Teaching Week

Wow, what a great week i taught 18 lessons this week as my AT was away, so had relievers in the back of the room and i got to teach, had the full use of a room, laptop desk and got given a key so all went well.

So how would i rate this experience, i will start with the teaching that was good for the most part i tried a few things some went OK others flopped but i learnt that sometimes no matter what you do some lessons just are not going to be your lesson (for a variety of reasons).

The Highlights for me was getting that feeling of being a first year teacher as i had the classroom to myself and my AT was away so it felt like a first job with an HOD watching, which was a very useful insight. Also getting to start a course with the Year Tens they can be challenging but i got to lay down my expectations and see what i could do, i must admit that there is still work required there but it was good experience, and my year 12 class was a great one to teach they are a good bunch of students who have a willingness to learn which made my task that much easier.

And what would i like to improve classroom management, being firm and fair, not being afraid to say what i mean and mean what i say, currently i have an annoying habit of letting students off the hook this is no good for them and also not for me, i am still working on this and i am sure in time and with experience i will nail it, also another area for improvement is flexibility and not assuming each class is the same and will run the same way for the most part my lessons where water tight and i often ended with plenty left for the next day, but there were times when i had finished what i wanted to teach and i was left with a gap as the class didn't spend as much time doing certain activities as i thought they would, this is something that i am working on and i am currently happy with my progress.

all in all it was a good week, and i enjoyed it being a teacher is busy but its a load of fun and very rewarding its great when students say things like "Wow you know my Name" and "thanks that really helped" im sure you all are having great experiences. Im looking forward to hearing from you when we meet again.

Howick College Week 1

Well week one flew buy, while i didn't do alot of teaching i got involved in my classes and tutor group and spent time getting to know a few names.

My classes are Financial Literacy Planning, Accounting 11 and 12 and Economics 11. i have found the students to be good and have enjoyed working with them to this point, the first thing that struck me about Howick was how different it was to my first practicum school, the staff room was smaller and each department had there own area which meant they didn't go up to the staff room that often, this also meant we seldom saw our other student teachers.

The other major difference for me at this point is i am less fearful of getting up in front of the class and i find that the flow is starting to get better, i still need to work on classroom management but that will come. One of my AT's is away this week so i am in charge of her classes its busy but will be rewarding.

that's all for now.

Tuesday/Thursday

Today was our last economics class with Kelly until we have finished with practicum, it seems crazy to say but October is our next class (we will almost be provisionally registered teachers by then). Anyway we started the day in our usual fashion with a DO NOW a very good routine we read an article and discussed it amongst the class, the article was on ICT and the use of cell phones in the classroom very interesting reading, we then had a discussion about how to transfer files from computer to cell phone and vice versa, Rena bought in few items she had at home and gave us a brief description off how to use them and where to buy them.

The focus off this lesson was on unit plans that we had created in our groups, each group was given an opportunity to present there plan and was given feedback on the quality and ideas that they had put across. I enjoyed listening to each different group and seeing the different styles and approaches evident in the unit plans, it also gave me further ideas for when I am teaching this subject. It was also interesting to note the group dynamics and again gave me a small insight into how each student operates within a group and how they contribute.

Unfortunately not every group got there full allocation of time and Kelly had to cut the last two groups short, we were given more paper (seems to be a never ending supply) and ushered on our way. It was good to here that the quality of our group work is some of the best Kelly has seen, gave us all a shot in the arm as we head into practicum.

Thursday we moved onto growth and what is required to teach this unit to year 12 students. Anne gave us an article which we were required to come up with ten uses for in an economic classroom the article was on the Russian wheat crises and the subsequent ‘Grain Reaction’, that was about as far as my group got with the article (sorry Anne) anyway we did come up with some activities that I could be used for ideas such as (summarising, removal of headline students to decide on the headline for the article, role play/debate, flow on effects students to decide who it impacts, 3 level guide and others) this just showed the many uses for article that isn’t just read and answer questions.

We now move onto growth discussing what important info the students need to understand, the students will need to understand what is Real GDP?, how is it measured?, what does that mean? Is that the only way to measure growth? There were other ways to measure growth these involved the people and there well being (which is an interesting case). We then discussed the models with the majority of our discussion focusing on the PPC and remembering that the assumptions with this model is not it involves two goods, but all technology and human resources remain the same. Students will be required to discuss the curve and explain why countries could be inside the curve or outside the curve and what would cause this. This was our last lesson with Anne so she can go back to writing a book and enjoying marking.

I will be keeping people updated about practicum through this Blog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boG5btFAtTc

see the wheat crises above.

Trade

Well, i learnt on Thursday that my ruling ability leaves alot to be desired, and is a definite work on when i am teaching Trade to year 12, as the last thing i want in the front of the class is to get the two country model wrong, otherwise i will look silly (which would be normal).

We worked exclusively on Trade which was interesting focusing on the two country model, one being the exporter (x) and the other the Importer (m), the key with this was to ensure the students understand who the exporter (the country that can make the product the cheapest) will be and who the importer (the country that wants to buy at a cheaper price) IE NZ importing from china, will be then the can identify that element when asked. often students can mess this up but once explained to them and asked them a few questions about why we don't manufacture ipods or the like in this country they will get the point.

After we had gone through the theory we attempted an activity sheet most of us manged to complete this OK, and we moved on to the absolute advantage and comparative advantage, we looked at absolute advantage first which states that a country can prepare more of a good or service using the same resources as everyone else, if you do not have absolute advantage you would not be able to trade and only those with that advantage can trade there good. However 'David Ricardo' contested this and brought a new theory into play comparative advantage, which refers to country's ability to produce goods or services at a lower opportunity cost then another county therefore making it beneficial for an absolute advantage country to trade with them. Again we completed some activities on this and that was the end of class, I learnt alot on Thursday and have come to the conclusion that i need to get a ruler and practice to ensure that i can model for the students, how to find the world price correctly.

ICT and M Learning

Today the class started with an exercise where the students where required to complete graphs on an activity sheet, a good way to see what students ability with economic models was like.

Next we moved onto ICT and M Learning, how can it be used in the classroom to enhance your students learning? this is a relatively new phenomenon but involves the use of cell phones and the Internet. We discussed windows movie maker and that it was an option if a student wasn't wanting to write and essay they may find it easier (and more engaging) to make a video and write the script and narrate that to the class. Today's lesson was a very interactive session and i felt everyone enjoyed what they were doing.

I did a very quick video to show how it can be used.

Week 2 Final Thoughts

Unit Plan, Unit Plan where for art thou Unit Plan?

Today we started with Mini whiteboards, this is a very good reflection activity and also allows students to have some fun and compete with there classmates. The task was enjoyable and we learnt that you need to be fair when playing games like this as, one student who shall remain nameless was given a significant advantage which in turn allowed them to win... but hey it was fun. and having seen it in action i know i will use it in years to come.

We then moved on two unit plans, this was an opportunity for us to get into our groups and start going over our task, we were provided with 6 steps, these revolved around accessing the content from various areas, brain storming lesson titles and learning activities, designing clear and measurable LO'S (Learning outcomes) and finishing a unit plan to present to the class for them to use next year, this task will be completed by the 4th week of the semester so we better get to work.

Check out the below link. Tells you what type of teacher personality you will have summed me up quite well, how will you go.

http://712educators.about.com/library/quizzes/blteacher_personality.htm

OCR and Inflation/Trade

Today was interesting we started with discussing the OCR - what is it? who is in charge of it? what do they do? we isolated the following three men as being important in the NZ economy they are the former Governor of the Reserve Bank Don Brash, the current Governor Allan Bollard, and the Finance Minister Bill English. Allan is responsible for ensuring our Inflation rate stays between 1-3%. the lever for this is the interest rates.

We spent time working on Inflation and what our students will need to be able to explain to pass this Achievement Standard. we started with the OCR at the top, and used the scenario of the interest rates increasing, what will that do to inflation? what will that do to our AD/AS Model. students will be required to explain the effects. we also needed to explain to our students if interest rates go up the exchange rate will also go up. students will be required to explain this and ensure they know what they are talking about and if possible provide a graph, students need to realise that just because a graph isn't asked for if you can provide one you are showing your understanding of economics.

After that we honed in on trade we didn't go to much into this but we discussed what was involved with the standard, Concepts and Definitions, Models (Price taker, two country model) and PPF, Statistics (BOP,TT and WIT) some of those are useful for a nerd moment and finally the policy's (Free Trade). we need to introduce and explain to the students what the price taker and two way model actually is, emphasizing NZ is a small country so we don't influence the World Price. Final discussion was on the graph, and the neatness and ability of students to reproduce a good graph will rest solely on us we need to set expectations early, neat, ruled lines, not to small, labeling at the bottom (especially higher levels were alot of things are happening on the one graph) arrows for shifts should always be horizontal. this was a very good aspect to understand and as i found on practicum if you Say it from the front of the class they think its gospel and it will end up on an exam, so may sure you practice what you preach.

Cant wait to be able to explain the above Graph.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buy5GCWbw78

Making Language and Learning Work

"Diversity is not about how we differ. diversity is about embracing one
anothers uniqueness"
Ola Joseph

Today we started our class with 'Diversity Bingo' a good way to start the class, and also a good way to change a very simple game that got us reflecting on what we learnt last week. this was also appealing to boys as it involved competition, i was close to winning but alas i got beaten on this occasion, its good to learn to lose gracefully on occasion.

We then moved onto today's discussion which revolved around 'Making Language and Learning Work', this was particularly interesting to me as i spent time on practicum dealing with literacy issues and having strategies to help students better understand economic concepts and literature is key. I was particularly interested in the three level structure as this was something I would have like to have used on practicum but after giving out a couple of economic articles and finding that students couldn't really comprehend them and got scared of big words, I lost my nerve and didn't use articles again which was a shame, however using some of the techniques i saw in class today i am sure i can tailor my classes and lessons to suit all language needs. The video was very good and showed even at the higher levels of Economics you can incorporate co-constructive behaviour, and keep your students engaged and interested in the topic.

As a teacher i am going to ensure that i take time to assess the needs of my class and, emphasising how to answer the questions and what information the examiners are looking for, this was evident in Mr Snowdens use of the 'SEXY Statement' and also providing students with options for answering questions.

Oh and don't forget "Know your Learner" don't assume anything, you can get students to write stories about there backgrounds so you can get a greater understanding of how to teach them. Continue to work on your pedagogy, never rest on your laurels because as they say in sport "your only as good as your last performance" so in teaching "your only as good as your last lesson" allow yourselves to make mistakes reflect and learn, this will only enhance your practice.

Today's lesson was good and gave me further hope that i can work on literacy strategies that will make all students succeed in economics.

DIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM

Friday's Lesson

Today we spent most of our lesson talking about diversity in the classroom, this is a huge factor in education and one that sometimes gets ignored, as we often just claim that kids are Naughty and why cant they be like the studious ones.

So how can we cater to diverse learning needs? Will it require alot more work? how many hours do teachers really have in a day? well don't worry its possible to make some subtle changes that could mean a difference in getting across your content and message to your classroom. Take for example a demand curve, now you could just stand up and talk about it and get them to do exercises in there books until they get it, or maybe you could get them to do an exercise on the board, or use pipe cleaners, or in groups come up with a way to display the curve using them as the axis and the lines. there are multiple options that allow you too cater to varying needs within the classroom.

This is not always an easy task but if you can make changes to your routine and maybe even your philosophy of teaching you can succeed in this area. There are also other areas that you can use these involve music, mind mapping, the environment, time off day etc and remember always make sure you set the tone for your class welcome them with smiles and enthusiasm a student knows when you care.

We also touched on Boys in education, this was interesting and very relevant as often they are the ones that seem to be the naughtiest (generalisation i know) however we do need to be different with them give them opportunities to move around in class, it may involve writing on the board or races to complete work, boys thrive on competition and being active so let boys be boys and reap the rewards in your class. It may seem tough to achieve this in economics but I'm sure we can all find ways to bring in an element of mobility for young men, also remember to add a variety of activities, get them involved using simple methods (Videos, games, drawing etc) this will engage boys more with what you are doing.

check out the you Tube Link too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-qnuqCZ7hg

INFLATION DANGER

Thursdays Class

Today we worked on the content for Year Twelve Economics focusing on Achievement Standard 2.1 Inflation, this was the standard i taught while i was out on practicum which was good because i was able understand the content that much better, and as we all know there is no better way to learn something then to teach it.

So is Inflation a Problem? How do we Measure Inflation? What Causes Inflation? What are the effects of Inflation?

those are the topics that we will discuss during our unit on Inflation, it is a very interesting topic and one which students can engage with as you can regale them with stories of the past or even use balloons, to show the difference between inflation, disinflation and deflation. there are many exciting activities you can use to enhance there learning, it doesn't just have to be all notes look for video clips on You Tube or Ted Talks. the more opportunities you can give the students the quicker they will pick it up. but remember that any test you set needs to be tailored around NCEA so they get an understanding on how to answer the questions and what to look for.

Economics Today

Hello,

well today i embark on first economics blog.

what an exciting day today filled with Course Outlines, Videos (of effective teachers) and may other exciting economic stories. we arrived to a smaller class then last semester it seems that only the keen ones have remained and the rest have left to pursue other interests such as Accounting and Fishing I believe.

Anyway the real reason for my musings is to explain what i picked up from and i quote "the first time in history our class has finished early" class.

so sit back grab a coffee and have some fun reading the ramblings of a mad man.

So Unit Planning, was the main focus of this class and that's a relief as its a big part of our assessment for this semester. the main thing that i picked up is that a good unit plan will make preparing lessons very easy, as you will be able to transfer what you have put in your unit plan directly to lessons as you move forward, as long as your LO's are clear and measurable. The next most important thing that i picked up was that while preparing your learning activities for your lessons make sure that you meet all learning styles and needs, not everyone in your class will be a tactile learner or an auditory learner, but the more different methods you try and use the better chance you have off getting the content across.

again another major focus of this class was to emphasis routines and other reflection activities for students to participate in to ensure that got an understanding of what you had been teaching.

overall this class was good as it gave me a greater understanding of unit planning and how to ensure you cater for diversity and different learning styles in your class.

Check this you tube link for a good example of a teacher using pedagogical techniques and catering to all learners in a difficult class. Video Below, you may need real player to watch, it can be downloaded for free. (alternatively go to you tube and type in Ron Clark president rap)

tune in next week for some more musings.

Andrew Out

would appreciate comments (nice ones please LOL)