In the End

 

We have reached the end of the semester, which means my R2P posts are coming to an end. So, that means that it is time for reflection on my process, improvement, and where there is room for more improvement. In that, I will review all of my posts and make observations. However, first I will reflect on the observations I have made in the classroom.Image result for observations

Observations

Through my observations, I have learned a lot this semester. First and foremost, the amount of work that goes into running a preschool classroom. In a preschool classroom, the only “downtime” the teacher gets is when the students take a nap. The teacher is constantly monitoring and managing the classroom because the students are so young. It is amazing the things these teachers do, and I am very grateful that I could learn some of these things. Another big take away that I have learned from observations, its that the students’ learning is subtle. Most of it is discovery through play, but there are so many small moments of learning for these children. The classroom I was in had children of ages three to five. At this age, children are constantly learning all of the small things that adults take for granted. For example, days of the week, the concept of a daily schedule, and the letters that go in their name. The teachers in the classroom use every one of these subtle opportunities to teach the students these concepts. Through things like carpet time and letter stamping, the teachers introduce these consistent concepts into the students’ lives.

 

Question

You may have noticed that most of my posts were centered around one or two questions. That’s because a big theme of my future classroom will be inquiry-based learning, so I did some of my own. At the beginning of my postings, my questions were kind of…. Generalized. There was not much depth to them, and they could go in many different directions. However, in the end, the questions became more specific. They had a specific direction for research, and more specific questions to be answered. In my last post, I focused on the benefits of brain breaks in the classroom. My question was more focused though. I wanted to know the scientific-based reasoning behind the benefits of this in the classroom. Through this specific question, I was able to go more in-depth into the process of what I was researching.Image result for questions

Research 

When looking back on the research I definitely improved on the type of articles I found, but I feel like I could have done more with them. I did learn from them, but I struggled to find a way to make that information flow in my posts. I feel research, for me personally, is easier presented through more formal writing like a research paper. However, I feel like I have adapted and improved a little bit on this front through my writing.Image result for research

Reflection

In the reflections of my blog posts, I have kept them pretty short. I feel like I put in thoughts and summaries as I went more than at the end. I could definitely improve this section, and go in-depth more. I also could improve my overall flow of this section. I  am not the best at having a semi-casual tone in my writing. It usually goes one way or the other, almost never the middle. Although, I feel like I got better at this as I went on; I found my flow more.Image result for reflection

Questions

If you were to experience the R2P project again, what would you do differently? Please specify.

If I were to do this project again,  would take more time. I had a lot on my plate this semester, and feel like I didn’t really take the time to perfect my posts.

What are you taking away to your future teaching practice from this R2P project?

What I am taking away from this project is how great of a forum blogging is. It is an easy way to get connected, and I will probably use it as a parent newsletter type deal.

What advice would you give to the next ERCH496 students about the R2P project? What advice would you give to Tatiana for the next iteration of the R2P project? 

The advice I would give to future students doing this project is to take their time and experiment more. I did not experiment much in this project, and I wish I had done more. I enjoyed having Tatiana in the class, and feel I learned a lot from her this semester. The advice I would give to her is to help us understand more about what to do with the research information. She made it really easy to find the articles, but I feel I haven’t learned how to insert professional research, in informal writing.

The Physicality of Learning

While I was in the field this past week it was far too cold and rainy to be outside for recess. Instead, the class stayed in and used GONOODLE. If you have not heard of go noodle before, it is a very useful tool for days like these. It is a website full of interactive videos for children to get some physical activity in their day. In the classroom, this is commonly used for indoor recess, or just a brain break in-between class activities. While I was doing the GONOODLE video with the students this week, it made me wonder what the benefits of these things are. I know that they are very helpful to the students, but I am curious about the science behind it. So, I decided to do some research.

 

Here is a link to explore this website: https://family.gonoodle.com/ 

 

According to the research article Effect of classroom-based physical activity interventions on academic and physical activity outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis by Amanda Watson, Anna Timperio, Helen Brown, Keren Best, and Kylie D. Hesketh, there is a link between academic performance and physical activity in the classroom. There was a link shown between physical activity and cognitive focus. Basically, allowing the students to have time in their day to be active and get their blood flowing, allowed them to refocus better when learning in the classroom. This is an extremely important link in the classroom. Not only do these brain breaks allow for the students to be up and active in their day, it benefits their learning as well.

Image result for brain breaks

What I found even more interesting, is another link that was discovered in this research. The research in this article also showed that the connection between brain break and academic performance is stronger when the physical activity is based on the learning content. This is an amazing connection, that will allow great classroom connections. If physical activity is incorporated into regular lesson plans, the students will have a better opportunity to learn. Not only will the students be getting the content, it will be done in a fun way that actually allows them t get their blood flowing.

Image result for brain breaks

This article was a great find and a great read. It provides many insights into the benefits of physical activity in the classroom. We have to ask ourselves if we are doing the best possible things in our classroom, then adapt what we could do better. I feel that I personally could do better at incorporating physical activity into my lesson planning. It is in the best interest of the students in many ways, and that is all we can ask for.

Source:

Watson, A., Timperio, A., Brown, H., Best, K., & Hesketh, K. D. (2017). Effect of classroom-based physical activity interventions on academic and physical activity outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity, 14, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0569-9