The purpose of the lesson plan recreation was to make us look deeper into our teaching. Instead of being content with simply making some notes, lecturing, and then giving a review sheet, I need to step back and ask myself why am I teacher what I am teaching. I believe that I do this on the regular and encourage the students to question why should they know what I am teaching them. I believe it is important for a social studies teacher to make connections to todays world. The question, “How does this event, whether a US/World history event, impact us today?” This makes the student take it a step further. Also, by continually asking them “Why? Why? Why?” makes them look even further into the question instead of simply recalling facts.
TPACK:
Technology:
There a wide variety of technological uses in this lesson plans. First, the teacher will be demonstrating how to properly go about this lesson by using a SMART board projector. Showing students how to do the lesson will only increase the efficiency of the lesson and lead to less confusion in the future. The lesson is a web-based inquiry project that forces the student to use internet-based tools to find their answers, although they could also be found through a textbook. The students are also asked to find their information through various sources on the internet (e.g. YouTube video, pictures, KWL Chart, and a personalize video). Finally, using of technology is heavily apparent as the Web and its tools are used as a mode of research and creation.
Pedagogy:
There are many different approaches to teaching in this lesson. At first, it starts off as a teacher-centered activity where the teacher acts as a guide to the assignment by simply introducing the topic. The teacher then acts as a guide through the lesson by providing resources and avenues to complete the assignment. After the teacher introduces the lesson, they then act as a helper for the activity. From here, it transforms into a student-centered activity. The student is in charge of opening links, watching videos, finding other resources if needed, and finalizing the rest of the project. The student also is in charge of making sure that they are completing the checklist.
Finally, there is some indirect cooperative learning involved in this lesson as well. It is not uncommon to hear me say, “Help each other find the answer, but do not give them the answer.” Therefore, students during this lesson will be engaged with the research part of the lesson and also engaged with what the other students are doing. As they talk to other students, they might receive better ideas of how to find resources or to compile a better video at the end.
In the end, the lesson continues its student-centered model as the students begin to talk about what they learn and show their videos to the classroom. As the students finish up their videos, is becomes teacher-centered as the teacher again acts as a guide of knowledge giving the students a PowerPoint with notes, pictures, and videos to wrap up the learning throughout the project/lesson.
Content:
The content of this lesson is a United States Government class that would be taught at the beginning of the year as the teacher is introducing basic concepts to the students. This lesson also helps approach the High School Content Expectations sat by the State of Michigan. They are: Analyze the purposes, organization, functions, and processes of the legislative branch as enumerated in Article I of the Constitution. Analyze the purposes, organization, functions, and processes of the executive branch as enumerated in Article II of the Constitution. Analyze the purposes, organization, functions, and processes of the judicial branch as enumerated in Article III of the Constitution.
This lesson does not have to only apply to high school government. It could apply to any class discussion basic civic/government topics.
SAMR:
Modification: When looking at modifcation, a teacher needs to ask the question, “Does the modification enhance the lesson?” (See Citation) In this class, there are a couple of technological devices that enhance the learning for the student. First, the YouTube video, for some and most students, is a wonderful representation for learning. It’s different. It’s a change. Instead of reading a boring textbook, the student is learning through a song. How wonderful! Having the students create their own video is another modification of this lesson. The teacher could have simply had them write a couple paragraphs describing how they are directly impacted by the branches of government, but the video allows them to be creative and allows them to explore new means of learning.
Redefinition: When I think of this, I think what was possible now that wasn’t possible before the 90s. Wow, there is so much that has redefined what once wasn’t previously possible. For example, this assignment could have had the students read text, draw pictures of their definitions, read the paper and find out how their lives have been directly impacted, but that is boring. Most of this lesson has redefined teaching. Students would not have been able to get on YouTube, watch a rap video, and find the definitions for the branches of government. Students would not have been able to fill out a KWL chart online, but would have had to do one on a piece of paper. Finally, I do not believe there would have been any digital video creation class that allowed you to make the assignment on the internet. These changes have only made this lesson that much better.
Jeffrey Fisher 