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Learning Knowledge Artifact BEP 305 Sally Sample Student Title: The Giving Tree Website: https://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?plan_id=13081 Grade level: Early Elementary (1 st Grade) Topic(s): Character Education (K-12) – Kindness, Generosity, and Loyalty English Language Arts – Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrating understanding of their central message or lesson. Brief Summary: Read The Giving Tree . The students should identify changes that occur to the tree as it ages throughout the story. Afterwards, the students will each complete a two-columned chart; filling in events that take place in the story and identifying the boy’s actions at each age in his life, and whether the boy’s actions made the tree happy or sad. The students will then navigate through a website that educates them on the importance of trees, how to protect trees, and how trees help us and our environment. Learner-Centered Principle of Design Definition/Discussion : The learner-centered principle of design is a type of instruction which places an emphasis on the students in order to better understand them and how they learn best. Students’ unique behaviors and characteristics are placed in the center of the focus in the classroom because these must drive almost everything that educators do in the classroom (Ormrod, 2014, p. 4). The focus lies on the individual learner and his/her complex needs for
learning, rather than simply prioritizing only on the content. This principle of design acts as a uniting bridge between these two crucial components in education. According to the US Department of Education, the balance between the two, the individual learner and content, is essential in order to adequately prepare students for productive and healthy futures (US DoE, 2003). By paying attention to students’ opinions, beliefs, skills, and level of knowledge, a teacher is able to understand their students in a way like never before. The better understanding an educator has of their classroom, the more prepared they are to ensure that each student’s needs are being properly accommodated and each student is being pushed to reach his or her fullest potential. The Department of Education also states that paying attention to this knowledge base about learners and learning is central in working to define the personal domain of educational systems (US DoE, 2003). Analysis: In this lesson plan, one of the ways that it exemplifies the learner-centered design principle is through the way that it is facilitated through the student’s responses and opinions to the story in addition to the lesson material. Centered around the book ‘The Giving Tree’, this lesson plan specifically contains content standards which aim to instill the character education standards including kindness, generosity, and loyalty. After the book is read, the teacher allows the students to lead discussion about the story by asking them what they thought, what the boy’s actions were towards the tree and whether they made him feel happy or sad. Additionally, the students will talk about what it means to be a friend, and how they would feel to be a friend that did all the giving just like the tree did in the story. In “How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience and School: Expanded Edition”, we see the significance in combining student’s meanings with the material itself, “If teaching is conceived as constructing a bridge between the subject matter and the student, learner-centered teachers keep a constant eye on both ends of the
bridge” (NRC, 2000, p. 136). Much of the discussion about this lesson is generally subjective, gathering student’s unique and independent opinions and feelings about the story they heard. This in tandem with the presentation of the lesson material helps to further student’s understanding and take-away from the lesson. Suggested Changes: A change that I would suggest for this lesson plan is immediately after the story is read to the students, to grab a marker and ask students how they felt after listening to that story and write down their one-worded responses on an anchor chart in a bubble map. This way, the teacher is able to see the concrete feelings the students felt after reading the story, allowing for better class discussion throughout the rest of the lesson and understanding of each student’s opinion and reaction to the book. The NRC reiterates the importance of this gathering of student’s thoughts, stating that “Accomplished teachers “give learners reason,” by respecting and understanding learners’ prior experiences and understandings” (NRC, 2000, p. 136). Knowledge-Centered Principle of Design Definition/Discussion: A knowledge-centered principle of design looks primarily at what is being taught to students in the classroom, how they are being taught, and why it is being taught. This principle of design places a large emphasis on the awareness that the student has on what he or she is required to learn and master along with the organization of such knowledge. As stated by the IRIS Center at Vanderbilt University, a knowledge-centered classroom will involve the provision of rigorous content and the focus on helping students learn rather than memorize the required material (IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University, 2018). In the classroom with such a design, students are presented with material to learn and are expected to stop when something does not make sense to them. Students read, study, and learn more effectively when they are
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allowed to plan appropriately and use effective strategies (Ormrod, 2014, p. 18). With this provided to them with thoughtful and intentional thinking by their teachers, students will be able to achieve much greater understanding and success in the classroom. This blatant and overall emphasis of ‘sense-making’ that is introduced helps teachers to further the mastery of concepts in their students, but more importantly, this helps students to attain a better awareness of their own understanding of what they are learning. Analysis: In this lesson plan, one of the ways that it exemplifies the knowledge-centered design principle is through the emphasis on what is being taught to the students and why it is being taught to them. Stated by the National Research Council, “The knowledge-centered environment provides the necessary depth of study, assessing student understanding rather than factual memory” (NRC, 2000, p. 24). This lesson performs these functions as it is centered around character education and looks at student’s understanding of such in tandem with learning about trees as well. The lesson plan requires that students will fill out a clear and easy to follow chart and be engaged in discussion both at the beginning and end of the lesson about why they are talking about these ideas and what it means to them. The presentation of knowledge for students to learn and understand is thoughtfully organized throughout the lesson. It is so important to educate children on building character and values, and this lesson plan very accurately portrays the central idea behind the knowledge-centered principle of design that emphasizes the learning of well-organized knowledge rather than memorization. Suggested Changes: A change that I would suggest for this lesson plan would be to deliberately state at the very beginning of the lesson the components that the students will be learning about in the lesson. This idea is advocated for by the National Research Council, prioritizing “the need to help students become knowledgeable (Bruner, 1981) by learning in ways that lead to
understanding and subsequent transfer” (NRC, 2000, p. 136). Telling students what they are going to be looking at and learning about in a lesson before you present it to them will help their understanding, comprehension of material, and as a result will allow them to be able to transfer such knowledge in the future. So, the teacher would take an Expo marker and write on the board what knowledge the students will be gaining. So, for example, before anything is even done in the lesson, the teacher will tell the students “Today we will be learning about 1.) Trees and the changes that they go through 2.) Why trees are important to us and the environment, 3.) What it means to be a good friend, and 4.) What being a good friend looks like”. This way, the students are well aware of what exactly they are going to be learning about, so it will be clearer to them throughout the lesson itself, and afterwards they are reaffirmed of the knowledge that they have gained. Assessment-Centered Principle of Design Definition/Discussion: An assessment-centered principle of design is one which focuses directly on testing students in order to properly understand their level of knowledge. This idea emphasizes that when a student’s thoughts and application of their knowledge is concrete and visible, it is easier to grasp what they truly do or do not know. In Essentials of Educational Psychology: Big Ideas to Guide Effective Teaching, it is stated that assessments, whether formal or not, are important for promoting effective cognitive processes (Ormrod, 2014, p, 56). This design also focuses on the fact that assessments provide optimal opportunities for feedback and allow room for needed revision. If a student is not understanding a particular concept, it is crucial that the teacher knows this, and that they are able to identify where exactly any confusion may lie so that clarification is provided, and the student may attain successful understanding. This
regular monitoring of student comprehension through assessments not only allows the assurance of student progress, but also enables the teacher to recognize errors or lacking areas in his or her teaching, thus allowing for improvement. Analysis: In this lesson plan, one of the ways that it exemplifies the assessment-centered design principle is through the students’ completion of the chart which lists the gifts that the tree and the boy gave to each other throughout the progression of the story. In each column’s section, the students should list the gift exchanged at that time in the story as well as drawing a picture to represent this. Drawing a picture in addition to writing their responses is an excellent way to look for student comprehension as it allows them two different ways to demonstrate their understanding. In the article “How Students Learn: History, Mathematics, and Science in the Classroom” by the National Research Council, the necessity of providing students with a variety of these opportunities is to, “make students’ thinking and learning visible as a guide for both the teacher and the student in learning and instruction” (NRC, 2005, p.13). The teacher can use the charts as a method of assessment while using the pictures the students drew to look for accuracy and further interpretation. This very accurately depicts how an assessment- centered design principle can be implemented in the classroom. By identifying students’ understanding of the events that happen at each part in the story and analyzing their representation of that through their drawings, the teacher is able to assess the students’ knowledge of what they learned throughout the lesson through the provision of frequent opportunities for them to do so. Suggested Changes: A change that I would suggest for this lesson plan would be for the teacher to create some sort of criteria or grading scale to use when assessing the students’ charts. Since the chart assessment is essentially only done based off of their one-worded responses on what the
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‘gift’ is and their drawing of it, it may be difficult to make objective judgements on them. Before sitting down and assessing them, the teacher should make some criteria to refer to throughout the ‘grading’ process. The National Research Council states that, “Once the knowledge to be learned is well defined, assessment is required to monitor student progress” (NRC, 2005, p. 16). This affirms the notion that it is critical to have clarity and certainty on what exactly the knowledge is that the students are to learn in order to properly assess them on such. For example, when looking at each section of the column, the teacher should be thinking “I am looking for the student to have a response that represents the protection of trees, and the picture should consist of either a tree or show a way that we can protect trees”. This will allow for better and more objective measurement of each student’s knowledge and will simultaneously make this process of assessment clearer and easier for the teacher. Community-Centered Principle of Design Definition/Discussion: A community-centered principle of design focuses on the environment and the expectations for learning and knowledge that it may set. This design works to foster the norms, values, and roles within a community that promote for learning of the highest quality. As an educator, making it a priority to connect with your students is paramount, and this can be done by working to become more informed on the various cultural beliefs and practices students participate in within the community in which you are working (Ormrod, 2014, p.13). In communities, there is a large sense of familiarity and connection, which allows individuals to relate to and respect each other and while achieving an overall atmosphere of collaborative learning. According to the IRIS Center by Vanderbilt University, “a major goal of community- centered learning environments is to help every individual student to develop competence and
confidence” (IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University, 2018). An environment that has teamwork and collaboration actively ongoing allows for overall better communication and smoother functioning in the classroom. These factors allow students to better understand their learning environment along with the expectations set for them, to see how their learning can extend beyond just the classroom, and how it is relevant in our world today. Analysis: In this lesson plan, one of the ways the community-centered design principle is exemplified is through the section on ‘tree-exploration’. At the beginning of the lesson, the students walk around the outside of the school to look at the different types of trees and observe their different parts. Followed by this is a discussion in the classroom amongst the students and the teacher on what they saw and noticed about the trees. This type of classroom-wide interaction is supported by the NRC, claiming that “Discussions in class help support the idea of a ‘learning community’” (NRC, 2005, p. 415). That statement reaffirms the benefits that carrying out discussions as a class has on not only the teacher as means of checking for participation, but also for the students and their engagement and understanding. This is a great depiction of a community-centered principle as it has students learning about the types of trees in their community in an engaging way as well as promoting productive discussion about it afterwards. Through all of these elements, students are able to make connections with their everyday life/community and ultimately better understand the lesson’s material as a result. Suggested Changes: A change that I would suggest for this particular lesson plan would be to further the ‘tree-exploration’ element even more. After the students go around the outside of the school and look at the various types of trees and discuss them inside, also ask the students about what types of trees that they have at their homes. By asking each student specifically to relate an aspect of their own life to the lesson, they are not only making connections but furthering their
knowledge. The National Research Council validates this notion, saying that “new learning builds on existing conceptions” (NRC, 2005, p. 20). Having students relate to what they are learning naturally makes them more interested and engaged, while giving the material a newly- added significance. Overall, furthering this discussion will help students to make more valuable connections with the lesson material, their personal lives, and their community as well. Transfer/Retention: In the textbook, transfer is defined as “a phenomenon in which something a person has learned at one time affects how the person learns or performs in a later situation” (Ormrod, 2014, p. 75). This academic process enables individuals to use what they have learned prior in new settings, ultimately allowing for more meaningful learning. If a student is able to make various connections and applications through their learning, they are naturally inclined to become more engaged with the material. The Giving Tree lesson plan supports the transfer and retention of knowledge as it has students observe/discuss trees in their school-community environment, then use what they have learned from such while they read ‘The Giving Tree’ book. Extending this transfer further, the students complete a chart where they are asked to record their responses in both word and picture form. I do not believe there are any changes that need be made to enhance student’s ability to transfer what they have learned in this lesson. Between observing trees around the school, class-wide discussion, listening to the story, completing the charts, talk about character and friendship, and collaborating in groups to make posters, this lesson plan is thorough in its efforts. The only suggestion I could think of would be to give the students a short worksheet or questionnaire the following day about ‘being a good friend’ to further emphasize the importance of upholding those characteristics and see what they have retained from the lesson. As stated by the National Research Council, enforcing “learning
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with understanding is important for the development of expertise because it makes new learning easier (i.e., supports transfer)” (NRC, 2000, p. 24). Overall, the mastery of transfer is a paramount skill in the classroom which can improve students’ understanding, application of concepts, critical thinking, and problem-solving.