T2P Reflection and Week 4 T2P (third)

Breaking down the structure of T2P, and providing a sample was necessary for students who require more guidance. A very effective approach was to ask the students to highlight, underline or circle the information that represents the concepts required in a T2P. To consolidate, getting students to pull out one of the previously written T2P, and make amendments based on the required format, was reinforcing what students have been guided to do. Sharing the information with a partner also provided an opportunity to reconsolidate students’ understanding. Another strategy I would employ in my class when I become a teacher is to repeat the exercises in activities, which students have not mastered.

Question and answer session via a round robin strategy during a lecture is an effective way to get students to participate. This was possible because a video clip on the content was presented. The concepts have already been dealt with prior to the viewing of the video clip and this made it possible for the students to critically think of how what they have learnt can be applied in a classroom context. During the question – answer session, the teacher sometimes expands students responses for the benefit of understanding the concepts discussed. When posing the questions the teacher provides a context of the issue, which gives the students a focus on the direction of the response. The comfortable tone in which the questions were presented will make students feel safe and secure about sharing their responses.

The group presentation on theories of learning is important for both the presenters and the listeners as it consolidates understandings. Also, different presentations provide ideas how a presentation can be carried out. This is a form of modeling which would enable students to take important and creative aspects of presentation. The spreadsheet for theories of learning is an absolutely important strategy to get students to identify information that is salient to theories of learning. Providing the opportunity to fill in the spreadsheet while the groups were presenting sets the students on task because they have to focus to elicit information from the presentation.

If a teacher provides scaffolds when students have not mastered an essential skill, then students would feel highly motivated to make more attempts in mastering the skill. Scaffolds facilitate a student’s ability to build on prior knowledge and internalize new information (Vygotsky). With more practice the students would be able to master the skill. When the students’ knowledge and learning competency increases, the teacher can gradually reduce the supports provided. The students, on the other hand, would be feeling comfortable to take on more challenging tasks.

Link to my spreadsheet: