Lesson Plans

Before taking this course, I used to think Bloom's Taxonomy was just something to use on teacher evaluations and in teacher trainings. I had heard of it before but I had never used it personally in my lesson planning. It was confusing to me and seemed difficult to apply and use daily. After taking this course, I now think it is a very helpful tool to make sure you are reaching everyone of your students' needs. It is important to use Bloom's Taxonomy to encourage higher level thinking for each objective being taught.

Before taking this course, I used to think that Visible Thinking Routines were just an educator tool for reflection on the student's learning. After learning the seven Core Visible Thinking Routines and seeing demonstrations of each I now see how to implement them. It is an amazing tool we have as educators to connect overall learning in the classroom. After taking this course, I now think that I can use these tools in my classroom to engage learners and make learning "visible". By helping my students think deeper they will develop life skills, be able to understand their learning, and be able to discuss it. The students will have higher expectations of themselves and become their own teacher.

I used to think....

Think-Pair Share

What makes you say that?

Before taking this course, I used to think ISTE's standards were just something to include on a lesson plan for technology's sake. I had no idea there were student and teacher standards and how to implement them into my lesson plans. After taking this course, I now think that these are a very important tool to guarantee that learning is a student-driven process. Using the ISTE standards in my lesson plans will help me as a teacher to focus on preparing my students to thrive in society now and in the future with technology skills they will need. 

Before taking this course, I used to think assessments were strictly to evaluate to see if the students learned the objectives. After taking this course, I now think that they are a very useful tool not just to evaluate student progress to also helps teachers to set standards for understanding, knowledge, and mastery. Assessments evaluate performance for students. In my classroom, I will use many types of assessments. I now know you must assess before, during, and after a lesson to help make the learning focused and successful for all.

TECHNOLOGY

Before taking this course, I used to think I did not need to use a variety of productivity tools. I was not very familiar with Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Forms. After completing the earlier assignments on each productivity tool, it gave me experience and knowledge in using each of these. After taking this course, I now know that there are many formatting tools and features available for me to use as needed in my classroom such as word processing, presentations, spreadsheets, and form creations. These tools will add a variety of choices to use in my toolbox.

Before taking this course, I used to think writing lesson plans was as easy as picking an objective, teaching it, and assessing it. I had never made a concept map and was unsure of how to begin. As I decided the topic for my lesson I stared creating my concept map. I did a lot of erasing and rethinking my plans. After taking this course, I now know that this is a very useful tool to help you brainstorm and map out your thoughts. It helped me to connect my objectives to the learning. It also helped me to refine my assessments to match those objectives. I will use this when planning units to see the big picture and make connections. I will have my students learn how to do concept maps and graphic organizers to learn how to organize information and see relationships to improve learning.