Our Rational For Lesson #1:
The three lessons we’ve prepared are centered on a project. In lesson one, the teacher will give a general overview of the subject areas to be covered by each group in the project but will not go in depth. This will allow for students the have a basic knowledge on which to start their discussion in their cooperative learning groups. However, it will not give an in depth understanding so that the students are motivated to seek more knowledge as they complete the project. For the project, the students will complete, they are required to work collaboratively in groups. This highlights the cooperative learning aspect of social constructivist approach. The teacher will need to keep an eye on the groups to make sure that true cooperative learning is taking place by looking for: face-to-face interaction, positive interdependence, individual accountability, collaborative skills, and effective group processes. The group work also allows for social interaction to expose students to multiple ideas and perspectives on the subject. Furthermore, the project itself is not strict on method of completion; which will also allow for the students to explore multiple methods and representations of content and participate in problem solving as a group. Problem based learning is a key component social constructivism and therefore our assignment presents a realistic goal with no real right answer to promote a problem-solving attitude. The project has an end goal of the students presenting their finished product to the class and educating the class on what they learned. The will aid in fostering a community of learning (FCL). The students will begin the work with a goal to become an expert on their subject area in order to share that knowledge with others. By coming back together as a group at the end of the project we are employing the jigsaw strategy of cooperative learning.
The three lessons we’ve prepared are centered on a project. In lesson one, the teacher will give a general overview of the subject areas to be covered by each group in the project but will not go in depth. This will allow for students the have a basic knowledge on which to start their discussion in their cooperative learning groups. However, it will not give an in depth understanding so that the students are motivated to seek more knowledge as they complete the project. For the project, the students will complete, they are required to work collaboratively in groups. This highlights the cooperative learning aspect of social constructivist approach. The teacher will need to keep an eye on the groups to make sure that true cooperative learning is taking place by looking for: face-to-face interaction, positive interdependence, individual accountability, collaborative skills, and effective group processes. The group work also allows for social interaction to expose students to multiple ideas and perspectives on the subject. Furthermore, the project itself is not strict on method of completion; which will also allow for the students to explore multiple methods and representations of content and participate in problem solving as a group. Problem based learning is a key component social constructivism and therefore our assignment presents a realistic goal with no real right answer to promote a problem-solving attitude. The project has an end goal of the students presenting their finished product to the class and educating the class on what they learned. The will aid in fostering a community of learning (FCL). The students will begin the work with a goal to become an expert on their subject area in order to share that knowledge with others. By coming back together as a group at the end of the project we are employing the jigsaw strategy of cooperative learning.