Runninghead:PEDAGOGYPROJECTREFLECTION

PedagogyProjectReflection
KristiKay
EDCI3482

PEDAGOGYPROJECTREFLECTION

PedagogyProjectReflection
ThebookDevelopmentallyAppropriatePracticeinEarlyChildhoodPrograms
byCoppleandBredekamp(2009)showedmetheimportanceofdesigninga
developmentallyappropriatelesson.Theystate,Primarygradechildrenneed
environmentscharacterizedbygoodconversation,joyandexcitementover
accomplishments,andlaughterandbyteacherswhoaretunedintochildrensneeds,
moods,interests,andabilities(p.265).Ibelievethatthisenvironmentisapositive
learningenvironmentthatIwantedtocreateinmymentorclassroom.Ikeptthisquotein
mymindwhiledesigninglessonsthatthestudentswouldbeexcitedtolearnthrough.
WholeGroupReflection.
FormywholegrouplessonIbeganwithreadingastorytothechildrenthat
illustratesareaandperimeter.Iwantedtodesignalessonthatappealedtomanydifferent
learningstyles,soIchoseaninterestingstorythatengagedthestudentsandallowedthem
tovisuallyseethedifferencesinareaandperimeter.Also,outofeverydayofschoolthat
Ihadbeenthere,IonlysawmymentorteacherreadabookonceanditwasforDr.Seuss
day.ThisiswhenIsawhowengagedthestudentsweretothestorysoIdecidedIwould
incorporateabookaswellforthevisuallearners.Ialsowantedmywholegrouplesson
toshowthestudentshowtheycanuseareaandperimeterinreallifesituations.Copple
andBredekamp(2009)state,Teachersrecognizeandbuildchildrensinterestinmaking
senseoftheirworldthroughmathematics.Theymotivatechildrentolearnmathnu
connectingcontenttoreallife,meaningfulproblemsandsituations(p.313).AsIread
thestoryIpointedouthowtheywereabletousetheirknowledgeonareaandperimeter

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torearrangethetablesfortheirdinnerparty.Ialsogaveotherexampleslikebuyinga
carpetforyourbedroomorrearrangingfurniture.Thishelpedthestudentsseethe
importanceoflearningaboutareaandperimeter.
AfterIreadtheareaandperimeterstoryaloudandconnectedittoreallife
situations,webegantomakeouryoubots.Iexplainedtomystudentsthattheycould
makeitintowhatevertheywantedanditdidnotneedtolooklikeanyoneelsesbecause
theyareallunique.Theybegandrawingouttheirbodypartsandcoloringthemin.By
thetimetheywerecuttingouttheirpieces,Irealizedthatwewererunningoutoftimeto
finishthelesson.Iwentaroundandhelpedthechildrenwhowerefartherbehindby
cuttingouttheirpiecessotheycouldgluethemontheirpieceofconstructionpaper.
LuckilyallofthestudentsfinishedontimeandIhadthreestudentspresentthemtothe
class.Oneboymadehisintoabasketballplayerandevencutoutaballforhispicture.
Theothertwostudentsmadetheirslooklikearegularyoubot,buttheywerestillvery
uniqueanddifferentcolors.AstheypresentedthemtotheclassIagainpointedouthow
theyarealldifferent,andtheyalldidagreatjob.
IfIdidthelessonagain,IwouldmakesurethatIhadmoretimetocompletethe
lesson.Iwouldspendlesstimereadingthestorysothattheywerelessrushedattheend.
Eachstudentwasabletofinishtheiryoubotandshowthattheyknewhowtofindthe
areaandperimeter.Fourofthelowstudentseithermissedasquarewhilecountingthe
perimeter,mainlythecornersoftheirshapes,ormixeduptheareaandtheperimeter.
LuckilyIworkedcloselywiththesestudentsbeforetheyfinishedtheiryoubotsothey
wereabletocorrecttheirmistakebeforetheendoftheclass.Thelessonsuitedvisual

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learnersthroughlookingatthepicturesinthestory,auditorylearnersthroughlisteningto
thestoryandcommentary,andkinestheticlearnersbyactivelycreatingtheirownfigure
wheretheyhadtofindtheareaandperimeterindividually.Ihadthehighstudents
additionallywriteanexplanationofhowtheyfoundtheareaandperimetertogivethem
anextrachallenge.OverallIbelievethatthestudentsenjoyedthelessonandlearning
throughadifferentwaythantheywereusedto.
SmallGroupReflection.
Ibelievethatsmallgrouplessonsareagreatwayforateachertoworkmore
closelywithagroupofstudentsthatneedhelponasimilar,specificconcept.Formy
smallgrouplesson,Iworkedwiththefourlowstudentsinmyclassroomwhowere
havingtroubleunderstandingsbasicsoffractions.CoppleandBredekamp(2009)
explain,Teachersmustcommitthemselvesbothtoclosingtheachievementgapthat
existsbetweenchildrenofvarioussocioeconomic,cultural,andlinguisticgroupsandto
viewingeverychildascapableofachieving(p.49).Mymentorteacherexplainedtome
thattheyweresofarbehindthattheywouldnotbeabletocomprehendherlesson
plannedfortheday.Shehadmedesignasmallgrouplessononfractionstotrytoclose
thecurrentachievementgap.
Ifirstwantedtodesignalessonthatwillteachthemthebasicsoffractionsasin
whatnumberwentinthenumeratorspotandwhatnumberwentintothedenominator
spot.Iwantedasimple,handsonlessonthattheywereabletoworktogetheron.I
beganwithawordproblemtoseetheircurrentunderstandingonfractions,whichturned
outtobelowerthanIexpected.Idecidedtodoalessonwherethestudentswereableto

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fillapaperbowlwithasmanyoraslittleofpapericecreamastheywanted.Theyall
loveicecream,sotheywereimmediatelyinterested.Theybegantalkingtotheother
studentsinthesmallgroupaboutwhattheirfavoritetypesoficecreamwereandwhy
theywereputtingmoreofacertainkindthananother,orthesameamountoftwokinds.
Itwasinterestingtoseetheirthoughtprocessesandtheywereabletoseesimilarities
withineachotherbyhavingthesamefavoritetypeoficecream.
Oncethestudentspickedoutalloftheicecreamtheywantedintheirbowls,Ihad
themtapethemalltogetherinsidetheirbowl.Thentheywrotetheflavorstheyhadon
theback.Onebyoneweworkedonfiguringouthowmuchoftheirbowloficecream
wasaspecificflavor.Iexplainedthatthenumberonthebottomwascalledthe
denominatorandthatthenumberrepresentedhowmanypiecestherewereinthewhole.
Thestudentsquicklycounteduphowmanyscoopstheyhadintotalandwroteitinthe
denominatorofeachoftheirfractions.Thenwewentoverhowthenumeratorwashow
manyscoopstheyhadofthatspecificflavor.Breakingapartthedifferentpiecesofthe
fractionhelpedthestudentstobetterunderstandwhateachnumbermeant.Theybegan
saying,Ihave4/8chocolateicecreamtoeachother.Ihadthemsplitintopartnersand
comeupwiththeirownwordproblemthattheylaterswitchedwiththeotherpair.Itwas
agoodwayformetoassessiftheyreallyunderstoodthebasicsoffractions.Theonly
problemthatthestudentsfacedisthattomorrowtheywouldbebackinthewholegroup
setting,stillbehindtheotherstudents.Byteachingthemthebasicsoffractions,Iwas
abletoclosetheachievementgapalittle,buttheywerestillbehindtheotherstudentsand
wouldcontinuetobeduringwholegroupinstruction.

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LearningCenterReflection.
Thestudentsinmymentorclassroomareverycompetitivewitheverythingthey
do,soIwantedtodesignalearningcenterthatwouldusetheircompetivenesspositively.
CoppleandBredekamp(2009)describe,Primarygradechildrenareveryinterestedin
theirpeersopinionsandabilities,bothforsocialcomparisonandforthesakeofmaking
friends(p.265).Everycoupleofweekstheyplayamultiplicationgamewheretheygo
aroundtheroomandhavetostatethemultiplesofanumberwithouthesitation.Theyget
veryintoitanditcausestheotherstudentstolearnthemultiplessotheycanbemore
successfulinthegame.Afterseeingthisgame,Iwouldstillhavechildrenaskingme
simplemultiplicationquestionsthatIknewtheyalreadyknewthemultiplesof.Itcame
tomyattentionthattheywerememorizingtheorderofmanynumbers,butdidnotfully
understandwhatitmeant.Iwantedtodesignacenterthatsuitedtheircompetitivenature
whilehelpingthemtrulylearntheirmultiplicationfacts.
Igrewupplayingthecardgamewarandknewthatmostofstudents
knewhowtoplay.IdecidedthatIwouldcreatethesamegame,minusthefacecards,
andhavethestudentsmultiplythenumberswhentheywereflippedoverinsteadofjust
seeingwhichonewashigher.Thisquicklybecameoneofthestudentsfavoritecenter
activities.Theonlydownsidetothisactivityisthatitoccasionallywouldgetalittleloud
withchildrenshoutingouttheanswer.Bytheendofthegames,studentsweregetting
muchfasterandmoreaccuratewhensayingtheanswer.OverallIbelievethiswasa
greatlearningcenterformystudentsthatappealedtotheircompetitivesidewhile
challengingthemtolearntheirmultiplicationfacts.

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References
Copple,C.&Bredekamp,S.(Eds.).(2009).DevelopmentallyAppropriatePracticein
EarlyChildhoodPrograms.(3rded.).WashingtonDC:NationalAssociationfor
theEducationofYoungChildren.