Workshop6:LessonPlanning

Lectures

Consciouseffortinitially,becomeseasierwithpractice.

Planningcomponents:function,effect,studentcapability/priorknowledge.

Necessarytofocuspurposeandcontent,asanaccountabilitytoolandforreliefteachers.

Needstoalignwithinterm,unit,yearoutline.

Learningobjectives(concise,clear,attainable)andevaluationcomponentsthemost

importantconsiderationsinlessonplan.

Caterfordiversityofintelligencesandlearningstyles.

Sequence:Introduction(piqueinterest),sequenceoflearning(whattheyknow,

represent/writeknowninformation,thengiveactivity),focusquestionsconnecttobroader
curriculum(openquestions),conclusionsummariselearningoutcomesandgiveexplicit
reasoning/rationale/relevancefortheirinclusion.Reflectonlessonandstudentsevaluationand
tweakplanaccordingly.Considertiming
Readings

Individuallessonsmustbeintegratedintomediumandlongtermplans,withexplicit

connections,toachieveandclarifythecurriculumlearninggoals.

Planningensuresaccountability,reinforcesyourunderstandingofthesubjectmatter,assists

abilitytoanticipatestudentqueries,andsupportstheconstructionofcreativeandengaging
approaches.

Taxonomies:oflearningoutcomes(cognitive,psychomotor,affective)ofcognitiveprocesses

(remember,understand,apply,analyse,evaluate,create)andoftypesofknowledge(factual,
conceptual,procedural,metacognitive):areallconsideredandinformtheteachingstrategyand
evaluationtooltobeutilised.
Workshop

Incorporatediversityintoplanningi.e.caterforstudentsofvaryingabilitiesbyplanning

extensionactivitiesorparedbackactivities.Catertodifferentlearningstylesandintelligencesby
incorporatingvisual,verbal,written,practicallearningactivitiesinadditiontovariedactivitieswhole
class,group,pairs,individual.

Reflections&StudyQuestions
Whyisitessentialtoplanyourlesson?
Planningallowstheteachertoidentifythepurposeofthelesson,howthiswillachievethedesired
learningoutcomeandhowyoucanevaluatestudentshavereachedyourdesiredobjective.This
allowsyoutoexcludesuperfluousinformationinyourteachingbyarticulatingandtargetingthe
purposeofthelesson.Killen(2013,p87)alsonotesthatthelessoncanthenberelatedandexplicitly
connectedtomediumandlongtermplannedlearningoutcomes.Italsoallowstheteachertoconsider
therequiredresources,calculatethetimingofthelesson,anticipatestudentqueries,prepare
motivatinglessons,provideforlearnerdiversityandensureyourtopicknowledgeisadequate(Ibid,
pp8788).Accountabilitytosuperiorsandmoderationofcontentacrossasubjectareaisalsomade
possiblewithplanning.Teacherabsenceswillnotoverlydisruptthelearningprocesswithrelief
teachersgivenexplicitinstructionsonwhatandhowtoconducttheplannedlesson.
Whatroledoestheidentificationofclearteaching/learningobjectivesplayindeterminingthe
lessonplanningprocess?
Thepurposeofthelessonshouldbeinextricablylinkedtothedesiredlearningoutcomes(Ibid,p90).
Byidentifyingthelearningobjective,alearningoutcomecanbeintegratedintothemediumto
longtermunitandcurriculumlearningobjectives(Ibid,pp9091).Thisimprovesefficiencyinthe
learningprocessandensureslongtermobjectivesarebeingmet.Byidentifyingoutcomestostudents,
therelevanceandexpectationsofthelessoncanbecommunicatedtostudentsallowingthemtotake
responsibilityfortheirownlearning(Ibid,p91).
WhatdoesKillen(2013)considertobethemostimportantelementsofplanning?
Firstlylesson,unitandcurriculumobjectivesareconsideredsodesiredskillsandknowledgeare
targetedalongwithwhetheroutcomesaredemonstrable(Ibidpp9091.Thenevaluationofthelesson
outcomeisconsidered,studentsshouldgainnewknowledgeorskillswitheachlessonsoassessment
ispartofthelearningprocess(Ibid,p91).Constraintsonresources,timeandassessmentreporting
shouldbeconsideredwhichcaneliminatetrivial...detailandallowfortheuseofaccessible,relevant,
realworldresourcesinyourlessons(Ibid,p92).Choosecontentthatbestsupportsthelearning
outcomesandensurelearnersunderstandtheultimatepurposeofthelesson(Ibid,p93).Consider
yourownknowledge.Selectanappropriateteachingstrategy:directinstructionoralearnercentred

approach(Ibidpp9495).Finally,taxonomiesoflearningi.e.thediversityoflearningandthinking
stylesofstudentsandtheknowledgetypetobegainedshouldbeanimportantelement(Ibid
pp96102).