How Can Teacher’s Wide-Range Strategies Increase Students’ Perception?
The lesson about the basics of the geology included the following key points: a) to estimate the strategy used, sharing and discussion on how calcite and acid react; b) logical thinking and knowledge integration are the options that should help students to predict what happens to limestone when it touches acid; c) linguistic concept on the third stage of the lesson is bound to help students to learn new words and notions which they name (Sang, 2005).
The main learning objectives were: a) to understand that rocks are broken down as a result of the chemical reactions; b) to observe the action of acid rain on rocks containing carbonates (Sang, 2005). Thus, the teacher’s strategies included explanation of the chain reactions between the following aspects: a) chemical weathering which breaks down rocks due to chemical reactions; b) carbon dioxide which dissolves in water to form weak acid; c) rain water which nature is acidic since it contains carbon dioxide and reacts with rocks containing carbonates; d) responsibility of the chemical weathering for the caves in limestone rocks which contain mineral calcite - a form of calcium carbonate.
Teacher’s strategy was to explain everyday domestic notions with the physical process on the example of the baking soda and vinegar. His goal was to move the students’ thinking from knowledge base to applicant level (National Education Technology Standards for Teachers, 2002). Thus, the teacher used the guidelines of the systems, evidence, change, evaluation, and function to make students resort to critical thinking, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating (Brandzel, 2005).
Do Visual Aids and Teacher’s Supplies Reinforce Students’ Team Work?
Multimedia technology was incorporated into the lesson to give visual aids of the notions that were represented. Although multimedia contains the content, the message should be conveyed by the students’ selection, thus providing team work of thinking, sharing, and making conclusions (National Education Technology Standards for Teachers, 2002).
Teacher provided students with the following supplies for the further laboratory testing: freshly distilled water, universal indicator, a source of carbon dioxide dropping, including beaker with water for rising. Safety issues were discussed before the testing procedure. Teacher’s actions were based on the necessity of challenging and engaging every student in the task and provision of the opportunities to work in varied instructional formats (Gregory & Kuzmich, 2004).
The teacher developed instructional activities based on essential topics and concepts of the significant processes and skills as well as multiple ways to display learning. Students were active and engaged into the process owing to flexible approaches to content, instruction, and products (Gregory & Kuzmich, 2004). The teacher used the main science standards to manage the classroom, which contained effectively designed and demonstrated visual aids, effective communication during collaborative work and compliance with the lesson’s plan requirements (National Education Technology Standards for Teachers, 2002).
Why Alternative Assessment is better than Traditional Multiply-Choice Test and How it Accesses Students’ Abilities?
Alternative assessment was used to understand students’ learning with the help of information collected during the test. This type of assessment stimulated students to create and apply a wide range of knowledge rather than simply be engaged in acts of memorization and basic skill development (Berry, 2008). Teacher has put students into simulated situation during which they went to mountain hills and studied all the chemical reactions between chain components.
Since students’ approaches may reflect in distinctive ways on the task, teacher responded to students’ readiness, learning preferences, and instructional needs. The task was to describe chemical reactions working in groups and thus assisting each other. The teacher met curriculum standard and requirements using differentiating instruction evidence which focuses on the abilities of every student (National Education Technology Standards for Teachers, 2002).
The unit was successful and gave good results since it included the following effective stages: a) demonstrated sustained effort over time with the exemplary project-based learning; b) supported collaborative group work; c) utilized systematic assessment; d) exhibited a real-world connection; e) employed multimedia as a communication toll; f) broadened students’ view on other subjects (linguistics studies, chemistry, and physics) (Brendzel, 2005).
The concept map representing the taught lesson can be drawn with the main objectives of the topic evaluation:
Integrated subjects’ and project-based learning would be a good tool to manage the classroom in achieving successful goals. Technology helps to present the result of the research. Alternative assessment helps teacher to diagnose learning problems, monitor learning, and give quality feedback on the issues (Berry, 2008). Moreover, well-designed classroom data collection and analysis from the backbone of students growth establishes with the learner-responsive and teacher-facilitated collaboration (Gregory & Kuzmich, 2004). This unit of study can be engaging with the utilization of the possible technological tools (visual aids) and variable safe objects for laboratory tests.