Focal Lesson Plan Reflection

Carrying out our lesson plan I see how beneficial pictures can be for introducing students to confusing concepts. Front-loading with images works best before students read about a topic. This makes it easier for students to make connections with complex material through visualization. 

Personally, this strategy was very confusing to me when thinking of tying it together with science. In the book it said that the teacher shouldn't rely on instruction, allowing the students to construct their meaning from what they are seeing. Mr. Thompson's comment on us needing to elaborate on student's observations made me think of how this lesson could more closely resemble the strategy. We should have stressed how the cell structures listed were important because they are the main components that allow cells to function since this was the main takeaway from the lesson. In allowing the students to construct their meaning we could have connected the different structures to the function of something from everyday life such as a car or office building. 

Overall, our presentation wouldn't have been as challenging if we prepared more beforehand. However, these problems were invisible to me until Thompson's comments highlighted them so plainly in view. Looking forward I think more exposure to lesson planning will make it easier for me to organize my thoughts during future presentations.

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