DAILY ENTRIES

 

DAILY ENTRIES

Day 1 Sunday 10th of September 2023

In our groups we discussed the definition of Learning and we compared the three definitions that we wrote.

I wrote that Learning is a life long process that nurtures individuals and improves their performance.

My partners wrote: Learning is a process that leads to change which results of experience and increases the potential for improved performance and future learning.

Some schools do not have a clear definition of Learning in their vision and mission, but we as teachers should search for it in our schools and impact others in our school community.

Day 2 Monday 11th of September 2023

N/A

Day 3 Tuesday 12th of September 2023

We created a mnemonic word that show the characteristics of an effective teacher:

TEACH

T: Talent

E: Empathy 

A: Adaptability 

C: Communication

H: High Expectations

Activity:

Evaluation of the case study: Effective Teaching Case Studies 

I chose case number 1:

Mrs Friendly is a kind person and very sociable and loved by everyone.

She had a good relationship with the students.

The main factors that affected her teaching practices negatively referred to as

Performance Gaps:

The teacher did not tailor the lesson according to the students' needs.

She did not say the instructions clearly before the start of the experiment.

The students we not unhappy.

She was described as an OK student.Year 5 students need more guidance throughout the steps of any structured work.

Activity:

KPI: Key Performance Indicator

What are your top 3 priorities?

1- Sticks to one lesson style, she would try different activities and style of teaching

2- Tailoring the lessons according to the student's needs.

3- Clear instructions and setting goals with clear learning outcomes for that particular experiment.

What needs to change?

New learning styles

Academically challenging the students who are excelling

How will you measure the change?

Student's engagement in the lesson

Student's understanding of the concept in real life context 

Better feedback from parents

Day 4 Wednesday 13th of September 2023

Record the content of current Enduring Understanding: 

"Respiration is the essential process through which organisms obtain vital energy by exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide with their environment. Exploring the structure and function of air sacs reveals the remarkable efficiency of this life-sustaining exchange."

Note: This enduring understanding lacks the big ideas that students should carry beyond the lesson. It explains the content but not the big picture nor the skills the students will acquire after this unit. 

Enduring Understanding- revised:

Understanding the respiratory system enhances students' scientific literacy. It equips them with fundamental knowledge about the complex biological systems like the respiratory systems which will foster their critical thinking skills and their research and inquiry skills. Learning about the respiratory system will lead to greater awareness of global issues like air pollution and the effect of smoking on respiratory health.

 Activity

Note that: Enduring understanding cannot be an activity like to explain the plot of a story.

Unit lesson plan analysis found as a separate post on the Blog titled Unit and Lesson Plan Analysis.

Day 5 Thursday 14th of September 2023

UDL template comparison 

Reviewing your unit of study

Describe your current End of unit assessment

Focus on enduring understanding What u changed? 

I used AI for generating the End of Unit Assessment

Respiratory System End of Unit Assessment 

Multiple Choice:

1. Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the respiratory system? a. To digest food b. To filter the blood c. To exchange gases with the environment d. To regulate body temperature

2. What is the role of oxygen in the respiratory system? a. To remove waste from the body b. To provide energy to cells c. To carry nutrients in the bloodstream d. To maintain bone health

3. During respiration, where does the exchange of gases primarily occur? a. In the stomach b. In the heart c. In the liver d. In the lungs

4. What happens to the diaphragm during inhalation? a. It relaxes and moves upward. b. It contracts and moves downward. c. It remains still. d. It contracts and moves upward.

True/False: 5. True or False: The main purpose of respiration is to inhale and store gases in the lungs.

6. True or False: The diaphragm is a critical muscle involved in the breathing process.

Structured Questions: 7. Explain the process of gas exchange in the respiratory system, including how oxygen enters the bloodstream and why this exchange is essential for the body's function. You can refer to Diagram 1 ("Respiratory System") in your explanation.

8. Describe the structure and function of the air sacs in the respiratory system and their role in the exchange of gases. You can refer to Diagram 2 ("Air Sacs") in your description.

Diagram 1: Label it "Respiratory System."

• Show the lungs with labeled parts like bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli.
• Include arrows to indicate the flow of oxygen (in) and carbon dioxide (out).

Diagram 2: Label it "Air Sacs."

• Detail the structure of an air sac with thin walls and blood vessels.
• Use arrows to show oxygen moving into the blood and carbon dioxide moving out.

Short Answer: 9. Imagine you are a doctor explaining the importance of good respiratory health to a patient. List three key pieces of advice you would give to help maintain a healthy respiratory system.

10. Compare and contrast respiration in humans with respiration in a fish. Highlight the similarities and differences in how oxygen is obtained and carbon dioxide is expelled in these two types of organisms.

Scoring Rubric:

• Each multiple-choice question is worth 2 points (total of 8 points).
• Each true/false question is worth 2 points (total of 4 points).
• Question 7 is worth 6 points.
• Question 8 is worth 4 points.
• Question 9 is worth 6 points.
• Question 10 is worth 6 points.

Total Points: _____ / 34

Note: I won't be using this End of Unit Assessment hence it does not serve my enduring understanding. This information is available everywhere whereas the main goal behind the unit is to create learners that think about the future of human kind and the effect of their actions on the environment.

Below is the revised End of Unit Assessment:

Respiratory System End of Unit Assessment 

1. In this assessment the students will be divided into small groups and each group will be assigned a case study related to a respiratory system issue. 

2. The students in the same group must work together to analyze the case, identify possible causes, and propose solutions.

3. Then the students will conduct a simulation activity where students take on different roles (e.g., doctor, patient, researcher) and work collaboratively to diagnose and treat respiratory conditions.

4. Organize a debate or discussion where students explore ethical considerations related to lung health, such as smoking or air pollution using scientific reasoning.

Day 6 Friday 15th of September 2023

Applying your learning
Have you recorded barriers to learning and your differentiation strategies?

Using my student profile, the key potential barriers to learning that I need to be aware of when planning are:

The cultural and the language differences that students face
The prior knowledge the students have 
Scientific terminology and the misconceptions related to the topic
The attention span of the students 

Differentiation strategies: 

Differentiation by teachers through product  : Students can decide the way they want to present the topic (project, slides, on paper, model etc...)  
This is differentiation by interest with respect to students. 

Activity : Assessment Practice, Teacher Self Assessment 

Day 7 Saturday 16th of September 2023

Checking that all entries have been made