Planning+and+Preparation

= Planning and Preparation =

In order to be an effective teacher, one must understand the importance of planning and preparation. Teachers who are knowledgeable about the content they teach, various methods of pedagogy, and their students abilities and needs should be able to plan appropriate lessons to reach their students.Completing lesson plans before the week begins allows me to concentrate on teaching the lessons, instead of scrambling to copy papers, collect manipulatives, or take care of other distractions. Being prepared also ensures that I am concentrating on the standards required at my level, not what the textbook feels is necessary. I have included examples of lesson plans created in my pursuit of my ITSC. - This Technology Integration Plan (TIP) was developed for use in my second grade classroom. The students were asked to research dinosaurs using specific sites. Then, they used the information gathered to write a research report on their dinosaur. The initial plan included the students typing their reports using word processing. This proved too difficult due to the students limited typing abilities. They produced handwritten reports based on their internet research.
 * __Modifications:__** I am now the Library and Computer teacher and work with the classroom teachers to integrate technology into their lessons. The next time this unit is taught, I would prepare the students by providing more typing experience prior to the report. Other options I would recommend are to have the students create a podcast or video using iPad apps as their oral report.

- The second TIP lesson I have included was again designed for use in my second grade class. Our Social Studies unit covered the basics of Washington, DC and our government. The students were to work with a partner to research one of the monuments or memorials in our capital. The class would then create a digital storybook based on the information each group gathered. I was unable to complete this plan before the end of the school year. I would like to attempt this plan next school year if I work with this age group again. __**Modifications:**__ I don't feel I would actually modify this lesson. The experience I now have allows me to adapt my plans to make this lesson work. I feel there are many iPad apps that would be easy for a second grade student to use effectively in this project.

//They are able because they think they are able. -Virgil//