Blogger Notes

This week was the introduction to word processing using Ms Word to both my Year 2A and Year 3A classes. According to my co-operating teacher, for the Year 3 pupils it would be a refresher lesson because they were introduced to Word in year 2. Both my lesson plans more or less covered the same things, only bearing in mind that I had to make my lesson for my Year 2 pupils a bit simpler. My previous experiences in teaching word processing were to adults and teens (staff development and SOAS students), teaching children of ages between 7 and 9 were a daunting experience at first. I didn't know how to make a simple lesson in teaching word processing but the experience taught me a lot about understanding primary pupils' learning abilities.

First, my Year 2

Lesson Plan 020309 (Yr2A)

I realised that what I was explaining seemed alien to the pupils by the dazed look they were giving me! I kept telling myself.. "You have to get their attention! Say something they can relate to.."

I gave the pupils the printed notes provided by my co-operating teacher (who must have visioned what I was going through because she printed notes for my class beforehand!). Even by referring to the notes, some of the pupils were losing interest in what I was presenting on the IWB. When the time came for the pupils to work indepedently i.e. opening word in the computer, then the interest came and shouts of "teacher! teacher!" were heard. Finally I could breathe with the knowledge that they needed actual hands-on activity to understand something with was very new to them.


After break came my Year 3

The reaction was just the opposite! The Year 3 pupils were always excited when it comes to having their ICT lesson. They would actually line up outside the computer lab 5-8 minutes before class starts.

Lesson Plan 020309 (Yr3A)

Even while I was explaining about the day's lesson some of the pupils would remark "I know that.. Ohh, that's easy!.. I've done that.." They were so eager to do work on the computer before I could instruct them to do so. Whenever I asked a question, hands would raise and the funny things is.. they forgot the answer when told to speak! Most of them remembered the basic formatting tools in Word. And when I showed the the paragraph they were to type out, they eagerly read it out loud. When told to save, they automatically gave me the designated folder's name and that made me smile more. They were reading my mind. The lesson went smoothly and I was quite happy with the day's lessons in overall.