Module 4 Reflection
Instructional Strategies and the Learning Environment: Building a respectful community of learner exploring their environment through inquiry- based learning
Throughout reading the information gathered to support the importance of thoughtful planning and purposeful environments I reflect on my teaching experiences. The readings focused on two major areas: the most effective instructional strategies and a thoughtful learning environment. These two learning areas outline how we can take the knowledge we have gained on child development and learning through play and incorporate it into our programs
The videos provided in this module were very powerful: they showed real teachers, in real classrooms with real concerns. In the ETFO Kindergarten Makeover video one of the teachers’ concerns was the program they were delivering. They wanted to teach using an activity-based classroom where students were engaged in learning at a variety of centers not through paper-pencil tasks. I completely agree with this. No two students are the same and therefore how can we expect that one task will benefit them all. At the beginning of this school year I started with teaching phonetics as a whole group and started with the letter “s”. I found that the students who already knew the letter “s” hadn’t learned anything and the students who didn’t know the letter “s” still didn’t know it as they were not developmentally ready and the tasks I had given them were not authentic. I now teach phonetics based on students ability. I have grouped my students based on their knowledge and will pull small groups of children to work on a specific task. I also incorporate their learning into the centers. For example, if they are at a sensory table with shaving cream I might ask the student to print a letter in the shaving cream; if that is one of the goals for them. Thinking about the needs of the learner and what will best meet their needs is what is most important in planning a kindergarten program.
The environment as a third teacher is a concept that I hadn’t thought about before. It seems that you would assume that students are using their environment to help them learn but it is not something that I had thoughtfully considered, until now. The placement of centers in a kindergarten classroom is critical. There are many things to consider when setting up a classroom: centers need to be placed so that quiet centers are not near louder centers, materials need to be accessed by all, and there needs to be opportunities for students to interact. Another consideration is the purpose that each center has: teachers need to ask themselves what is this centers purpose? What learning do we want to see here? Materials need to be selected and stored in a way that will prompt learning. If the focus in the classroom is on measurement then tools to measure and record should be placed at centers for the teacher to look for and model the learning. Another consideration is bringing the outdoors inside to the classroom. Many materials that are made for primary classrooms are bright and plastic. Teachers can use materials from nature to provide a balance in the classroom. I have found the students will make connections to these materials and find the learning more authentic because of that. For example, instead of using plastic colourful bears to count, the teacher could place small stones in the water table and have the students count them instead. To make the learning environment more meaningful for my students I have had them create most things for the walls. I have removed my alphabet train and replaced it will one they have made and the students have printed the words for the word wall.
Overall, it is important to consider the “how and why” when setting up and implementing learning centers to ensure that it is most beneficial for the students’ learning.