3-INSTRUCTION

The Heuristic View

CI Masters degree graduates understand the principles of instruction,

know a wide variety of teaching strategies and learning theories and
incorporate relevant technologies while teaching core concepts, skills
of inquiry, problem posing/solving, collaboration and communication to
facilitate student learning.
During the course of the masters program I had the opportunity to
observe 7 different teachers at work in their classrooms. I found these
observations helpful because I saw practical applications of the
material that I had learned in class. As I continue to teach under the
direction of my mentor teacher, I gain even more experience and hone
my instructional skills. A good teacher fits instruction to the students;
this may necessitate flexibility between classes and within a single
class. The masters program, along with my practicum experience,
prepared me for a successful career in teaching.
Instruction, along with curriculum and assessment, make up the core of
practical teaching. Clear, engaging, memorable instruction will make it
easier for students to grasp and retain the material. Instruction that is
culturally proficient draws upon universal examples that span ethnic
and class differences. Good instruction focuses on improving student
learning through a variety of teaching strategies. As teachers we
reflect on the effectiveness of our teaching strategies through
assessment. If a strategy is ineffective, then it should be modified or
discarded. Instruction does not always have to be teacher driven.
Teachers can act as facilitators to provide an environment where
students are learning through hands-on experience.
I have become increasingly proficient in many of the online
technologies available for teachers and have begun to incorporate
them into my daily instruction. I have found that students appreciate
the variety and respond well to interactive modes of learning as
opposed to the standard lecture format. Though there is still necessity
at times for direct instruction, there has been improvement in
assessment scores in response to some new technologies, i.e. video
notes, labs (virtual and hands-on), kahoot, and prezi. As more
resources become available, I am continuing to experiment and
explore different strategies in an attempt to engage all of my students
with the material.

The Service View

I received praise on multiple occasions regarding my instructional

strategies which has empowered me to continue experimenting and
trying new ways to reach out to students. One of my goals as an
educator is for students to have a positive experience in the classroom
and to find some success where they may have lost confidence. Years
from now, the students may not remember the difference between a
gametophyte and a sporophyte, but I hope they remember hiking out
in the woods identifying different tree species with their high school
biology teacher. Quality instruction starts with building a relationship
with your students so that they work hard for you and care about their
success in your class. I try my best to be a good example to my
students and to share my passion for biology and learning with them
every day in class.
Through goal-driven and purposeful instruction teachers can reach all
types of students including those that have specific learning or cultural
needs. My current experience with differentiated instruction is limited
but foundational to choosing better activities and methods of
instruction. Instruction that involves field trips and guest speakers not
only engages students but also builds relationships with the
community. By involving the community in the classroom a connection
is created that relates the curriculum to the real world.
Instruction is the activity. Therefore, my experience so far directly
affects the teacher that I am and the teacher that I will become. I like
learning new ways of teaching because it keeps the material
interesting for the students and fresh for me. I also value student
feedback on the activities that we do so that I can continue to become
a better teacher.

The Learning View

What did you think and feel before and after this accomplishment? At
the beginning of the program I believed that every student was like
me. You sat them in a lecture hall, threw some cool facts at them and
then they went home and studied for the test and received a good
grade in the class. I soon learned that this was not the case with most
students and have been trying to wrap my mind around it ever since. I
will admit that I tried the lecture strategy when I was first starting and
had terrible results. Now that I have more tools and resources to draw
upon, I not only worry less and work less, but I get better results on

assessment and the students seem to respond better to me and the

material. I am more confident now that I have all the tools I need to
provide quality instruction and even have time to keep up with
grading.
410 class was excellent for introducing me to a number of technologies
that have been successful in the classroom. I can now not only offer inclass activities that promote student driven learning but also can direct
struggling students towards sites that can help them practice more
difficult concepts. It is becoming more common or schools to have
iPads and computers available to students on a daily basis which opens
doors to students that werent there even when I was in high school.
This makes it even more imperative that teachers are technology
literate so that they can utilize all of their resources.
Shockwave, Quizlet, Socrative, HHMI virtual labs, studyjams, warm-up,
turn-in boxes, Bozeman science, schoology, google classroom,
transitions, objectives, Nearpod, survey monkey, etc.