Main Narrative

After spending some time in the Merrybells Preschool Kinder 1 classroom, observing lessons and interacting with the students, I noticed many students have short attention spans for various reasons. Some are neurodivergent and are diagnosed with ADHD and autism, and some have been exposed to too much screen time at home and are unable to retain attention for long periods. Despite these challenges, these students are intelligent and can answer questions during lessons. However, it is still essential that these students learn how to or at least start to adjust, being able to pay attention for extended periods.

While answering homework with minimal assistance, most of the assistance comes from the teachers to ensure that the students remain focused while answering. According to Razza et al., attention is directly connected to and highly influences a child's cognitive abilities and social behaviour, making it essential to ensure that a student is engaged in learning activities. They also highlight that having high attention skills predicts a student's success later in their school life aside from other skills, such as cognitive abilities (2012). Based on this, multimodal learning is the best option for these students. The students are most able to retain concentration when they are exposed to various learning methods, especially when they can learn with hands-on activities and lessons.

Lesson Planning and Design

After conducting observations and doing research, I decided a lesson plan using Multimodal Learning strategies and the Multiple Intelligences theory would be best for this group of students. Initially, I wanted to create a hands-on activity for the students, but with the time pressure, I did not have the time or resources to execute such a plan. The instructional design plan follows the ADDIE model, establishing a flexible framework that ensures that the lesson can be adjusted according to the needs of the children. Eventually, the lesson review plan I used utilised a gamified setting to motivate the students to learn by using prizes and rewards to help with their learning, as seen in Appendix A #3.

As mentioned previously, the students struggle with retaining focus over long periods; it is essential that during their review time, they are given various kinds of learning modalities to retain information. Multimodal learning, gamification, and the Multiple Intelligences Theory enhance student retention in diverse classroom settings by accommodating diverse learning modal preferences, fostering engagement, and promoting inclusive participation. Ultimately, these theories and the ADDIE model create an educational experience that can address the unique needs of all students.

Implementation, Accomplishments, and Challenges

Aside from my actual lesson implementation, I was also able to spend time with the students, albeit only for a few days, which allowed me to get to know them better. I helped them answer their homework, assisted Mrs. Beula with certain tasks such as grading homework and preparing assignments, and participated during lesson time. It was evident that they had varying levels of inattentiveness and hyperactivity. Some students were easier to calm down and redirect their focus back to studying; however, some were more difficult, disrupting the classroom which caused the other kids to get distracted as well. I particularly connected with one of the girls there as she showed some signs of ADHD, with major inattentiveness and would easily get distracted especially when it was time for them to work on worksheets or homework. However, she was enthusiastic about participating in activities and lessons. I spent time helping her one-on-one and saw myself in her, especially when I was younger and struggled with my ADHD and inattentiveness.

As for my accomplishments, based on the log and assessment of my gatekeeper, who was also the primary teacher I worked with in the school, Mrs. Beula, the feedback is mainly positive. She mentioned many times that I show respect and generosity towards the kids; I showed genuine concern and developed a bond with them. During the actual implementation of my review lesson, she observed an equal balance of positives and negatives during my time teaching. She noted that I maintained eye contact with the students and remained clear and audible, displaying my confidence in teaching. I also effectively used technology and gamification, creating an engaging and enjoyable lesson for the students; however, she noted that the kids were having trouble focusing due to them talking over each other; some students had difficulty hearing each other.

These challenges were related to the issues I faced while planning the lesson. During the week, I was gearing up to prepare for the lesson plan and spend more time in the classroom; however, I fell severely ill and was unable to work. I was asked by the doctor to rest and take antibiotics. When I felt better enough to start working again, Mrs Beula suddenly informed me that the students' finals week would start earlier since they also needed more time to prepare for their moving-up ceremony. I was only given two days' notice and had to scrape together some ideas quickly. With some assistance from Mrs Beula, I quickly made a lesson plan, asking her if my questions were appropriate and following their learnings. She was very cooperative in helping me and was enthusiastic about my work. She agreed and said that these questions would help the students in their review.

Photos of the implementation:

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