Social Interactive Model

Evaluated Lesson: Economic Theories

    For this week, we needed to pick a lesson and evaluate it. I chose Economic Theories lesson. When I started looking at it, I needed to remind myself on some information because I have not always followed economics that closely. There were words I needed to look up and information I needed to gather. This is something that all teachers should be doing before teaching a lesson so they are giving the proper details to their students. 

    The lesson I chose is above. When I first saw it I felt that it was very neat, precise and straight to the point. Each section is colored with one word tells the student exactly what they will be doing for that part. Once they read the direction, there is a link that will bring them to the website they'll use. There is a matching game on quizlet, an article to read, a form for them to fill out, a padlet and then Google Earth where they can be interactive while they are learning. The teacher is able to go to the google form assessment and see how the students answered write away and then figure out where they need more help.

    This lesson uses a lot of technology, which in todays world is a good thing. It allowed the teachers and students to get feedback right away. The only thing that bothered me about this lesson was that the Padlet link did not work. I was unable to actually see what needed to be done. If this was something that students were using right now, they would run into the same problem. This is the downfall when it comes to technology. Sometimes computers don't work, wifi goes down, or the links do not work. When planning a lesson like this, those challenges need to be taken into consideration.  

Explore: Models, Strategies, and Methods

    During my last blog, I discussed how the world is changing due to the pandemic. We are using a lot more technology and social media to stay connected. Our students are also seeing a lot of changes with how they are learning. In the beginning of "Methods of Teaching," published by Saskatchewan Education, it states that the world is changing rapidly (1996). Since this is the case, teachers need to take the time to change how they are teaching in their classrooms. 

Instructional Framework:

 

    Throughout the "Models of Teaching" article it talked about instructional framework and how it is done in the classroom. Instructional framework was designed to encourage teachers to examine their own instructional practices so they are efficient and effective. This framework allows the teachers to create a great learning environment that will help their students. 

Instructional Models:

Models exhibit philosophical orientation to instruction. This is the largest instructional practice. Teachers use models to structure their strategies, methods, skills, and student activities. 

Instructional Strategies:

Strategies are used to make sure the methods can be done, and there are multiple strategies that an be done. Strategies are used so the teachers can decide what approach they want to take so all the learning objectives are accomplished. 

Instructional Methods:

Without the methods there would not be a learning environment, they are what create it. During this time, the teacher and the students come together to complete the activities and accomplish the goals they are working towards. 

Instructional Skills:

Skills are the most intricate parts of instructional behaviors. This is where the questions, discussions, directions, explaining and demonstrating come in. 

    The instructional framework is a great way for teachers to have everything come together in their classroom. All of these instructional pieces come together perfectly and create an easy way to make sure all steps are taken. 

 Reference:

Regina, SK. (1996). A Framework for Professional Practice. Saskatchewan Education.Instructional Approaches. Retrieved from 2016_Models_strategies_methods_HO.pdf

Engage: Social Media in the Classroom

    When I first looked at this picture, it took me back to when I was younger and we had to write about our summer on the first day of school. It was such an easy thing to do, I was able to tell my teacher about all the fun I had and the people I was able to see. Back then, after a day of play, I kept the memories in my head and if they were great enough I wrote them down so I could read them later on. Today, that is not the case. 

    At first glance, this little boy seems to be being mouthy, but he is expressing what he knows. Todays kids are always on their phones or tablets posting what they are doing. Twitter being one of the more popular platforms. Since this is how our world is today, students should be encouraged to express themselves this way. I feel as though teachers can incorporate these social media platforms in their classes as well. Obviously we would not want the kids being no their devices during class time. However, allowing them to take some time to post about how they felt the lesson went. Afterwards, their classmates could comment on whether they agree or disagree and it could start conversation that they might not have usually. 

    We live in  a digital world where people post their lives on social media, this is not going to be changing. Teachers still need to teach their students everything they need to know so if they are bringing the social media aspect into the class, they may be able to catch the attention of their students better.

    In today's world, we use social medias and different technology than we had in the past. It may not always be the best thing for the classroom, but it may be something that helps students stay more connected because it is what they have grown to know. 
 

Nervous Adventure

     First day of school... it is always nerve racking. When you're a little kid, you may be nervous about who is going to be in your class and what your teacher will be like. As you get older, you start worrying about those things plus much more. Now that I am in graduate school, my nerves skyrocketed before our first class. 

    Social Studies has never been my strong subject, I did not do well with it in middle school or high school. When I learned that I needed to take this class, I was dreading it completely. When I first started to read the syllabus, I became more and more nervous. I knew there was going to be a lot to do, but I did not realize just how much. The Easter egg hunt did take a little pressure off my shoulders. It was a fun activity that gave me hope that there would be other fun activities throughout the semester. My anxiety was still running though. I wanted to make sure that all the questions were answered correctly and that I did not miss any. I went through and counted the eggs numerous times to make sure I answer them all. It was a fun activity and made me feel better, but I am still very nervous.

    When our first class started, my nerves all came back. Our teacher had us start by making a name tag and answer a few questions, during this time we also were put into breakout rooms to discuss with other people in our class. This was a little bit of an ice breaker, which is what I needed. It was nice talking to my classmates and learning that they are just as nervous as I am. Once we came back, Dr. Smirnova got us up and moving by playing "mirror me". This activity was enjoyable because it had us standing up and moving. I enjoyed these activities because they are ones that I will be able to use in the future. 

    Although school can be nerve-wracking, it is very rewarding. I have had times where I have had anxiety attacks and felt like I was not going to get everything I needed to done, but in the end I know that I need to do it. I work hard during every class and I make goal for myself so I know that I stay on top if it. I am still very anxious and nervous about how this class is going to go, but I am ready to go. 

Here are the tasks from the Easter Egg Hunt that we participated in: 

Jamboard

I answered the questions on the Google Form for this egg. :)

A Little About Me :)

 

Did you know?

I took the time to watch these Youtube video and could not believe the numbers I was seeing. When you go about your day, you forget how big the world is around you. During my day, I go to work, complete homework, and see my friends and family and there are billions of people doing the same exact thing. The statistics that were given were really mind-blowing.

The one things that really caught my eye during this video was all the information about the social media and technology. I carry my phone with me everywhere I go. It is my way to communicate, run my business, and stay up to date with what is going on in the world. After watching this video, I started thinking about how much time I really spend on my phone and it is definitely too much. When I am bored, I find myself getting sucked into either on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. I feel as though I need to take a little break from it. 

That being said, technology is definitely taking over how we do things in our world. Before I started my college career in 2012, I had a laptop that barely worked. It was super slow and I was not able to download everything I needed to. When I went to college, I continued to use the slower computer and it really ended up giving me a hard time. I upgraded to a MacBook and have been able to do so much more. Since then, I would not be able to live without this computer. It is my lifeline and has everything from my freshmen year up until now on it. I would lose a lot if something ever happened to it. 

Due to the pandemic, the statistics from this video have probably changed a lot. I am thankful that we are able to have virtual classes during this time, but it is hard. As an adult, I have a difficult time keeping up with the different technology I have had to use in the last few months. If I were a child, I do not know what I would do. I see young students and teachers during their time in the class and when they are virtual while I am at work. Teachers are constantly trying to find ways to make it easier for their students and it is stressful for them. The students themselves area also having a hard time and have been stressed. As helpful as the technology can be, I have seen a lot of people struggle with it. 

With how everything has been, I am really wondering what this video would be like and how the statistics would change. We already have so much technology, what will we have in 10 years, or even just 5 years. Will classrooms still have smartboards? Will every student have their own iPad/tablet in the class? It is going to be very interesting to see how what will happen in the next few years. 

References

Free Working Tricks. (2016, September 3). Did You Know (Officially updated for 2020). [Video file] Retrieved February 13, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u06BXgWbGvA&t=190s