Understanding and Using Electronic Tools

Helpful Tips

Lesson/Instructional Planning

The lesson plan is often a dreaded part of instruction because it requires thoughtful effort. It nevertheless provides a guide for managing the learning environment and is essential if you want your students to effectively and efficiently reach achievement goals.

There are three stages of lesson planning:

Stage 1: Pre-Lesson Preparation

• Learning Goals
• Content
• Student Entry Level

Stage 2: Lesson/Instructional Planning and Implementation

• Plan Title
• Grade Level and Subject
• Standards/Correlations (TEKS and TAKS)
• Objectives- what students will be able to do as a result of the lesson.
• Materials/Resources- what do you and the students need in order to complete the lesson successfully.
• Lesson Cycle/Instructional Strategy
  • FOCUS- get the students' attention and help them focus on the day's assignment.
  • INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY- lecture, but don't necessarily use a traditional lecture technique: demo, explain, give instructions, discuss, model, and check for understanding.
  • GUIDED PRACTICE- help students start practicing new skills, and apply new knowledge.
  • INDEPENDENT PRACTICE- turn the students loose and let them work on their own.
  • CLOSURE- summarizes and brings the day's lesson to a close.
• Student Evaluation- students demonstrate what they have learned.

Stage 3: Post-Lesson Activities

• Lesson Evaluation and Revision

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Lesson planning involves much more than making arbitrary decisions about "what I'm going to teach today." Many activities precede the process of designing and implementing a lesson plan. Similarly, the job of systematic lesson planning is not complete until after the instructor has assessed both the learner's attainment of the anticipated outcomes and effectiveness of the lesson in leading learners to these outcomes.

One final thought. Even teachers who develop highly structured and detailed plans rarely adhere to them in lock-step fashion. Such rigidity would probable hinder, rather than help, the teaching-learning process. The elements of your lesson plan should be thought of as guiding principles to be applied as aids, but not blueprints, to systematic instruction. Precise preparation must allow for flexible delivery.

Lesson Presentation

Below you will find a few tips on how to prepare an effective oral presentation:

• Plan
  • Be sure you have created a lesson plan that will serve as your presentation guide.
  • Use what you have learned about human attention span and effective teaching strategies.
  • Determine which elements would benefit form visual/multimedia aids.
• Use an Outline
• Practice
  • Run through your lesson presentation with someone who can help identify problems and propose solutions.
  • Once you have corrected any problems, go through a dress rehearsal of your presentation.
• Get Comfortable
  • Make sure you know where all your presentation tools are and how they work.
  • Go to the restroom before the class starts.
• Use the Communication Techniques you Learned in Speech/Education Classes
  • Pace your speaking and avoid habitual behaviors.
  • Show enthusiasm for the topic.
  • Converse with the audience and allow for questions.
  • Never apologize for any aspect of your presentation.This should be your very best effort; if you have to apologize, you have not done your job.
  • Keep an eye on the time.

Working in Groups

Getting started on a collaborative group work assignment

The first step is to make certain that you understand the assignment. Considering the following questions should help you to clarify the objectives and expectations that the course instructor has for the group project and should help you to establish your own learning goals:

• What is the purpose of the project?
• What are you supposed to learn?
• What skills are you supposed to develop?
• How is this group work assignment related to the course content?
• What are you supposed to produce?
• What format(s) will be used for the presentation?
• Are you familiar with the requirements of the format(s) or will you need support, resources, or instruction?
• What avenues of support are available to you?
• Are the necessary resources readily available or should you secure them as soon as possible?
• What criteria will be used to assess your work?
• What are the main components of the project?
• Will there be clearly defined and separate sections, or is it meant to be wholly integrated?
• Will you work co-operatively with your group members, each completing a separate piece of the project to be compiled at the end, or will you work collaboratively to produce a jointly researched and authored final product?
• Will other groups be working on the same project or a similar project?
• What are the deadlines?

Once you've had an opportunity to answer these questions, and any others that are pertinent to your group work assignment, it's time to get to know the members of your group and establish some common ground in understanding the purpose of the project.

Developing good group dynamics quickly

Whether you have been permitted to form your own group and you know the other group members socially, or if the groups have been assigned by the course instructor and the group members do not know each other at all, it is important to build a good working relationship early in the project. Take some time to get to know the members of your group at the first meeting, but try to keep the personal disclosures relevant to the work of the group. For example:

• Create a list of names and contact information and distribute it to members.
• Find out their college level and extracurricular activities of the group members.
• Find common goals and expectations.
• Share information and insights on objectives and work styles.
• Share your understanding of the project objectives and requirements. Try to identify common ground with other group members and have a group member write down the consensus position. This can serve as a rudimentary mission statement for the group and will be useful in keeping your project on track.
• Have each team member voice one concern and one hope for working with the group or brainstorm characteristics of best and worst group experiences. The outcome of this conversation can be used to establish more formal ground rules for group interactions.
• Decide if people are going to work according to their strengths or use this as an opportunity to stretch themselves in a supportive environment.
• Take turns identifying strengths and weaknesses in academic skills relevant to the design of your project.
• Identify preferences for which roles each group member would like to take on and negotiate responsibilities.

Dealing with group conflict

Some tension or internal struggle within groups is not unusual. Most students have spent years of their education working independently in a competitive, rather than collaborative learning environment, and are simply unfamiliar with the unique demands of group work. The diplomacy, co-operation, and tolerance of different perspectives and approaches required by group work are skills that take time and effort to cultivate.

• Set ground rules for appropriate group interactions. For example, jointly author a code of conduct for meetings.
• Clearly establish separate and equitable roles and responsibilities for group members at the outset of the project, but check on how the process is working for everyone and be prepared to renegotiate these jobs if necessary.
• Watch for the warning signs of trouble and deal with conflict proactively.
• Remember that patience and inclusive communication are essential to good group dynamics.
• Be familiar with human rights and equity policies.
• Recognize that negotiating differences and accommodating unique work habits in pursuit of a common goal is part of the value of participating in collaborative group projects.
• Try to make collective decisions professionally and democratically.
• Socialize with one another and have fun together outside of group meetings.
• Make sure that your course instructor is aware of difficulties as they occur and get help when you need it.

Working together without wasting time

Time is a precious commodity. Group work can conjure up fears of long, unproductive meetings spent doing something collaboratively that you are confident you could do much more efficiently on your own. Try some of the following strategies to use your group time effectively and to make the opportunity to work with others more enjoyable

• Ensure that group members know in advance what role they are to play during each meeting (i.e. leader, note-taker, trouble-shooter, detail person, big picture person, creative input, progress-chaser, reviewer).
• Run efficient meetings - start and end on time.
• Set clear objectives for each meeting, arrive prepared, and keep to a schedule.
• Place reasonable limits on planning and brainstorming activities.
• Break large tasks down into logical chunks and check progress frequently.

What to do if a group member is not contributing

Group work functions best when everyone participates actively in the development of the project; however, it is not unusual for a group to have one or more members who are occasionally or chronically unproductive. Here are some suggestions for encouraging such group members to become more active participants:

• Find out why the group member is not participating or producing. The solution will depend on the reason for their withdrawal, so begin by determining the cause.
• Encourage shy individuals to contribute by soliciting their input on a topic that you are confident that they know something about. You may find that they just need an invitation and a positive experience before they will become more involved in discussions.
• Disinterested learners may need some assistance in uncovering their motivation for contributing to the group project.
• Check to see if the group member is stuck and needs some advice and direction in order to move forward.
• If a group member is very busy, try to accommodate the person internally within reason. Do not allow them to abdicate their responsibility to contribute to the group project.
• Have a progress-checker. Some people simply need to be held accountable and reminded to meet deadlines or conform to expectations.
• Let your instructor know what is happening
• Express you true opinion of that group member on the Peer Evaluation form.

What to do if a group member is domineering

Some learners, whether they are highly goal-directed, self-confident, or extroverted, simply prefer to monopolize conversations or direct and delegate to work of the group. Strong leadership skills are excellent to have, but not all leadership skills are conducive to collaborative group work. Try the following techniques to prevent an individual group member from overpowering the efforts of the larger group:

• Indicate that this is an issue of concern by addressing it in the ground rules for conducting group meetings.
• Deliberately take turns presenting ideas or updates. Limit the amount of time each person has to talk and discourage any interruption during the presentations.
• First try to discourage domination by using indirect, blanket statements regarding the nature of collaborative work, or by making humorous, but not critical, comments to the overly talkative or dictatorial group member.
• Designate a willing group member to have a private conversation with the individual who is monopolizing the groups' meetings or dictating group direction.

Where do we go if we need help?

Go to your course instructor for help with:

• Understanding the learning objectives and requirements of the group project.
• If you need feedback or direction on process or content issues.
• For direction or advice on the use of resource materials.
• If you are having difficulties with group dynamics that you cannot resolve independently.

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