Woah, We're Halfway There!

In these short (and yet so long) nine weeks of immersing myself in Social Studies Methods, I have learned so much. Everything from differentiation to SAMR to an app called Canva. These are all excellent tools that I have acquired, and I am so glad that I'm learning "teacher things"! However, It's got me to thinking...

TEACHING CAN BE SO COMPLICATED!

According to my research, someone coined the term "effective instruction" to label, well, just that. It sounds simplistic and obvious, but there are actually four components that experts in the field recommend that teachers abide by when planning meaningful instruction. 

1. Planning instruction

2. Managing instruction 

3. Delivering instruction 

4. Evaluating instruction

Planning your instruction is pretty obvious, right? That's what I thought. But I soon found that every good teacher is using planning strategically. You can have a plan with not projected outcome or goal, so what is the point of that? Plan strategically. 

As a teacher, you have to be able to manage whatever instruction you throw at your students. If you cannot keep up with assignments and content, then they surely cannot either. Make instruction meaningful!

Your instruction delivery is the key to success. It has the potential to sink steps 1 & 2; if you cannot deliver your instruction, whatever that may be, in an appealing and interesting manner, you will lose your students. That is primarily where your nifty tricks and technology comes in! Throw in a snazzy method of delivering instruction.

It is so important to evaluate and reflect on your instruction practices. If something did not work, it will be easy to simply nip it in the bud then and there. No need to subject students to more of the same. 

These components of effective instruction are there to help teachers structure their lessons, etc. I am in the midst of lesson planning like crazy at the moment, and I'm sure it's nothing compared to what a practicing teacher experiences. However, I can tell firsthand that when writing multiple lessons, it can be easy to get lost in trying to cram as much "awesomeness" as you can. 

Now, this is not to say that all of the new strategies and technology are worthless. The essence of effective instruction is to get teachers thinking about the big picture of what they are trying to accomplish. There should be direct evidence as to why students are learning about the Apple/FBI debate or the apple farm.

There is always going to be a lesson or learning experience that another teacher will "one up" you on. There will be days when you feel like you've failed your students. Everyone experiences that; I have, even as a pre-service teacher. But when you get to feeling burned out, just remember the four components of effective instruction to reflect back on. As NCTCS Standard 1c. Teachers lead the teaching profession states, we should strive to be the best teachers we can be. In saying that, I want to take this mini-learning experience (no pun intended) and keep it as a reminder for when I am in my own classroom. 

STEM vs. STEAM

In my recent research, I've found that STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) curricula have exploded in relevance and popularity. We are in an age of constant technological evolution, which has changed the way we structure what we want our students to learn. But an interesting perspective to ponder is...are we pushing the scientific and enigmatic fields onto our young people too hard? To sum up the majority of my Twitter research:

...$4 billion dollars is a lot of money to spend on education, right?

It is definitely important to highlight the positives of creating the next generation of a STEM-saavy population. I mean, after all, they are doing amazing things now! Therefore, our students are in for a real treat if we lay the groundwork correctly!

That is where STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematics) comes in. Many people may be interested and well equipped to dive into the STEM world, but there are always outliers who have talents and interests elsewhere. And you know what? That is perfectly alright as well! It is important to keep the arts in our schools for many reasons, the most important being student interest. If we stop teaching with our students in mind, then we have long since lost them.

Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences states that there are 9 ways that one can be intelligent. Not just scientifically, technologically, mathematically, and engineer-like. 

In consideration to content areas such as Social Studies, could this new way of thinking simply be a means to an end for phasing out the importance of the two? I surely hope not, as I believe that all content areas are equally important. 

With that being said, I want my students in my classroom to not feel confined by what the latest and greatest is that is going on in the world today.  If they want to work on coding to create an app, that is great! If they want to work on an artistic piece that signifies an important time in history, that is awesome! This can be connected to NCTCS 1d: Teachers advocate for schools and students. I want to help my students receive what is best for them!

Teaching New Dogs New Tricks

Surrounding me, these past few weeks, has been an urge to develop into a professional version of myself. For the purpose of this blog journey, it would be a wise decision to talk about learning for the sake of my classroom. Last week I touched on professional development and the importance of that.

I attended the Keeping Learning Alive! conference, and it was AWESOME! I learned so much, in ways that as educators, we might not even consider. For instance, one of the speakers held a session about "Social Studies Detectives", and how you can use pictures to help students get thinking about what is really going on during these historical events. How cool is that??

One of the techniques he recommended to the group was to show students 5-10 photos that represent key points within the unit. While looking at this group of photos, they are refreshing their memories on everything that happened, as well as seeing how all of the material flows together. This type of activity would definitely be considered a DOK Level 3 or 4 activity. And it is so simple! Throwing some photos together, and you've got yourself a deep discussion.  I plan to use this strategy in my classroom.

Another technique that the presenter brought to light was, instead of reading and researching the traditional ways, to throw photos up on the projector and ask students to find key details that could have significance to what is happening. For instance, if I held up this photo:



You would tell me you saw a man pointing a gun, sneakiness, and Abraham Lincoln. Now, this is an easy example, but the key is to get students discussing the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. It helps students to think for themselves. I could hold up a sheet of paper in front of a particular portion that someone pointed out so we could hone in on what was going on there. Again, I love these skills and cannot wait to implement these ideas.

For social studies instruction, this has huge implications. The simple method of using pictures has a large impact, especially because you are integrating the visual arts standards into your everyday class time. Also, this integration of visual arts provides students time to hone in on differentiating between topics and concepts they might be studying. This is especially important for North Carolina classrooms!

A huge portion of this crazy journey of becoming an educator has been to learn from my peers, professors, clinical teachers, and children in those classrooms. There is so much out there that can aid teachers to better their practices. It would be wise to do so, in accordance with NCTCS standard 4C: "Teachers use a variety of instructional methods" and 4E; "Teachers help students develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills".

If you have any questions about what went on at the conference, feel free to email me at obouknight@gardner-webb.edu. I'd be glad to share the resources and tidbits of knowledge I compiled during my time there!

We're Not In EDUC 250 Anymore, Toto!

As every professional knows, it is integral to continue to better themselves in their respective field. For Luke Keuchly, that may be attending practice and reviewing past plays. For President Barack Obama, that may be attending a leadership summit with fellow world leaders. For Apple CEO Tim Cook, that might mean attending a technology conference. For teachers, this means professional learning development opportunities.

Teachers never stop learning. At least, they should not. According to NCTCS Standard 5: "Teachers reflect on their practice", it is integral to take a step back and evaluate your pedagogical methods. If you are learning, this certainly helps your students learn. I am looking forward to joining this professional community as I have progressed in the Gardner-Webb University Teacher Education program.

Our students are constantly changing to accustom themselves to a constantly changing world. Five years ago, every student is whole school districts did not have steady access to technology. Today, some districts are providing ALL students with top of the line Macbooks, rendering themselves 100% reliant on technology. How could teachers prepare for this switch without first educating themselves?



This week, I have been preparing myself for my first professional conference. I will be attending Gardner-Webb University School of Education's Keeping Learning Alive! conference on Saturday, February 6th. I am excited to participate in this event and learn from my present and future colleagues. We will be hearing from the current North Carolina Teacher of the Year, Mr. Steve Lassiter, as well as engage in several breakout sessions and edCamp.

Had I known all that being a teacher entailed when I was in EDUC 250, I might have cried a bit and had a few panic sessions. But here I am, in my Junior year, having learned what it means to be a professional teacher. I'm sure all pre-service teachers have also come to this wonderful realization.

I think that overall, the greatest aspect of the field of education is that as educators, we have the type of community that accepts collaboration and discussion as a means of achieving a common goal. This goal would be to better the education that our students are receiving, and preparing them to become global citizens! It is not about who can be the best teacher...it is about what we can do for our students.