Measuring Sense

Reflection

This learning experience was created and performed in my first student teaching placement in February of 2008 at Hillery Park Elementary in Buffalo New York. One of my first roles in this placement was to teach first period everyday. In a six day rotation, I taught science for three days and social studies for three days. The science unit this lesson derives from was the unit on measurement. This lesson integrates mathematics and science. This lesson was designed to be taught during the second unit in science, after learning about mass, matter, and volume.

After this lesson was performed, it was fleshed out into this learning experience. This lesson was peer reviewed by my classmates in the “Teaching to the Standards” course on March 6th, 2008. The focus question for this peer review was: “Does my learning experience follow the congruency table?” I am assured that my lesson does follow the congruency table because I designed this lesson after the performance indicator. During this peer review, I received both warm and cool comments that I used to edit my learning experience.

Both the objectives and the performance indicator were met based on the student results. All students recited the measurement conversions as a class, as well as on the pretest which meets objective 1.0. The students also ordered the objects on their chart which meets objective 2.0. To meet the final objective 3.0, the students demonstrated the proper measurements of objects with the proper tool on their charts. Since the students met these objectives, they also met the performance indicator which required the students to choose the proper unit/ tool to measure an object.

The skill of measurement can be applied in many situations. It can help when learning fractions, by comparing the lengths on a ruler. Also, it can help find the area of a room, and even help them around the house. The students have heard about the different units of measurement before, however now they understand how to use them. One student said, “Miss Coogan, now I can measure how tall I am.” This proved to me that this child had learned a new skill, and was able to apply it.

The key strategy that I used during this lesson was to scaffold every idea and overlap it with real-life situations. I asked the students what they know of that is measured in yards, and they came up with a football field. I think that by teaching the students the purpose for learning, they become more active in the lesson. A comment made during my peer review was, “It’s great how you built up knowledge throughout the lesson.”

Based on the feedback that I received from my peer review,and in the TLQP summer program, I modified some aspects of this lesson. Most of the changes that I made were grammatical; however I did revise many great ideas for my next lesson on measurement. Next time I could include blank boxes so the students can choose their own objects to measure. If time is permitted, I could also include a children’s book that relates to measurement. The main lesson that I learned from my Buffalo placement was to never assume the students know something. Always build up from the bottom.