Standard+5

=Standard 5 - Teachers know how to manage a classroom.= ==The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.==

Evidence: Prairie Multimedia Unit


Developing this unit truly helped me integrate everything I have learned throughout my program at Marian. I was able to take the technology skills and the deeper understanding of teaching and learning that I developed during the program and put it all together into an instructionally sound, developmentally appropriate, technologically integrated framework that will drive a great deal of my instruction over the course of the school year. I am excited to implement this unit in the coming school year because of its focus on positive social interaction, the high level of engagement offered to all my students, and the motivational nature of the project. It supports my own ideas and beliefs about best instructional practice in kindergarten, as well as the larger mission of my school.
 * Rationale:** This unit on observing the prairie was created for my Learning with Technology course. During this course we learned about 11 research based strategies that enhance student learning, and how to use technology to facilitate the inclusion of these strategies into classroom instruction. I developed this year-long unit of study in order to integrate many areas of the curriculum while focusing on the strategy of cooperative learning.

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Motivation is a tricky thing in kindergarten. I often see a high level of motivation at the start of a project or activity, only to see that motivation and engagement wane as time goes on. While kindergarten students are full of wonderful ideas, sometimes their limited experience with school and their physical abilities can’t keep up with their verbal skills. What starts out as an exciting learning journey often fizzles out due to lack of engagement, which in turn diminishes their intrinsic motivation to stay the course. Through the integration of technology, however, some of these limitations and the resulting frustrations can be minimized. By minimizing frustrations, students show more engagement in the learning process, which helps them develop the intrinsic motivation necessary to persevere in the learning environment.=====

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The unit I developed carries a high motivational value because it involves creating a blog that my students, other students, and the community will be able to view. Furthermore, through creating the contents for the blog, my students will be involved in many hands-on activities as they explore the school prairie with their five senses. Students want to do things themselves, not hear about them from me. The opportunities this unit presents, to be observers, recorders, writers and photographers, promote the development of self-motivation. The inclusion of the cooperative learning strategy also promotes intrinsic motivation. Learning is a social exercise and students learn much about self-motivation when they are able to learn from, and be accountable to a group of their peers.=====

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When I was designing this unit, I gave a great deal of thought to ensuring its success. When doing a long-term project like this, often a few students end up contributing a great deal to the project, while many more become only marginal contributors. Dividing the students into teams allows for several positive outcomes. Students gain the opportunity to work cooperatively with a small group of peers. Rotating group assignments allow students the opportunity to perform all the roles and tasks necessary to produce the blog content. Finally, because the tasks of each group occur at different times and in different places, I am able to more equitably distribute the attention and support I provide to each group.=====

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If students aren’t motivated to learn, it is hard for them to learn. While teachers can provide external motivations like stickers, prizes and treats, these motivational techniques only go so far. Sooner or later the motivation provided by “things” wanes and the “things” need to be ever bigger and better to produce any effect. Motivating students in this way does them a grave disservice. It prevents students from developing the intrinsic motivation necessary to become a life-long learner, which is critical to success in the 21st century.=====

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For students to develop intrinsic motivation, teachers must ensure that lessons and activities develop the habits of mind that life-long learners possess. Instead of focusing on the “right” answers, teachers must help students see that coming to understand the world is a joyous thing, that it is an ongoing process, that other people help us along the way, and that the ability to come to a deeper understanding of things is in reach for everyone. This year-long prairie study does just that. Rather than focusing on the right answers, it allows students to observe, analyze, notice changes, ask questions, listen to each other’s ideas, and share their learning with their peers and the larger school community.=====