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For my Practicum in EDSE, I have been placed at Burris Laboratory School. Burris Laboratory School has the Ball State University Board of Trustees as the ultimate authority for school policies. The whole state of Indiana qualifies as part of its enrollment district. Burris is a K-12 school. I have been placed in a third-period Sociology class and a fourth-period Government class. Each class is comprised of juniors and mostly seniors. Each class ranges between 13-18 students on a given day. I have several students with IEPs and one student who is a tenth-grader who has taken these upper-grade level classes.
Burris Laboratory School Mission Statement:
"Burris Laboratory School fosters a culture of respect and trust where every student is challenged to pursue excellence by engaging in a well-rounded, technologically enhanced, rigorous curriculum in a safe and secure environment. As a model school, engaged in best-practice research and the preparation of highly effective educators, we collaborate with community partners to prepare students for success in an ever-changing world".
A New Perspective on Education:
"Here at Burris, we believe that students are at the core of our mission to provide a well-rounded education. We strive to create an environment that fosters a love of learning and encourages academic excellence.
Our curriculum is designed to challenge and engage our students, providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in their academic and professional careers. Our experienced and dedicated teachers are passionate about their courses and work tirelessly to create an engaging and inclusive learning environment for all students.
Our program is more than just a set of courses; it is a comprehensive approach to education that emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. We use a variety of teaching methods to meet the needs of all students, including hands-on activities, inquiry, and technology-enhanced instruction.
At Burris, we are committed to preparing our students for success beyond the classroom. We offer a variety of extracurricular activities, including clubs, programs, and athletics, that provide students with opportunities to deepen their knowledge and skills."
Content Analysis Assignment:
Content Analysis Assignment:
Students in Sociology were asked to complete a Content Analysis Assignment as they were wrapping up their unit on Deviance. Students were to complete the assignment with the guidelines on Canvas and then do a reflection at the end of the assignment. I was asked to create a Content Analysis Assignment that way modeling would be involved and students would grasp, understand, and see what the assignment was asking of them, along with how to answer the questions. Students struggled less with the reflection (as they were most concerned about connecting the Sociologiacl Theories to their findings) and students reported in feedback that this was very helpful.
Below I am attaching the Content Analysis I created as a model for students.
Content Analysis Sociology Burris .docx
Disruptive Technology Assignment/ Lesson:
Disruptive Technology Assignment/ Lesson:
Students in Sociology were in the middle of the Sociology of Technology Unit. For this class period I was to teach Media and Technology in Society. This lesson did not go as smoothly as I had planned. My mentor teacher was not there the day I was teaching this lesson, as this day I taught in both Sociology and Government. In Sociology, where this lesson was to occur, I ran into several technological issues. Students were kind and tried to help the best they could. My computer would not connect to the projector. I had students on their individual iPads research Disruptive Technology and we did it old school where students had the information on each of their computers and I lead them through the content without my presentation. Students were not as engaged, and I shifted over to the activity. Students were given a rough outline of what they had to put in their projects (in any format) and they were to expand on it however else they wanted while doing research. Student centered learning is a big part of this class.
Here is the rough rubric/outline of what students were expected to have as a minimum on their assignments. Students were to work individually within the class period. The assignment was due the following Monday at midnight.
Disruptive Technology Assignment Sociology.docx
Bureaucracy Lesson:
Bureaucracy Lesson:
Here is a rough outline of a lesson plan that I created to teach students in Government. Students were going to be introduced to Bureaucracy. Students would be learning about the key terms and parts of a Bureaucracy, and what makes it run the way it does in society. Students were then to complete a political cartoon analysis towards the end of class. The reading students completed that was discussed in class, contained a political cartoon related to Bureaucracy. Therefore, students were introduced to a political cartoon and asked to expand their critical thinking skills by looking at more. Students could work in groups or alone to answer questions about examining and analyzing political cartoons. The activity also contained guiding points for students to help them understand how to view and break down political cartoons.
Lesson Plan:
Bureaucracy in Government Lesson Plan Practicum Burris .docx
Political Cartoon Analysis:
Political Cartoon Analysis copy.pdf
Video Games and Media Lesson:
Video Games and Media Lesson:
Below I am attaching the supplemental material and feedback that I created and received from my mentor teacher. This is the only lesson that I had asked and my mentor teacher had given me feedback on. I wanted a physical receipt of feedback, even though he often comments on how I'm doing in class, and after class. This lesson was at the end of a week long unit and it was the Thursday before students' fall break. My mentor teacher asked that I create an engaging lesson that students would hopefully be interested in, since it was the last day before break, and many students were already spacing out. I used the resource Openstax.org and chapter eight, Media and Technology.
The lesson went well overall, there were some technical difficulties, but I was able to get students who normally do not talk much or participate by asking questions often, to be engaged and talk. I allowed students who talk often to have their time as well to talk, discuss, and answer questions. Student's did get a bit confused about correlation and causation, but after a few minutes myself and students worked on a way to figure out how to make it less confusing for them. I used visuals and examples that have been created, and examples relevant to their lives.
I am very proud of myself for how I taught this lesson for a full class period. I want to emphasize that I am growing and working towards achieving my ACORN Smart Goal. I still have areas to improve upon, but the confidence I have gained by teaching lessons at the high school level, has been astounding. After reflecting on this lesson and learning about tiering and differentiation in EDSE, I can see where I could have changed or improved how students were taught about correlation and causation. Perhaps grouping them into three categories, one being At, one being Above, and one being at Approaching, in terms of readiness to implement correlation and causation into the sociological lens through technology.
Below I am attaching the Canva PowerPoint I created and my mentor teacher's feedback.
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