Static Electricity Lesson and Powerpoint Reflection
My lesson was directed towards 4th grade science and the topic I chose was static electricity. The thing that drew me towards this topic was the fact that I had the option of choosing from a few different activities to do with the class and it was a relatable type of electricity. This would be a great way to introduce students to the unit of electricity and magnetism, which they will be required to cover in 4th grade. Being able to watch my lesson has been extremely insightful. It is very difficult to judge your strategies and effectiveness while you are in front of a class, especially your peers. It is very helpful to take a step back and watch your lesson as if you were a student in the classroom and take note on what worked and what did not.
I worked hard on my PowerPoint and I think it worked well with the lesson. I color-coded major definitions from the topic so students could recognize them from slide to slide and see how each definition was related to the other definitions in the lesson. The PowerPoint was also helpful for me, the teacher, because it guided the lesson. I made sure I had slides that introduced all areas, so even if I wasn’t using the PowerPoint for a certain idea, I would remember not to skip over it. However, I do think I was a little too dependent on the PowerPoint. It would have been nice if I wasn’t stuck next to the computer the whole time. If I had walked around the room while explaining I would have been able to make sure all students were paying attention and it may have been more stimulating for the students.
I also really liked the activity I chose. The materials were really easy to get my hands on, even for such a huge class. I could tell the students enjoyed it judging by the reactions I heard in the DVD. To first explain something and then let the students demonstrate it and see it happening first hand, is a really effective tool and that was obvious from my lesson. Although not everybody raised their hands to answer right away I know that the main points of the lesson were appropriately addressed.
My one problem that was pointed out to me after my lesson, which I realized a lot while watching my lesson, was that I didn’t give the students enough opportunity to answer my questions. Some students volunteered simple answers, but I could have used additional follow-up questions to guide them towards the expanded answer I was looking for instead of expanding on it myself. It was hard to motivate my peers and I think it probably would have been easier to motivate 4th graders, but if it is 2:30 on a Friday afternoon a teacher needs to know how to motivate students to think critically and answer questions. Because I answered most of my own questions, the lesson turned into mostly lecture, which I was trying to move away from. For future reference, if I use follow up questions like that I will split the class up in pairs for a quick think pair share activity and then ask them to return to the class to answer. That way the students will have some time to think over the questions and come up with more prepared answers. Plus while discussing answers with a partner students will gain insight from their peers and be able to use topics from the lesson appropriately in conversation.
I also think this lesson had maybe too much information. I easily could have broken the PowerPoint and lesson up into a two-day lesson. The first day I could have introduced the topic and went over the first few slides that included the definitions and basic information. The second day I could have gone over electrical charges and used the activity as a reinforcement then. Because this lesson was being demonstrated to my peers I only had 30 minutes to present the entire lesson plan, but if done as an authentic simulation in a 4th grade class, a two day lesson would have bee more efficient and successful.
Overall, I think this lesson is a good start and with a few improvements it may definitely be an option to use later on if I end up teaching in a 4th grade class. Although it is unrealistic to be able to video tape all lessons, I think even for teachers who have been in the field for several years taking a step back and actually watching your lesson and seeing from a student’s perspective can be very helpful for both the teacher and their students.
I worked hard on my PowerPoint and I think it worked well with the lesson. I color-coded major definitions from the topic so students could recognize them from slide to slide and see how each definition was related to the other definitions in the lesson. The PowerPoint was also helpful for me, the teacher, because it guided the lesson. I made sure I had slides that introduced all areas, so even if I wasn’t using the PowerPoint for a certain idea, I would remember not to skip over it. However, I do think I was a little too dependent on the PowerPoint. It would have been nice if I wasn’t stuck next to the computer the whole time. If I had walked around the room while explaining I would have been able to make sure all students were paying attention and it may have been more stimulating for the students.
I also really liked the activity I chose. The materials were really easy to get my hands on, even for such a huge class. I could tell the students enjoyed it judging by the reactions I heard in the DVD. To first explain something and then let the students demonstrate it and see it happening first hand, is a really effective tool and that was obvious from my lesson. Although not everybody raised their hands to answer right away I know that the main points of the lesson were appropriately addressed.
My one problem that was pointed out to me after my lesson, which I realized a lot while watching my lesson, was that I didn’t give the students enough opportunity to answer my questions. Some students volunteered simple answers, but I could have used additional follow-up questions to guide them towards the expanded answer I was looking for instead of expanding on it myself. It was hard to motivate my peers and I think it probably would have been easier to motivate 4th graders, but if it is 2:30 on a Friday afternoon a teacher needs to know how to motivate students to think critically and answer questions. Because I answered most of my own questions, the lesson turned into mostly lecture, which I was trying to move away from. For future reference, if I use follow up questions like that I will split the class up in pairs for a quick think pair share activity and then ask them to return to the class to answer. That way the students will have some time to think over the questions and come up with more prepared answers. Plus while discussing answers with a partner students will gain insight from their peers and be able to use topics from the lesson appropriately in conversation.
I also think this lesson had maybe too much information. I easily could have broken the PowerPoint and lesson up into a two-day lesson. The first day I could have introduced the topic and went over the first few slides that included the definitions and basic information. The second day I could have gone over electrical charges and used the activity as a reinforcement then. Because this lesson was being demonstrated to my peers I only had 30 minutes to present the entire lesson plan, but if done as an authentic simulation in a 4th grade class, a two day lesson would have bee more efficient and successful.
Overall, I think this lesson is a good start and with a few improvements it may definitely be an option to use later on if I end up teaching in a 4th grade class. Although it is unrealistic to be able to video tape all lessons, I think even for teachers who have been in the field for several years taking a step back and actually watching your lesson and seeing from a student’s perspective can be very helpful for both the teacher and their students.