Monday, March 4, 2013

More than One Way to Accomplish a Task

During our readings for today, both my purpose questions addressed the idea that there are multiple methods and ways to go about planning a lesson or implementing writing techniques. In the first chapter, it brought up new ideas that expanded my thinking on how to plan a lesson. Through my inexperience of planning lessons, this chapter provided me with different techniques to go about planning a lesson. One idea that really resonated with me was that lesson plans should encourage flexibility and change. A lesson plan may look good and well organized on paper but until it is brought into practice in the classroom is when the changes need to be made base on the students understanding or misunderstanding of the lesson. By incorporating flexibility and change within the lesson plan it provides for more success overall. Another idea that was brought up in the chapter was the Before-During-After Reading Instructional Framework. This concept was new to me as I have not actually planned a lesson before. This framework provided me with a interesting concept as it challenged the way I will plan my future lessons. When discussing the During Reading portion of the framework it mentioned how students disconnect with the math text the most. This was eye-opening to me as it made me understand that I will have to support my students the most during this part of the their reading as it provides the most struggle for them. The text provided me with some methods, such as, the use of study buddies, providing worksheets during reading or even asking guided question in order to help them connect with their text more. In learning of these different methods, I began to realize how although one might work with one class another method may work for another class. Therefore, I have to be prepared to provide my students with multiple options that will support their own method of connecting with the text in the best way possible.

In going along with this the second chapter in the reading for class had me explore was to implement writing practices in the classroom. The text brought up the new ideas of two classifications of writing, writing to learn and writing in disciplines. These classifications showed two different methods in which writing can be implemented depending on content area and intention of writing. In reflecting upon my future classrooms, I focused on the writing to learn attributes of this section because I felt as if it pertained to my math classroom more. Through reading the different methods, I often thought to myself, "These are creative ways to implement writing, however, I don't think they can be used in my math classes". I was pleasantly wrong in my thoughts given with support from the in-text examples. The examples provided me with a context in how they can be used as well as challenged me to think how I could use these different strategies of writing. By reading the examples, I began to think that through the multiple methods it will help engage the students to understand the concepts better as well as support me as a teacher to understand the problem areas the class is confused on. The different writing strategies are creative and unique ways to assess the students in their writing and knowledge. Also, they allowed for me to expand my thinking on how to implement writing in my math classroom. 

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