Science_Unit_Plane_Life_Cycle

Theoretical Framework The unit “Life cycle” is developed using a constructivist approach with student centred pedagogy to influence student achievement. Student centred pedagogy encourages collaborative learning and student achievement (Au, 2009; Eguawa, Andrews, Moralez, & Holguin-Dotson, 2009). The constructivist theory states that learners construct their own knowledge through self-direction and connection with their environment (Kumar, 2006). Bush (2006) supports the value of constructivist-based instruction because it connects students’ world with learning pursuits in the classroom. Students find cognitive meanings from experience with objects. In a multicultural school like Campsie, it is important that teachers address diversity and increase students’ responsibility for sharing and learning in supportive environments (Ross, Bondy, Gallingane & Hambacher, 2008). Culturally diverse student populations need student-focused instructional strategies (White-Clarke, 2005). Teachers use student-focused instructions to support ethnic diversity, cognitive differences, and socialization. Constructivism guides culturally diverse learning groups in cooperative learning (Cartledge & Kourea, 2008). Jean Piaget, argued the significance of cognitive development in children, he emphasised that children need to be active learners and should interact with their environment. According to Piaget, people adapt to their environment via to basic processes, assimilation, and accommodation (Woolfolk, Margetts, 2007). In planning the unit, I have used the 5 E’s model to help me make the lessons organised and to encourage inquiry based thinking among the students My lesson aims to encourage students to acknowledge and appreciate science and technology through balanced investigations, questioning, critical analysis and logical developed arguments. Students are given opportunities to process information, think critically and creatively, make decisions, solve problems and participate Five E’s Engage helps introduce a new topic and get the students to link lessons to their prior knowledge. This helps to prepare them to learn more. Using Explore allows students to understand concept being taught. They observe, understand, investigate, question, predict, and experiment with concrete materials and manipulative. In Explain, the teacher will explain new terms and meanings. She facilitates discussion and encourages students to talk about their views and understandings. After exploring the concepts of the lesson, students need to elaborate on their learning experiences; this is achieved by follow-up activities after the lessons for example model building, writing a report, group presentation etc. Finally, the students need to evaluate their understanding of the lesson taught, teachers usually encourages discussion or reflection activities, using rubrics to analyse understanding and students work samples. The five E’s is a helpful strategy tool used to organise and plain the structure of a lesson. It provides clear instructions and smooth running of activities within a classroom environment. The organisation and layout facilitates higher order thinking activities, stimulate learning environments, create multiple solutions for a single problem, and helps build lifelong learners through inquiry-based thinking These lessons displays fundamental student centred pedagogy such as collaborative learning, connecting new information to previous knowledge, higher-order thinking, and conversations in teacher-directed small groups (Froyd, 2007). The lesson allows students to work collaboratively in small groups, choose a variety of tasks, share work, learn, and construct new knowledge on lifecycle of animal/plant/human. Teachers scaffold students thinking toward required learning goals. The lesson also provides opportunities for students to explore their environment, it emphasis the skill of gathering, recording information gained through direct observation. The use of computers in the lesson also emphasis the constructivist style of teaching. Applying the above theories in the classroom affects the student’s desire to learn through enjoyment. Most computers support interactive learning with clear sounds and vivid graphics. ICT provides efficient and effective access to information, which assists with investigating and decision-making. It also facilitates communication and collaborative group workings. It helps develop new thinking and learning skills to support learning. Group activity management in computer-aided instruction discourages time-wasting (Hsie & Sun, 2006). References | Andrew, L. (2007, Winter). Comparison of teacher educators' instructional methods with the constructivist’s ideal. The Teacher Educator, 42(3), 157-185. Au, K. K. (2009, May/June). Isn’t culturally responsive instruction just good teaching' Social Education, 73(4), 179. | The unit “Life cycle” is developed using a constructivist approach with student centred pedagogy to influence student achievement. Student centred pedagogy encourages collaborative learning and student achievement (Au, 2009; Eguawa, Andrews, Moralez, & Holguin-Dotson, 2009). The constructivist theory states that learners construct their own knowledge through self-direction and connection with their environment (Kumar, 2006).Jean Piaget, argued the significance of cognitive development in children, he emphasised that children need to be active learners and should interact with their environment. According to Piaget, people adapt to their environment via to basic processes; assimilation and accommodation (Woolfolk, Margetts, 2007). In planning the unit, I have used the 5 E’s model to help me make the lessons organised and to encourage inquiry based thinking among the students Downer, Rimm-Kaufman, and Pianta (2007) suggested that children enjoy doing small-group problem-solving assignments.Andrew (2007) pointed out that constructivist adoption causes shifts from long lecturing, drills, and rote learning to interacting and building knowledge.Teacher acts as facilitator to guide students in the process of learning. Teachers merge constructivist-based pedagogy into instructions to support learner-centeredness (Valli & Buese, 2007).The lesson provides opportunities for students to explore their environment, highlighting ecological sustainability in the care of places. The lessons emphasis the skill of gathering, recording information gained through direct observation. It focuses on the differences between familiar features and places, and between the activities that occur there.The lesson allows students to work collaboratively in small groups, choose a variety of tasks, share work, learn, and construct new knowledge on national parks of Australia. Teachers scaffold students thinking toward required learning goals.Constructivist instructional lessons encourage higher-order thinking, stimulate learning environments, and create multiple solutions for a single problem.Dewey and Piaget contributed to the constructivist theory development, which states that student’s participation in learning raises enthusiasm and achievement. This participation includes opportunities to manipulate concrete objects. The use of computers in the lesson also emphasis the constructivist style of teaching. As it, affect the student’s desire to learn through enjoyment. Most computers support interactive learning with clear sounds and vivid graphics. Group activity management in computer-aided instruction discourages time-wasting (Hsie & Sun, 2006).Constructivism guides culturally diverse learning groups in cooperative learning (Cartledge & Kourea, 2008). In a multicultural school like Campsie, it is important that teachers address diversity and increase students’ responsibility for sharing and learning in supportive environments (Ross, Bondy, Gallingane & Hambacher, 2008). Culturally diverse student populations need student-focused instructional strategies (White-Clarke, 2005). Teachers use student-focused instructions to support ethnic diversity, cognitive differences, and socialization. References | Andrew, L. (2007, Winter). Comparison of teacher educators' instructional methods with the constructivist’s ideal. The Teacher Educator, 42(3), 157-185. Au, K. K. (2009, May/June). Isn’t culturally responsive instruction just good teaching' Social Education, 73(4), 179. | Bush, G. (2006, December). Learning about learning: From theories to trends. Teacher Librarian, 34(2), 14-19. Downer, J. T., Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., & Pianta, R. C. (2007, September). How do classroom conditions and children's risk for school problems contribute to children's behavioral engagement in learning' The School Psychology Review, 36(3), 413-432. Egawa, K. A., Andrews, L., Moralez, S., & Holguin-Dotson, A. (2009, May). Good talk about good teaching. Voices from the Middle, 16(4), 9-16.Froyd, J. E. (2007, August). Evidence for the efficacy of student-active learning Pedagogies [Research Report] Retrieved May, 2008, from Texas A & M University Web site: http://cte.tamu.edu/programs/flc.phpHsieh, C.-H., & Sun, C.-T. (2006). MUD for learning: Classification and instruction. International Journal of Instructional Media, 33(3), 289-302.Musti-Rao, S., & Cartledge, G. (2007, October). Delivering what urban readers need. Educational Leadership, 65(2), 56-61. Retrieved March, 2007, from First Search databaseKumar, M. (2006, Summer). Organizing curriculum based upon constructivism: What to teach and what not to. Journal of Thought, 41(2), 81-95Ross, D. D., Bondy, E., Galligane, C., & Hambacher, E. (2008, Spring). Promoting academic engagement through insistence: Being a warm demander. Childhood Education, 84(3), 142-147. Valli, L., & Buese, D. (2007, September). The changing roles of teachers in the era of high-stakes accountability American Educational Research Journal, 44(3), 519-559White-Clarke, R. (2005, April). Training Teachers to succeed in a multicultural classroom The Education Digest, 70(8), 23-28 |