Homework for Friday, January 16th:
First task: We are going to learn about the basics for our mini lessons which will be held according to the Learning Cycle (LC) model. Read the following explanation of the Learning Cycle: LC
According to this model, a Learning Cycle consists of 5 E's:
Engage (you catch your students' attention to the topic)
Explore (the kids find things out by themselves)
Explain (students try to analyze the problem; you explain the rules to them)
Expand (kids get a different task to apply what they've found out)
Evaluate (you assess their comprehension)
HOWEVER, some people even suggest that a LC does not only have 5 E's, but 6! The mysterious number six is "E-search." Read the following article: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2005-05/sc0411_47.pdf
When you're done with this, here's your second task:
Post a short comment of ~ 100-200 words on this blog what you think about the Learning Cycle model. Suggestions for answers: Originally, it was conceived for math or science classes. Do you think it is useful for English (or any language, or ESL) classes? Would you use it? Were you taught this way? What about the 6th E? Do you think it is a good idea, or is it unnecessary (especially when teaching English and/or grammar)??? Your personal opinion...
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22 comments:
I feel that the learning process is something you cannot fit into a tight, neat package. There is little room for children who are either hindered or exceptional to be able to work within the boundaries that are being set. The process is the most important thing, in any function of learning. Working in a community of children with special needs in an environment based around Gestalt therapy, I have found that students learn based on what they are familiar or what they can relate to. I learned much in the way of the 5 E’s in my science class in junior high, but I couldn’t see this being used in English classes. The 6th E is becoming more and more essential with the rate of our ever-expanding technology. This model of the learning cycle is pretty much a basis of how any intelligent being learns and reacts to the environment. While it is a model of how a child can learn, it is not an example of how to teach. So other than being a tool for teachers on how to understand the learning process, I find it to be useless.
I found the Learning Cycle to be very helpful. I am in the teaching program and last semester I had difficulties trying to structure my lesson plans. I now plan to use the learning cycle to help when I write a lesson plan. I enjoyed the sixth E because I know that many students are visual learners. I found that students are more likely to take notes and to pay attention to the explanation of a lesson if I present a power point. I agreed with all 6 E's and I am excited to try to use this method in my English class that I will be teaching in this semester.
I do not feel that the 5 e's is the "proper" way to evaluate a student's work or level of progress. This is because the meaning of "success" or progress is different for each individual child, therefore,it is best that certain assessments should be used accordingly. All students are unique and have their own particular ways that they figure out problems and learn how to apply them to their everyday lives. Although this method was used for science and is being considered for other subjects because of its effectiveness, I do not agree that it would be effective for every other subject. To me, this places boundaries on the students and the the teachers.Although this model is apart of the learning cycle, and is similar to the way most students learn something, I don't think it should be a method that is set in stone for all to follow. There still needs to be room for creativity and individualism in a classroom. When students are expected to learn a certain way, or to adapt to an idea or structured way of picking up any concept, it can become a problem.So, I believe that we should all learn at our own pace, with respect to us all being unique.
The learning cycle is a great example of an effective way in helping someone gain knowledge. If you present a person with a situation and a goal, they could use this process to help gain the most in their research. I love the idea of incorporating the 6th "E." By adding a technological aspect students especially can learn a very valuable tool used daily by everyone.
The "Learning Cycle" is a great way to get kids interested in school work and motivate the learning process. All of the "E's" and equally important and by expanding to six "E's" the students will use technology while learning. Technology is a great tool used everyday with computers, cameras, powerpoints, etc... I am a visual learner, if I can see something or hold it in my hands I understand it much better than just reading about it or taking notes over it. It was obvious in the article the students learned a lot about rocks and the "Learning Cycle" worked well. When I become a teacher I will have to keep that in mind.
I think the Learning Cycle could definitely be applied to learning English. I would use it if I were teaching English. I was taught this way in grade school through high school. I could tell the teachers didn't want to just give us all the answers, they had us think on our own, on the basis of what we already knew, or according to what others knew. They had to get the answers out of us, vs. just telling us. I think the sixth E is a very good addition to an already effective learning system. Technology is becoming more and more prominent in schools everywhere, and kids are becoming more intelligent in using these technologies so it's a perfect way to engage them and get them to learn in a different way than they're used to. I think it's especially great to use when teaching English/grammar.
I think that the 5-E learning model is useful. However, I think that it should be used as a guide and not a strict form of teaching. An effective teacher must constantly evaluate the way that the students are learning. The teacher must be able to adapt lesson plans in way that would best facilitate learning in the classroom. For instance, students in Union County are going to learn differently than students in Cook County due to the vast difference in cultures.
I was not taught using the 5-E learning model. I went to a small school with limited resources. There was very little technology or materials available outside of the textbook. We mostly read the book and memorized content. This was not the best form of learning, but it was manageable. The teachers did a good job with what they were given.
Technology is an important part of the education system. However, I would not make it a sixth “E”. Rather than being a sixth step, I think that it should be integrated into the five already existing steps. I think that the article articulates this same view; it simply labels it incorrectly.
After reading this article, I remembered my high school science teacher explaining to us the 6 E's. This type of Learning Cycle is great for Math and Science classes, but also for English classes. I have been involved with the teaching program here at SIU and I often find it hard to structure my lesson plans. After reading this article, I recieved new ideas. I learned how children learn, and that there actually is a process in which they learn best. The 6th E, I believe, is very important. In today's society, children are being introduced to new technology everyday. With the use of technology in the learning process, I believe students will achieve a higher level of learning.
I found that the Learning Cycle was very helpful. In my involvement in the teaching program, I found it hard to structure my lessons so that the students would learn more and like it more, too. I agreed with all six E's and have had some experience with sixth in my own lessons. If I would construct a power point and present that to the class, that would seem to keep them on task more. I look forward to trying them all in the future.
I feel that the 5 E’s are not a sufficient tool in teaching children, however it is a well thought out guide on how to go about teaching. Each child learns a different way and processes information differently. This process may not work for every child. The 5 E’s can help a teacher on how to organize a lesson plan but it should not be the basis on how to teach a subject, especially English. This method seems most suited for science and mathematic studies, not so much for English. However I feel that incorporating the “E-search” in to teachings would be very beneficial. The internet is a mass of information and teachers should take advantage of its usefulness. Especially in regards to young children. It may be a way to capture and keep their attention.
The five E's have always existed in education, with or without the new "learning cycle" label. The five E's in their broadest form, describe everyday interaction between teachers and students, as well as the interaction between students and the information being presented. This should not be any new knowledge to people; in fact we have been experiencing it for the past 15 years of our educational career. With all of that being said, a correct process should be understood and followed, however not painstakingly forced into a lesson plan or lecture. Teachers should promote their own creativity, and let it be seen through invigorating lesson plans and activities.
The learning cycle is a great framework for teachers. Although it may not work for every teacher, or every student, it is a concept that can be built upon. Think of it as a beginner's guide to creating a lesson plan. It is obvious that it was meant mainly for science classes, but could be manipulated for a wide variety of lesson plans. The 6th E is going to be increasingly important to our generation of teachers considering technology is becoming vital to our society. Students should be exposed to it as often, and as early, as possible. Although the learning cycle shouldn't be used without any reflection on how well it worked, it can lead to a great start.
Honestly, I don’t remember ever learning this 5 E’s learning cycle in elementary school so this is something new to me. I see how it fits in to math and science classes and I see how it would work immensely in those classes. I can also imagine how it could work for English classes too since the E’s help to teach students to work interactively. For the past several years I have been using the last E. Who hasn’t? Who doesn’t email their teacher if they have a question? Who doesn’t used powerpoint, google, or .com’s? E-search isn’t even a necessity, it’ going to be used inevitably. The 6 E’s would be the perfect planning tool for any activity and it would be perfect to try to teach grammar.
The Learning Cycle is something that I personally feel all teachers should keep in mind while both designing lesson plans as well as doing the actual teaching. The step I find most important (and most forgotten by some teachers) is the Engage step. It is very important for teachers to find out what students know and what they don’t on a subject to be effective in teaching them what they need to know. I think the LC is something that is definitely an asset to teachers; regardless of the subject they teach. As far as the E-Search step is concerned I think it is a very important, and needed, addition to the LC. With technology being such a big part of everyone’s lives incorporating that technology into the classroom is becoming increasingly more important and makes it possible for students to utilize the many resources available to them today that weren’t available even a decade ago.
This set of guidelines seems like a good launch pad for planning any kind of lesson. I read many of my peers' reactions to the method, though, and many of those who have worked or are training in education seem to disagree. Perhaps I only see it as a helpful concept because I command little experience teaching large groups of children; I have only done some tutoring and small group workshops. This strategy relies heavily on the students communicating with each other to share and explore ideas. To me, that seems ideal, since I usually learn best by engaging with others.
This method has certainly been used many of my science teachers throughout my school career. In English classes, however, I have rarely learned this way. I think that the main reason for that is that a learning cycle approach takes a good deal of time, which is not usually available to primary and secondary school teachers whom are expected to combine grammar, literature, and writing into one class.
I cannot say for sure whether or not this method would work for teaching the liberal arts. I will just have to try it and see!
I think that the Learning cycle is a great tool for teaching. I personally have never heard of it or had to use it. Maybe if I had science would have been way easier for me. I do think it is good to have a method like this to follow. I think that in a way it could be useful in the English department, mainly for those who are just starting their writing career. When I first came to SIU I didn’t really have a lot of writing skills. But the teachers here have so many things that they want you to include in your papers and there is a process to it. I think that this method could have helped me a little bit. As far as the 6th E, I don’t know if it applies to English as much as it would for other classes. Most of my writing comes straight from things that I have read, there isn’t much research needed.
I was taught different science lessons using the 5 E's in the past. This has been something that has been around for years. I'm not sure how it can be applied to teaching a language. I'm sure one or two of the 5 E's can be used, but all 5, I'm not so sure about. The 6th E is a great idea. This E engages students more into the learning process. It is very practical as well, seeing how in today's society children are using electronics at earlier ages. This allows students to hone into their computer skills very early and receive a better understanding of how to search the internet. I believe the 6 E's can be used for history as well as science and maybe even geography, or archeology, but I really can't see how the learning cycle can be applied to language.
Although this learning cycle and the five e’s are new to me, I feel that every teacher-student relationship has some kind of formula that attacks problems and dilemmas. Teachers and students are not made from cookie-cutter molds. Each person is distinct; they learn and process situations in different ways. It’s great to have a set form of how to learn more about a subject, but the LC must be flexible in order for every student to learn at his or her own best rate.
The foundation of the learning cycle can definitely be seen with science and math influences, but I believe that this guide can also translate to other subject matter. In a course like English, the LC can act as a rubric or visual aid to help people get up and running –at least to help jumpstart writer’s block. But I don’t see the LC as a be all, end all. Most of the time it seems getting started and visualizing what needs to be done is the toughest part, and this model may help with that.
Although I feel and somewhat agree with the learning cycle (as far as setting high expectations for students' work), I feel that it hinders students from "free thought," expressing their own skills and work ethic. The five e's restrict students or diminishes "space" for students to learn with personal challenges. Students are most likely to gain and interpret a new idela with correlating personal experience and school guidelines.
I believe the Learning Cycle is a great way to help students understand a subject. It allows them to actually practice and put what they learn to action. I believe the Learning Cycle would be really useful for many different subjects, especially Science and Social Studies. I never thought about doing this for English, but I do think it would be helpful. There are many rules students must remember when writing. They must avoid run on sentences, fragments, and they must use proper sentence structure. I think it would be a good idea for students to use the Learning Cycle so they can get the understanding they need. I also like the idea of “e-search” because it incorporates technology in the learning process. Technology is all around us, there is no avoiding it. I think it is good to give students hands on experience with technology because it will benefit them in the real world. As a teacher, I definitely would use the Learning Cycle and incorporate “e-learning” into some of my lessons.
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