Exploring Gravity with KindergartnersLesson Plan-Vocabulary term posters-Materials for student use-PDF of Gravity book (partial pages used)-Collaborating Teacher Observation notes-ReflectionPrior to performing this lesson with my students, I had to make some unexpected adjustments. Originally, the objects (in my lesson, rocks) were to be dropped with a parachute. I cut out parachute templates and tried the experiment at home. The rocks were just too much for the parachutes, so I improvised and adjusted the lesson. Instead of using parachutes and comparing small rocks to larger rocks, the students had the opportunity to examine the pull of gravity with a normal sized rock and a piece of tissue paper. I believe this adjustment made the concepts of mass and gravity more comprehensible for students. By the end of the lesson, the students were able to make connections between mass/weight and the force of gravity. Students recorded their observations and inferences in their science journals using the key terms. Through our discussions together, conferencing while the learners were writing and their journal entries I was able to analyze the data collected and determine they met the objective of the lesson (When investigating the natural world, students will be able to accurately make observations, record data and understand the force of gravity (and its relationship with mass) with no errors in judgment.). I believe the illustration of observations worked well for my young learners and the opportunity and be up, engaged and moving in the classroom promoted learning. Now that students have a solid understanding of gravity, I look forward to their progress through the Life Cycles science unit! After this lesson, I recognized the amount of patience it takes to work with young students. The learners were off task and out of focus for most of the day, so an afternoon lesson with lots of manipulatives and movement was slightly overwhelming for some. Though the students were high energy, the lesson still engaged them. However, as an educator, I recognize the importance of classroom behavior management. I hope to soon improve my ability to handle such a large group of easily distracted learners. Specifically, I'd like to acknowledge appropriate behavior more often. Through working with a peer and discussing the lesson's adherence to learning styles, I was enlightened to realizing an excellent strategy to meet auditory learner's needs! If I did this lesson again, I would incorporate this song/chant to engage auditory learners:
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Community InvestigationHistory & Demographics of "The School"Community- The area is a small town, made up of numerous subdivisions with highway and interstate access. The area includes many neighborhoods, schools and churches, making it a welcoming place for families and a suburban area outside of a main city. There is no results for “Things To Do” in the area for sports or recreation. In my investigation we saw many live oak trees, strawberry farms and lakes. Also, we were surprised to see new upscale communities dotting the mostly rural landscape. 88% of the population have attained a high school degree or higher, implying much of the population values education, but there is a lack of dedication in the community. 96.8% of 5-9 year olds are enrolled in school, 94.5% of 10 to 14 year olds are also enrolled in school. However, only 44.5% of 3 and 4 year olds are enrolled. This lack of preschool education could be setting students at a disadvantage when they begin Elementary school. 15.5% of the total population are individuals below the poverty level. 54.1% of those in the labor force are below the poverty level as of 2014. 20.1% of the population speaks a language other than English at home and 22.7% of those speak Spanish at home and speak English “less than very well.” [Sources: The Chamber of Commerce, Photos taken of the area The United States Census (2010) and Community Profile (2014)] . The School- The Elementary School was built in 1992 and named after an educational philanthropist, who is also an educator with Hillsborough County Public Schools who went on to become a Hillsborough County Commissioner. The school has educated two generations of students. The PTA of the school supports teachers, Relay for Life, reading enrichment and school improvements. They are currently raising money to get a cover for the courts outside. There are 662 students enrolled: 18.88% African American, 30.51% Hispanic, 43.35% white. The school is a Title I school, 69% free and reduced lunch and a 54% minority rate. The school grades have been decreasing: 2013-14: C, 2012-13: C, 2011-12: B, 2010-11: B. [Sources: School District of Hillsborough County: School website, Demographic Report & School Improvement Plan] Interview with a Community Member:“There’s a lot of room for growth and improvement. I’m really hoping the students in school today will get involved in their community and make a difference.” - A Community Member Wonderings:How can we incorporate the natural surrounding environment into the classroom? Lessons on natural resources, habitats, life cycles and locally-grown food. How can we inspire students to take responsibility for their community? Impact on Instructional Planning: Through this investigation, I have discovered the community as a rich source of resources to encourage student involvement. The natural environment offers opportunities to investigate rural landscapes, local habitats and life cycles, as well as locally-grown food. With a large English as a second language population, there is a strong call to differentiate instruction for language learners. Adequate school-parent-community interaction contributes to the formation of bicultural individuals who can flourish in the new culture as well as in their own ethnic community (Kleinfeld, 1979). Therefore, there should be a focus on including families and the student’s community improvement opportunities in their educations. A Summary of Articles Relevant to Learning Styles- Eric Collinson conducted a study solidifying the fact that understanding the ways in which students learn is a key element to education improvement (2000). Learning styles have been defined by various researchers in multiple ways, but all include the biologically and developmentally imposed set of personal characteristics that make certain teaching/learning strategies effective for some students and ineffective for others. Learning style also refers to an individual’s methods of gaining, processing and storing information. Learning style includes cognitive style, which involves reception and retention of information. In that way, learning style is a compilation of many cognitive, affective and physiological factors that combine to describe an individual’s optimum learning pattern. “Significant differences in learning style preferences are apparent in both high and low achieving students.” (Collinson, 2000.) This research-supported statement captured me, as I have been focusing on three students this semester, all at varying levels of achievement (above, on and below). Collinson’s article also mentions the Learning Style Inventory (LSI) by Dunn, Dunn and Price that defines learning style in environmental, sociological, emotional and physical conditions. I would love to administer the LSI to my Kindergarten class to check for consistency in the results from the article. Reported patterns of high achieving students include a preference for independent study, tactile instruction, flexibility, self-direction and minimal structure and lecture. My above level Kindergartner indicates these preferences. Collinson’s research verified that high achieving students would prefer an informal classroom design. Low achieving students learn best in groups, require variety and mobility to maintain attention and have poor auditory memory. Consistent with the study, the low level learner I work with would most likely benefit from instruction tailored to those indicated needs. Collinson’s research found that the low achieving group prefers a more formal learning environment, a preference to work with one or more peers and learning during the afternoon hours when energy levels are highest (2000). My low level learner is very high energy, which is classroom teacher has said interferes with his learning. Perhaps instructing new, challenging topics in the afternoon would benefit his academic growth. The article verifies that learning style research can play an important role in improving teaching and learning in the classroom (Collinson, 2000). Brenda Moustafa’s article supports the notion that “learning style theories have been found to be effective in developing strategies to teach diverse learners in the elementary school setting.” (1999) Research has found that many diverse students learn differently (Moustafa, 1999). I have witnessed the great diversity in my Kindergarten classroom, but I have not observed differentiation to meet the student’s potential varying needs in learning. Moustafa acknowledges various reading styles that can identify a child’s strengths and the best way of teaching that learner to read: visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, global and analytical (1999). Included in Moustafa’s research is the multisensory approach to teaching, which considers learning styles, and its’ effectiveness in improving achievement. The visual-auditory-kinesthetic-tactile (VAKT or multisensory) approach implies that students learn best when information is presented in different modalities (Moustafa, 1999). This concept directly relates to my wondering of how to include learning styles in differentiation for students. With the technology available today, there are limitless possibilities for modalities to present information. “A multisensory approach is an eclectic approach that teaches all children regardless of their preferred learning style.” (Moustafa, 1999) This approach makes differentiation practical in the classroom and equally exposes children to multiple modes of learning. The kindergarten students are often too inexperienced to of developed all aspects of their unique learning styles, so I wonder if a multisensory approach would be the most beneficial for the classroom? This approach has provoked a dramatic increase in standardized test scores, as well as student satisfaction and motivation (Moustafa, 1999). I am now further curious of the impact of a multisensory/VAKT approach in meeting student’s learning styles and academic needs. Jennifer Lauria is a former elementary school teacher who restates the value of differentiaton through learning-style responsive strategies (2010). Differentiated instruction strives to maximize student’s growth by recognizing student’s unique ways of learning and expressing themselves. Lauria suggests individualized learning-style homework and study strategies to build student awareness of how they learn best to increase their potential and capitalize on their strengths, as well as improving student attitude and motivation. Utilizing individualized homework prescriptions allows students to learn how to differentiate for themselves which will build student confidence in their learning. The Dunn and Dunn Learning-Style Model is mentioned as it examines the way each individual concentrates on, processes, internalizes and retains new and difficult information. The model consists of five elements: environmental, emotional, sociological, physiological and psychological. Research mentioned in the articles states that students who study according to their learning styles achieved statistically higher on achievement-test scores (Lauria, 2010). Lauria suggests that teachers use learning-style responsive approaches to differentiate instruction effectively (2010). When students are given access to study and homework skills that build on their unique talents they can become active participants in their own educational journeys. After reading and reflecting upon these articles I can honestly say I am STOKED to continue my inquiry, internship and path to teaching in the classroom. Each researcher values a student-centered approach that supports facilitating the needs every unique and diverse learner brings to the classroom. Learning style is clearly a complex web of various factors that can be supported through instruction and classroom settings to maximize student’s academic growth. The multisensory approach is practical to apply in each classroom, including primary grades like Kindergarten, and will allow for accessible differentiation for each student. Administering the Learning Style Inventory is a valuable asset to building responsive teaching strategies to meet the needs of learners. Additionally, what research has told us about the preferences of above level and low level learners can capitalize on the effectiveness of Response to Intervention groups. Learning-style responsive activities, instructional strategies and homework assignments are essential to promoting student’s academic development. The importance of learning styles in the classroom for teaching and learning supports the importance of my inquiry: how to differentiate according to the learning style of above and below level students. Reference ListCollinson, E. (2000). A survey of elementary students’ learning style preferences and academic success. Contemporary Education, 71(4), 42-48. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
Lauria, J. (2010). Differentiation through learning-style responsive strategies. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 47(1), 24-29. Retrieved February 13, 2016. Moustafa, B. (1999). Multisensory approaches and learning styles theory in the elementary school. ____summary of reference papers. ERIC. Retrieved February 13, 2016. |
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