You got a Problem, Buddy?

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This week, our focus was on the Problem- Solving Approach and how we can apply it as a tool in the classroom. Our lab assignment was to teach a 20-minute segment of a lesson that directly used the PSA. Initially, I was nervous and had no idea where to begin but Monday in class when we really dug deep into the Problem- Solving Approach, I instantly thought of what I would do!

In the spring, when I was visiting different ag programs, I watched Melanie Berndtson rock out an awesome lab in a plant science unit. As we're often told, the best teachers are the ones who beg, borrow, and steal, so steal I did!

The lab is focused on the parts of a flower and plant/ flower identification so I decided to apply this lab to my Plant Identification Unit in my Plant and Soil Sciences class. The students are given a murder mystery scenario and have to use their problem-solving skills to find out who the murderer is! They use a dichotomous key and dissect four different types of flowers to find out which customer murdered the owner of the floral shop. It is such a great way to let students have fun while also applying their knowledge!

Since I was working on short notice, and have awesome peers, we did not actually dissect flowers. Instead, I gave my peers pictures of flowers and they did their best to work through the lab with what they were given. I was appreciative of their flexibility and while it will be different when students are actually dissecting the plants, this gave me a great picture of how to run the lab and if it will be effective or not.

Overall, I was really pleased with how my lab went and I am so excited to do this lesson in the spring with my students. I thought that this lesson was fun and engaging for the students and also gave them the autonomy to work through the lab and come to conclusions on their own. My peers felt that it was a very creative activity and commented that I fielded their questions and handled inappropriate behavior well. One area that I feel I definitely need to improve in is the content knowledge but I know that this will come with time (and some studying).

All in all, this was such a fun lab and got me even more excited to be in the classroom in a few short months!

Comments

  1. Tiffany MoreyOctober 7, 2018 at 7:35 PM

    Victoria, I agree that this was a fun example of the PSA and that you did a nice job executing it! Your reflection of your gems and opps is honest, and I like how you use the feedback from your peers to explain them in more detail. Great job!

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  2. UnknownOctober 9, 2018 at 9:52 AM

    Victoria, I agree this was a creative way to assess your students' understanding of plant anatomy. It definitely held my attention! Nice job

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  3. Penn State AEE RoarsOctober 11, 2018 at 8:33 AM

    Great post on a very important approach to teaching/learning. I love the activity that Melanie modeled for you. As you progress forward, I hope you continue to see the value in active and engaging styles of learning.

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  4. UnknownOctober 16, 2018 at 1:20 PM

    Victoria, a large portion of the "real-world" is problem solving....sure a lot of life is spent planning, but the problem-solving happens when the plan doesn't go as expected. Problem solving naturally induces the higher levels of thought, and in turn, this process is where some of the most authentic and deepest learning occurs. Creating real-world problems to solve is the best way to create these rich learning opportunities...look at the world for idea inspiration.

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