EEEEE!!

What I like most of the 5E framework is that it is a method that places the focus on the students, and how they can learn better. The 5E Learning Cycle method also gives you more flexibility in terms of time. You don't think in terms of individual lessons but as whole learning cycles, some taking more lesson time than others. My favorite phase is the Engage phase. I love trying to figure out different activities to engage my students. I think this phase is the key to the other four. If you have a strong Engage phase, the rest follow easily.

My biggest challenge when working with the 5E method I think will be putting in practice my creative ideas. Based on my experience, creating lesson plans following the 5E template, requires good disposition of the students, resources, time, and a good handle of the class. Also I think that every class is different and you can’t apply the same learning cycle plan for everyone and the modifications will be totally necessary depending where you are and the resources you have available to you. The challenge will be to adapt learning cycles to difference circumstances and environments.

About the 5E Learning Cycle...

The 5E lesson plan is a lesson plan building tool made to help teachers teach lessons and spark students' interest in the lesson being taught.  The 5E's stand for Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.  What I like most about the 5E lesson plan is the structure that is easy to follow.

What I didn't like about the 5E learning cycle method was really just what I found most difficult about it.  It is hard to not have an Engage phase or Explore phase that doesn't give too much away.  It is also difficult to not just give the students the information if you are really excited about the material. Overall this is a great lesson plan structure.

My Experience with the 5Es...

Over the course of this class, I learned a lot about the 5E learning cycle and how to apply it to teaching science in high school. One thing that I liked about the 5E style is that it makes learning engaging for students and keeps them interested in the process of learning more than other, more traditional styles do. Another thing that I like about the 5E style is that using it will give students some real-world examples of the concepts covered in class. I think that this style also works well for giving students a chance to explore the information themselves before they have it explained to them, which fosters their inquiry-based learning and allows them to become more interested in their pursuit of knowledge.

One of the biggest challenges that I had with using the 5E learning style was was giving too much information to students before the explain phase. A way that I overcame this was through practice with using engages and explores that made students ask the questions and find the information themselves before I gave them the explanations of the concepts.

Inquiry in the 5Es

I enjoyed the 5E learning cycle lesson plan method because it's a different approach to how science is taught. In my science classes, it was usually a lecture and an exam (REPEAT). Scientific inquiry is not promoted this way, but is promoted in the 5E lesson plan method. The 5E framework promotes inquiry and allows the students to be active learners. I enjoyed that in the 5E lesson plan, the teacher doesn't give all the information away. Students are required to ask questions and then seek the answers to them. The role of the teacher is a facilitator of learning.

My biggest challenge was trying to find an Engage step that doesn't give away the topic right away. What helped me was "Googling" the subject that I was going to teach on, finding a short lab and then uncooking the lab so that it promotes investigation among my students.

Flexibility in the 5E Learning Cycle

One thing I liked about the 5E learning cycle framework is that, when used as a learning plan and not a lesson plan, you can space out activities over multiple class periods and have all the time you need.  The different phases do line up rather naturally with the standard style of a lesson plan with a bit of extra time spent on things like exploring a topic a bit more in-depth.

I will say that my biggest difficulty was the Evaluate phase, as I felt that the evaluate in a formative sense fit better in the engage phase, having them consider some facet of the current debate.  All in all, I like the 5E and will try to use it.

"How can I be fully prepared for the real classroom?"

Question: "How can I be fully prepared for the real classroom?"
Answer by Ms. Carter

During my internship at WWHS this semester I learned the importance of stretch planning. The science teachers on the 6th grade team planned two weeks in advance to ensure that they had enough supplies and materials. For example, when we decided to make ice cream in a bag, we sent home permission slip forms for parents to donate supplies. Since we planned so far in advance, none of the teachers had to purchase anything. Also, planning in advance meant that everything for a week's worth of lessons was already prepared and printed. So in the event of an emergency or schedule change, lessons were already created and could easily be shuffled around. There was never a time when my cooperating teachers had to scramble at the last minute to come up with assignments. They always had a plan in place.

Lastly, creating unit folders will allow new teachers to build resources and collect useful unit information. This makes planning for lessons the following year easier. It is also helpful to keep at least one student interactive notebook per year. This will be a great planning tool, and also a way to prove that you covered all of the curriculum in an engaging and appropriate way. #alwaysbeprepared

My Favorite 5E Phases...

What I really like about the 5E learning cycle format is that it creates a good structure for making lessons and helps students use more critical thinking skills and teachers to be creative in the science classroom without just lecturing. I especially like the Engage and Elaborate sections of the 5E learning cycle. One grabs the students' interest in the topic and the other allows the students to build on the knowledge that they have just acquired.

My biggest challenge was finding ways to do formative assessments and making sure I varied the ideas for each lessons, including them through out.