Lesson Palate
Lesson and curriculum planning using the Transdisciplinary Literacy Curriculum is an art that evolves in phase #1
from three initial sensory aspects, intuition, regenerative insights, and
creativity.
Intuition involves the ability of an
educator to see within the soul of a student and determine what makes her
receptive to receiving, interpreting, and producing information.
Regenerative Insight
involves the
ability to continuously generate ideas and topics that students can relate to
on a variety of levels.
Creativity involves the ability of an
educator to keep the spark in teaching while beckoning for enthusiastic student
response. The push for
nontraditional type creativity stems from the premise that if teachers can get
creatively passionate about what they teach their enthusiasm will hopefully in
time spread to their students.
When intuition, regenerative insights and creativity are
involved in the process of learning the result is students who are able to
transfer information received into something they can relate to on a daily
basis in all aspects of their lives.
The Lesson Palate
- preparation/assessment phase
The Lesson Palate – TLC lesson
planning begins with the Lesson Palate, which supplies the tools and the
outline for creativity. The creation of a lesson by a teacher is similar to the
creation of a piece of art by an artist who follows a sequential progression
with space for flexibility, which ultimately leads to the creation of a
masterpiece. The teacher is immersed in the creation of the lesson, similar to
an artist who loves her craft and is totally immersed in the creation of an
artistic piece. The teacher artist is involved in the process in an
experiential way. The Lesson Palate is where the lesson begins to take shape.
The palate is diversified only because it has to appeal and inspire the
multiple intelligences and multiple dimensions of all students. It basically
captures the beginnings of the creative process in steps 1 to 6. It is the first step of an action plan
for closing the achievement gap and/or addressing student underachievement.
The Lesson Palate 1 to 6 encompasses
An
understanding or focus for what needs to be taught. The understanding evolves
from the student’s needs combined with the required curriculum of the school.
Taking these two factors into consideration, the basic question is what life
lessons/skills do we need to impart to students? There are many tools provided
for the answer to that question. The required curriculum of a school district,
the state curriculum requirements, and/or the perceived student’s academic
needs are usually combined and provides the direction for the life lesson/skill
that is taught.
Teacher
knowledge of the students. Knowledge about the individual students is a
necessary step because the teacher needs to know how to deliver the life
lesson/skill of the day to each student.
Use
of the environment. If educators are constantly on the alert, the environment
talks to them and invites interaction and personal creativity. The environment
has instructional materials and cognitive tools to offer and they should be
used.
Visually
enticing lessons. The visual aspect of lesson planning can include computer
graphics, clip art, and/or a mixture of fonts but the main idea is that it
should be appealing to the students.
A
life lesson/skill that is relevant. One that must be presented in “real time”
and incorporated in lessons. The impact should enable students to make
connections and transfer their skills.
Ideas
for student made materials.
Students enjoy being involved in choosing innovative materials for
instruction and teachers can use the ideas to enhance the appeal of lessons.
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