Effective Teaching Strategies - Assignment Example

Teaching and Learning Name Course Institution Date SECTION ONE- PLANNING DOCUMENTS I. A brief description of the learner group The learner group is divided into teams that will facilitate the discussion process during the session. In addition, each team will have a leader, which will be in charge of reporting on the deliberations of the entire group. The division of group into teams is also meant to ensure that different leaners use their skills to help their groups in realizing their objectives. The small teams are also meant to help the teacher in fulfilling the objectives of the learning session. This will be through developing questions and answers that are relevant to the objectives of the study and the expected outcomes. II. By the end of this session learners are expected to: a. Understand different aspects about Chinese food b. Understand the relevance of Chinese cuisine to the Chinese culture c. Demonstrate understanding by explaining different aspects related to Chinese cuisine III. Description of the learning environment The learning environment is structured in the format of a discussion forum. The teacher is in charge of the session and will provide all the necessary facilitation. The discussion design is meant to provide an environment that is conducive for an engaging discussion. This will be emphasized by a quotation answer session, which will provide students with an opportunity of presenting their work and providing solutions to challenges impeding the understanding of the main topic. Different resources will be used in the facilitation of the session. There will be whiteboards, whiteboard markers, projector, a laptop computer and different writing materials. IV. In this teaching experience, I will aim to: Develop a group of leaners informed on Chinese cuisine. This will be through ensuring that students work in groups to enhance their understanding on Chinese cuisine. During the teaching session, I will ensure that every student is involved in both the practical and theoretical session that characterizes the session. Involving the studies makes the class more participatory and increases the possibility that all every student will realize his or her expectations. I endeavour to use the available materials such as the projector and the laptop computer to give a visual perspective of the information intended for the learners. V. Detailed lesson plan Timing Focus/ leading question Teacher activity Learner activity Aids/ resources 2 minutes The leading question: What is your main objective in this session The teacher will introduce the learners to the session the class and give details of his expectations. Every group will be provided with a whiteboard and whiteboard markers. This will ensure active participation Direct Instruction to the learners: Introduction of students to the session Active Whiteboards and whiteboard marketers, which will be used by the students to write their questions and answers to different questions. 5 minutes The teacher will focus on the main topics that will be addressed in the entire session. This will be facilitated through the ability of the teacher to provide the students with a summary of the main topics. The teacher will provide instructions to the students on what is expected throughout the session Passive The provision of handouts that will provide the students with an understanding and evidences of the entire session 30 minutes Detailed presentation on the content of discussion. This will be through projecting information on Chinese. Throughout this session, the students will be expected to ask questions and provide more information on their understanding of different foods related to the Chinese cuisine. The teacher will proved direct institution to the students on Chinese foods and all the ingredients and preparation methodologies involved Passive and Active Laptop computer, projector, whiteboards and whiteboard markers 10 minutes The teacher will provide learners with an opportunity of demonstrating understanding on any of the topics discussed. The students will operate in teams, which will be provided with a question on one of the Chinese cousins. They will be expected to provide information and a recipe for the cuisine Provision of direct instructions to students- This will be a practical activity Active Laptop computers, whiteboard markers, whiteboards and projector 1 minute The teacher will summarize the session while emphasizing on the major objectives. This will be aimed at assessing whether the students have understood the concept Provision of direct instructions to students- Summaries and overview Passive Laptop computer, projector, whiteboards and white board markers VI. The resources used in this session include whiteboards, whiteboard markers, laptop computer and projector VII. Justification of the lesion plan a) Suitability of the session topic to learners The session topic focuses on Chinese food the relevance of this session to the learners in based on the understanding that culture is a defining feature in every tradition. It is important for learners to understand different cultures as a way of identifying the best ways that they can use in approaching and interacting with different members of the community. In addition, through this topic, the student will be able to understand the role of culture in providing sae and notorious food in the Chinese community. b) The determination of the learning objectives was made based on the most important elements to the students. China is a nation that is increasingly growing on the economic platform. The growth of this nation has also been founded on the desire to restore and sustain its cultural traditions. In addition, the objective of providing an understanding on Chinese cuisine is based on the understanding that it only by understanding the origin of these foods that learns can comprehend on the essence of food culture to the Chinese society. c) The choice of the teaching methods is founded on the desire to ensure that every student grasps the concepts that are integral in understanding the objective of the session. The use of laptop computers and projectors was a way of embracing technology (Goldstein 2014, p. 48). In addition, it was also a way of providing the learners with a visual appearance of the cuisines. This was through a showcase of pictures of every cuisine coupled with relevant information about the cuisines. The use of learning teams as part of the teaching session was aimed at ensuring that every student engages in active participation of the session. The use of whiteboards and whiteboard markers was one way through which the teacher was to gauge the understanding of the students. d) The sequential nature of the session was founded on its ability to merge elements of passive and active learning. Passive learning helped in providing the learners with the theoretical understanding of the Chinese cuisine. This information provides the learners with an understanding of the history and other aspects involved in the production of Chinese food. The practical session was meant to provide the learners with an engaging session in the development of an understanding about Chinese cuisine. This session helps in building on the sequential nature of the lesson because it provides the learners with an opportunity of expanding their knowledge on the subject matter. In addition, it is also a way through which the teacher is able to assess the shortcomings of the session and areas of improvement (Killen 2006, p. 88). SECTION TWO- FEEDBACK FROM PEER GROUP MEMBERS Areas of strength of the presentation The use of different aspect such as hand gestures and facial expression was important in capturing the attention of the learners. The confidence of the teacher in using these elements was evidence that he understood the concept and was able to disseminate the information in the best possible way. Through non-verbal communication, it was easier for the teacher to understand the feelings of the learners as a way of understanding the best way to keep them active and involved throughout the session. The use of visual images with detailed structure provided more information as also a technique through which the teacher ensures that he sufficiently delivered on the subject matter. The presentation method and speed was also one way through which the teacher ensured that every learner was able to grasp the concepts that he presented. Despite the strengths in the presentation, there were a few areas of weaknesses. For instance, there were situations in which the teacher acquired a relatively faster pace in presentation. This did happen often but he paused upon realization and slowed down. There were also situations the teacher concentrated on reading information off the slides. This could have indicated a sign of unpreparedness or a sign tha the teacher was unsure of the content of his presentation. There is therefore need for the teacher to master his work to increase the probability of demonstrating high level of understanding of his materials. There were also lesson learnt from the design of presentation. One of the lessons was that it is important to develop a plan that endeavours to involve all the students through a participatory session. The session increases the possibility that the students will understand the major concepts and have the capacity to demonstrate their understanding through practice. An additional lesson was on the relevance of PowerPoint presentation slides and videos in enhancing understanding among learners. PowerPoint presentation and videos provide the learners with a platform of relating with the visual images related to the concepts that define the subject matter. The decision to introduce teams as part of the design was also a learning platform. It provided the understanding that learners have a role to play in improving their ability to understand different concepts. Other than the use of teams as part of group work, the decision to embrace both active and passive styles of teaching provided learners with a myriad of learning techniques. The most effective strategies include the decision to divide the group into learning teams. This was a way through which the teacher ensured that every student was engaged in active participation during class sessions. In addition, it was also an approach that enabled both the teacher and the learners to engage in informative discussion sessions. In addition, the decision to introduce Chinese food as a subject of study was one way of ensuring that learners acquired practical information about their culture. It was also a technique that could be used in ensuring that the learners acquired knowledge that they could practice in their own societies. The least effective strategy was the lengthy session dedicated to the theoretical aspect of Chinese food. This made the session monotonous and relatively boring considering that it was the teacher that took the role of facilitating the entire session for about a half an hour. . SECTION THREE- WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A TEACHER Being a teacher requires the one to follow the professional practices, which must also be consistent with the policies of the school, which define the relationship between a teacher and a student (Pollard & Collins 2005, p. 18). One way by which the teacher can demonstrate his professional skills is through effective communication and the use of interpersonal skills to realize the objectives of any teaching session (Krolak-Schwerdt et al 2014, p. 44). This requires the teacher to be involved in effective planning of class sessions to ensure tha they are designed in ways that enhance effective communication between the students and the teacher (Orlich, 2013, p. 40). This approach to communication increases the possibility that the students will understand different concepts that define the education systems. It is also the responsibility of the teacher to find time of associating with each student in a class session (Monteiro 2014, p. 33). This can be enhanced through question and answer sessions where the teacher randomly chooses students o respond to questions or participate in a class activity. This is one way through which the teacher acts as an agent of socialization and increase the possibility that learners will develop courage and high levels of self-esteem, which is a requirement in the execution of responsibilities in everyday life (Monteiro 2014, pp. 33-36). Being a teacher also requires an individual to be involved in a series of systems that facilitate the spirit of cooperation and teamwork among students. This can be realized through the decision by the teacher to plan a class session in a way that includes teams and discussion sessions. This process also helps the students in developing self-reliance and the possibility that they can engage in communal efforts to realize a common goal (Krolak-Schwerdt et al 2014, p. 88). When the role of a teacher is understood through this approach, it is possible to argue that a teacher is a builder. This requires the said teacher to develop strategies on how to bridge the information gaps among learners and facilitate the development of mutual relationships. When bridging gaps, the role of a teacher would also include improving the abilities of the students in the external community (Green 2015, p.88). One way by which teachers have been able to propagate this responsibility is through the facilitation of topics that are applicable in the external community. Topics related to culture, food and language provide learners with information and skills that are applicable in the external world. This improves the possibility that the student will understand the relevance and practicality of education in their lives (Green 2015, p.88). A teacher is also a role model to the learners. This means that every activity or initiative that a teacher is involved in must reflect aspects of responsibility to the learners (Richards 2011, p. 67). As a role model and a source of inspiration to the learners, a teacher has the responsibility of ensuring that he uncovers hidden information that can help the student in the process of becoming better persons in the society (Krolak-Schwerdt et al 2014, p. 89). In addition, a teacher must laws engage in adequate preparation as a way of ensuring that he is in possession of knowledge and information that is relevant to the students. This does not mean that a teacher must possess all the information; instead, it means that a teacher must also be willing to learn while conducting class sessions. This is the essence of evaluation and monitoring of class sessions (Lunenberg 2014, p. 41). Being a role model and a socialization agent, to the teacher has the responsibility of introducing learners to the external environment. The approach and the perspective that a learner gives to the world is highly dependent on the role of teacher in boosting the understanding of the student (Lunenberg 2014, p. 56). One way by which the teacher ensures that learners embrace a positive thought towards the environments is through encouraging the spirit of discipline, dedication and hard work. This in a way ensures that the learner identifies the possible areas of success and operates in accordance with the principles of the professional areas (Green 2015, p.50). A teacher has a responsibility of using different learning methodologies as a way of ensuring that students understand the intended concept and that he realizes his aims during the session. for instance during a presentation of Chinese food, the teacher must uses different learning instruments such as computers and projectors to provide the students with information that is backed up with evidence of research. These instruments can also be used by the teacher to demonstrate to the students the mode of preparation and the use of videos or picture to emphasis on the points (Hargreaves & Michael 2012, p.100). At the end of the theoretical session, the teacher must engage the students in a practical activity. This activity helps in gauging the understanding of the students and the possibility that they are able to demonstrate that understanding through the preparation of different food items. Being a teacher requires an individual who is systematic in thought and in action. Systematic thoughts facilitate essential activities in the teaching profession such as lesson planning and the delivery of information to the students during class sessions (Richards 2011, p. 80). Through this approach to thinking it will be easier for the teacher to understand the best way that the can use in the delivery of information (Bradshaw et al 2007, p. 24). For instance systematized thoughts helps in the simplification of concepts and defines the way a teacher will move from a simple to a complicated aspect of a concept. Systematic thoughts also inspire systematic actions. This is because when conducting practical sessions it will be easier for the teacher to develop a technique of ensuring that all students understand the intensions of the activity (Hargreaves & Michael 2012, p.116). Being a teacher also encompasses the role of tracking the performance of the student. This is through engaging the learners in different discussion sessions, providing students with assignments and examinations that can be used in the assessment of their performance in class. Failure by the teacher to address performance issues may lead to the development of deviant students (Cooper et al 2009, p. 60). References Bradshaw, Martha J., Arlene J. Lowenstein, and Barbara Fuszard. 2007. Innovative teaching strategies in nursing and related health professions. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Cooper, James Michael, and Jason G. Irizarry. 2014. Classroom teaching skills. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Goldstein, Dana. 2014. The teacher wars: a history of America's most embattled profession. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge Green, Elizabeth. 2015. Building a better teacher: how teaching works (and how to teach it to everyone). [Place of publication not identified]: W W Norton. Hargreaves, Andy, and Michael Fullan. 2012. Professional capital: transforming teaching in every school. New York: Teachers College Press. Killen, Roy. 2006. Effective teaching strategies. South Melbourne, Vic: Thomson Learning Australia. Krolak-Schwerdt, Sabine, Sabine Glock, and Matthias Böhmer. 2014. Teachers' professional development: assessment, training, and learning. Oxford University Press: Oxford Lunenberg, Mieke, Jurriën Dengerink, and Fred A. J. Korthagen. 2014. The professional teacher educator: roles, behaviour, and professional development of teacher educators. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6209-518-2. Monteiro, A. Reis. 2014. The teaching profession: present and future. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=883339. Orlich, Donald C. 2013. Teaching strategies: a guide to effective instruction. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Pollard, Andrew, and Janet Collins. 2005. Reflective teaching: evidence-informed professional practice. London [u.a.]: Continuum. Richards, Jack C., and Thomas S. C. Farrell. 2011. Practice teaching: a reflective approach. New York: Cambridge University Press. Read More