Future Classroom Design

http://prezi.com/yp_5lv9rptb-/classroomdesign-and-first-three-days-of-class/

Prezi of my Classroom design and first days of school

Teach and Learn Experience # 7

Teach Experience # 7

After I taught Siri how to chip, I taught her how to pitch. Chipping you have more green to work with and less area to carry, but with pitching you have less green to work with compared to how much area you need to carry. So where chips need to be lower to the ground and roll like a putt, pitches need to be higher, land softer, and stop quickly. An example of a pitch would be if you had to get over a sand trap or a tree, or hit out of the rough to a close pin placement. After explaining the differences between a chip and a pitch to Siri, I asked her if she understood, to which she said yes. Another thing I noticed that Siri does is repeat back what I have told her so the information or process is repeated, and therefore, makes more sense in her mind. I then proceeded to teach her the process of hitting a pitch. All were similar to how to hit a chip except for putting the ball forward or  closer to the left foot in the stance. Ball position can be very confusing for beginners so I usually show them by example and then move the ball to front, back, and center while they are set up to the ball to explain it better. This seemed to help Siri. Even though a pitch is supposed to go higher than a chip the swing and set up are still the same. I had to re-emphasize that the club does come down and pinches the ball, and then takes some grass, giving the ball lift and creating a specific kind of sound. I took several practice swings to emphasize this concept of "pinching" the ball creating the "thud" sound at impact. Then I told Siri to practice. I told her that the goal was to hit the same spot over and over again creating that sound, which helps to improve impact. Then I let her hit some and gave her feedback as she requested.

The next golf lesson we did was on the driving range. I taught her how to hit wedges, mid irons, low irons, my hybrids, and driver. Siri did really well for just starting out. I again had to re-emphasize, as I had done with chipping and pitching, that the goal is to "pinch" the ball and let the club do the work of lifting the ball in the air. We were hitting off matts, which is not preferred to real grass where one can see the divot or path that they are taking when they hit the ball. I really tried to keep the swing instruction simple and emphasize contact, proper set up, and alignment. I related these concepts back to short game, which also emphasizes these concepts but in a slightly different way. This is an example of how we use our memory and past experiences to make sense of our new ones. I also gave her scaffolding to build new knowledge upon. All along while we were at the driving range we had good conversations about school and life in general. Sometimes I think talking can get distracting, but it also can help a learner relax, and feel more comfortable with their instructor.

Learn Experience #7

I didn't learn how to cook this week but I learned how to knit! I wished that I had actually made this my learn something project from the beginning. I found out that a girl I work with is an avid knitter and that I live really close to a neat yarn shop. I have always done crochet and made beanies and a few other items, but I would really like to get into knitting.

Amanda was so kind and eager to teach me; traits that every teacher should have. She brought me some yarn and hooks to practice with in between one of our work meetings. I watched her start a chain and she emphasized the direction I must move the hooks/needles in, and how to grab and pull down the string in relation to the other hook/needle. The hardest part was learning how to hold the string and two needles and keep the tension. I tried to mirror her image but it was kind of difficult. It wasn't until she said, "It's like pinching then opening up your fingers inside these loops" that I finally got it. After I was cruising for a little while she checked back with me to see how I was doing and was very complimentary. I felt confident and eager to learn more. She then showed me what the next step would be, unraveled it, then let me do it. This process of talking through and showing is great for me. Sometimes I need to also repeat what I have heard or learned as Siri does in order for it to make sense to me. I may incorporate exercises like this when I am teaching a skill or something as a future teacher because it seems to be a good learning tool for most people. Repetition is good.