Week+4

**__Week 4__**

Author: Jessica Barbanti Date: 23/03/09 Today’s lecture discussed VELS and the planning of lessons. When reflecting on this lecture I realized that I was under the misinterpretation that composite classes were extremely different to straight grades. I believed that they extend a significant range of the abilities that the student’s have. However, I realized that even straight classes are going to contain students with a range of mixed abilities. Therefore, as a student teacher, I need to develop the necessary skills to adapt to these mixed abilities. I am going to need to learn how to set up activities which cater for all of my future student’s levels of ability. For example, I realized how the activity “leap frog” can be delivered to all VELS levels. This activity is great because the number of chairs or token can be increased. Therefore, increasing the difficulty of the activity can be applied to the mixed abilities of the students. This activity is now going to be a resource that I will use in my teaching profession.
 * __Reflection of the lecture__**

Moreover, when we were discussing the lesson plan format, it became evident to me that I will be faced with the challenge of organizing the set up of my class. It will be c in a way that encourages student learning. Undoubtedly, there will be some students that do not work well together. Therefore, I realized that a way to combat this complication would be to group the students in either pairs, small groups or individually. Whichever group set-up in my opinion would produce the best learning opportunity for the student.  __**Reflection of the reading**:__  Egan, K.O. (2005). //A tool kit for learning//

When reflecting on this article, I came away with the following key notions that I believe will benefit me in the development of my professional identity as a teacher. Egan (2005) was discussing the various types of primary cognitive tools that promote language development amongst students. Some of these tools I was not aware of how they could be beneficial in a classroom. The tools discussed were story, metaphor, play, tools of literacy, binary opposites, mental imagery, rhyme, rhythm and pattern and humour. The most surprising one for me was gossip. I was not aware that gossip could encourage students to develop their skills in social interaction and the ability to fit events into a narrative. I realized that these tools target the student’s emotions and personality. Even though this technique is alternative, I believe that it is beneficial and needs to be incorporated into my teaching methods.