Methodologies
Formal/Informal Lecture
Mrs. Werdehausen’s 3rd grade class is working on how to be a good U.S. citizen in social studies. Mrs. Werdehausen reads out of their textbook about U.S. citizens and asks them if voting is a responsibility of being a U.S. citizen. Students reply yes and she then asks if they have any responsibilities. Students state that they have duties such as folding towels, taking out the trash, feeding the dog, and cleaning their room. Mrs. Werdehausen then stated to students that following laws are also part of being a good U.S. citizen. I had to laugh because one student described how his grandma got pulled over. Mrs. Werdehausen asked the student if she was obeying the law then. He said that his grandma said she couldn’t see the numbers on the sign. Mrs. Werdehausen then stated that people who break the law will face consequences like receiving a speeding ticket.
Formal lecture involves the teacher speaking and explaining an idea, task, or skill while the students sit back and listen. They may answer questions occasionally during the lecture. Informal lecture involves students in the process. They can read about a topic, answer, and ask questions. In my classroom I would like to combine the two. When necessary, formal lecture will be used, but for the most part I would like to involve the children in the whole learning process.
Demonstration
In Mrs. Werdehausen’s English class students wrote a personal narrative and were now ready to do their proofreading. She explained to students what proofreading marks were and an example of when they should be used. Students were required to bring home their narrative’s and have their parents proofread them first, then come back to school and retype them, proofread them on their own, and then Mrs. Werdehausen will proofread them. Mrs. Werdehausen also stapled on the back of their narrative’s a rubric of how she would be grading the papers.
I like giving examples and acting out a procedure for students. Students need examples so that they know what is expected of them. Without providing opportunities for students to see procedures in progress, how will they learn what they are to do. They can then build upon this knowledge and add to those examples.
Small Group Discussion/Activity
During the small group discussion, Mrs. Werdehausen had students read their personal narrative’s to each other. They were broke up into groups of two or three. Students were allowed to have a question and answer period when they were in their groups as well.
Small group discussions or activities provide students opportunities to learn to work together as well as the opportunity to learn from their peers. This kind of learning enables students to work on their social skills, solve problems together, and take on leadership roles.
Large Group Discussion/Activity
For the large group discussion, Mrs. Werdehausen had students go to the rug and sit down to listen to a chapter in their book they are reading. Mrs. Werdehausen sat on a yoga ball while reading to them, which I thought was great! The book they are reading is The Girl Who Could Fly and they were on chapter four. Before they began reading, Mrs. Werdehausen asked them review questions about the previous chapter. All students were allowed to answer a question. During reading, Mrs. Werdehausen pointed out vocabulary words that students may have difficulty with the meaning. She also told them when they reached a point in the book, to stop, close your eyes and picture what the setting is as she described it again to them. Mrs. Werdehausen would also act out some of the actions of the main character for them.
Large group discussion or activities involve the whole class. It allows everyone to participate and contribute to the discussion. In my classroom, I will have large group discussions where students can contribute their opinions and ideas. Doing this will make them feel that they belong and have an opportunity to learn from their peers.
Discovery/Experimental/Inquiry
For their science lesson, Mrs. Werdehausen was discussing solids, liquids, and gasses. Students took turns reading aloud from their textbook about the subject. When they were finished reading, Mrs. Werdehausen had the students go to the rug area. Mrs. Werdehausen put water, a pencil, and blew air into Ziploc bags. Students passed around the baggies and were able to feel how different each of these felt. For a solid demonstration, Mrs. Werdehausen then had students stand together back to back and had them push against each other. They were to imagine a wall all around them and in between them, and they were to move together at the same time. For a liquid, she arranged students on the rug again while having a few students stuck together and the others spaced apart. She had them imagine that the rug was a container and she opened one part, she then had the students move to the side where the container was open. Finally for a gas demonstration, she has students spread out over the entire rug area. Then she has them imagine the area is smaller and they have to fit into a tinier area. She explained that particles are closer together because you have to fill that space.
Using experiments in the classroom help give children hands on activities that help in the comprehension of skills. I firmly believe in having many hands on activities or experiments in all content areas for students so that they can really get involved in lessons.
Questioning
Students were able to ask lots of questions when doing the experiments for science. Mrs. Werdehausen also asked questions about a student’s question. For example, a student asked if you put rocks into a Ziploc bag, if that would be considered a solid. She said yes and then asked the student if it mattered what size of rocks were put in the bag. With asking the student another question about his question, she is stretching his knowledge about solids.
I think that students should be allowed to ask lots of questions. This is how they learn. If they don’t understand what they are studying, how will they fully comprehend and build on these skills without questions.
Practice/Drill
Mrs. Werdehausen’s students are going to be putting on a play. They have been practicing the play “The Crowded House”. Students practiced and read their parts. They have been doing this for about a week now and will be putting actions with their play tomorrow. Mrs. Werdehausen reminds them to use feeling and expression when reading. Some students enjoyed doing this, but others did not. Mrs. Werdehausen did not pressure them if they were embarrassed or did not want to do this, but she did ask what the end marks meant at the end of their lines. She pointed out that for an exclamation point, they were to act excited and have lots of feeling in their line.
Practice and/or drills are important in learning. They don’t just have to be paper and pencil drills. They can be like the example above with reading or even with math problems. Students can practice on wipe off boards, flash cards, writing the problems, or even games on the computer or iPad.
Mrs. Werdehausen’s 3rd grade class is working on how to be a good U.S. citizen in social studies. Mrs. Werdehausen reads out of their textbook about U.S. citizens and asks them if voting is a responsibility of being a U.S. citizen. Students reply yes and she then asks if they have any responsibilities. Students state that they have duties such as folding towels, taking out the trash, feeding the dog, and cleaning their room. Mrs. Werdehausen then stated to students that following laws are also part of being a good U.S. citizen. I had to laugh because one student described how his grandma got pulled over. Mrs. Werdehausen asked the student if she was obeying the law then. He said that his grandma said she couldn’t see the numbers on the sign. Mrs. Werdehausen then stated that people who break the law will face consequences like receiving a speeding ticket.
Formal lecture involves the teacher speaking and explaining an idea, task, or skill while the students sit back and listen. They may answer questions occasionally during the lecture. Informal lecture involves students in the process. They can read about a topic, answer, and ask questions. In my classroom I would like to combine the two. When necessary, formal lecture will be used, but for the most part I would like to involve the children in the whole learning process.
Demonstration
In Mrs. Werdehausen’s English class students wrote a personal narrative and were now ready to do their proofreading. She explained to students what proofreading marks were and an example of when they should be used. Students were required to bring home their narrative’s and have their parents proofread them first, then come back to school and retype them, proofread them on their own, and then Mrs. Werdehausen will proofread them. Mrs. Werdehausen also stapled on the back of their narrative’s a rubric of how she would be grading the papers.
I like giving examples and acting out a procedure for students. Students need examples so that they know what is expected of them. Without providing opportunities for students to see procedures in progress, how will they learn what they are to do. They can then build upon this knowledge and add to those examples.
Small Group Discussion/Activity
During the small group discussion, Mrs. Werdehausen had students read their personal narrative’s to each other. They were broke up into groups of two or three. Students were allowed to have a question and answer period when they were in their groups as well.
Small group discussions or activities provide students opportunities to learn to work together as well as the opportunity to learn from their peers. This kind of learning enables students to work on their social skills, solve problems together, and take on leadership roles.
Large Group Discussion/Activity
For the large group discussion, Mrs. Werdehausen had students go to the rug and sit down to listen to a chapter in their book they are reading. Mrs. Werdehausen sat on a yoga ball while reading to them, which I thought was great! The book they are reading is The Girl Who Could Fly and they were on chapter four. Before they began reading, Mrs. Werdehausen asked them review questions about the previous chapter. All students were allowed to answer a question. During reading, Mrs. Werdehausen pointed out vocabulary words that students may have difficulty with the meaning. She also told them when they reached a point in the book, to stop, close your eyes and picture what the setting is as she described it again to them. Mrs. Werdehausen would also act out some of the actions of the main character for them.
Large group discussion or activities involve the whole class. It allows everyone to participate and contribute to the discussion. In my classroom, I will have large group discussions where students can contribute their opinions and ideas. Doing this will make them feel that they belong and have an opportunity to learn from their peers.
Discovery/Experimental/Inquiry
For their science lesson, Mrs. Werdehausen was discussing solids, liquids, and gasses. Students took turns reading aloud from their textbook about the subject. When they were finished reading, Mrs. Werdehausen had the students go to the rug area. Mrs. Werdehausen put water, a pencil, and blew air into Ziploc bags. Students passed around the baggies and were able to feel how different each of these felt. For a solid demonstration, Mrs. Werdehausen then had students stand together back to back and had them push against each other. They were to imagine a wall all around them and in between them, and they were to move together at the same time. For a liquid, she arranged students on the rug again while having a few students stuck together and the others spaced apart. She had them imagine that the rug was a container and she opened one part, she then had the students move to the side where the container was open. Finally for a gas demonstration, she has students spread out over the entire rug area. Then she has them imagine the area is smaller and they have to fit into a tinier area. She explained that particles are closer together because you have to fill that space.
Using experiments in the classroom help give children hands on activities that help in the comprehension of skills. I firmly believe in having many hands on activities or experiments in all content areas for students so that they can really get involved in lessons.
Questioning
Students were able to ask lots of questions when doing the experiments for science. Mrs. Werdehausen also asked questions about a student’s question. For example, a student asked if you put rocks into a Ziploc bag, if that would be considered a solid. She said yes and then asked the student if it mattered what size of rocks were put in the bag. With asking the student another question about his question, she is stretching his knowledge about solids.
I think that students should be allowed to ask lots of questions. This is how they learn. If they don’t understand what they are studying, how will they fully comprehend and build on these skills without questions.
Practice/Drill
Mrs. Werdehausen’s students are going to be putting on a play. They have been practicing the play “The Crowded House”. Students practiced and read their parts. They have been doing this for about a week now and will be putting actions with their play tomorrow. Mrs. Werdehausen reminds them to use feeling and expression when reading. Some students enjoyed doing this, but others did not. Mrs. Werdehausen did not pressure them if they were embarrassed or did not want to do this, but she did ask what the end marks meant at the end of their lines. She pointed out that for an exclamation point, they were to act excited and have lots of feeling in their line.
Practice and/or drills are important in learning. They don’t just have to be paper and pencil drills. They can be like the example above with reading or even with math problems. Students can practice on wipe off boards, flash cards, writing the problems, or even games on the computer or iPad.