Why are manhole covers round?

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Why are manhole covers round?
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Thinking about effective lesson plans

• Attention Getters (anticipatory set)
• Objectives
• Instructional strategies
• Appropriate technologies
• Assessments

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Attention getters (anticipatory sets)

• Setting the stage for engagement
• Create disequilibrium
• Connect with students
• Provide opportunities for students to immediately
  engage the content
• How have you experienced these three?
• Disequilibrium Manhole cover, present
  information that contradicts previously assessed
  prior knowledge
• Connect with students Who am I?
• Immediate engagement Journaling with accessible
  questions

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Objectives (I)

1. Identify relevant standards
2. Transform standards for students
3. Describe what needs to happen to meet
   expectations
4. Help students identify what is important
5. Specify (and differentiate) knowledge and
   learning skills

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Objectives (II)
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Instructional Strategies (1)

• What am I asking my students to learn? (i.e.
  content)
• How much prior domain knowledge do my students
  possess? (pre-assessment)
• How am I asking my students to learn? (i.e.
  process of learning)
• Developmentally appropriate?
• Embed skill building activities?

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Instructional Strategies (2)
Total Processing Space in Working Memory
(short-term memory)
Operating Space
Storage Space
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Technologies

• How can technologies be used to enhance students
  ability to meet learning objectives?
• Simulations?
• SmartBoards?
• Sentios/clickers?
• iPads?
• Adventure Learning?

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ASSESSMENT (1)

• Backward design
• Transparency of expectations
• Valid assessments
• Accommodate diverse learners

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ASSESSMENT (2)

• What type of formal/informal assessments have you
  seen?
• What types of assessments are particularly useful
  for a teacher and a student?
• Exit cards (one thing you learned today and/or
  answer to a question) journaling (two-minute
  summary one question that student has at end of
  class) thumbs up/down anonymous response via
  clickers

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Evaluating lesson plans

• Is there evidence of an Attention Getters
  (anticipatory set)?
• Are there clear objectives?
• Will students understand what they are learning
  and why?
• To what extent does the lesson plan account for
  how students are being asked to learn?
• To what extent does the lesson plan incorporate
  appropriate technologies?
• To what extent does the lesson plan incorporate
  effective assessments?