Gradual Release

When we discussed Gradual Release in class on Wednesday, I had really only heard of it. It was one of those buzz words in education that I had heard and knew what it generally meant. Though I knew that it was about have students get more control of learning in the classroom, I did not know how the actually process worked. When looking at the handout of Gradual Release, I was actually quite suprised. It was basically the same process that I use in my classroom. When talking about most concepts in the classroom, I use a three step approach. Most of the concepts I cover in class are either concepts my students forgot or really did not learn or retention from school. Since they struggle with the concepts, I start talking about the concept either making connections or possibly looking at a problem in general. I will go though the concepts possibly with a sample problem or two. Then I do blur the second part between sharing and guiding the students. Depending on the concepts, I may model the concept. I may guide them through the problem using leading questions. If it is an important concept or a hard concept, I will using modeling first, then guiding them through the problem. Once I have done this, I give the students one or two problems or even an activity for students to do on their own or in groups. I will then walk around and see how students were doing and check their work. By walking around I get to check to see if there is any information that I forgot to explain or general confusion. It also allows me to work with individual students if they are struggling. I can teach them other methods that may work best for them. Overall, my students like this process because they get to see the concepts on the board, but get to try it on their own to see if they understand the problems. I like it because I get to know the students and where the strengths and weaknesses are in their learning.

My classroom situation

For the most part in my classes, I have been given plenty of resources to be successful. For my classes, the students have numerous resources that are available to them. The students have access to an online textbook, online lecture videos, study plans which tracks each individual student's progress, and different ways to get help on problems from their homework. For individual problems, the students have examples, a help me solve this feature, short videos, access to the section of the textbook, and direct e-mail with the instructor for help. As for instructor resources, there are not as many as for the students. All instructors are given access to a faculty guide. The faculty guide gives the instructors an idea of how they should structure the class. For some topics, instructors have submitted ideas or activities that can be used for the class. Mostly, the instructors are left to find things that work best for them. It gives you the freedom to teach things in ways that you want, but you have little ideas to be given. Also the instructors are not given much guidance. As a new instructor, you are not given a mentor instructor. You may be given a name of instructor who can help you, but it is left up to you to determine most things on your own. Most instructors do not get to interact with other instructors on a day to day basis. I occasionally see other instructors throughout the day, but do not get to have much interaction. We generally get to meet twice a quarter, once at the beginning of the quarter and once in the middle of the quarter. These meetings are recommended, but not required therefore not all of the faculty show up to these meetings. The biggest challenge I have in my classroom is with the students. Most of my students are motivated which is a big difference from when I worked with secondary students. My biggest problem is the level of my students. There is a big difference in the levels of my students. Some of my students need just a refresher in mathematics since they have not taken it in years, but some of my students struggle with the basic concepts of adding and subtracting whole numbers. With having these great differences, sometimes it is hard to keep the higher level students engaged while not losing the lower level students to confusion.