Instruction
I developed a number of instruction strategies during PSI, particularly with regards to Kagan strategies which Ms. Burt championed. I was also able to use the smart board to create lessons with a digital component. Perhaps the most important skills I learned however were wait time, the need to adapt a lesson in real time, and classroom management.
I also found out how developing a personal connection with the students and the content makes instruction easier. During the unit on Ancient Athens I endeavoured to provide the students with connection to their personal lives. For example, we talked about democracy in terms of choice they would understand, and what roles they would have in Greek society at their ages. Assessment I used a number of assessment startegies in PSI, from quizzes, to formative assessment, oral questioning, projects and performance. For example, students created word walls, wrote a final exam, and performed an in character toga party for the Athens unit, created a series of paintings in the watercolour unit, and finally a Christmas play in the acting unit. These assessments helped me understand the level of my student's learning, as well as the students own understanding of their progress. Finally, I believe pride in one's own work is a form of assessment, evidenced by their proud and smiling faces at the end of a performance or after creating a compelling painting.
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