Observation Journal
The 2 week practicum was a very rewarding experience. I was unsure how I was going to do not having been in a classroom before. I found that I fit in very well with my colleagues at Fraser Heights. My SA along with their colleagues were very welcoming from a friendly standpoint as well as from an observational standpoint. The school is a highly academic school with some very unique classes ie. the Science Academy and the Inquiry 8 classes.
I noticed in my observations at Fraser Heights along with other observations at Burnaby North and Burnaby South, that there was a lack of structure in many of the lessons taught by teachers. Specifically I mean hooks and agendas giving the students an outline of what they are going to learn. It immediately brings the question of “when will this lack of structure” begin to infiltrate a teacher’s engagement level.
Other questions that come to my mind as a result of my observations and experiences are:
– How can I bring practical relevance to my teachings in Economics, IT10, Marketing 12?
– How can I bring an up to date curriculum and teaching style to my classroom?
– Is there an appetite for a Business Academy along the lines of the Science Academy?
October 28, 2013
My SA teaches in room 104, great classroom with 4 rows of tables in the middle with the computers on the outside (see picture below)
Period 1 Accounting 11
Textbook Accounting 1 6th Ed.
– took attendance off of seating chart
– checked if report cards were signed by parents
– Spent class doing review questions of Chapter 7
- Assigned big encompassing concepts question # 7 Due Friday Nov 1
Period 2 Economics 12
Textbook Economics Now (Analyzing Current Issues) , 2002
– Gave time to complete homework which was due at the end of class
– 25 mins watch “The Corporation” which was timely due to starting Chapter 6 in book on types of businesses. SEEMED RELEVANT
– Handed back homework. There was lots of feedback from Asian students re. marks they lost. One student asked if he could only take off ½ mark as opposed to full mark as the teacher never asked for titles on Graphs on previous test.
Period 3 Marketing 11
Textbook Marketing Today (A Retail Focus), 1994
– Working on Entrepreneurship Plan
– Groups of 2,3,4 come up with a product to sell. Each student can put in a max of $10.
– Teacher must sign off on business plan.
Period 4 Math 10
– Amazing what a few triggers can do for information (polynomials) that have not been used for 20 years
– The teacher uses a document reader to show the students how to solve binomials and polynomials.
- Document reader would be a good idea for Accounting class when teaching the use of T-Accounts
- Is this style of teaching representative of Vygotsky’s Cognitive Apprenticeship?
– I couldn’t help but think how the teacher should incorporate brain breaks into his lessons. The class started at 1:28pm and by 2:10pm the class was still doing the handout exercises with the teacher
– Also learned about algebra tiles which were not taught when I was in school
Staff Meeting
– FHS has been asked to turn their school plan into inquiry questions
- How do we foster authentic learning through an environment of innovation, inquiry and collaboration?
- How can we develop well rounded students and increase student engagement, both mentally and physically, in diverse areas of study, extra-curricular activities and social responsibility?
Oct 29, 2013
Period 1 IT9
– Teacher wrote agenda on the board
- Feedback on Photoshop faces
- Remembrance Day poster to be handed in (PDF and PSD format)
- Start flash animation
- Walking character
- View from the side
– Students started off with 10 minutes of typing for warm-up
– Students are using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Flash, Adobe Illustrator
– Teacher showed flash animation example from scratch on his computer which was projected onto overhead. Got the students attention by asking them to turn off their monitors and come to the front of the class.
- Students were engaged
Period 2 HUM8Y
– Students were doing Outsiders presentations
- They had to show 3 songs and how they related to the movie
- For bonus marks 3 groups performed 1 song (sing, or music video)
– This class was in portable
– The teacher is a very experienced teacher
– He has a booming voice and commands respect.
- He said to me if the kids are making noise he lets it go if they are thinking about the task or project, yet he stops it if they are doing silly stuff
– He did have issues with WIFI as it was impacting the music for the kids presentations where as when LAN was used there were no issues
– He then followed up with kids on their blog projects
– He went through every student’s blog to check their progress, students were engaged watching everyone’s work although most had not done anything
– All grade 8’s as part of the Inquiry 8 classes have a blog
Period 3 Marketing 11
– Class working on marketing projects
– I walked around and talked to most groups about their projects
Examples were:
- Iphone cases from Chinese internet store
- Bracelets from dollar store
- Xmas ornaments (supplies from Michaels)
– They were working on business plans detailing materials and target markets
– Students did not look engaged
– They are good students at FH, perhaps taking business because their parents want them too and they feel it is an appropriate elective course to take compared to others
– NEEDS TO BE MODERNIZED
Period 4
– Went to library and was introduced to the librarian
– Set up a time for Wednesday morning to go back and see the Librarian and go through catalog and videos
– Overall the Learning Commons was not very big, however is that due to the fact that so much is on line now. $40K renovation was done to overall the library and make it more of a Learning Commons.
Oct 30, 2013
Period 1 Science 10
– The teacher approached me before school and gave me two flasks of liquid and handouts and asked me to bring to his portable at 9:00am. This was part of a class experiment they would be working on in the second half of the double block
– This allowed me to go down to the library and meet the librarian.
– She took me through the catalog, primarily video streaming ideas
- Showed me how to stream through ‘Discovery Education’ and ‘Learn 360’
- Can search by PLO
– Showed how to book IPAD cart
- 30 IPADS (sign out in binder), send 2 students to move the cart
– At 9:00am I proceeded to the science portable, he met me at the door, and pretended we were having a conversation
– He closed the door behind me and played up to the class that I was from Nevada Area 51 and brought blood samples from aliens. One flask when shaken turned blue, the other did not
– That was his hook for the kids
– Then came break time, the students were going to the ‘Super Lab’ after the break
– I proceeded to go to the gym and watch ‘Five Days of Fire’ which was part of the FS Spirit Week. Kids were split into colored teams and playing games. Vice Principal was there and noticed me there.
– I then proceeded to go to the Super Lab where the Science 10 were analyzing the substances of the flasks
– Super Lab was a large lab that had area for Biology Labs, an area for Chemistry labs, and Physics labs. These can be booked.
– Students were engaged with the experiment
– The teacher tries to get them into lab once per week
– There didn’t seem to be extensions for kids that were done first. They proceeded to wander.
– In the biology area there was a grade 11 class that was teaming with grade 4’s from feeder school and they were analyzing the contents of the FH pond
Lunch – Business Innovation Club
– Attended Club sponsored by SA
– Students were having a guest speaker Sarah Lubik Professor of Entrepreneurship at SFU
– Entrepreneur of Lungphish (Director of Marketing)
– SA was out for lunch so I hosted the students in SA’s class, awaiting for the guest speaker
– Club was headed by Lawrence
– Club discussed fundraising ideas
– They are trying to launch an app for ordering food from the local restaurants
Oct 31, 2013
Period 1 Science Academy
– Science Academy is unique to Fraser Heights
- The only of its kind in western Canada
- Grade 11’s have to apply
- It groups 50 students together for half of their grade 11 and 12 year
- They receive 32 credits of senior level math and science
- They also receive 17 credits of university as it is taught in conjunction with SFU CHEM 121 and 122
– Students were reviewing their math
– Teacher allowed the students to ask questions about the handout and he went over the questions on the board
– 1 Caucasian in the class
– Could a business academy be taught in conjunction with SFU?
Period 2 HUM 8Y
– Teacher was teaching Roman history
- He already taught them Charlemagne but while teaching it he found the students did not know Roman history so he decided to go back and teach them about Roman history
– He went over puzzle handout on Roman numerals and Roman and Greek Gods
– For the Roman Numerals he asked the students the answers, many students struggled with it. As the kids were struggling with it, he went quickly asking other students and as they rattled their roman numerals he made a game of it and quickly cut them off and moved on to another student. Students were not dissuaded, they thought it was funny that they all were struggling
– Teacher makes his tests hard
- For Multiple Choice he has taught the students to use 2 pieces of paper and hide the answers and all other questions and just focus on the question
– He believes in making the tests hard, it forces students to come to class, do the work, and pay attention
– Moved on to a map making exercise
- “What makes maps stand out?”
- Kids answered by yelling out “Legends”, “Printing”, “Colors”
– He talked to students in front of the maps, flipping them over showing them the differences in details ie. Oceans, rivers separating regions and how Europe changed from the Roman Empire, to the Industrial Revolution to World War I
– He talked about cell phones, and the fact that they are allowed in class
- He keeps an eye on kids to make sure they are not texting
- Phones are put away for tests or he has kids put in box at the front of the class
– I asked him about length of time lecturing in front of kids
- He mentioned the 6-8 minutes but he keeps an eye on them, if he sees them waning he changes it up or gives them a break.
- The fact that these were grade 8’s he gave them unofficial breaks when he assigns them work time
- For double blocks he gives them 15 minutes in between and many breaks in the middle as 2.5 hours is long time for most students let alone grade 8
– He does not believe in homework
- If there is something that he assigned in class and they did not get it done then it is for homework
- He much prefers to be there to answer questions if the kids have them, and that is not the case when they are at home
Nov 1, 2013
Period 1 and Period 2 LST
– Teacher 1 started off in front of the calendar as it was November 1 and went over the month with Block 1
– Teacher 2 has started a voluntary program with 4 students per block to do ‘Fit’
- This is 15 minutes of exercise in which they wear heart rate monitors
- He had them running the stairs, doing rope ladder, squats and sit ups
- There has been research that students with focus issues focus much better after exercise
- He has seen results as well where kids with high energy are much calmer after exercise and focus better.
- He is currently running this as a test and hopes to expand
– These students in LST are coded by district or ministry
– They get them in grade 8 and usually wean them off in grade 11 but continue to monitor them
- Teacher 2 refers to this LST at Fraser as the best in the district
- Many schools do not put kids in blocks, they have LST teachers who go into the classroom with them
– ‘Missing Task Report’ the students take to their regular classroom teachers and get them to sign off,
- This provides LST with an idea who is keeping up.
- For students who are not keeping up they are assigned Flex contracts
– One instance while I was there another teacher brought in an example of a LST student who wants to re-write English 10 provincial. She needs help with her writing. The exam is scheduled for Monday or Monday Nov 18.
– They ask the kids what they are working on. If they say nothing they have a list of what the kids should be doing
– Each teacher has to have ½ hour flex time per week for the students to come to class for help. This is the opportunity for LST students to come and fulfill their flex contracts
Nov 4, 2013
Lunch –with part time counsellor
– Mentioned that these students at this school are all good kids
– Students are split up alphabetically
– Most issues are re. University application
– Students are asking for more Science
– Lots of kids in 8,9,10 already decided what they are going to do as per their families want them to be doctors, lawyers, etc.
– Jan. start working on course selection
– April May placement, timetable
– Need for ‘fun’ or differentiation (ie. Inquiry)at academic school
Period 4 Teach Accounting 11
– Generally went very well
– Good students
– One student has language issue, not sure if ELL
- I noticed she was struggling, spent some time helping her.
- Found I was uneasy about moving on when she is struggling
– Most students were fast
– Got through all of lesson plan
– Students enjoyed financial “Treasure Hunt” at the end on the computers
– Students did not volunteer any information about themselves in opening
Nov 5, 2013
– Spent morning preparing handout and lesson plan for Period 3 lesson on Microsoft word to EX8 class
– Was in prep room when a student from IT9 was brought in for acting out at a fellow teacher
- Student was wearing headphones, and watching violent youtube video
- Due to headphones he could not hear the teacher, finally when teacher got his attention he snapped at the teacher with clenched fists.
- Apparently student has anger management issues
- Councilor was called, this student is known to the counsellor
Period 3 taught EX8
Creating and Editing Tables in Microsoft Word
– Good kids
– More willing to share than the Grade 11
– Students grew more comfortable with me in asking questions by mid way through
– Clicker did not work as I got further away from the desktop
– Error in handout
– Need to take it as learning experience
– Overall it was a good lesson, students enjoyed the video game list as the task on the tables they were creating
Nov 6, 2013
– Spent the morning preparing for Economics 12 in second block.
– Was unsure going into lesson, did not complete a formal lesson plan
– Struggled with the context, not knowing what they have learned to this point
– I was introducing Chapter 7, Production, Firms and the Market
– I read chapter 7 and found it interesting but did not have the time to read chapter 1-6
– I look forward to semester 2 and teaching something like an Economics 12 from the start
– In the end I am happy I went through with teaching the lesson. It was an opportunity to ‘fly by the seat of my pants’
– I was able to rely on my work experience and speak to it as it related to Firms and the market
– The kids were engaged and interested in my background
– They seemed to like the opportunity to go to the computers and look up financial information of companies such as Starbucks, Esso, Tim Hortons, Scotiabank
– They were shocked to learn that the #1 company on the Fortune 500 was right next to their school Esso (Exxon Mobil)
Lunch
– Spent sponsoring the Business Innovaton Club
– Marked the Microsoft Word Tables from EX8
– Loaded them into Integrade
Nov 7, 2013
Period 1
– Attended the Remembrance Day Ceremony in the gymnasium with the grades 8,9,10
– I found it was another trigger that reminded me of past ceremonies through my schooling. I also realized that I need to make a more concerted effort to go to the public ceremonies and take my kids and educate them about Remembrance Day
Period 2 Inquiry 8
– It was not a great introduction into Inquiry 8 as they were in the library. I do plan on further observations when I return on Tuesdays in November and December
– It was more of an open class for the students to catch up on their Math, Science or Humanities
– Teacher refers to the class as “Grade 8’s”
– This class is in its first year and the course description is below
– This course provides an introduction to inquiry-based learning, while considering relationships that exist among various subject areas, namely, Social Studies, English, Math and Science. Students will learn all the prescribed learning outcomes as outlined by the BC Ministry of Education for each subject; however, once the background knowledge is obtained and practiced, students have the unique experience of applying their new understandings in various inquiry-driven projects that are engaging and hands-on. Inquiry learning is a concept that is heavily supported by years of research and has been adopted and practiced by many school districts around the world. By definition, Inquiry-based learning is “a process where students are involved in their learning, formulate questions, investigate widely and then build new understandings, meanings and knowledge” (Focus on Inquiry. Alberta Ministry of Education, 2004). By doing so, This course is designed to push students’ thinking, help them to better understand their learning, and to inspire them to apply their learning to their community and beyond. Students registered in this course will also have the opportunity to be looped into the same program for their grade 9 year.
Period 3 EX8
– Developed a lesson around Microsoft Excel
– It is not part of the EX8 course
– I chose to teach this again in order to work on some of the shortcomings from my first experience in which the feedback was to get the students attention and require them to watch me at the front on the computer.
– I made more of an effort to do that
– I handed back the Microsoft Word sheets that I marked out of 5
– One of the students had an issue with a ½ mark that I deducted. I changed her mark from 3.5 to 4
– I made a note and had SA update in Integrade right away
Period 4 Career Education
– I was made aware that Fraser Heights has mandatory work experience for Grade 11
– This makes me very happy as I am a proponent of students getting practical experience
– It begs the question how we could align business courses such as Accounting or Marketing with work placement for these grade 11 students
– Work experience is attached to Social Studies
Follow