Perspectives of Hands-on Science Teaching, Essay Example

The lesson the teacher had prepared was a group activity which is designed to give students a specific role to play in a group. The purpose of the activity is to enhance group participation and to recognize one’s role within the group. This was done through the division of children according to their personality types and the roles they are most likely suited for to ensure that the overall group task will be completed. The teacher in the video prepared her class by first sitting them down, she brought the attention of the students to the group activity by getting the students to hand her the name tags and get their interest by talking about the color of the name tags. Before the initial explanation of rules, the teacher decided the size of the groups, and the roles of each member. The name tags each had different color which pertained to the student’s position in a group; a group had a set of four students. The teacher explained this in a way where she did not so much focus on the rules as a group, but she focused on each role of the individual. She goes over the rules and procedures of each name tag one by one, and she does this in a way where the entire class participates; she lets them answer her questions and have the students involved in generating ideas about the name tags. She establishes these rules by asking questions which the students answer out loud or simply say yes or no to.

No, I do not believe that what she is doing is necessary for all cooperative groups, it is only suited for the age range of the group she was addressing to; her style is very effective for the group that she was discussing the rules and procedures for. However, giving group roles and tasks for each member and explaining them clearly is very necessary for effective cooperation. These rules must be clear, and each member must know to follow their roles and tasks to ensure that the group accomplishes their overall goal (Haury&Rillero, 1994). This is necessary for all types of groups.

The types of personalities the teacher targeted for this personality were basic ones found within a working group. The purpose of this is so that students will be matched directly with the role that suits them and they will be able to perform that task given their own different way of communication and organization type. The first role she explained was the role of a leader; this type of role is someone who she knows won’t abuse their power and will work hard in assuring that the entire group gets their activities completed for the overall achievement of their goals. The second role was of a writer and a reader. This type of personality would be someone who is a natural contributor, and may not necessarily be as organized as the group leader; however this person would have a lot of ideas to contribute to the group (Rana, n.d.). There is also a supply person in the group who is in charge of organizing all the materials; this person is very important for the group to begin working on their task. The personality the teacher was targeting is someone who is not as socially interactive as the first two previously mentioned roles, and someone who is more a hands-on type of person. The last role is the person who fixes up after the group activity and makes sure that everything goes back in its right place. This type of personality again is not for someone who would readily open-up to the group. This person must be organized as well as efficient. These roles are necessary for the group to complete their tasks and the teacher are effective because it gets everyone involved in the group, and she does not pressure all to contribute the way others might, therefore all types of personalities and behaviors are accommodated.

The teacher explained the group activity concentrated more on the roles of the individual rather than on the division of the groups. This did not leave any room for questioning as to why the groups were split up that way or why these roles were the way they were. It was introduced to the your students as something which was concrete and the individual roles were explained in a way which the students could understand. The teacher let them answer questions and contribute to the overall idea of what the roles were to be, and this gives a way for the students to absorb the roles and understand them more clearly.

• Each group is to have five members
• The members of each group will have a role to contribute to the group
• The leader – one who makes sure that everyone is on task
• The information gatherer – one who conducts necessary research
• The opinion-giver – one who generates overall ideas for the group, and helps with the organization of the task
• The writer – one who takes note and compiles all the work the researcher has done
• All roles must be done for the effectiveness of the entire group
• The students must divide the roles of the members within each group, they can assign themselves or let their group members chose which role they are going to take
• All students must have an understanding of each role and do not take on the role of others
• It must be understood that although a student has a role, helping each other when the need arises is necessary
• The group leader must not, under any circumstance, abuse his or her power in the group

The teacher explained the group activity in a way where children would understand and they could relate to what she was trying to articulate. She used a question and answer method which is a type of transformative learning so that children will retain in their memory what the overall task is about. The teacher well established her leadership in the classroom by taking hold of everyone’s attention and her impact was seen in the responsiveness and willingness of the children to participate in the discussion.

The areas of classroom behavior which would be most important are the modeling of positive classroom behavior. This starts with good leadership from the teacher, who is to set an example for the children. The modeling of good behavior should not be explained to the students, it is something which is displayed (“Laying the foundation”, n.d.). Disruptive classroom behavior is also important in an elementary classroom setting, and also how to deal with it. A teacher must always bring up the concern towards the class without putting the student on the spot or embarrassing him or her. To be able to deal with this, a certain set of rules must be established in a classroom, and there must be consequences for those who violate it (Mckinney, 2010). Teachers must also constantly serve as a role model for the students.

Reinforcements are to be observed in the classroom as well. This is not only for positive behavior, this is for negative behavior as well. Students who follow the rules and conduct themselves in an exemplary fashion will receive extra points for their efforts as well as recognition for their good behavior. Students who submit their homework on time and are high above standards will receive extra credit points and the teacher will see to it that his or her parents are well aware of the students’ potential and talents. Behavior consequences for children who do not follow rules will be seen in separation from his friends or a different seating arrangement. This student may not get to pick his or desired classroom activities if the situation calls for it, and consistency in this misconduct will result in a parent-teacher intervention. Of course, it is understood that the first step is to tell the child that his or her behavior is not right, and there is a need for change.

Classroom Rules

1. You must respect yourself and others at all times
2. Raise your hand before speaking during a lesson, or when you want to answer a question
3. There shall be no interfering with the teaching and the learning of others
4. Follow all directions given by the teacher
5. If you have questions, ask the teacher, not your classmates
6. Come to class prepared at all times with all necessary homework completed
7. Be polite and courteous at all times
8. Always do your best

Behavioral consequences for students who do not follow rules will be that the student will be isolated. This is only temporary, and the student will have time to reflect on what he or she has done. To create an extinction of behavior, the teacher will have to withhold positive reinforcements from students who continually misbehave; this can be seen in less merits, and a deduction in conduct points which can be implemented by giving out stickers, etc.

References

Haury, D.L., &Rillero, P. (1994). Perspectives of Hands-On Science Teaching. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Retrieved from

Laying the Foundation for Positive Classroom Behavior (n.d.) Pearson Education Development Group. Retrieved from http://www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-management/teaching-methods/6400.html

McKinney, K. (2010). Dealing with Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom. Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology. Retrieved from http://www.cat.ilstu.edu/additional/tips/disBehav.php

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/science/eric/eric-7.htm

Rana, I.A. (n.d.). Quality Management System, Human Behavior and Business. Simply Quality. Retrieved from http://www.simplyquality.org/Imran-QMS-Behavior.pdf