The subject area that I chose is science and the topic is weather. Due to the fact that I will be in elementary education, I will need to begin by focusing on the most basic of facts.
If my teaching is informed by the developmental learning theory I would start with the most concrete idea for my students. In knowing this, the first task that I would have my students complete would be to watch and record the weather as a whole class. I would most likely give them three broad options to choose from. From there I would begin to move to more abstract ideas such as how the weather affects us and what we need to wear or learning about the seasons. I may connect subjects by placing weather vocabulary words on a spelling test or a word wall within the room.
If my teaching is informed by the social learning theory I would allow students to work together and help each other when needed. So, I would most likely begin by allowing the whole class to choose what the weather is for the day and then asking a specific student to tell me what would be the appropriate clothing for recess or so on. If the specific student struggled to answer a question I may allow them to call on one other student who would serve as the more knowledgeable peer.
Combined together, I would keep in mind the zone of proximal developmental and the most concrete of ideas for my students in order that they may truly learn the information that they are being given.
I love the ideas you came up with for using the weather for elementary school students. I also want to do elementary level. So I feel as if you you really found a good way to cover a really elaborate topic but just using the basics. I think the ways you use DLT is awesome, but you could also do where you incooperate dlt and slt by having the students do a basic, little presentation of the 4 seasons and have them talk about what the weather is like during this time (rain,snow,sunshine,ect) as well as talk about what you would wear like you said earlier and have them dress up as well ( rain coat, snow boots, shorts, ect).
ReplyDeleteYour blog post was very detailed. I feel that often times in blogs, just like with DLT, people jump from concrete to abstract, but I feel like you described the steps all the way through which helped me to better picture what you would be doing with your students.
ReplyDeleteI remember doing weather records in elementary school. I definitely think you can't get anymore concrete than if you're letting your students observe the weather for themselves. With SLT I think you could use something more like a group project or split them into groups and they can discuss various weather patterns together. I think groups would be more beneficial because it allows them to talk amongst themselves to grasp the idea before being put in a large group where a few classmates may dominate the conversation.
ReplyDeleteI love your idea of letting the kids observe the weather for themselves. Weather can be a hard concept for kids to grasp because it's so big and it's not controlled. And i really enjoy your idea of asking the kids what to wear depending on what the weathers like outside. That incorporates what they already have some understanding of into what you're trying to teach. I also like your thinking about the words on the spelling test-- that's an extra push for them to understand the unit.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea to put weather vocabulary in spelling tests and around the room. I think that the more students are exposed to the ideas around weather the more they will understand it. The more subjects you can work weather into the easier it will be for students to learn about it.
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