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Description:
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As the up-and-coming teachers in this ever-changing day and age, we must consider the effect technology will have on our classrooms. We must look at what changes will come our way, and how we will adapt to those changes. Most importantly, we must address how our students are going to benefit from those changes, and how we, as teachers can maximize those benefits. The Learning Activity Management System (LAMS) is one example of those changes coming into actions. Through this program, teachers can design lessons for their students using a multitude of resources both online, and off, with encouraging them to actively participate in each individual lesson. This write-up will look at a specific LAMS sequence about flowering plants, and explain its pedagogy and ideas behind its ideas.
This specific LAMS sequence on flowering plants is a Stage 1 unit of work in the K-6 Science and Technology Syllabus. Through activities like this one, students will develop their knowledge and understanding of living things. They will know and understand that living things grow, reproduce, move, need air, take in nutrients, and eliminate wastes. (Board of Studies, 1993) This LAMS sequence has been designed for a class of twenty-five students, all individually working on their own sequence. When the students split into groups for the ‘chat’ portion of the sequence, they will be working in groups of three. However, the group size is subject to change, based on the size of the class.
The sequence begins with a ‘noticeboard’, welcoming the students to the class, and briefly explaining what they will be doing in lesson, learning out flowering plants, their parts, and their purposes. This allows the students to prepare themselves for the lesson, and gives them idea of what is to come. A second ‘noticeboard’ is next, asking the students to think about their favorite flower, or to ask someone what their favorite flower might be. The students are then to search for an image of that flower, using Google image search, and show it to the person sitting next to them. This allows the students to communicate with other students in the classroom, and get them excited about the lesson. Although Tara Brabazon states that, “the popularity of google is facilitating laziness, poor scholarship, and compliant thinking”, I believe that this was the best resource for the students to use in this lesson.
Following the second ‘noticeboard’, the students are then asked to write in a ‘notebook’ about the flower that they looked up. This give students an opportunity to reflect, and use their writing skills. Students are then given the opportunity to vote, and voice their opinion on a matter concerning flowers.
Prensky (2001) states that digital natives require and appreciate instant gratification. He also mentions that students benefit from games to teach them. Both of the learning activities, both from The Learning Federation, could be categorized as ‘games’. They are interactive and informative at the same time, allowing students to learn while they are having fun.
Following the learning activities, the students are given an opportunity to get some feedback on what they have learned. A short series of questions allow the students to once again using their writing skills, and test their knowledge.
Students then move on to their final activity in the sequence, a chance for them to vote, and voice their opinion about the lesson- what did they enjoy the most. This provides them the opportunity to think a little deeper about what they have just learned, as well as provides the teacher with feedback about the lesson.
This report details the design and pedagogy of an online LAMS learning sequence about flowering plants.
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Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike
Bess Warming