Lesson Planning

 By Peter Bowen

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy “Revised” Key Words, Model Questions, and Instructional Strategies

http://www.slideshare.net/pmhs/bloom-revised-taxonomy-key-words

This article makes it easy to incorporate Bloom’s taxonomy into planning courses. It also simplifies analyzing what level of thinking a teacher is presently engaged with by comparing the model questions and key words with the material being presented. By analyzing in this manner it is possible to easily understand if a teacher has jumped to a higher level without covering the necessary precursors to this level. It also makes it easier to understand how to communicate appropriately at the different levels by studying the key words and model questions particular to that level. In addition it also presents instructional strategies for the different levels, if a teacher follows the basic ideas in the right order then the flow of the class and ease of learning should be maximized.

Characteristics of adult learners:

Adult Learners in Higher Education

http://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/pdf/AdultLearners.pdf

The reason I picked this article is because it gave me a minor epiphany. I was getting nervous about an upcoming course, Wilderness Lodge Chef Survival, that I will be teaching (if enough students sign up) and after reading this article an idea that had been nebulous up till now became clearer to me. The idea is that adult educators “become managers and facilitators of student learning, not primarily information dispensers.” I realized that there would be a wealth of information and experience that these adult students bring to the classes. I realized that my job would be to get the students to share their knowledge as well as present my own. It makes me a little more relaxed to consciously realize that even though I am an expert in the field I don’t have to know everything and, my job will be to steer the students through the process of successfully completing the course and to help them get everything out of it that they need.

Creating a Positive Learning Environment

Training and the Needs of Adult Learners

Link:   http://www.joe.org/joe/2006december/tt5.php

The reason I picked this link is because it has a synopsis of the 6 assumptions about adult learners that Malcolm Knowles identified. It explains them in enough detail that I can incorporate and use it as a checklist when I am planning my lessons. I believe that these assumptions, if incorporated into the over all design of the course and in everyday teaching will go far in creating a positive learning environment.

The article goes on to talk about teaching and learning strategies, which are in line with theories of androgogy such as case studies, educational games, roll play, and group discussions. Once again it describes them with enough detail that I can understand the basic concepts and practices and plan on incorporating a variety of these strategies into my lessons.

Motivational Techniques

Link:

http://www.crlt.umich.edu/sites/default/files/resource_files/Nilson-adaptedmotivation.pdf

Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation

The reason I picked this article on motivating students is that it offers a convenient and in-depth analysis of what motivated adult students (it is adapted from a paper aimed at explaining methods for motivating engineering students). The content is presented in point form making it easy to comprehend and use as a checklist for both designing a course and monitoring the progress of the teaching. With the checklist I can see how I am doing, assess in what areas I am weak and plan on constant improvement in the course content and presentation.

The article is organized under different headings: persona, course, teaching, assignment and tests, and equality in the classroom. Under each of these headings are useful points on how to construct and teach a course in such a way to maximize the motivation of the students.

Here is one of my favorite motivational quotes: “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” –Vincent Van Gogh

Instructional Processes/Strategies

Link: http://udl-irn.org/instructional-process/

Instructional Planning Process

The reason I picked this article is that it has a clear step-by-step approach to lesson design that is in point form, easy to understand and implement into the lesson planning process and emphasizes anticipating the learner variability of students.

The article starts with establishing clear outcomes that can be clearly communicated to students. Then in step 2, Anticipate learner Variability, it points out that learners have different strengths, weaknesses and backgrounds. It made me realize that by putting varied abilities and backgrounds together is groups for discussion and case work that I would get the best use of the students abilities and strengths.

Reflections on the Web Conference

Reflections on the Web-Conference Experience:
The web conference was illuminating; it was a good example of peer-to-peer learning, which is often one of the elements of a ‘flipped’ classroom. Raj was super enthusiastic, he knew a lot of thing that I did not know, especially in terms of how new technology is being used in the classroom. We chatted for about half an hour and I got to know a bit about him. He was very interested in what I am doing. His blog has lots of great articles and information on it. We talked about some of the articles and how personal hand-held electronic devices are revolutionizing the classroom.
What did I learn from Raj:
When we were talking and trying to decide what topic to pick. I said, “I want to learn about how best to use video in the classroom, I have a lot of good footage and I am planning on making a series of 20 minute videos that the students can watch on Youtube at home before class. He told me that what I was describing sounded like a ‘flipped’ class. I had not heard of this yet and after reading about it I was excited to see how far people had taken this simple idea.

Trends in Using Video in the Classroom

With the trend towards increased use of electronics and the proliferation of tablets and smartphones, students are consuming their knowledge using video and other social media. This generation of students are ahead of the curve as they have grown up with computers and smart phones. In addition, 'Just in Time' teaching, when a teacher sets up a questionnaire after a learning experience (could be a video) and then monitors the results and uses this information to respond to the exact needs of the students as they arise, is a trend that lends itself well to the use of video.

As a result of the increased use of electronics, the proliferation of video available and the interest in 'Just in Time' teaching,  the trend of 'flipped' classrooms has emerged. The flipped classroom fully utilizes this technological trend towards more sophisticated and higher quality instructional videos with a  much wider viewership. Teachers can give a student a video to watch and then have an interactive quiz at the end. The teacher is then able to monitor the class as a whole as well as individuals scores.

In future classes I will be using some of the elements of the flipped classroom. I will be making movies that offer an in - depth look at the luxury lodge industry. Students will watch these videos at home take notes and write down their questions. They will make a note of any ideas or input they have then there will be discussion and further learning in class, which will include peer-to-peer learning. The students will be able to start the in person class at a higher level as a result of learning basics by video at home before attending class.

Insights Into Using Video in Adult Education

The Changing Roles of Adult Educators When Using Video in the Classroom

I used to assume a teacher would be a lecturer standing in front of the classroom. In my own experience as a teacher, I taught a skills based class and there was some student self-directed learning, but for the most part it was me telling them what they needed to know and how to do it.

The PIDP Foundations of Adult Education Course has opened my eyes to other forms of teaching and one of these is the new uses of video in the classroom. It seems to fit well with my interest in the humanistic learning theory. I found the concept of the "flipped classroom" was very interesting and it allows some significant changes in the roles of the instructors who implement a "flipped" environment.

In a flipped classroom, as in humanistic learning theory, a teacher is not so much the disseminator of information as he or she is a facilitator of the students self-directed learning. Someone who guides the students. This has been made possible partly because of the introduction into the classroom of teaching videos from Youtube and other social media platforms.

One of the roles that instructors take on as a result of the flipped classroom is that of a video producer or curator. A teacher can produce or curate a video to for example, teach something basic like multiplication. The students then learn from this at home. In the classroom the instructor can then teach to a higher level, and the ones who did not view the video or who did not "get it" can view the video in the back of the classroom. In this way the teacher does not have to go over something time and time again teaching the same basic stuff. The videos will do that and she or he can spend their time teaching higher level stuff. In this way a teacher can be a lot more effective.

Another role of teachers in the flipped classroom environment is to encourage peer to peer learning in a much more significant way. Students who are capable of moving through the material more quickly using the videos can then be paired with others who need some help with concepts.