Analysis of three Teaching-Learning Situations

 Academic expectations

Project/Problem Based Learning (PBL): Roller Coaster Physics Scenario

• The teacher in this scenario absolutely held high performance expectations for her students.  PBL in general holds students to high performance expectations. All students play an important role in inquiry that clearly led to critical thinking.  Students were held accountable for their own learning and were expected to explain their thought process in the design of the roller coaster. 

Third Grade Chinese Math Scenario

• In this scenario the high performance expectation is earning a high grade/score on the assessments.  I have a problem with fully stating that the teacher held the students  to a high level of performance.  The students were repeating and chanting what was expected, however to me high performance expectations would be full engagement in the learning process not just repeating and chanting the information.  Real world application is not evident in the practice of teaching math in this traditional manner.

Whole Brain Teaching Scenario

• Whole Brain Teaching (WBT) is based on the premise that by tapping into both hemispheres of the  brain leads to and emphasizes active learning. (Funderstanding, 2011)  In this scenario the teacher did hold the students to high expectations of performance by not allowing anyone opting out from the activity.  The teacher in this scenario did quick observations and assessments if the students were understanding the content being taught by their performance during the repeat phase of the lesson.  

It is important to note that with each practice we must ask ourselves what are we defining as high performance expectation? If measured against the deepest level of understanding and critical thinking throughout the lessons, PBL, in my opinion, has the highest performance expectations for the students.   


Behavior expectations

• Behavior expectations are high in all scenarios.  Each one demonstrated the high expectation for all students to be on task.  Each scenario displayed that each practice is a great tool for classroom management.   I viewed one student in the 3rd grade Chinese math class not performing the 'chants' along with his peers.   He was not causing a distraction to anyone else, however it leads to the question was he learning anything in that moment?

 Norms and Procedures 

 Roller Coaster Physics 

 Within the PBL practice the norm is that every student participates and plays an important role in the problem solving procedure.  It is also the norm that all students are capable of a deeper learning and critical thinking.  The procedures to ensure that the students are in compliance with the norms is the release of the responsibility of learning.  The teacher presents the content information, the 'problem' the students need to create a solution for.  The teacher gives the perimeters that the students have to work within.  For example, for the roller coaster scenario, they had limited materials, and there were procedural steps each student had to take when asking for materials. Other procedures included each group member were assigned a job and were expected to carry out the tasks of that job. 

 The students also followed procedural practice of testing the design, writing observations on post its, and adjusting the design accordingly. The students in the roller coaster example work and collaborate in small group using concepts that they have learned about in lessons during class. They are expected to have a firm understanding of the concepts of motion and physics in order to contribute to the creation of a successful roller coaster design. The students have to come together to design one roller coaster per group. Each student has to create and explain why his or her individual design would work best using the terminology and principles of physics learned in class. The students are expected to be organized and detailed in their presentations so they can accurately articulate their plans to their group. Each group is given a budget for their supplies. The theory behind this is to add constraints to see how the students handle boundaries and allow them to exercise problem solving skills.

  Each student has to contribute to their group in order for the project to be successful.  The norm has been set the the students must be respectful when listening to the ideas of the other students. The students have a constructive dialogue to share ideas and challenges.  A chime method was used to share their findings.  The behavior expectation and norm is that students can have an open discussion without interruption or disrespectful feedback. 

 3rd Grade Chinese Math Class: 

In this scenario there is a lot of repetition to get students comfortable with basic math facts, concepts, and principles.  According to the article The Explainer:  What Makes Chinese Math Lessons so Good? states that math lessons are accounted for 15 hours a week.  The norm and expectation is that students will know mathematical acts and be able to interpret mathematical language.   The norm is that there is a expectation of high  test scores.

In order to accomplish high test scores procedures in place is repetition and reciting number sequences.  Call and response attention grabbers are used with the students.  The students are conditioned to use that as their cue to engage and participate in the class problem solving.  The class is teacher driven and the students are expected to pay attention focus on the lesson. 

Whole Brain Teaching: 

Whole brain teaching uses body mind and energy to drive the learning in the classroom. The teacher presents a  quick idea and concept.  The students ten mirror the teacher saying and doing exactly what has they have seen. The expectation is that the students are present and paying attention because they will miss the quick lesson if they are not focused. They reiterate the concept as a class and then they turn to their partners and do the same thing. All the while the class is moving very fast so that the focus stays present. The teacher must also stay on pace with the class. A lot of information can be covered this way. The understanding of the lesson is not the main focus. This method is used to introduce concepts and get students successfully comfortable with the idea of new concepts.

Everyone in this lesson was attentive and focused on the teacher. The forward motion of the class kept students engage and active and the behavior reflected the classroom dynamic. The short burst of intense instruction followed by student interaction doesn’t allow for students to lose focus in class. This limits the amount of disruptive behavior. It is clear from the video that the students are aware of the behavior expectations before they come into class. 

Summary  

Setting high performance expectations among my own students I will continue to implement my current classroom management and teaching style.  However, I find great value in PBL.  I plan to use that practice to increase student accountability for their learning.  I love the way PBL uses real world problems enmeshed with group projects to have students work collaboratively and reach a level of critical thinking that other teaching practices do not.  

I will not use the Chinese Math method of teaching.  I have a problem with teaching for the purpose of getting high test scores.  I can see me using the WBT method as well to get my students to use both sides of their brains.  I believe movement and differentiating lessons in order for students to learn and remember content is a fun way to learn and teach. WBT is a great way to enhance the benefits of muscle memory.  What a fun and effective way to not only teach the content but to have great classroom management. 

There is more to learning then remembering the content.  Real world application needs to be a part of my lessons.  I want to see my students engaged in all areas o their learning.  IN order to take ownership of their academic success, they need to buy into my teaching style.  

I work with high school students who have learning differences and PBL will be a great tool to empower my students  to know they are capable and become more confident in their learning.

References 

3rd grade Chinese--math class.avi. (2017). YouTube. Retrieved 22 July 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7LseF6Db5g

(2017). Retrieved 22 July 2017, from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.469.2805&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Explainer: what makes Chinese maths lessons so good?. (2017). The Conversation. Retrieved 22 July 2017, from http://theconversation.com/explainer-what-makes-chinese-maths-lessons-so-good-24380

Roller Coaster Physics: STEM in Action. (2017). Teaching Channel. Retrieved 22 July 2017, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-stem-strategies

Whole Brain Teaching – The fastest growing education reform movement in the world!. (2017). Wholebrainteaching.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017, from http://wholebrainteaching.com/

Whole Brain Teaching | Curriculum | Funderstanding: Education, Curriculum and Learning Resources. (2017). Funderstanding.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017, from http://www.funderstanding.com/curriculum/whole-brain-teaching/

Whole Brain Teaching Richwood High - The Basics. (2017). YouTube. Retrieved 22 July 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iXTtR7lfWU&feature=youtu.be

Why PBL? | Project Based Learning | BIE. (2017). Bie.org. Retrieved 22 July 2017, from http://www.bie.org/about/why_pbl