Reflection #1

It was a pleasure for me to present my "Snowflake" activities to EDUC 843. Because I am out of the classroom right now, I had to draw upon previous classroom experiences for the purpose of today's presentation. Fortunately, creating snowflakes is something my students really enjoyed. They met a wide variety of goals through these lessons (e.g. Reading Comprehension, ELD, Science, Technology). As well, they were able to link information through their use of technology to connect with their IEP goals.

I designed this unit of study with higher-order thinking skills in mind. My students for the most part demonstrated the use of inquiry, problem-solving, collaboration and synthesis when completing their assignments. A few students who had gross/fine motor needs also benefited from manipulating the mouse during the interactive snowflake design portion. In my opinion, all of their tech skills improved, as a result.

I think the study of snowflakes is interesting! I also really like taking a theme and using it for cross-curricular activities. My students, as well as my classmates, responded well to the different elements presented. In terms of having something go smoother, I believe its important to have opportunities to deliver lessons to different groups of students. Presenting the information to EDUC 843 was limited by the sheer fact that my classmates were not the intended demographic for the activities.

I was happy with the evaluations I received. They indicated other teachers thought their students would have similar positive experiences with these activities. Thank you!