Piaget

In my student teaching experience, I experimented with allowing the students to be in command of their own learning when it came to the new unit we were starting. I gave them access to resources to allow them to research the material and find the information for the unit. I ran into a problem when the students were using google searches. I assumed that they were able and knew how to properly use google to find information. Instead, they would type in one thing, and get millions of sources on the topic and was not what the students were looking for. I felt the students were in disequilibrium with how the students were to do their own research. To help fix this, I taught them how to do a proper google search in a 10 minute mini lesson. I taught them about using quotation marks to narrow down the search. Use addition symbols to add another topic, or subtraction to take out information that they did not want or need. I introduced a topic, saw it was then out of balance, and then helped fix this. This brought them equilibrium.

The students need guidance and a lot more practice to be able to more effectively be self efficient in doing their own research. It took a little bit of time for them to be able to understand what they were to be doing and how to find the answers. However, the more practice that the students had, the more they got a hang of it and were becoming stronger in finding their own information. Being able to use adaptation on both the students and the teacher to learn was very prominent in the learning on both sides. Setting up scaffoldings as well for the students as they go along will help also help guide them to be able to eventually feel comfortable doing the research on their own.

When teaching my lessons, I need to be aware of what it is I am asking my students and make sure that the have the prior knowledge to accomplish what it is that I am asking them to do. This does not just mean for google searches. This means that whatever I am having my students do, that they have that prior knowledge that will help them be successful in there learning. I need to adapt or use assimilation to make sure that the class knows what I am talking about. Then if I have to, prepare to adapt to the students instead of them having to adapt to me.