But I Don't Know How to Make a Lesson Plan!

Andrada, Mara

But I Don’t Know How to Make a Lesson Plan!

About three weeks ago, my class was given the assignment to think of things children can count. It sounded like a simple assignment. After all, young students can count anything! I thought of rocks, books, pencils, people, flowers, and more. In a span of fifteen seconds, I thought I was finished. Little did I know that it cannot be that simple. The students are supposed to be able to count something that they can learn from. After participating in the M&M activity, I had an idea of what the assignment really was about. The class was supposed to make a lesson plan similar to the M&M activity but with more educational depth. With the help of the class and Dr. Cyrus, I chose to formulate a lesson plan in which students would survey their classmates about the modes of transportation they use to school. The students would also have the opportunity to survey other kids from different grade levels and would compare their results using a bar graph with each other.

To formulate the lesson plan, the class was required to use the ASSURE model. Although I found an explanation of the model online, I was still very confused about its elements. What does it mean to “utilize media and materials”? How was I supposed to write the lesson plan? I found it very helpful when Dr. Cyrus showed the class sample ASSURE lesson plans from her previous students. Using the notes I took while viewing the samples, I was able to plan the activity with more ease. In fact, I enjoyed being creative with my lesson plan. The most difficult challenge and the part I enjoyed the least was conjuring up the idea for my lesson plan. The part I liked the best was pretending I was an actual teacher and trying to use my creativity to make the lesson plan.

I believe that several of NETS*T standards, such as Standards 1A to 2E, apply to this assignment. To make it more relevant to my experience, I believe Standard 3C is the most applicable. According to the course syllabus this standard states, “Teachers apply technology to

develop students’ higher order skills and creativity”. I had to use several Internet sources, ranging from my Delicious List to the search engines I have never used before, to help me brainstorm possible lesson plans. Upon deciding on my final lesson plan, I still had to make changes to make it more educational for the students. It was indeed a very difficult task for me but I was able to use my critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and creativity to accomplish the assignment. Aside from enhancing students’ critical thinking and creativity, applying technology also has other benefits. According to a Princeton University website, using technology in the classroom can also improve communication and confidence as well as increase interest in learning.

From this experience, I learned that thinking of fun, enjoyable, and educational activities for students may not seem as easy as it sounds. However once the idea is chosen, the process of lesson planning would come more easily. This assignment also made me realize that every step in lesson planning is important. Not only do I have to ensure all materials are prepared, but I have to continually assess students to see if learning objectives are met. I have to make certain that students actually learned from the activity. Lesson planning did not come easy for me in the beginning but I learned to enjoy and appreciate it.

References

Cradler, J. (n.d.). Summary of current research and evaluation findings on technology in education. Retrieved September 20, 2008, from Princeton University. Web site: http://
www.princeton.edu/~edutech/reports/findings.html