Motivational strategy to an existing lesson plan - Research Paper Example

Motivational strategy to an existing lesson plan Introduction The key goal of a lesson plan is to guide (instruct) and motivate the students to enable them internalize what they are taught. Teachers’ use various teachers directed and student centered strategies while teaching so as to increase students’ involvement and understanding when learning (Ball, 2013). Evidently, students learn more when they are occupied with challenging content through pre-planned learning activities (lesson plans). However, if teachers do not adopt new teaching methods, majority of students are likely not to succeed (Covington, 2010). Therefore, for learning to be effective, teachers do requires strategies and should frequently modify them while also adding new ones to the existing strategies (Brookfield, 2011). Hence, the purpose of this document is to examine the effect of new instructional and motivational strategy to an existing lesson plan on human brain. Lesson Plan: Effect of new instructional and motivational strategy to an existing lesson plan on human brain. Lesson 1: The Brain Teaching time: 1 hour Topic outline Teaching and Homework activities Teaching Strategies Points to note Learning objectives: To state the function of the cerebral cortex. To discuss ways scientists can map different brain’s regions to particular functions. Opportunity for practical work: carry brain models to class and let students explore the brain. Notably, the brain models have a lot of information thus the teacher should help students to find areas of the brain that control specific functions. Summarise at the end of lesson that students only need to note that the cerebral cortex is a brain part that is mostly concerned with memory, intelligence, language and consciousness. Assignment: students to discuss different techniques that can be used to map functions of a brain’s different areas. Instructional strategy After Learning: Summarizing and note taking Motivational Strategy After Learning: Intrinsic motivation strategy Specification points: Students should recall that cerebral cortex is a part of our brain that is mainly concerned with memory and consciousness. Students should understand scientists can map the brain’s regions that control particular functions (including patients with brain damage). Lesson 2: Evolution of the brain Teaching time: 1 hour Learning objectives: To understand that brain’s evolution gave the early man a better chance for survival. To find out the benefits of a complex brain to mammals. To get an insight of how mammals learn while interacting with their environment. The instructor should show students images of different brain sizes during the evolution of humans. Student’s thoughts on the role larger brains played in the survival of humans. Discuss the process of learning as achieved by linking of neurons in the brain. Can be demonstrated through drawing 10 dots (each representing a neuron) and finding different ways they can be linked together). Assignment: students to research examples of social behaviour and intelligence of different mammals and ways their behaviours help them survive. Examples; dolphins, gorillas, chimpanzees. Instructional strategy After Learning: Summarizing and note taking Motivational Strategy Before Learning: Extrinsic motivation strategy After Learning: Intrinsic motivation strategy specification points: Pupils to understand that the brain’s evolution to a larger brain provided early humans with a better chance of survival. Internalise the fact that mammals possess a complex brain with billions of neurons that allows learning. Recall that neuron pathways formation was as a result of interaction between mammals and their environment. lesson 3: Learning Teaching time: 1 hour Learning objectives: To grasp how learning occur through formation of neuronal pathways in the brain. To understand that learning skills are improved through repetition. To discuss ways that learning benefits animals. State and discuss ways that the skill of passing a ball in football is likely to be improved. Opportunity for practical work: students to do repetitive learning task. Examples: drawing between the lines of a star diagram while looking in a mirror. From the observations made, explain how learning occurred as the activity is repeated. Assignment: explain how learning affects animals while adapting their behaviour to different situations. Instructional strategy Before Learning: Similarities and differences After Learning: Summarizing and note taking Motivational Strategy After Learning: Intrinsic motivation strategy Specification points: learners to understand that learning results from experience: Because certain brain’s pathways are more likely to transmit impulses than others. When new neuron pathways are formed while other neuron pathways are lost. Grasp that some skills are only learnt through repetition. Students to learn that the different pathways in the brain make it possible for animals to adapt to new conditions. Summary The above lesson plan shows a revised lesson plan. The initial lesson plan was revised due for the need to incorporate new and more effective strategies in the learning process. In lesson one, there were no initial strategies used while teaching. However, to promote effective learning the teacher incorporated summarizing and note taking instructional strategy. The aim was to ensure students eliminate unnecessary information and analyze information. Moreover, intrinsic motivation strategy started being used to promote direct involvement between students and classwork. Lesson two initially used no instructional strategy, however, summarizing and note taking started being used to encourage students put learned information in their own words. Nevertheless, initially extrinsic motivation strategy was used but later on changed to intrinsic strategy. This change was because extrinsic did not create any interest to students to encourage active learning. In conclusion, in lesson three the instructor also started using summarizing and note taking (instructional strategy) and intrinsic strategy (Motivational strategy). This was as a result of these strategies proving effective in the previous two lessons. Therefore, the revised lesson plan was more effective than the previous one both to the instructor and students. References Ball, S. (2013). Student motivation: Some reflections and projections. In R. Ames & C. Ames (Eds.), Research on motivation in education. Vol. 1. Student motivation (pp. 313-326). Orlando, FL: Academic Press. Brookfield, S. (2011). The skillful teacher. On technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Covington, M. (2010). Making the grade. A self-worth perspective on motivation and school reform. New York: Cambridge University Press. Johnson, D. & Johnson, R. (2014). Motivational processes in cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning situations. In C. Ames & R. Ames (Eds.), Research on motivation in education. Vol.2. The classroom milieu (pp. 249-286). Orlando, FL: Academic Press. Read More