Goal 1: Planning for challenging activities
for the low achievers
Page overview:
This page includes details on my first goal for this semester, including the purpose, plan, and evidence.
Teaching Competency: Planning for Learning
SMART Goal
In order to make goals more attainable, a specific criteria must be followed, and this criteria uses the acronym SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based) (University of California, 2016).
Justification
I had the misconception that learners excel only when they are provided with activities they can complete easily, but their performance is only depictive of their current skills, rather on new skills they should be acquiring. Theorist Vygotsky focused his attention on what a child will be able to do (potential ability), while I used to focus on what learners can currently do (Nottingham, 2015). Therefore, I set a goal to plan for activities that challenge the less able learners rather than underestimate their abilities. Furthermore, this goal links with my action research project as one aspect of my research examines the use of appropriately challenging material for learners.
Click to read about my research project:
Previous Mentoring College Teacher's (MCT) Comment
My MCT believed that I needed to push learners to be more independent, and therefore I needed to provide them with more challenge. If the activities are too simple, then students are not being stretched to their full potential.
Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy advocates the use of cognitively challenging activities. The basis for this belief is Lev Vygotsky's theory of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), in which the activities must be matching to that of the child's level (Arends, 2015).
Click on the button below to be redirected to my teaching philosophy page:
Goal Implementation Steps
Step 1: Identify the low achievers in the classroom
Students were grouped based on their levels, and the low achievers were identified as group C.
Step 2: Assign students homework
I assigned students homework to practice key concepts from the lesson through the smart gate (LMS) in which they accessed a link to do a quiz.
Digital Manipulatives
Pencil and Paper
Step 3: Utilize tools
Engage learners in activities that require the use of either digital tools or tangibles like pencils, and colours.
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Step 4: Learning as teachers
Students were asked to do independent research and present their work to their peers.
Evidence of Progress
Activity 1: Homework
Description
I gave students various types of homework for them to extend their knowledge about the topics that we study in class. Some activities included drawing, writing, watching videos and quizzes.
Rationale
The purpose of homework is to give students a chance to consolidate key concepts learned during class. Some learners find it hard to focus and concentrate during the lesson, which is why extra activities that they can do on their own time helps with reinforcing the topics. According to Christopher (2007), "Homework becomes a safe place to try out new skills without penalty" (np.), further encouraging learners to push themselves to practice new skills. I believe that out of class work is particularly useful for low achievers as they have a chance to challenge themselves when they are alone and not under a specific time limit.
Activity 2: Using tools
Description
Students engaged with various tools such as timers, pencils, and digital tools. Such manipulatives encourage learners to be aided and scaffolded while depending on themselves.
Rationale
Giving students various tools is beneficial for their learning. It increases their autonomy and gives them the chance to be creative (Lynch, 2019). As I gave students these activities, I found that they were able to express themselves better. Recording their voices made it easier to express thoughts they couldn't communicate through writing. Using digital manipulatives engaged them. Drawing pictures helped them visualize the lesson better.
Activity 3: Presentation
Rationale
The "Learning as teachers" strategy emphasizes the role of students as planners (Ling, 2013). It encourages them to use unique and creative ways to deliver their information and present it to their peers. In addition, it helped them hone their social and communication skills.
Feedback
Mentoring School Teacher (MST)
In the beginning, I struggled to consistently involve learners from the low ability group as they weren't very responsive in the online environment.
Feedback 1
Feedback 2
After reflecting on the problem, I planned for activities that were challenging, yet allow low achieving learners to showcase their creativity through open-ended tasks.
Observation Checklist
Description
Some lessons incorporated speaking skills by having students do research or draw about a specific topic and then present it to their classmates.
I asked my mentor to rate students' behavior and performance based on a criteria of the aspects I wanted to achieve. It is apparent that I still need to enhance my ability to encourage the learners to communicate and start discussions.
Mentoring College Teacher (MCT)
From my MCT's observation of my lesson, she commented on how I was able to challenge learners' thinking. This was one of my aims as I believe when learners are faced with activities that make them think and ask questions, that's where real learning occurs.
Reflection
Reflection plays a vital role in the planning of activities. Overall, I believe I was able to challenge learners sufficiently using a variety of tools, despite the lessons being held in an online environment. Unexpectedly, distance learning provides the teacher with a variety of more tools she can use to challenge learners and scaffold them so that they can become independent. The use of technology makes learning engaging for students, and many resources can be employed such as visual, audio, and video aids (Alshamrani, 2019, p.20).
I learned how to do research in order to plan for challenging work.
Find my reflection on this goal in my weekly journal, journal 8:
References
Alshamrani, M. S. (2019). An investigation of the advantages and disadvantages
of online education [Master's thesis, Auckland University of Technology].
https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/12479/
AlshamraniMS.pdf?sequence=5&isAllowed=y
Arends, R. (2015). Learning to Teach. New York City: McGraw-Hill Education.
Christopher, S. (2007, December/January). Homework: A few practice arrows. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 74-75. http://www.cpuschools.org/ documents/filelibrary/parent_resources/Homework_Article_1_732EC6644823A.pdf
Ling, M. (2013, January 18). Stretching and challenging learners. Oaklands College. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54cb2e66e4b049ee78a97b14/t/54d0cf22e4b0b745f2d317f0/1422970658898/Melissa-Ling-Stretching-and-challenging-learners.pdf
Lynch, L. (2019, April 3). Challenge is a part of learning. Responsive Classroom. Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/challenge-is-a-part-of-learning/
Nottingham, J. (2015). Challenging learning : Theory, effective practice and lesson ideas to create optimal learning in the classroom [ebook]. Taylor & Francis Group.
University of California. (2016). SMART goals: A how to guide. Retrieved April
29, 2020, from https://www.ucop.edu/local-human-resources/_files/
performance-appraisal/How%20to%20write%20SMART%20Goals%20v2.pdf