I help students develop deep knowledge
Teachers should introduce new knowledge by helping students connect it to prior knowledge. Deep knowledge is the ability to connect ideas, see patterns, and apply learning in novel situations.
Teachers can help students develop deep knowledge by helping them make connections to real-world relevancy. Having students pretend to be chefs dividing food into equal parts can serve as an extended learning opportunity on Fractions. Students can complete a Police officer Application to extend their learning on finding the key details of a Police Officer text. Role play is also another way to extend learning since students can show what they know in a non-traditional way that applies to a real-world scenario. I like to present role play as a game. I hand our "role cards" for students to act out and their classmates have to guess what/who they are. For example, students can pretend to be a butterfly in all of it's cycles of life, or a police officer doing his/her job.
A resource I use most often to help students apply their learning is through Guest speakers. Students in 2nd grade are expected to record one interesting fact they learned from the guest speaker and one question they still have. By the end of the presentation, we can engage in rich classroom discussions that extend our learning. The following pictures show:
Teachers can help students develop deep knowledge by helping them make connections to real-world relevancy. Having students pretend to be chefs dividing food into equal parts can serve as an extended learning opportunity on Fractions. Students can complete a Police officer Application to extend their learning on finding the key details of a Police Officer text. Role play is also another way to extend learning since students can show what they know in a non-traditional way that applies to a real-world scenario. I like to present role play as a game. I hand our "role cards" for students to act out and their classmates have to guess what/who they are. For example, students can pretend to be a butterfly in all of it's cycles of life, or a police officer doing his/her job.
A resource I use most often to help students apply their learning is through Guest speakers. Students in 2nd grade are expected to record one interesting fact they learned from the guest speaker and one question they still have. By the end of the presentation, we can engage in rich classroom discussions that extend our learning. The following pictures show:
- A 5th grade teacher and students coming in for a unique learning opportunity on the plant life cycle. 2nd graders see the 5th graders as more knowledgeable others and trust their knowledge.
- My 2-year-old daughter comes in to model asking key detail questions (A major 2nd grade literacy standard) as she listens to a story.
- Members of the Denver Zoo questioning students about their knowledge of animal adaptations.
References:
Coffey, H. (n.d.). Zone of Proximal development. UNC School of Education. Retrieved from
http://www.usask.ca/education/program/field experiences/tools-resources/lesson-plan-formats/index.php
Coffey, H. (n.d.). Zone of Proximal development. UNC School of Education. Retrieved from
http://www.usask.ca/education/program/field experiences/tools-resources/lesson-plan-formats/index.php
