Blog Phase III: Accomplishing Standards

• Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Based on my assignments this semester in teaching, assessing, and reflecting, I have learned a great deal. I gained practical experience in creating, planning, implementing, and improving lesson plans. Actually writing and blogging during each step of the lessons I created in this class, pushed me to think deeply about what went well, what didn’t, and how I can improve the learning experience in the future. All of the previously mentioned experiences allowed me to build effective teaching habits that will positively impact my future teaching. In my future classroom I intend to consistently improve the learning experience. I will do so by continuing to practice in depth reflection, generating improvement ideas during each stage of my lesson planning.       

• Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessment

During the semester, I gained experience in developing lesson plans that support digital-age learning experiences. Each lesson I created included appropriate technology integration during the procedure and assessment portions. Before this class, I felt comfortable finding ways to add technology to lessons but I did not feel like technology enhanced the learning experience. In creating these lessons I learned how to incorporate technology in meaningful ways that improve the learning experience. As a future teacher, I am now motivated to effectively and appropriately utilize technology integrations in the classroom.  

• Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

During this class, I practiced modeling digital-age work and learning, throughout my lesson implementations. I also gained a better understanding of modeling this as I played the student in others’ lesson implementations. During these experiences, I had the opportunity to participate in appropriate digital-age work and learning that was modeled by other teachers. I feel that acting in different roles, as the teacher and as the student in support of digital-age work and learning, helped me understand how to set a better example in my future classroom. I learned that technology is best incorporated into the learning experience as a teacher models proper use of that particular technology and gives students the opportunity to use it for themselves in a meaningful way. As a future teacher, I will not be the only one using technology in my classroom. I understand that teacher created slide presentations are often not effective technology integrations. I want my students to utilize technology in the classroom for themselves, in ways that strongly support their academic progress and success in today’s digital world.       

• Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

I learned how to model digital citizenship in the same way I learned to model appropriate digital-age work (listed above in standard three). In this course I learned that certain preparation and review must accompany lessons with technology integrations. This means that as a future educator, I need to include lessons that teach my students how to use technology in a safe and responsible manner. In my future classroom, I plan to use the information I learned this semester to define digital citizenship and responsibility to my students. I want to help each of my students understand what digital citizenship means and recognize how it applies to them specifically.     

Phase II: Reflection on Micro Lesson Implementation

           Instructional Decisions/Teaching: 

In teaching this lesson, I discovered that a greater time allotment would improve its effectiveness. In this way, we could spend more time practicing the teamwork activities where genuine learning occurred. In acting as a facilitator, I realized that the students’ favorite part included not watching or talking about the teamwork activities, but actually doing them. This also seemed to be the most memorable and beneficial part of the lesson. This group of learners would have appreciated additional time during the teamwork activities to enhance their learning experience.  

I maintained alignment to the objective and goal by following my lesson plan that was created from an Arizona Academic Physical Education Standard. I built my lesson in a way that helped each student accomplish the objective.

I modified the lesson to meet the individual needs of my students by providing an activity for learners who could not physically participate. For example in my plan I stated: As a modification to the lesson for learners who are unable to physically take part, ask them to act as a coordinator for their team and give verbal instructions.  

As a possible extension to this lesson in the future, for learners who need enrichment, I’d like to have them try to perform the noodle foot pass activity blindfolded. For safety reasons, this would be without the running in between. Students would only pass the noodle from the beginning of the line to the end and back without getting up. This would make the noodle pass activity more challenging and would encourage the development of communication skills in an exciting way. 

Sample Student Products:

Assessment of Learning: 

Each student’s final product, or teamwork picture, is evidence of his or her individual level of success in achieving the lesson’s objective.

Overall, I was successful in teaching this lesson. I feel this way because I would only make minor changes to the lesson, such as allowing more time for the noodle pass and noodle run teamwork activities. My students enjoyed the lesson and I had fun teaching it. Also, every student accomplished the objective and received full points.

Each participant completed a survey form and expressed their ideas of the lesson’s strengths and weaknesses. Their comments reflected my thoughts on increasing time allotment during the outdoor activities. Students’ answers also communicated that overall, the lesson was effective and engaging.

Noodle Pass Activity