Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning.
3.1 Establish challenging learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics.
After the first few weeks of teaching my professional internship classroom, I was able to gauge the range of abilities my students possessed, and how this was distributed amongst the students in the classroom. The high achievers were also incredibly fast and efficient workers, meaning that they always required some sort of extension for the tasks they were assigned, and one that would significantly challenge them.
My aim throughout teaching the programs I had devised was to help students understand the concepts, through completing engaging, and challenging activities. Reflection after introductory lessons sometimes found that a task either had not been challenging enough for some students, or had been very difficult for others. As a result of this, I strived to find tasks that were flexible, so they could be simplified for those who needed it to be, and extended for those who needed a challenge. Areas which this applied in particular were with literacy and numeracy I found.
In particular, I found this came into effect quite significantly during my reading program, where students read different information texts about water each week, and had to complete a range of tasks based on this reading. Each week the students were required to complete new tasks, linked to each of the strands of reading outlined in the WA Curriculum Framework. The range of abilities of the students in my class became during clear during these sessions, as some would finish their tasks very early in the week, while some took longer to complete the tasks, at a less detailed level. For those who completed early and well, I also devised a list of extension activities each week, set to challenge them.
During the last week of the term, the challenge was for students to create their own marketing campaign designed to encourage people to drink recycled water. Many students completed this task, and found it to be engaging and rewarding. The results showed a lot of my student’s innovativeness, and creativity, and I was very pleased to have given them the chance to demonstrate themselves in this manner.
Evidence I have used to demonstrate my achievement of this standard is a sample of both the regular reading activities, and extension activities assigned for one week. Over the next few months I would like to further develop these skills and my knowledge of the variety of ways in which learning can be adjusted for all learning levels, so each student is able to achieve to the best of their ability.
3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT that engage students in their learning.
I was very aware during my internship, that students require a range of different activities and resources in order to benefit the best from their learning. This is due to the variety of ways that students learn.
With this in mind, I endeavoured to structure my learning programs in a way that would give students access to a range of resources. The smartboard was very useful for this purpose, as it enabled me to show students various websites dedicated to the topic being discussed, as well as a variety of images, videos, and interactive games.
Through the use of these various resources, students were not only to access a range of information, but also absorb this information in a variety of ways. Students who were visual learners would have benefited greatly from the videos that were watched, as well as several class demonstrations, while students who were kinaesthetic learners would have benefited from the hands on activities that occurred, as well as interacting with educational games on the smartboard.
Students also had access to computer workstations throughout the term, enabling them to research information they were unsure about, with my permission, or to use the computer programs to improve the standard of their work. Through the use of these computers, students not only learnt some key ICT skills about navigating through Microsoft programs, but they were also able to develop some key research skills, which will be of use as they move towards high school, and the use of ICT becomes more embedded in schools.
Evidence I have used to demonstrate my achievement of this standard includes part of a powerpoint presentation I developed to introduce the technology project I began with my students on designing, making and flying kites. This presentation made use of the smartboard to show students examples of the aerodynamics of flight, as well as various examples of flight designs that were able to fly.
Over the next few months I plan to develop my range of resources, not only to include ICT related strategies and tools (including further development into the use of ipads, and augmented reality in the classroom) but also increasing the amount of useful teaching resources I own, and will be able to use for my programming, and with my students.
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