Phew. That went better than I thought!
For my inquiry based instruction my initial ideas kept getting shot down, as the teachers were pushing me to be more creative and use my resources on campus. I then started running around to everyone at my fraternity and was asking about ideas that they may have, since they have more concentrated areas of study. Denise Beam, a friend of mine who also works at the dairy barns, suggested using a colostremeter. I jumped on this idea because it sounded perfect since it used a scientific piece of equipment and would fit into my Animal Science unit for my 8th grade class.
To start the lesson I had them brainstorm ideas of things a newborn mammal would need. They had said things like nutrients, love, warmth, milk, ect. I then had them read an article about why calves need colostrum. After reading the article they participated in a think-pair-share and discussed together and as a class what was read in the article.
I had two milk jugs on the table as well as two test tubes and a colostremeter. I asked them which milk I should drink. I gave that to them as their initial instruction and basically let them figure out how to use it on their own. I kept track of what they were saying on the board so I could reference it later.
When they were done figuring out which milk I should drink I had them go over their hypothesis and procedure. They figured out that they were measuring colostrum and that I should drink the regular milk instead of the milk full of colostrum that is intended for newborn calves. I asked how it related to the article that we read in the beginning of class and I reviewed the objectives of the day to make sure that they understood everything.
When I was writing my lesson plan I wanted everything to be mostly B and C on the chart of inquiry based instruction. This lesson is for an 8th grade class and I didn't want them to become frustrated. I wanted to have them think independently but also have some guidance when they needed it. I would do it like this until they were more comfortable with inquiry based instruction then I would focus it to be more student based.
As for my teaching mannerisms..... I need to learn how to smile!!!!! I have a problem with smiling in class especially when it is something new and I do not feel totally comfortable with the material. I literally learned how to use the colostremeter an hour before class and do not have a dairy background besides my high school agricultural classes. I researched it all weekend but I was still unsure of myself. I am sure that confidence will come with time.. but the least I could do is smile.. really need to work on that.
Overall, I am happy with how the inquiry lesson went. I know that there is always room for improvement, but it was a good first experience!
Hi Jeanne,
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a productive lab, I think we can all relate to feeling uncomfortable teaching new material. I'm pretty sure that's a common thread we can all agree on and one that we all need to work on. I think the idea you used for this lab was great and I think they really pushed all of us to think deeper and step further out of my comfort zone. Keep up the good work its amazing how far we have come this semester!
Jeanne,
ReplyDeleteI think you ended up with a great topic for your lab! I am glad you were willing to stretch outside the ideas you did have to become creative! This was definitely a lab that had us all in brand new territory, but I think that it sounds like you handled it well. I like how you mentioned how you plan to use this in the classroom, by first starting in the lower columns so that students can become familiar with IBI before you make it more student centered. While sometimes it is good to minimize learner frustration, I think it can play a large role in the students learning process when presented to them appropriately. Starting them off small with IBI and working your way up may be a great way to accomplish that! Good job!
Sounds like a great lab topic! Aside from you learning something new the students in your animal science class will definitely pick up on some knew knowledge. I also think this is really neat because it will interest the kids to use a different piece of equipment. Confidence will come and we all need to remember that its ok to learn with our students.
ReplyDeleteIm glad it went better than you thought. I know with a tough lesson it can be had to maintain that happy or smiley ora . I think just continuing to focus on our teaching and to be aware will allow that to become easier
ReplyDeleteJEANNE I really like your reflection of what you did and how it worked out. It seemed like you were really prepared, regardless of what you think! YOU'RE A GREAT TEACHER AND WILL DO AWESOME THINGS IN THE CLASSROOM. There, that should make you smile. I know you are going to make a positive difference in so many students' lives, so be happy that you are given that opportunity, regardless of how comfortable you feel with a colostremeter ;)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like it went great for you and even if you were not 100% comfortable with the material you were one step a head of your class in your peroration. Just remember to smile which will come easier the more you are in front of a class and get more relaxed in the front of the real class. Great Work!!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a fun IBI lab Jeanne! I would enjoy learning about that since I don't know what a colostrumeter is. I like how that did the scientific methods and you kept track of notes on the board so you could go back and talk about them. Come on smiley! Break it out, you have it in you, you just aren't used to smiling maybe!?!
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