Lesson Plan/Syllabus Critique

ETEC 512 64C December 6,2 12 !anet "cc#rac#en "ic$ael Sin%$ &5'(2 '6'

T$e lesson )lan t$at * c$ose to critique is an e+am)le o, a researc$ base- social stu-ies )ro.ect t$at many stu-ents in %ra-e si+ are ,amiliar /it$0 T$is is an in-e)en-ent )ro.ect , in /$ic$ t$e stu-ent ,in-s in,ormation ,rom boo#s an- ,rom internet /ebsites0 T$e stu-ent t$en ta#es notes , an- recor-s t$e sources o, in,ormation0 T$is is o,ten one o, t$e ,irst ,e/ in-e)en-ent researc$ )ro.ects t$at stu-ents un-erta#e at t$is a%e le1el, /$ic$ usually sets t$e stan-ar- ,or researc$ )ro.ects t$rou%$out $i%$ sc$ool an- uni1ersity0 *n t$is s)eci,ic researc$ )ro.ect, t$e en- )ro-uct is a ,our to ,i1e )ara%ra)$ essay anbiblio%ra)$y t$at /ill be )ut on -is)lay in t$e classroom an- $all/ays0 T$e reason * c$ose t$is lesson )lan, is t$at * ,eel /$ile it is a use,ul assi%nment, * t$in# it can be im)ro1e- u)on0 2y loo#in% at a ,e/ s)eci,ic t$eories * $o)e to analy3e some e+istin% %oals an- a-.ust a ,e/ to ma#e t$is assi%nment a more e-ucationally soun- 1enture ,or t$e stu-ent an- teac$er ali#e0 4ne as)ect t$at is )resent in t$is assi%nment $as to -o /it$ 5y%ots#y6s i-ea o, 7sca,,ol-in%80 *t is a /ay t$at teac$ers can $el) su))ort stu-ents u) to a certain sta%e, an- t$en ta#e a/ay t$e su))ort so t$at stu-ents can construct t$eir o/n #no/le-%e0 Sca,,ol-in% also relates to /$at 5y%ots#y re,ers to as t$e 3one o, )ro+imal -e1elo)ment0 T$e 3one o, )ro+imal -e1elo)ment is t$e 9t$e -istance bet/een t$e actual -e1elo)mental le1el as -etermine- by in-e)en-ent )roblem:sol1in% an- t$e le1el o, )otential -e1elo)ment as -etermine- t$rou%$ )roblem:sol1in% un-er a-ult %ui-ance, or in collaboration /it$ more ca)able )eers08 ;!o$n:Steiner 1''6< * belie1e t$e intention o, t$is researc$ assi%nment /as to $a1e t$is tas# ,all /it$in t$e 3one o, )ro+imal -e1elo)ment, so t$at it /as a some/$at ,amiliar tas# but /as still a c$allen%e0 =s state- in one o, t$e %oals o, t$e lesson )lan, stu-ents are to use )rior #no/le-%e o, note ta#in%, collectin% -ata, -ocumentation, an- summari3ation0 So t$ere is an un-erstan-in% t$at t$ese stu-ents $a1e been %ui-e- t$rou%$ an- $a1e com)lete- a tas# li#e t$is be,ore an- as a result t$ey s$oul- no/ be able to -o t$is in-e)en-ently0 T$rou%$ com)uter an- library researc$, stu-ents /ill attem)t to stren%t$en an- -e1elo) t$eir researc$in% s#ills0 *n t$e en-, eac$ stu-ent s$oul- be able to s$o/ t$eir -e1elo)ment in t$e /ritin% o, t$eir essay0

>$ile t$is is a satis,actory /ay o, s$o/in% 7sca,,ol-in%8 , * t$in# a /ay t$at it /oul- better re,lect t$e as)ect o, t$e 3one o, )ro+imal -e1elo)ment, /as i, t$e stu-ent /as able to /or# /it$ a )artner or small %rou) a,ter -oin% t$e researc$0 * /oul- $a1e eac$ stu-ent -o t$eir o/n researc$, anta#e notes .ust li#e t$e ori%inal assi%nment0 =t t$e conclusion o, t$e note ta#in%, * /oul- allo/ stu-ents to meet in small %rou)s , or con,erence online to tal# about an- -iscuss t$eir ,in-in%s0 T$is /oul- re,lect 5y%ots#y6s i-ea t$at )roblem:sol1in% s$oul- ta#e )lace /it$ collaboration o, more ca)able )eers0 *n t$is case , /e cannot %uarantee t$at t$e )eers /oul- be more ca)able but ,in-in%s $a1e s$o/n t$at 7learnin% also occurs in collaboration bet/een stu-ents /$o $a1e similar le1els o, conce)tual un-erstan-in%08 ;?ernan-e3 2 1< T$e ori%inal assi%nment in1ol1es some ,ocus

questions@ Ao/ -i- t$is in,luence e1ery-ay li,eB Di- t$is in,luence us to-ayB =re t$ere any as)ects o, t$is )articular attribute t$at can relate to t$e /ay /e li1e to-ayB >$at are some interestin% as)ects o, t$e attribute an- $o/ -i- it im)act an- $el) -e1elo) t$e ancient culture o, E%y)tB * t$in# t$ese /oulbe %reat -iscussion questions ,or t$ese small %rou)s0 =t t$e conclusion o, t$e -iscussion , eac$ stu-ent coul- t$en %o a$ea- an- create t$eir o/n in-i1i-ual essays0 =not$er t$eory t$at ties in /it$ t$is, is t$e t$eory o, -istribute- co%nition0 T$is in1ol1es -istributin% co%niti1e )rocesses amon% a social %rou)0 *n t$is case t$e social %rou) , is t$e stu-ents /$o are researc$in% t$e same to)ic0 T$eir co%niti1e )rocess is ma#in% sense o, t$e material t$at t$ey $a1e researc$e- an- ans/erin% an- -iscussin% t$e ,ocus questions0 T$rou%$ t$is -iscussion, t$e stu-ents are creatin% a conte+t an- a culture t$at can in,luence eac$ ot$ers t$in#in% in-i1i-ually an- as a /$ole0 7Aumans create t$eir co%niti1e )o/ers in )art by creatin% t$e en1ironments in /$ic$ t$ey e+ercise t$ose )o/ers08 ;Autc$ins 2 < T$e %oal o, t$is acti1ity is to $el) t$e social %rou) create an

en1ironment /$ic$ $el)s )romote a -ee)er un-erstan-in% o, t$eir )articular to)ic area0 =not$er t$eory t$at is )resent in t$is lesson )lan $as to -o /it$ 5on Classer,iel-6s constructi1ist 1ie/s on teac$in% an- learnin%0 Ae state- t$at 7 t$e teac$erDs role /ill no lon%er be to -is)ense 7trut$,8 but rat$er to $el) an- %ui-e t$e stu-ent in t$e conce)tual or%ani3ation o, certain areas o, e+)erience0

;5on Classer,iel-, 2

(< Ae belie1e- t$at stu-ents nee- to construct t$eir o/n #no/le-%e in or-er to

ma#e it meanin%,ul0 Part o, constructin% #no/le-%e is t$e ability to re,lect on t$e learnin% )rocess0 =t t$e en- o, t$is lesson )lan is a stu-ent re,lection questionnaire0 T$is questionnaire ,ocuses on some o, t$e )rocesses t$at t$e learner /ent t$rou%$ an- t$e e+)erience t$at t$ey $a- in com)letin% t$e )ro.ect0 5on Classer,iel- state- 7 *t is t$e )rocess o, re,lection an- /$ile re,lection as suc$ is not obser1able, its )ro-ucts may be in,erre- ,rom obser1able res)onses08 *n t$is lesson )lan, t$e teac$er is attem)tin% to $a1e t$e learner i-enti,y some o, t$e ste)s t$ey too# an- ,eelin%s t$at t$ey $a- -urin% an- a,ter com)letin% t$e )ro.ect, to $el) ma#e t$e learner a/are o, t$e learnin% )rocess0 >$ile * li#e t$e i-ea o, sel, re,lection, * /oul- a-a)t t$is )art o, t$e assi%nment in a ,e/ /ays0 * /oul- $a1e all stu-ents )ost t$eir essays or a lin# to t$eir essays to a blo% site0 T$is /oul- allo/ t$eir classmates to rea- an- comment on eac$ ot$ers essays0 * /oul- also $a1e stu-ents )ost t$eir in-i1i-ual re,lections as /ell to t$e blo%0 * /oul- inclu-e a )artici)ation mar# t$at /as -e)en-ent on eac$ stu-ent res)on-in% to at least t/o ot$ers classmates6 sel, re,lections0 * t$in# t$is social as)ect /oul- $el) tie in all o, t$e t$eories nicely0 2y /or#in% to%et$er, t$is /oul- s$o/ eac$ stu-ent usin% 7sca,,ol-in%8 to $el) buil- t$eir #no/le-%e as /ell as collaboratin% /it$ ca)able )eers /$ic$ is an im)ortant as)ect o, t$e 3one o, )ro+imal -e1elo)ment0 T$is %rou) as)ect /oul- also tie in /it$ -istribute- co%nition as t$e stu-ents /oul- be /or#in% to%et$er to create a culture an- conte+t /$ile in,luencin% eac$ ot$ers t$in#in%0 =n- lastly, t$rou%$ re,lectin% as a social %rou) t$e stu-ents are %i1en a c$ance to loo# bac# at t$eir /or# an- -isco1er t$e )rocesses t$ey /ent t$rou%$ an- -iscuss t$e commonalities an- -i,,erences /$ic$ /oul- $el) culminate t$eir learnin% e+)erience0

Ee,erences =lber, Eebecca0 ;2 11< Si+ sca,,ol-in% strate%ies to use /it$ your stu-ents0 E-uto)ia0 Source- ,rom $tt)F/////0e-uto)ia0or%/blo%/sca,,ol-in%:lessons:si+:strate%ies:rebecca:alber ?ernan-e3, "0 , >e%eri, , E0 , "ercer G0, H Eo.as:Drummon-, S0 ;2 1<Ee: conce)tuali3in% 7sca,,ol-in% an- t$e 3one o, )ro+imal -e1elo)ment in t$e conte+t o, symmetrical collaborat1ie learnin%, Journal of Classroom Interaction, I6;2<, 4 :540 Autc$ins, E0 ;2 <0 Distribute- Co%nition0 Source- ,rom $tt)F//eclectic0ss0uci0e-u/J-r/$ite/=nt$ro1K'a/Distribute-Co%nition0)-, !o$n:Steiner, 50 H "a$n, A0 ;1''6<0 Sociocultural a))roac$es to learnin% an- -e1elo)mentF = 5y%ots#ian ,rame/or#, Educational Psychologist, 31, 1'1:2 60 Source- ,rom $tt)F//e3)ro+y0library0ubc0ca/lo%inBurlL$tt)F//searc$0ebsco$ost0com/lo%in0as)+ -irectLtrueH-bLe$$H=GL'K1 15 ('KHsiteLe$ost:li1e 5on Clasers,el-, E0 ;2 (<0 Learnin% as a Constructi1e =cti1ity0 AntiMatters, 2(3), II:4'0 source- ,romF $tt)F//anti:matters0or%/articles/KI/)ublic/KI:66:1:P20)-, Lesson )lan source- ,romF $tt)F/////0mrmoore0net/MG*TN2 IN2 ECOPT/MnitN2 IN2 E%y)t N2 Eesearc$N2 Pro.ect0)-,