Principle 10 reflection and application report

INTASC Principle #10

Use this form for each of the INTASC Principles. Delete the content within the brackets and supply your own answers.

Creation of Artifact: February 28, 2013

Grade and Subject area: Environmental studies.

For what class or learning experience this artifact was created:

Artifact used in learning about the wildlife and environment interaction for 4th grade classroom.

Artifact: The visit to the animal zoo to see the wildlife that are within the zoo and the varied behaviors that they display and the physical characteristics that they have will go a long way in tying together the theory that the students learn in class and the practical reality within the environment. The visit to the zoo will be done over the weekend hence will have to be done in two trips, the first will be on Saturday and the second one on Sunday. This will ensure that the kids do not miss their church program as is the norm on a weekly basis and yet all are catered for in terms of taking them to the zoo.

Character Education:

The zoo visit will marry the theory to practical about the ecosystem.

The students will learn of the endangered animals and the almost extinct animals hence grasping the reality of taking care of the environment.

The students will be divided into various groups and each group will have a leader who will be entrusted with ensuring the guidelines are followed hence instilling sense of responsibility.

Each group will have an individual who will be responsible for documenting the experience at the zoo and hand in the report, this gives the students the responsibility of being keen and sharing their experience hence the virtue of cooperation.

The students will learn more on their environment and how it affects the wildlife and in this manner return home to implement the measures to save the environment.

With each group having a guide, the students will also put into practice their listening skills and note taking as they will be jotting down important points to them.

Reflection: (This part covered below)

Principle #10: Using the environment in learning.

Reflection

One of the best ways to learn and learn effectively is through the environment. It is the approach that is usually given to the adult learners to ease their learning process. The creativity of the students apparently is also boosted by the contribution of the environment in the learning process. The creativity level and learning ability varies from learner to learner and has long been regarded to be influenced by various factors like environment, age, exposure etc. according to Knowles's principles of learning, it has been found that creativity or ability to learn "is a confluence of personality traits, ways of thinking and knowing, and social and environmental influences." (Sandra Kerka, 1999). Indeed, formal schooling may hinder creativity of a learner rather than enhance it. Formal training may only influence the academic achievement but not aid in creativity. This was the central prompter in taking the students to the zoo for an interaction with the environment.

The artifact allowed the students to see practically the various animals that they had been learning within the confines of the class. This would hence have a more permanent impact on their brains and memory of the various animals found in the wild as opposed to rote learning in class.

The zoo visit also enabled the students to identify the adaptations to varying environments that the animals displayed through the various body parts and shapes that I noticed the students took note of in their tour reports that they compiled in groups.

The students also related the animals they saw, to the various television programs they had watched and the numerous literature they had come across on the endangered species with some groups being able to pinpoint the estimated populations of the particular animals remaining on earth. This indicated that their visit to the zoo did not only prompt them to revive the memory of the past lessons but also to delve more into the new discoveries as each team wanted to know what the tour guide meant by endangered species in terms of numbers.