The University of the West Indies, St.

Augustine

School of Education

Diploma in Education, 2020-2021

EDTP 5002 Practicum

The Practicum: Final Teaching Practice

Kirby Delicia Harripersad

UWI ID#: 04715468

Tutor’s Name: Mrs. Nicola Mark-Worrell

Table of Contents
Domain 1: Planning and Preparation.....................................................................................................3
UNIT PLAN – Geography....................................................................................................................4
Lesson plan: Online Learning...........................................................................................................12
Lesson plan: Face-to-face learning..................................................................................................23
Domain 2: Delivery of instruction........................................................................................................35
Domain 3: Classroom Management....................................................................................................36
Domain 4: Reflection...........................................................................................................................43
References...........................................................................................................................................47
 Domain 1: Planning and Preparation

Caption:

The unit presented is on volcanism and its effects at the form 3 level. This was appropriate for display and assessment as the content is well

suited for the use of models, case studies and multimedia in both the online and face-to-face environments. This form level and strategies

were not used before in the course and the planning for this unit and lessons hopefully show the growth and development I have achieved

since field day #1. I consider these strategies a little more challenging to apply with younger students with respect to classroom management

and wanted my attempt at my new skills to be seen. Although initially tedious, the long-term benefits of being prepared for a unit will add to

my effectiveness as a teacher in the future.

UNIT PLAN – Geography

TEACHER: Kirby Harripersad

CLASS: Form three, term three
UNIT: The physical Earth and human interactions- Volcanoes
UNIT TOPIC: Volcanoes
GOALS: This unit should help student to: Understand vulcanism with respect to features, processes and effects. Students will also be able
create maps to identify volcanoes nationally and neighbouring ones in the region. Students will be able to identify material ejected
by volcanoes and discuss the positive and negative effects of same. They will be able to appreciate the socio-economic and
environmental effects of vulcanism, including using the resource in an environmentally sustainbale manner.

RATIONALE: This unit is important as it sensitizes the students to vulcanism and its effects since Trinidad and Tobago has not had a noteworthy
volcanic disaster in recent history. Our neighbouring islands are volcanic in nature and the region has experienced a significant
eruption very recently (Mt. Soufrière). Examining the effects of eruptions like this allows students to appreciate the benefits while
learning empathy towards the negatively impacted. The effects can by physical, social, economic and environmental and students
will gain an overall awareness of them, while bearing in mind the sustainability of utilizing them.

UNIT GENERAL OBJECTIVES (UGO): It is expected that students will:

1. Understand geomorphic processes and features relating to volcanism.
2. Understand the relationship between natural and human systems.
3. Recognize the national responsibilities for the sustainable use of the environment.
CONCEPTS TO BE TAUGHT: Concept map attached
Lesson no. Duration UGO in Key Concepts In Cognitive Learning Affective Learning Materials / Teaching/ Assessment
and Title of Lesson Lesson The Lesson Outcomes: Outcome: Resources Learning Strategies
Students Will Be Students Will Be Activities
Able To Able To

1. Volcano 40 mins 1 Environment Examine a volcano Show appreciation (Greenstein et al., Virtual field Formative:
structure Keywords: and its structure for the aesthetic 2018 p140) trip. Selected
Shield (Analyzing) value of volcanic Journaling. Summative:
Composite features (Valuing). Google Earth Structured
Caldera
Extrusive and
intrusive
features
2. 40 mins 1 Environment Create a map of the Share their views on Student Atlas Modelling. Formative:
Volcanoes Place Caribbean showing how they feel about Paper Role play. Structured
in the Space the location of the proximity of T&T Coloured pencils Summative:
Caribbean volcanoes in the to their volcanic Structured
region (Creating) islands in the
Caribbean (Valuing).
3. Volcanic 40 mins 1 Environment Differentiate among Appreciate different (Greenstein et al., Collaborative Formative:
material Keywords: the materials types of pyroclastic 2018 p142) learning. Selected
Ash ejected by volcanoes material (Receiving). Current Summative:
Lava (Evaluating) LIVE feed for events. Structured
Pyroclastic Icelandic volcanic
material eruption
Cinder
 Volcanic material
4. Negative 40 mins 2 Human- Examine the Share their views on Discovery Formative:
effects of environment negative effects of how they feel about  Kirby learning Selected
volcanoes interconnection volcanic eruptions the negative effects Harripersad_FINAL through case Summative:
ITP_Negative effects
on the physical and of volcanic activity study. Structured
of...
human environment (Valuing). Hands-on
(Analyzing) PDF of PPT with learning via
notes the use of a
model.
Glossary of terms Effective
questioning.
Quiz with answers-
negative effects of
volcanic activity

Supplemental notes
for teacher
use/student
handout
5. positive 40mins 2 Human- Examine the positive Weigh the benefits (Greenstein et al., Jigsaw. Formative:
effects of environment effects of volcanic of volcanic activity 2018 p144-147) Debate. Selected
volcanoes interconnection activity (Analyzing) against the Summative:
disadvantages Positive effects of Structured
(Organization) volcanoes
6. Socio- 40 mins 3 Human- Assess the socio- Influence relevant Socio-economic Debate. Formative:
economic environment economic and persons on utilizing effects of volcanoes Role play. Structured
and interconnection. environmental the benefits of Summative:
environmen Sustainability. effects of volcanoes volcanoes for socio- Structured
tal effects (Evaluating) economic
of delvelopment
volcanoes (Characterization by
value)

Resource reference: Greenstein, L., Paizee, D., & Nicholson, B. (2018). Secondary social sciences for Trinidad and Tobago. 3. (E. Thomas-Hunte,

Ed.). Collins.

Table of Specifications

Lesson # in Objectives Domain Formative/Summative Item No. Marks

Unit plan
1 Examine a volcano and its structure Cognitive Formative (Section 1): Selected response 1-3 3 questions (1 mark each)

(Analyzing) (MCQ) 3 questions (1 mark each)

Summative Constructed response (Quiz) 4-6

Show appreciation for the aesthetic Affective Formative (Section 2): Constructed 7 4 marks

value of volcanic features (Valuing). response (Journal entry)

2 Create a map of the Caribbean Cognitive Formative (Section 1): Constructed 8a 10 marks for map ( 5

showing the location of volcanoes in response (Map) marks for drawing skills

the region (Creating) Summative: Constructed response (Quiz) and 5 marks for accuracy)

Share their views on how they feel Affective Formative (Section 2): Constructed 8b N/A

about the proximity of T&T to their response (Performance-skit)

volcanic islands in the Caribbean

(Valuing).
3 Differentiate among the materials 9-12 N/A
Cognitive Formative (Section 1) Selected response
ejected by volcanoes (Evaluating)
(Fill in the blanks)
N/A
Summative: Constructed response

(Essay)
Appreciate different types of Affective Formative (Section 2): Constructed 13 N/A

pyroclastic material (Receiving). response (Verbal response)

4 Examine the negative effects of Cognitive Formative (Section 1): Constructed 14-16 N/A

volcanic eruptions on the physical response ( 3 MCQ questions)

and human environment (Analysing) Summative: Selected response (Verbal 17-21 N/A
 responses after being shown pictures on

the negative effects of volcanoes.

Students were asked to list the effects

they recognized, justifying their answers)

Share their views on how they feel Affective Formative (Section 2): Constructed 22 N/A

about the negative effects of response

volcanic activity (Valuing). (oral questioning)

5 Examine the positive effects of Cognitive Formative (Section 1): Selected response 23-26 3 questions, 1 mark each

volcanic activity (Analyzing) (Matching) 5 marks for short answer

Summative: Constructed response (Short 27

answer)
Weigh the benefits of volcanic Affective Formative (Section 2): Constructed 28 N/A

activity against the disadvantages response- (Journal entry)

(Organization)
6 Assess the socio-economic and Cognitive Formative (Section 1): Constructed 29a N/A

environmental effects of volcanoes response (Game)

(Evaluating) Summative: Constructed response (Short 29b

 answer)
Influence relevant persons on Affective Formative (Section 2): Constructed 30 N/A

utilizing the benefits of volcanoes for response- (Journal entry)

socio-economic delvelopment

(Characterization by value)
CONCEPT MAP
 12

Lesson plan: Online Learning

DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION PROGRAMME, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES, ST.
AUGUSTINE

GEOGRAPHY- LESSON PLAN: # 4 in Unit plan

TEACHER: Kirby Harripersad SCHOOL: Barrackpore West Secondary DATE: 7.7.21

CLASS: 3.1 No. in class: 30 TIME: 12.15pm No of period(s): 1 Duration: 40mins

Planning for the lesson

UNIT PLAN: The physical Earth and human interactions- Volcanoes

TOPIC: Negative effects of volcanoes

CONCEPTS: Environment, Interconnection CONCEPT MAP: Attached

CURRICULUM INTEGRATION AREAS: English Language will be integrated in the form of oral communication and
journal writing. Social Studies through the socio-economic effects of a natural disaster.

Strategies for:

Planning for inclusiveness: The lesson has been prepared for different types of learners such as visual, read-write
and auditory learners.

Planning for literacy improvement: Students will add to their Geographical Terms Glossary and will be encouraged
to read out loud.

Planning for Technology Integration: The use of laptop, PowerPoint, Zoom and YouTube content. Teacher created
resources using Audacity, Windows Movie maker and Screencast-o-matic

Planning for VAPA integration: Use of pictures for interpretation, music and videos for visual aid.

Instructional strategies to be used and their rationale:

 Direct instruction- teacher-led, structured instructional approach that identifies learning goals, presents
content and checks for understanding with feedback.
 Effective questioning- play a role in focusing students on learning goals and encourage higher level
responses.
 Discovery learning- the use of case studies engage students in developing questions, seeking evidence
and justifications.
 Hands-on learning- Learning by doing (use of a model) directly involves learners while stimulating other
parts of the brain, thereby encouraging recall ability.
 Role play- help students invent and practice interpersonal skills in a relatively low-risk environment. It
promotes problem solving and deeper understanding, resulting in better recall learning.
 Journaling- students are actively engaged in their own learning and get the opportunity to request
clarifications and also reflect on their thinking.
Link to relevant learning theories as interpreted from Ertmer & Newby (2013):

Journaling can be linked to the constructivist learning theory as it leans towards the interpretations of our
existence. Role playing and use of model are associated with the behavioural learning theory as it elicits a desired
response. Effective questioning uses feedback to modify behaviour in a desired direction in line with the
behaviourist theory lecturing follows the cognitive theory as it focuses on the mental activities of the learner and
use of knowledge is used to guide correct mental connections.
 13

The lesson plan:

PRE-KNOWLEDGE:

Students were taught about the Earth’s structure, as well as features found at plate boundaries

(inclusive of volcanoes). Students also had sessions on types of rocks and earthquakes and

materials ejected by volcanoes.

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

Objectives of the lesson Classification of objectives Domain

1. Examine the negative effects of volcanic Analysing Cognitive

eruptions on the physical and human

environment
2. Share their views on how they feel about the Valuing Affective

negative effects of volcanic activity.

SET INDUCTION (strategy to draw learners into the lesson)– Time allotted: 3 mins

Teacher shows a video clip collated with student submissions of a prior activity (hands-on

learning: use of a model). This clip shows models of erupting volcanoes built by the students.

The link to video can be accessed here

Effective questioning: If we were able to get the supplies to represent different land use around

a volcano, what do you think we would be exploring in this lesson?

Guide students towards: The negative effects of volcanism.

 14

SECTION 1- Time allotted: 20mins

Teaching points:

Negative effects of volcanic activity:

 Pyroclastic flow

 Ash fall

 Poisonous gas emissions

 Damage to property

 Lahars

 Forced evacuation

 Limited potable water

 Homelessness

 Limited food readily available for livestock and wildlife

 Volcanic bombs

 Tsunami triggered by volcanic activity

 Noteworthy to mention: the eruption of Mt Soufrière, 2021 was not a lava eruption, and

lava flows cause significant damage to anything in its path via burning.

METHOD

Teaching Strategy Student Activity Resources

 15

Lecturing Students answer PowerPoint presentation

Teacher introduces session by showing a questions about the with imagery and video

map of the Caribbean and reminding scenes shown and make a of scenes of the Mt

students the location of St. Vincent and the written list of the negative Soufrière, 2021 eruption.

Grenadines and that of Trinidad and Tobago. effects of volcanic activity. Accessed here:

Discovery learning (Case study)  Kirby

Teacher shows the images and clips showing Harripersad_FINAL

scenes of the volcanic eruption of Mt ITP_Negative effects of...

Soufrière, 2021. During the presentation, the (Please download onto

teacher pauses the video for each scene computer before

shown and asks the students effective showing students for the

questions to guide them towards describing embedded videos to play

the effect demonstrated (Questions for each and to access the slide

slide in the notes section of the slides in the notes)

supplied PowerPoint).

PDF of PPT with notes

Glossary of terms

Supplemental notes for

teacher use/student

handout
 16

SECTIONAL REVIEW and feedback Time allotted: 3 mins

Multiple choice questions accessed at:

Quiz- Negative effects of Volcanic Activity (Quizzes link)

Quiz with answers- negative effects of volcanic activity (Google doc link)

Ask students to justify their choices.

SECTION 2- Time allotted: 5mins

Teaching points:

Questions to be asked:

 How do these scenes make you feel?

 How do the comments made by our fellow country folk about persons negatively

affected make you feel?

METHOD

Teaching Strategy Student Activity Resources

Teacher asks students to put Students verbally respond to

themselves in the shoes of questions asked

the residents living in the red

zone of St. Vincent during

evacuation.

Journaling

Teacher ask students to read Students read out loud the Slide #22 of PowerPoint

out the comments made by resources provided Presentation

country folk in response to

 17

discussions on hosting

persons affected by the

eruption in T&T.

SECTIONAL REVIEW and feedback Time allotted: 3 mins

Teacher asks students to state (orally) how they feel about the negative effects of volcanoes

and these comments.

Sample response:

The effects learnt today are destructive and scary. Persons should not be selfish when people

are affected by a natural disaster, since they never know when they may need assistance.

CLOSURE Time allotted: 2 mins

Where are we going?

Students predict the topic of the next session’s lesson.

Answer: Positive effects of Volcanoes.

FINAL EVALUATION – Time allotted: 5 mins

Students will be presented with a series of pictures to examine. These pictures are scenes of

the aftermath of volcanic eruptions. Teacher asks students to identify the different ways in

which volcanoes can negatively affect the human and natural environment. If needed, teacher

asks students to look beyond what the images show, and to state what the mean (example,

burning house means homelessness, loss of life means loss of human resource)
 18

Answers (From top right in a clockwise direction):

-Persons injured dying, loss of human resource, loss of productivity.

- burning landscape, loss of natural habitat, wildlife

-ash covered fields, decreased food security

- burning house, homelessness, increased dependence of government support

- damaged resources and dead livestock

- Burning community, blocked transportation networks, delayed first response.

Reasonable level of achievement

Level of achievement Related objective

80% of students should be able to examine the 1

negative effects of volcanic eruptions on the

 19

physical and human environment

100 % of students should be able to share their 2

views on how they feel about the negative effects of

volcanic activity.

Table of Specifications

Objectives Level and type of Formative/Summative Marks

domain
1. Examine the negative Analysing/ Formative (Section1). N/A

effects of volcanic Cognitive 3 multiple choice questions with

eruptions on the physical justifications of answers

and human environment Summative

(Section 1).

Picture interpretation (6 pictures) N/A

2. Share their views on Valuing/ Affective Formative N/A

how they feel about the (Section 2).

negative effects of volcanic Verbal response to questions:

activity. -How do these scenes make you

feel?

-How do the comments made by

our fellow country folk about

persons negatively affected make

you feel?

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES/LESSON:
 20

Lesson 5 of the unit plan: Positive effects if volcanic activity.

REFLECTION:

After teaching this lesson, I have come to realise that the affective objective can be threaded

through the other sections easily for a topic such as this. In my experience, lessons that include

damage to life, property and the environment can evoke feelings whether or not the students

have experienced it themselves. This can mean that the students can be encouraged to feel

empathy for both the physical and human environment which is important in developing a

holistic individual who has a sense of compassion. I found this approach useful for future

lessons that can allow an easy transition from both the cognitive and affective domains and

plan to utilize it as much as possible.

I have also learnt that time management and classroom management are very much related.

This topic could have easily allowed students to stray into areas such a politics. A possible

implication of this could have meant that all of the sessions’ objectives may not have been met

fully. I have experienced that before is previous classes and was able to apply techniques to

guide these students accordingly. This is beneficial for ensuring the curriculum is covered in the

limited time available.

Another significant issue that I noticed occurred when the same students were participating via

oral responses. Being online, it’s difficult to always gauge meaningful student engagement. An

example occurred in this session where one sibling had to prompt the other when called upon

to respond. I also tried to call on students who were less responsive than others to have a more

effective session. These experiences are valuable to me as it challenges me to be able to plan

 21

sessions that I hope can be exciting and interesting to hold the student’s attention through a

screen.

Being able to experience these situations now will be beneficial to me in learning to plan

towards fulfilling my individual teaching identity; developing my skills in time management,

class room management and producing a holistic student.

Reference

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing

critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement

Quarterly, 26(2), 43–71. https://doi.org/10.1002/piq.21143

Concept map
 22

Lesson plan: Face-to-face learning

DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION PROGRAMME, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES, ST.
AUGUSTINE

GEOGRAPHY- LESSON PLAN: # 4 in Unit plan

TEACHER: Kirby Harripersad SCHOOL: Barrackpore West Secondary DATE: 7.7.21

CLASS: 3.1 No. in class: 30 TIME: 12.15pm No of period(s): 1 Duration: 40mins

Planning for the lesson

UNIT PLAN: The physical Earth and human interactions- Volcanoes

 23

TOPIC: Negative effects of volcanoes

CONCEPTS: Environment, Interconnection CONCEPT MAP: Attached

CURRICULUM INTEGRATION AREAS: English Language will be integrated in the form of oral communication and
journal writing. Social Studies through the socio-economic effects of a natural disaster.

Strategies for:

Planning for inclusiveness: The lesson has been prepared for different types of learners such as visual, read-write
and auditory learners.

Planning for literacy improvement: Students will add to their Geographical Terms Glossary and will be encouraged
to read out loud.

Planning for Technology Integration: The use of laptop, Projector, PowerPoint. Teacher created resources using
Audacity, Windows Movie maker and Screencast-o-matic

Planning for VAPA integration: Use of pictures for interpretation, music and videos for visual aid.

Instructional strategies to be used and their rationale:

 Direct instruction- teacher-led, structured instructional approach that identifies learning goals, presents
content and checks for understanding with feedback.
 Effective questioning- play a role in focusing students on learning goals and encourage higher level
responses.
 Discovery learning- the use of case studies engage students in developing questions, seeking evidence
and justifications.
 Hands-on learning- Learning by doing (use of a model) directly involves learners while stimulating other
parts of the brain, thereby encouraging recall ability.
 Role play- help students invent and practice interpersonal skills in a relatively low-risk environment. It
promotes problem solving and deeper understanding, resulting in better recall learning.
 Journaling- students are actively engaged in their own learning and get the opportunity to request
clarifications and also reflect on their thinking.
Link to relevant learning theories as interpreted from Ertmer & Newby (2013):

Journaling can be linked to the constructivist learning theory as it leans towards the interpretations of our
existence. Role playing and use of model are associated with the behavioural learning theory as it elicits a desired
response. Effective questioning uses feedback to modify behaviour in a desired direction in line with the
behaviourist theory lecturing follows the cognitive theory as it focuses on the mental activities of the learner and
use of knowledge is used to guide correct mental connections.

The lesson plan:

PRE-KNOWLEDGE:

Students were taught about the Earth’s structure, as well as features found at plate boundaries

(inclusive of volcanoes). Students also had sessions on types of rocks and earthquakes and

materials ejected by volcanoes.

OBJECTIVES:
 24

At the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

Objectives of the lesson Classification of objectives Domain

1. Examine the negative effects of volcanic Analysing Cognitive

eruptions on the physical and human

environment
2. Share their views on how they feel about the Valuing Affective

negative effects of volcanic activity.

SET INDUCTION (strategy to draw learners into the lesson)– Time allotted: 5 mins

Teacher displays models that were made by students at the front of the class for a previous

assignment. The models were that of a volcanic cone with surrounding natural vegetation,

agriculture and settlements. The students simulate an eruption either with Mentos and Coca

Cola or vinegar and baking soda. Teacher uses cellular phone to play a soca song “Volcano” by

artiste Red Plastic bag while the eruptions are occurring accessed here.

Teacher asks student to describe what they see happening to the natural vegetation,

agriculture and settlements with the ejected material.

Effective questioning: What do you think we would be exploring in this lesson?

Guide students towards: The negative effects of volcanism.

SECTION 1- Time allotted: 20mins

Teaching points:

Negative effects of volcanic activity:

 25

 Pyroclastic flow

 Ash fall

 Poisonous gas emissions

 Damage to property

 Lahars

 Forced evacuation

 Limited potable water

 Homelessness

 Limited food readily available for livestock and wildlife

 Volcanic bombs

 Tsunami triggered by volcanic activity

 Noteworthy to mention: the eruption of Mt Soufrière, 2021 was not a lava eruption, and

lava flows cause significant damage to anything in its path via burning.

METHOD

Teaching Strategy Student Activity Resources

 26

Lecturing Students answer questions Any student atlas

Teacher introduces session by showing a about the scenes shown and available for a map

map of the Caribbean and reminding make a written list of the of the Caribbean.

students the location of St. Vincent and the negative effects of volcanic

Grenadines and that of Trinidad and Tobago. activity.

Discovery learning (Case study) PowerPoint

Teacher arranges desks in a semi-circle presentation with

around the projector’s screen. Teacher imagery and video of

shows the images and clips showing scenes scenes of the Mt

of the volcanic eruption of Mt Soufrière, Soufrière, 2021

2021. During the presentation, the teacher eruption available:

pauses the video for each scene shown and  Kirby

asks the students effective questions to Harripersad_FINAL

guide them towards describing the effect ITP_Negative effects

demonstrated (Questions for each slide in of...

the notes section of the slides in the supplied (Please download

PowerPoint). onto computer

If the projector is unavailable, teacher shows before showing

the students the printed pictures by passing students for the

them around, asking the same questions embedded videos to

listed in the notes of the slides. play and to access

the slide notes)

Printed PowerPoint
 27

SECTIONAL REVIEW and feedback Time allotted: 3 mins

Multiple choice questions accessed at:

Quiz- Negative effects of Volcanic Activity (Quizzes link)

Quiz with answers- negative effects of volcanic activity (Google doc link if projector unavailable)

Ask students to justify their choices.

SECTION 2- Time allotted: 5mins

Teaching points:

Questions to be asked:

 How do these scenes make you feel?

 How do the comments made by our fellow country folk about persons negatively

affected make you feel?

METHOD

Teaching Strategy Student Activity Resources

 28

Role play Students verbally respond to

Teacher asks students to put questions asked

themselves in the shoes of

the residents living in the red

zone of St. Vincent during

evacuation.

Journaling Students read out loud the Slide # 22 of the PowerPoint

Teacher ask students to read resources provided presentation provided

out the comments made by (printed if no projector

country folk in response to available)

discussions on hosting

persons affected by the

eruption in T&T.

SECTIONAL REVIEW and feedback Time allotted: 3 mins

 29

Teacher asks students to state (orally) how they feel about the negative effects of volcanoes

and these comments.

Sample response:

The effects learnt today are destructive and scary. Persons should not be selfish when

people are affected by a natural disaster, since they never know when they may need

assistance.

CLOSURE Time allotted: 2 mins

Where are we going?

Students predict the topic of the next session’s lesson.

Answer: Positive effects of Volcanoes.

FINAL EVALUATION – Time allotted: 5 mins

Students will be presented with a series of pictures to examine. These pictures are scenes of

the aftermath of volcanic eruptions. Teacher asks students to identify the different ways in

which volcanoes can negatively affect the human and natural environment. If needed,

teacher asks students to look beyond what the images show, and to state what the mean

(example, burning house means homelessness, loss of life means loss of human resource)
 30

Answers (From top right in a clockwise direction):

-Persons injured dying, loss of human resource, loss of productivity.

- burning landscape, loss of natural habitat, wildlife

-ash covered fields, decreased food security

- burning house, homelessness, increased dependence of government support

- damaged resources and dead livestock

- Burning community, blocked transportation networks, delayed first response.

 31

Reasonable level of achievement

Level of achievement Related objective

80% of students should be able to examine the negative effects of 1

volcanic eruptions on the physical and human environment

100 % of students should be able to share their views on how they feel 2

about the negative effects of volcanic activity.

Table of Specifications

Objectives Level and type of Formative/Summative Marks

domain
1. Examine the negative Analysing/ Formative (Section1). N/A

effects of volcanic Cognitive 3 multiple choice questions with

eruptions on the physical justifications of answers

and human environment Summative

(Section 1).

Picture interpretation (6 pictures) N/A

2. Share their views on Valuing/ Affective Formative N/A

how they feel about the (Section 2).

negative effects of volcanic Verbal response to questions:

activity. -How do these scenes make you

feel?

-How do the comments made by

our fellow country folk about

persons negatively affected make

 32

you feel?

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES/LESSON:

Lesson 5 of the unit plan: Positive effects if volcanic activity.

Reference

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing

critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement

Quarterly, 26(2), 43–71. https://doi.org/10.1002/piq.21143

 33

Concept map
 34

Domain 2: Delivery of instruction

Caption:

The video for this lesson is 37 minutes and 15 seconds long. The topic looks at the negative

effects of volcanic activity at the form three level and is designed for the online class. The

lesson utilizes a few teaching strategies including discovery learning through a case study

and hands-on learning via the use of a model. This design includes multiple choice and oral

questioning for assessments, covering both cognitive and affective domains. The lesson was

structured this way since most of the students respond positively to stimulus in the form of

multimedia as they are easily distracted when not meaningfully engaged. Displaying their

models give them a sense of achievement and belonging. Effective questioning provided

opportunities for open thinking and voluntary responses in a comfortable setting. Resources

for student’s models were items found at home and teacher resources were online-

accessed content. A compatible device and stable connectivity were required to participate.

Note to Tutor

Dear Mrs. Mark-Worrell

I have recorded the lesson captioned above and uploaded in on YouTube. You are invited to

view and comment by accessing it here

Sincerely,

Kirby Harripersad
 35

Domain 3: Classroom Management

Caption:

Evertson & Weinstein (2006) defines classroom management (CM) as the actions educators

take to produce an environment that encourages academia and supports socio-emotional

learning of pupils. Effective strategies can be successful at all subject and class levels since

they work together to create and maintain a learning environment that is conducive to

meaningful learning (Brophy, 2006). CM improves student behaviour as it calls for an orderly

classroom (Korpershoek et al., 2014). Also, effective CM makes students responsible for

their own behaviour by reducing negative behaviour and increasing time spent on

engagement (Marzano et al., 2003)

3. (a)

Class context:

The class is a form three class of 30 students. The session is 45 minutes long, once every two

weeks. On average, about 15 students attend the sessions at a time. I describe my

classroom management style as authoritative where the students are encouraged to think

independently, but are monitored and guided towards learning objectives.

Student characteristics:

Drachsler & Kirschner (2012) identify four categories of student characteristics. They are

used to describe (based on personal observations) the form three Geography students

below:
 36

Table 1

Student characteristics for form 3 Geography

Category Characteristic Description

Personal No. of students 30 (16 boys, 14 girls)
Age 12-14
Language English
Ethnicity mix of Indo and Afro-Trinidadians
Socio-economic Low-middle class

status
Impairments 1 Autistic male.
Academic Prior knowledge 30 students completed forms 1-2 Geography
Social/emotional Few students work well with collaborative

activities. Most display maturity when given

responsibilities.
Cognitive Attention span and memory is relatively poor

on average for the class.

Learning needs:

Minderhout (2013) describe the needs of a learner as the gap between what the learner

wants to achieve from an educational experience. The author suggests four categories of

student learning needs. These are applied to the form 3 class below:

Table 2

Student Learning needs for form 3 Geography

Cognitive Social Affective Psychomotor

- Use learning -Get support - Have time for -participate in

resources - Manage time and reflection demonstrations

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- think freely tasks - Feel a sense of -be comfortable in

-Relevant learning - timely feedback belonging the classroom

goals - A sense of purpose setting

- literacy, numeracy

and problem solving

 38

3. (b)
Figure 1
The issues classroom management issues anticipated for the lesson.

Face-to-face
Online class
Common Class
• Poor teacher-student
relationship through screen.
issues
• One/few students • Students may get carried away
• Poor student engagement
responding to questions with time with the volcano models.
and participation
• Undiagnosed learning • Students may interact with each
• Teacher may not leave
difficulties other during the session and cause
sufficent wait time for responses
• The autistic student is either distractions when seating in a circle
due to lack of student
very talkative or he needs a around projector.
contributions
prompt from his aid • Students may mishandle
• Technical difficulties with
• Time constraints with resources such as projector,
technology and connectivity
keeping lesson on learning volcano models, handouts.
• Uncertainty if students are
objectives • Setting up desks, multimedia
really paying attention on their
• Background noise and models may create noise,
devices.
• Students may make distractions and require extra time
• Connectivity difficulties.
inconsiderate remarks during the
3. (c)

Marzano et al. (2003) compartmentalizes CM strategies into four areas. These areas can

have a culminated effect of mitigating the issues identified above for both the online and

face-to-face environment. They are:

1) Rules and procedures

Rules relate to how the students treat each other and procedures refer to how they are

expected to behave in particular situations such as the volcano model display.

2) Mediations for discipline

This deals with how the teacher deals with unwanted behaviour. This can involve

punishments for those who are disruptive and even rewards for those exhibiting positive

behaviours. An example of this can be a five-minute time out for excessive talking during the

case study of St. Vincent’s eruption.

3) Relationships between teachers and students

Appropriate levels of dominance can be displayed by the teacher, along with techniques for

teachers to cooperate with the students in a positive and encouraging manner. This can take

the form of clear goals at the beginning of the session, displaying an interest in student

issues and interacting in an unbiased way.

4) Mental set

This describes the teacher’s mental ability to adapt to the dynamic nature of the classroom,

in an emotionally neutral manner. This can involve the teacher’s disposition such as in a
 40

situation where students may interfere with multimedia equipment and how quickly the

situation is recognized and rectified.

3. (d). In the past academic year (2020/2021) I have utilized all four categories of CM

strategies in varying degrees. My classes this year were fully online and the rules and

disciplines CM strategies were used to a lesser extent. Rules simply included asking students

to follow basic “netiquette” and this was outlined to them in the early sessions.

Punishments were limited to getting removed from the session for serious disruptions and I

only had to do this once when a student was writing on virtual whiteboard. This was partly

my fault as I should have checked those settings before the session began.

However, strengthening teacher-student relationships proved to be a successful CM

strategy this term. Scull et al. (2020) saw positive changes to enhancing student

engagement through stronger social connections during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This was

done by ensuring there were adequate public and private means of communication via

WhatsApp groups, Google Classroom, email and cellular phone. A “Motivational Corner”

was set up in every virtual room for freedom of expression and I tried to ensure that all

students were treated with equity when given opportunities to contribute.

Adjusting my mental set has also benefitted both myself and students as a CM strategy.

Students are now facing more demands at home and enduring higher levels of anxiety with

younger siblings and loss of jobs. Instead of being stern about deadlines, I adjusted by

providing constructive feedback when their pace slackened. Teachers in the 2020 student by

Scull et al. also saw great success with this strategy. I also had to have a “withitness” (the

ability to notice the behaviour of students and respond in a timely manner) as described by

Wolff et al. (2020), but in the online environment. Situations arose where students felt
 41

confident in their anonymity behind a screen to post/say inappropriate content and this had

to be shut down quickly as to avoid it escalating and influencing the other students.
 42

Domain 4: Reflection

Caption

The entry is a reflection on my experiences with the Practicum course. Its purpose is to

provide an insight of my growth and adaptations to my teaching strategies before and after

completing the course and before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights skills

learnt, while overcoming identified challenges. It also outlines what it means to be a

Geography teacher in this time and what different approaches have to be adopted to

successfully facilitate and encourage effective learning. Knowing and getting over my own

fears in the pandemic as a student, to ease those of my pupils as an educator was a major

driving force in providing the best learning environment within my growing capabilities.

Being a student enrolled in this Practicum course during the COVID-19 Pandemic was one of

many mixed emotions. I was not just being taught how to be a more effective teacher, I was

being taught how to teach in the virtual learning environment (VLE) during a global crisis.

The same strategies used by my lecturers during this time are the ones I was being trained

to employ. The most significant aspect I took from this experience was learning from the

strengths and weaknesses of the varying lectures presented to us. As a student, I saw what

appealed to my learning style. As a teacher, I plan to adopt and enact these new skills in the

quest to develop and grow.

These new skills both serve the new COVID-19 VLE and the return of face-to-face in time to

come. Before the pandemic (and this course) I have never done a unit plan, a table of

specifications or made use of concept maps in lesson plans in the eleven plus years I have

been teaching. I simply was never introduced to it by my supervisors, so this was a notable
 43

difference. I have now come to realise that this proper planning only serves to make the

curriculum delivery smooth and actually reduces the work load for subsequent academic

years. This will be beneficial for years to come and it will make me more prepared and this

will in turn allow me to gain the students’ and parents’ confidence in my abilities.

Another significant difference was my approach to teaching strategies. Unfortunately,

before the course, I mainly utilized lecturing, as this is how I was taught, and what was

actually encouraged by my supervisors. I realized that this teaching strategy utilizes less

resources, relies on the knowledge of the teacher and is teacher-led. This creates what can

be perceived to be a more controlled environment. The new insight of varying teaching

strategies has already shown increases in student engagement and academic performance

in the VLE and I expect similar outcomes when we return to face-to-face. This was a major

step in my journey as one of my goals is to ensure that students from multiple intelligences

are learning effectively.

This course also focussed on ensuring lesson plans’ learning objectives were clearly

presented to the learner, taken from both the higher order and lower order levels and from

both the cognitive and affective domain. This is similar practice I have done prior to the

course and before the pandemic. Having learnt about scaffolding however, I can see that

learning objectives are connected to scaffolding and task analysis as they help the learner

transition from the known to the unknown via small and manageable steps. In order to

further develop this skill, I plan to continue taking the Bloom’s hierarchy of learning into

consideration in my lesson planning, as I have seen that it ensures students have a solid

base of knowledge to apply for deeper thought processes.

 44

Additionally, my objectives were solely in line with the syllabus and I have now realised the

importance of creating broader, overarching perspective. This is useful as it contributes to a

more holistic student and well-rounded individual in society.

Another practice that I exercised both before the pandemic and the course is that of

fostering good teacher-student relationships. I have experienced that when there is mutual

respect between the teacher and student, then classroom management becomes easier,

student participation and engagement becomes more meaningful and there is an overall

greater effort towards increasing academic performance. That section of the Practicum

course has cemented these observations with reference to literature and it was always

interesting to observe the teacher-student relationship of my fellow colleagues’ on field

days. It was relatively easy to determine which teachers spent time building that

relationship by the manner in which the students responded. This was beneficial to me as it

made me reflect on my own relationships with students and I realised that I needed to make

a greater effort to continue fostering it, even more so during the isolation of social

distancing.

Completing this course was not without its challenges. Time management was the most

difficult one. Being both a teacher and a student presents its own time restrictions, but

being both during a pandemic proved to be problematic. The same issues faced by my

students now became my own. I had to assimilate information and complete assignments

while juggling the demands of working from home, fulfilling my role as new mother and

maintaining a household. This was coupled with the fear and anxiety of contracting the virus

and the safety of vulnerable family members. Overcoming these challenges has proved to

be one of the most beneficial skills I have learnt in this course, and it was not even in the
 45

course outline. This ability to prioritize tasks and manage limited time will indeed be most

beneficial when preparing resources for lessons and handing in submissions in the future.

This is important to not only be a better teacher, but an efficient employee.

Being a Geography teacher in these unprecedented times means that some new roles have

been added to my customized professional portfolio. Virtual field trips help to break the

monotony of government enforced restrictions with social distancing during the pandemic.

Students still get to learn about the environment and field work can contribute to both

communication and numerical skills. It’s important that being a teacher in the VLR means

that I keep current and be proficient with new technologies, platforms and devices.

Teaching during COVID-19 also means that I have to facilitate and encourage students to

learn on their own while being creative enough to hold their attention through a screen. I

now have the opportunity to co-create new strategies with my different classes that are

serve their specific needs. I have to keep in mind that I am preparing them for their future

as modern learners, and to introduce appropriate real-world learning.

This course has taught me valuable skills that will contribute to me becoming the type of

educator I’m striving to be; considerate, competent, adaptable, current, engaging,

approachable, respected and ever learning.

 46

References

Brophy, J. (2006). History of research on classroom management. In C. M. Evertson & C. S.

Weinstein (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and

contemporary issues (pp. 17-43). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

Drachsler, H., & Kirschner, P. A. (2012). Learner characteristics. In N. M. Seel (Ed.),

Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning (pp. 1743–1745). Springer.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_347

Evertson, C. M., & Weinstein, C. S. (2006). Handbook of classroom management: Research,

practice and contemporary issues. Lawrence Erlbaum.

Korpershoek, H., Harms, G. J., De Boer, H., Van Kuijk, M., Doolaard, S., & Onderwijs, V.

(2014). Effective classroom management strategies and classroom management

programs for educational practice: A meta-analysis of the effects of classroom

management strategies and classroom management programs on students’

academic, behavioural, emotional, and motivational outcomes. Gion

Onderwijs/Onderzoek, November.

Marzano, R. J., Marzano, J. S., & Pickering, D. J. (2003). Classroom management that works:

Research-based strategies for every teacher. Association for Supervision and

Curriculum Development, Cop.

Minderhout, V. (2013). Faculty guidebook faculty development series section 3 3.2.6

identifying learner needs. http://www.pcrest.com/research/fgb/3_2_6.pdf

Scull, J., Phillips, M., Sharma, U., & Garnier, K. (2020). Innovations in teacher education at

the time of COVID19: An Australian perspective. Journal of Education for Teaching, 46(4), 1–

10. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2020.1802701
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Wolff, C. E., Jarodzka, H., & Boshuizen, H. P. A. (2020). Classroom management scripts: A

theoretical model contrasting expert and novice teachers’ knowledge and awareness

of classroom events. Educational Psychology Review, 33.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09542-0