Lesson six

My lesson plan was created with all of the theories and content covered in class, such as Multiple Intelligences (Gardner’s), Bloom’s Taxonomy, ADDIE process, Drumming, and Literacy. The only concept that is not stated in my curriculum plan is an assessment of the children.

Documentation was gathered on the children daily, through written observations, photos and samples of their work. The data was placed in the children’s portfolio for parent/teacher conferences. Evaluation of the documentation allowed me to guide instruction and track student progress.

        The ADDIE process was the format I used to carry out my weekly lesson plan. For example I analyzed what skills my students would ascertain from the lesson. I designed and developed interesting lessons for the week. Then I implemented the lesson plan and evaluated my students throughout the week to see how they were responding to the lessons.

        The items I needed for my weekly lesson plan was:

1.   Recyclable container       8. Paint

2.   African cloth                   9. Parent permission slips.

3.   Beads                            10. Transportation

4.   Glitter                            11. Crayons

5.   Pantones                        12. Smart board

6.   African music                  13. Digital cameras

7.   Instruments                    14. Happy faces

Post # 7

Maretha Daniels

4/4/2012

Lesson Plan

The: 30 minute art integration lesson for the (Developmental Drumming)

10:00 – 10:05      Discuss with the children how to play the different drums.    

10:05 – 10:19      have the children sit in a circle with their drums.

·         Play rhythmic follows the leader.

·         Play fast-and-slow

·         Play high-and-low

 10:19- 10:30       Place an assortment of pictures showing Djembe, Conga, Surdo, Doumbek, Tabla, and Gathering drum’s. Let the children pick what pictures they want to cut out and paste on to construction paper. As the children are completing their works of art the teacher should be exampling to the children about the different drums and the origin.

                                              

   This lesson plan allows children the following developmental skills.

1.      Follow directions.

2.      Improve their sense of balance and coordination.

3.      Gross and fine motor skills

4.      Instill self-esteem, joy, and pride.

5.      Develop eye-hand coordination.

6.      Helps children learn about other counties.

7.      Relieve stress.

Maretha Daniels

Developmental Drumming

4/4/2012

Developmental Drumming

               Developmental drumming is the act of bringing varies drums into an early childhood setting.  The children are given instruction on how to play the drums and where the drums originate. The children are taught different songs and games to play like Rhythm-Talk, Rhythmic Follow the Leader, Fast-And-Slow, High-and-low, and Quiet-And-Loud. The benefits of drumming with young children have been proven to expand their social, physical, intellectual, creative, emotional, and cultural growth at an accelerating pace.           

               Developmental drumming offers young children the ability to sing and move to the beat of the drumming. Consequently helps young children to develop balance, spatial concepts, verbalization and coordination. When children are singing and dancing they are learning in a very relaxed, natural, and uninhibited manner. Drumming also endow young children with the feeling of accomplishing something that felt good.  Studies have shown children that play musical instruments excel in school and foster positive relationships with their peers and family members. Drumming also provides a platform for young children to share their knowledge of drumming with family members.

               Developmental Drumming is another outstanding tool that provides young children with self awareness, self control, and an innate ability. To grow, express, learn, create, and dream. Music is a key to unlocking young children minds and hearts to the people and world around them.

Blog Entery # 6

Blog Entry # 2

            After reading the four articles on assessment of young children I have come realize that assessment in early childhood setting is a growing and profitable business. Early childhood programs have expanded to accommodate children from six weeks to five years of age throughout the United States. Early head start programs are funded by government dollars and in order for those programs to stay in business assessment data on all the children developmental and educational growth must be documented and submitted to their funding agency. In addition, early childhood programs provided services to culturally diverse and low income families.

            The information stated above presents two major questions for me in regards to assessment data. The first question would be are funding agencies being given accurate assessment data on the children in government funded head start programs? Or are head start programs providing the proper assessment data to keep the government funding coming in? Those are the type of questions that make me question the quality of some head start program assessment data. If this is the case in some heard start programs, then what are ways to combat inaccurate assessment data? One answer could be to take away the threat of being closed down for low assessment data, instead be given the chance to assess what’s wrong in the program.  Make the proper changes to be come in compliance with government agencies.       

            Another question that I have in regards to assessment data in early childhood classrooms: Is how can children from culturally diverse and low income families being assessed accurately, if the assessment information is based upon a white middle class informational format? These are some of the disadvantages of assessment data in early childhood classrooms across America. For example children from low income families would call a picture of a sofa a couch not a sofa. The word sofa would be the example word stated on an assessment form not couch.

            Personally I feel that even with the disadvantages stated in this paper evaluation of early childhood classrooms are important and needed. Changes need to be put in place to combat those disadvantages to provide a better overall review of early childhood measurements in classrooms throughout the United States.

    

           

                                                                       Cited Reference

Wortham, S.C. "Assessing Young Children." Pearson Allyn Bacon Pretice Hall Dec. (2001). google scholar. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. <http://www.education.com/print/understanding-assessment-infancy -early/>.

 Grace, Dr. Cathy. "Assessing Young Children." Dec. (2001). google scholar. Web. 16 Mar2012. <http://www.pbs.org/teachers/earlychildhood/articles/assessing html>.

Blog Entery # 5

Blog Entry #1

The article “Assessment in the Early Childhood Classroom” was very informational and insightful. Teachers provide students with several different subjects to learn throughout a school year. During the school year they need to be able to track and know what their students have learned from the subjects taught. There are different types of tools that teachers can use to track and assess their student’s educational progress in a given subject.

            An Assessment is used to recognize current knowledge and skills of students. It also can determine if students understand the subject material effectively, help reinforce student’s educational needs, and provide student’s evaluated progress in a timely manner. For example if a student is struggling with a content area, an assessment of that child will provide data on the struggling content area. The child’s teacher can make changes to the curriculum to address the student needs. They also provide information to teachers that can be shared with the student’s parents or care giver. That leads to regular meeting with parents to explain how their child is progressing educationally or written reports that state the student’s educational progress.

            Some of the ways teachers assess their students are by observing them in groups or alone, artwork done by the student, performance assessment tasks, and open-ended questions or problems. Teachers can also keep journals on their students throughout the school year, which shows a student educational growth. Teachers can take photos to share with the child’s family members, thus showing different educational achievements. Like socialization skills, riding a bike, throwing a ball or building a house from wooden blocks.  

            Assessments in classrooms are as important as the subjects that are being taught, they seem to me to go hand in hand with each other. Accurate assessment of children educational progress from one grade to another strengthens and builds a child’s chance on being successful in school.

Blog Entery # 4

            As a child care advocate the three words “innovate, engage, and inspire” are the keys to unlock young childrens abilities. To explore, grow, think and develop a belief that they can accomplish different goals that they set for themselves, with the help of caring and loving adults.

In creating a lesson for my students, the first two questions I would always ask myself is how can this lesson be inspiring? Will this lesson engage my students? The next step in creating my lesson was to think of ways to make the lesson different, better, and unforgettable to the children. Another very important part of carrying out a lesson that innovates, engages, and inspires children is the attitude I offer to the lesson. For instance, I needed to convey to the children that I was excited, interested, and engaged in the lesson as well. For example if my lesson was on apples I would read a book to the children about apples. As I read the story I would change my voice tones according to the different characters in the book. At the end of the reading, I would make the voice of one character at a time and ask the children to tell me what was the characters name, and then I would ask the child to copy the character’s voice. While the children are in centers, I would make sure every center had something in it to do with apples. For example I would hide small toy apples, in the sand for the children to find. Upon the children discovering the apples I would make really big deal out of their discovery. Or in dramatic play, I would have the children go pretend shopping for food items, which had the word apple in it. When the children returned with the items I would be there waiting to have a quick pretend lunch with them.  At the arts and craft table, I would have the children create apple pictures of their choice.  

For snack time I would have yellow, green, and red apples for the children to eat, and as they ate their snack, I would ask them questions, like what color is your apple? What shape is your apple? Which color apple do you like best? Or can you name other foods that are made from apples? Once again in a child like fashion I would express how much I liked all the different apples.    

I know that if you want a lesson to innovate, engage, and inspire children, the persons that are in charge of carrying out that lesson as to be innovated, engaged, and inspired as well.

             

Blog Entery # 3

_{In 1956 a group of universities directed by Benjamin Bloom acknowledged three learning fields which are cognitive, affective, and psychomotor that is learned behaviors. Bloom also stated ‘that these fields are commonly referred to as knowledge, skills, and attitude”. Bloom and his colleges broke down the three fields into subdivisions beginning with the easiest behavior to the most difficult.}

                _{The first domain is cognitive which encompasses six subdivisions that are knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. For example synthesis is the capability to read an article and then write a summary pertaining to the article. Another example is to build a house from written plans.  The second domain is affective which has the following subdivisions receiving phenomena, responding to phenomena, valuing, organization, and internalizing. Bloom states that an example of receiving phenomena is to “listen to others with respect. Listen for and remember the name of newly introduced people” (pg.3). Responding to phenomena is the ability to interact in group conversations or examine new concepts until complete understanding as been ascertained. Psychomotor is the third domain and its subdivisions were defined by (Simpson, 1972). Psychomotor skills are based on physical movement and are applied to motor skills. The subdivisions are perception, set, guided response, mechanism, complex overt response, adaptation, and origination. Dave’s (1975) subdivisions for psychomotor are imitation, manipulation, precision, articulation, and naturalization, these subdivisions explains a person’s behavior to learn a skill and be able to demonstrate the skill with consistency and actuary. Another psychomotor subdivision was written by Harrow’s (1972) that offered the following subdivisions reflex movements, fundamental, movements, perception, physical abilities, skilled movements, and no discursive communication. For example Harrow’s no discursive communication behavior is when a person can us body language to express his or need. Another example of Harrow’s subdivision behavior is reflex movements, which allows a person to respond to a situation naturally.}

                _{I agree strongly with Bloom’s taxonomy because I have witness in my classrooms all of the three learning type. I have watched how young children over time master the learning type subdivisions. Also after reading the information on Bloom taxonomy I have a better perspective on the subdivision levels of learning from easiest to hardest mastery.}

  

Blog entry # 2

Maretha

Yes, i strongly agree with my assessment from the "my personality test results. The results stated that i was a 85% intrapersonal, 75% naturalist, and 65% bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. The first three intelligence profile of my test were exactly right.I enjoy books, being in tune with my inner feelings and i am a independent learner. I am a nature nut, vegetarian, hands on learner and i love to dance. The last four profiles was correct about my learning styles as well.