GTP Departmental workshop

9/20/02

Lesson plan development

I.                  1st steps

A.     knowing your students

1.      ability levels

2.      backgrounds/interest levels

3.      ability/desire to work in groups

4.      special needs/accommodations

5.      learning style preferences

B.     knowing your content

1.      adequately researched/understood

2.      related current issues

3.      mentally prepared…

C.     using available materials/resources

1.      technology/AV equipment

2.      software

3.      TAs/aides

4.      University/community resources (e.g. guest speakers)

II.                Organization

A.     title of lecture?

B.     content overview

1.      lists of:

a.       important facts

b.      concepts

c.       skills/materials needed

d.      vocab to be used

2.       outline to distribute? on chalkboard?

C.     goals/rationale of lecture

D.     objectives

1.      specific criteria against which understanding/performance of student is measured

2.      based on outcome

3.      can vary difficulty according to student ability

E.     introduction

1.      attention grabber?

F.      instruction / demonstration / discussion / etc.

1.      volunteer self as example/model

2.      vary teaching styles over time, e.g. group work, hands-on work, problem solving, Socratic method, symbolic (non-verbal) representation, etc.

3.      allow enough time for students to absorb, ask Q’s (allow time for silence)

4.      try to incorporate “higher level” questions (e.g. evaluative, synthetic) (see Bloom’s Taxonomy)

5.     

G.     wrap-up

1.      telling students most important concepts/aspects

2.      asking students what were the most important concepts/aspects

3.      relation to present knowledge

4.      preparing for next lesson

H.     revisit the lesson plan (revisions)

III.              Online lesson plan generators ( http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/lesson_plan/ )

A.     heading

B.     topic/content

C.     goals/objectives/materials

D.     procedure/methods

E.     evaluation/teacher reflection

IV.           Some general tips for making successful lesson plans & TAing recitations (from workshop participants)

A.    keep it free-form/flexible.  Allow yourself to improvise from alloted time schedules, etc.

B.  stress having fun.  Stay open to disagreement.

C.  break into 15-minute discussion groups, do class surveys, read aloud written responses to questions, pose questions to group to stimulate discussion, etc.

D.  run a discussion as a discussion (not only lecturing)

E.  allow topics to spill over into next week's recitation/lab

F.  allow extra time for questions

G.  for debates, force a percentage of the class to take an opposing position

H.  use peer-critiques for their work

I.   relate lecture material to personal experience

J.   remember attendance (if necessary)

K.  allow time for feedback frlom the students, i.e. what worked? didn't?

L.  allow class to be your own.  It should have your fingerprint.