Lesson Title: Mid-Semester
Date: October 15, 2016
Lesson Location: Computer Lab
Objectives
- Evaluate the semester and self improvement
- Analyze websites for important/interesting information
- Brainstorming and organizational improvement
- Practice writing introductions
Materials
- Laptop
- PowerPoint Presentation
- Computers or Laptops
| Class Structure | Teaching Points | Time |
| Instructor Led | Welcome & Agenda | 3 minutes |
| Individual | Mid-Semester Course Evaluation | 5 minutes |
| Individual | Research Art on Campus | 20 minutes |
| Individual | Write Introduction | 15 minutes |
| Small Group | Share Intros and Facts | 10 minutes |
| Small Group | Brainstorm Session | 10 minutes |
| Individual | Create Outlines | 15 minutes |
| Instructor Led | Closing & Homework | 2 minutes |
Assignments For Next Meeting
IF YOU HAVEN’T DONE IT YET:
- Visit your art, take a selfie with it, and fill out the Object Learning Worksheet for your piece
- Submit worksheet and selfie through Moodle
Work on Assignment #4
Contingency Plan
More time to work on research, introductions, or outlines
Assessment of Concept Development
Read course evaluations to see what students think is working or what needs improvement. Listening to the discussion to see if people understood the assignment and if they are giving helpful comments and suggestions.
Reflection
Overall, this lesson plan worked very well. There were a lot of great conversations happening in groups. This led some of the individual work to become group work. Students were allowed to work on their outlines in groups, if they wanted to. One issue was that some students had not picked their artwork yet. These students did not get as much time to research their art and find facts to share.
Post Commentary
This Lesson Plan took place near the beginning of Assignment #4 and was located in the computer lab. Students should have picked which art piece they want to write about, visited the work of art, and filled out the Object Learning Worksheet. The class began with the PowerPoint ‘s first slide, which shows what was due, the agenda for the day, and the homework that will be assigned.
Since students should have already picked their art choice, I took a quick survey to see who was still struggling with making a choice. I then explained that students would be filling out the mid-semester course evaluation first, and when it was finished they could begin researching their Art choice. They should find two interesting facts, some historical/cultural background, and think about the personal significance of the art. These points would be shared in small groups.
The first task of the day was to have students fill out the mid-semester course evaluation. The evaluation was done anonymously as a questionnaire on Moodle. All students filled it out at the same time. Then when they finished they switched to individual research.
After the research time ended, students were given instructions to work on writing an introduction. They had 15 minutes to write a rough draft of an introduction. Students were then placed into groups of approximately 4 students per group. Each student shared their introductions and two interesting facts about their art piece. The other members gave feedback on the introductions and anything else the presenter asked about. When groups finished up sharing, they were instructed to discuss possible visuals they might want to use and strategies for creating an outline.
Students were then given free time to work, preferably on creating an outline. They could also continue researching or revise introductions. At the end of class, the last slide reminds students of what the homework for the next class is.
Overall, the lesson went very smoothly. Students had great conversations in their small groups and many felt it was more useful to continue working in the small groups during the free work time at the end of class.
One issue was that some students had not picked an art piece yet. Most of these students were able to search and pick one within the first couple minutes, but I was able to offer suggestions to one students who was really struggling. I think most of these students struggled because I did not allow students to research the same piece. This caused some to not have their first pick or maybe even their second pick. At first, I thought changing this rule might be useful but then I changed my mind. Some of the students who were forced to pick an art piece they were unfamiliar with and showed a lot of enthusiasm for their art work. I think it was useful to push students to think outside the box and really explore campus art. It was also incredibly helpful during presentations to have a wide variety which allowed the whole class to learn about more art on campus.
I think this lesson worked well because it allowed students to have a lot of time to work individually and in groups. Students are more willing to ask question when they are working rather than during a class discussion. It also allowed for an extra peer-review on introductions because many students struggled with introductions on the previous assignments. It was also help to explain two activities before having them start. Telling students what they should do and then what they can start when they are finished. This helped with some groups finishing earlier than other, they knew what to work on next which helped avoid having students doing nothing or checking their phones.