Man was Vygostky a tough read. But it had a lot of good points and helpful insight that applies to our teaching. The main thing I took away was the importance of children learning through play. I am completely for acting it out and discovering new concepts and the application of concepts through peer interaction. It is a great time for students to make the rules and be the boss of their learning. The students is able to test the limits and adjust the rules along the way through trial and error essentially. Which is why it is so hard for me to "follow the rules" when it comes to recess rules at my school. Recess has now been cut down to a slither of 15 mins, and in reality only 10 mins to actually play by the time we get out to the blacktop and then take time to line up to go in. (Last year we had 30 min....just saying.) But back to the point, recess so much more than a break for the kids. This unstructured, social and exploratory time provides cognitive, social and emotional benefits.Children having the opportunity to apply what they learned in their own cultural context serves a chance for them to experiment with the concepts/tools we teach them with no limitations other than the ones they create.
Simialr to when Kori mentioned the UNO game a few weeks ago as being a good design product. If one person in the group did not know how to play UNO, they would not result to the game manual and try to remember all the rules and jargon of the game right before playing. They would simply be exposed to the game and intrigued form watching, and want to learn how to use this new tool. By just hoping in a playing, they new player will learn the rules as they go and try to find loop holes to the information they have learned. Then a new rule will be explained saying "no you are not allowed to do that" with an explanation of the accompanying rule.
I plan to implement this more into my class. I have designed a lesson where the class are all scientist trying to stop a "mad scientist" as we continue to learn about the scientific method and introduce matter. In efforts to expose them to the learning and getting them ready as they reach the ZPD. I will give the class different scenarios with a different child as the mad scientist, the other professors will then have to think of ways using science to problem solve together. I plan to use the new lesson plan of structure, process, and discourse to iron out the details of the unit instead of the typical 9-point lesson plan template. Away with traditional!.....Well...slowly getting away from it lol baby steps!
I agree that learning through play is very valuable. Sometimes it feels like I’m tricking the students to learn but it's really just about perspective and presentation sometimes to engage the students. Your “Mad Scientist” activity sounds great! I’d love to hear how it goes. I’m envious at your ability to stray from the 9 point lesson plan. I have been able to find some PBL activities that the team is looking into incorporating later in the year as a way to review for the SOL’s and still follow the Pathways implementation that I’m excited about. The students will review place value as they research habitats and animals indigenous to those regions as they take on the role of expedition scout and create a field guide that will decide if they are hired for the job and may be published and sold by Wildlife Explorers International - I’m hoping that as we explore the animals we can also add customary weights and measurements to this project.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a great idea with the animal project. And I think as a "transition year" I would feel more comfortable doing the PBL projects later in the year when the students have already been taught the content in our "traditional ways" that way it almost lifts the burden of having the SOL's to worry about and can really get in to the student authentication.
DeleteI love your "Mad Scientist" idea! Let us know how it goes. Rachel, your wildlife explorers PBL also sounds awesome! Jasmine, I understand your frustration with recess. We're lucky that our principal believes 30 minutes is necessary for students, so that's one where he's nonnegotiable and defends the students' recess time. Is it because space is limited and you're scheduled for recess time? The kids definitely need that time to work on their social skills and try out how things work!
ReplyDeleteYeah lucky you guys! We are maxed out at 1400 kids and each grade level has 5 or more classes so the prinicipal decided to split grade levels. half goes to recess before lunch, half goes to recess after lunch. In order to do that, that meant cutting all recess in half to get each group in. SUCKS!
DeleteMy class is currently writing persuasive essays on why we should get more recess to the principal! (for my eyes only of course) haha
DeleteI completely relate to your UNO game comment. My husband is a board game junkie and always wants me to play new games with him. I can never understand them by reading the rules like he can so I came up with a new rule, if he can find it explained through play then he can get it because I can play it too. Wil Wheaton is really good at doing this so we have been able to invest in more games. I feel this is the same for students, they learn best by playing it out with guidance from those around them.
ReplyDeleteI would love to hear how your "Mad Scientist" lesson goes. It sounds like if will be very engaging for your students.
haha yeah that is a good point. Students, similar to adults well actually the 21st century likes fast and to the point, not reading manuals and instruction books.
DeleteI'm so glad you brought up the UNO comparison. It's sometimes hard to remember that there are just some things that are easier learned by observing and doing rather than learning all the rules (and writing them down) first. A few times, I've tried to let students dive in by figuring it out themselves, and the responses to that have been interesting. Some kids are completely comfortable taking the risk and just trying, others are very apprehensive and seem unsure of where to start. I guess that's the ZPD though, and bringing them to that level of struggle where they have the brain tools to work through that struggle!
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