3. "...the teacher uses a wide variety of instructional strategies and appropriate resources to engage students in learning and promote deep understanding of content..." (Nolan & Hoover, p. 91, 2010)
PBL (Project Based Learning)
Over the last few years, we have made a concerted effort as a school to provide more of a PBL basis for our classes, and having students learn and work on real world issues. This was based off of a training I had my second year at Merit, where we attended a training held by the Buck Institute (now called PBL Works), and it was a very rewarding and enlightening experience. I appreciate the fact that PBL provides some much-needed voice and choice to the students in their learning. As a result of that training, I've worked to incorporate more PBL into our classes, and the standards that it espouses (a public product, authenticity, reflection, critique and revision, etc.)
For example, In my Utah Studies class, this has involved my students researching more about their hometown and community, to ultimately create a self-guided tour, that involves self-reflection, analysis, feedback, and finally an ultimate project that delivers their knowledge to the public. A few items from that project include: Parent Letter Home; Project Overview; Final Project Considerations' Guide, Local Interview Option, Final Project Assignment, etc.). You can also see some finished examples of that project under the Making Classes Relatable portion of the previous section, Understanding of Content.
I've incorporated PBL into my other classes as well. In Game Design and Theory, it has led to a game design project that encourages students to design, create, test and apply their knowledge in making, testing, retooling and finessing their work into an excellent finished product., a game that others enjoy, and might even consider purchasing. We do the same in Speech and Debate, by having the students submit essays to the NYTimes editorial contest every year (here's the assignment: APA Editorial Letter, along with my model sample paper as well as one student example: The Human Race is More than a Rough Draft. Students also participate in a policy debate competition with another local school. Another great place to see more regarding my own implementation of PBL in my classes is through my Level II License Teaching Portfolio, which I completed a few years ago.
Social Interaction
I believe that there are many ways to engage students, but at the middle school level, where I've had the most experience, it seems to me that the majority of students really enjoy social interaction. So, I do my best to implement a variety of discussions and collaborations for them to utilize. We will have feedback attacks occasionally on assignments, where the students get the chance to offer and receive feedback on a project they are completing. This is framed in a low-affective way, so that everyone is comfortable participating, and it seems to work pretty well.
Another way I utilize social interaction is through jigsaw activities, with one example coming from my Utah Studies class, and my students use it to learn about a variety of different Native American Creation Myths (e.g. Navajo, Goshute, Ute, etc.). We end by watching a video about the Paiute Creation Myth, and then having a class discussion comparing and contrasting the various tribes and their stories, as well as making personal connections / interpretations of the stories, and other stories that we may know.
As part of this unit, we've also had some cool alternative experiences, including visiting the Natural History Museum (here's a sample assignment I ask the students to complete), and the many Native American artifacts and stories that are part of it, along with having visits from Darren Parry, former Shoshone tribal chief, at our school. I'm grateful to consider him a friend, and for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit our class year after year. Native Americans are an integral part of our state's past and present, and I do my best to make sure our students can get a taste of that connection. Speaking of connections, I also have a family connection to our local tribes. I sometimes tell my students about the story of my 4th great-grandfather & grandmother (homesteaders in Sanpete County), who adopted an orphaned Native American girl (Veretta Llewellyn) and raised her as their own (relationship shown here). Talk about making history relevant!
Over the last few years, we have made a concerted effort as a school to provide more of a PBL basis for our classes, and having students learn and work on real world issues. This was based off of a training I had my second year at Merit, where we attended a training held by the Buck Institute (now called PBL Works), and it was a very rewarding and enlightening experience. I appreciate the fact that PBL provides some much-needed voice and choice to the students in their learning. As a result of that training, I've worked to incorporate more PBL into our classes, and the standards that it espouses (a public product, authenticity, reflection, critique and revision, etc.)
For example, In my Utah Studies class, this has involved my students researching more about their hometown and community, to ultimately create a self-guided tour, that involves self-reflection, analysis, feedback, and finally an ultimate project that delivers their knowledge to the public. A few items from that project include: Parent Letter Home; Project Overview; Final Project Considerations' Guide, Local Interview Option, Final Project Assignment, etc.). You can also see some finished examples of that project under the Making Classes Relatable portion of the previous section, Understanding of Content.
I've incorporated PBL into my other classes as well. In Game Design and Theory, it has led to a game design project that encourages students to design, create, test and apply their knowledge in making, testing, retooling and finessing their work into an excellent finished product., a game that others enjoy, and might even consider purchasing. We do the same in Speech and Debate, by having the students submit essays to the NYTimes editorial contest every year (here's the assignment: APA Editorial Letter, along with my model sample paper as well as one student example: The Human Race is More than a Rough Draft. Students also participate in a policy debate competition with another local school. Another great place to see more regarding my own implementation of PBL in my classes is through my Level II License Teaching Portfolio, which I completed a few years ago.
Social Interaction
I believe that there are many ways to engage students, but at the middle school level, where I've had the most experience, it seems to me that the majority of students really enjoy social interaction. So, I do my best to implement a variety of discussions and collaborations for them to utilize. We will have feedback attacks occasionally on assignments, where the students get the chance to offer and receive feedback on a project they are completing. This is framed in a low-affective way, so that everyone is comfortable participating, and it seems to work pretty well.
Another way I utilize social interaction is through jigsaw activities, with one example coming from my Utah Studies class, and my students use it to learn about a variety of different Native American Creation Myths (e.g. Navajo, Goshute, Ute, etc.). We end by watching a video about the Paiute Creation Myth, and then having a class discussion comparing and contrasting the various tribes and their stories, as well as making personal connections / interpretations of the stories, and other stories that we may know.
As part of this unit, we've also had some cool alternative experiences, including visiting the Natural History Museum (here's a sample assignment I ask the students to complete), and the many Native American artifacts and stories that are part of it, along with having visits from Darren Parry, former Shoshone tribal chief, at our school. I'm grateful to consider him a friend, and for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit our class year after year. Native Americans are an integral part of our state's past and present, and I do my best to make sure our students can get a taste of that connection. Speaking of connections, I also have a family connection to our local tribes. I sometimes tell my students about the story of my 4th great-grandfather & grandmother (homesteaders in Sanpete County), who adopted an orphaned Native American girl (Veretta Llewellyn) and raised her as their own (relationship shown here). Talk about making history relevant!
Sources
Guidance Point. (2020). Teacher, students & a globe [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.guidancepoint.in/home-tuition
Natural History Museum of Utah. (2020). Retrieved 21 March 2020, from https://nhmu.utah.edu
Nolan, J., & Hoover, L. (2010). Teacher supervision and evaluation - Theory into practice (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Guidance Point. (2020). Teacher, students & a globe [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.guidancepoint.in/home-tuition
Natural History Museum of Utah. (2020). Retrieved 21 March 2020, from https://nhmu.utah.edu
Nolan, J., & Hoover, L. (2010). Teacher supervision and evaluation - Theory into practice (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.