I think the topic of logic and reasoning is a wonderful area for students to dive into. I believe her strengths are her abilities to give the students choices on technology so that they are better able to pick one that suits their personal preference. This allows students to work within their comfort zone rather than forcing them to use something that they may not mesh particularly well with. I also believe using group work with these types of problems is extremely effective. It allows students to mesh their talents together and see problems from new angles which may broaden their perspective and inspire new ideas on methods to solve problems. The usage of the smart board allowed for the students to see a visual representation of the logic problem which makes all of the scenarios easier for the students to sort out. Also, as one of the students stated, the smart board makes the class more fun and engaging.
Their were several weaknesses. I believe the layout of the room is a weakness. Students were very far away from the screen. I believe after completing the problem and while the presentations were taking place the students should have circled their chairs in the front of the class. This would have prevented the doodling that was clearly going on in the video. Next, I believe not allowing the children enough time to complete is a big weakness. What use is learning logic if you don't have enough time to fully work out the problem? The teacher also interrupts the students a few times when it was completely unnecessary. I would let the students attempt to fully flesh out their thoughts and would only step in to save them if they were way off and/or if some slight instruction was needed.
Overall I love the lesson idea because I believe logic is a topic that should be covered more heavily within the classroom. It is what we base most of our life decisions off of, isn't it?
David, even though I am obviously a huge proponent of technology, I always think it's worth considering if any lesson would be just as effective without technology. But in this situation, I agree with you - it added a level of engagement to the lesson. And given the age group of the students (who are often socially shy/awkward at that age), the lure of presenting with technology may have made them a little less hesistant to get up in front of the class.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciated how the teacher asked the students to describe what strategies they used when working on the problem. For many of us (of any age!), we don't often take the time to think about the way we think - and that's a shame. I know I get stuck in a rut sometimes and all it takes is a fresh perspective to change the situation.
Although, I have to say that one of the weaknesses I noticed came in the opening. I think the teacher's wording could have been improved when she said that some groups were frustrated and others were doing a great job. I don't think those are mutually exclusive - being frustrated often leads to the right answer eventually and promotes perserverance along the way!