and clear. There was nothing in what I taught that I or my students did not understand. The communication was simple and clear. The student requested for certain clarifications at the end of the session that I gave them. What went well I would say it was a smooth and clean operation. The entire session went well. The time for the presentation was 15 minutes. The introduction was brief and to the point. The explanation about the basics of the pie charts was thorough. I did not go beyond the example of the rainfall to present the pie chart in more complex situations. What needs improving By hindsight, I would say that the explanation about the complex use of pie charts needs some improving. I should have provided some more examples. I think I had more time. I could have easily provided two more examples. I was not aware of the intelligence level of the students. Their intelligence level surprised me. What I have learned: Action for next time! I learned to have some extra notes with me. It is wise to keep additional notes handy to cover up when the class is intelligent and have the capacity to grasp additional information. One can always stop when time does not permit going any further. But in the present circumstances, the students are well informed. They are in the position to grasp what is communicated to them. Some of them are so intelligent that the teacher has to know the subject thoroughly in order not to be subdued. The session was very valuable. I will certainly make it a point to be better prepared next time. Other comments The students must be encouraged to learn on their own. For this purpose, it is necessary to provide them with practical examples and solutions. When they have studied these examples thoroughly, they are in a position to try out examples without solutions. They are always free to approach me should they need further explanations to clarify doubts. But they must be guided to independently study and find solutions on their own. This does not mean that the teacher is not wanted. The need of the teacher cannot be put aside. No one can replace the teacher. What this means is that the teacher can use time for more productive purposes for the benefit of students. The approach of the teacher must be holistic so that the students get the best benefits. OVERALL REFERENCES: Erickson, H. Lynn (2006). Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction for the Thinking Classroom. Corwin Press. Tyler, Ralph W (2001) Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction. University Of Chicago Press; New Impression edition. Howard Gardner. (2000). Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century. Basic Books; New Ed edition. Jeff Clark, In Defense of Pie Charts, 14 January 2007. http://www.neoformix.com/2007/InDefenseOfPieCharts.html. (February 23, 2009) Read More