IPTL6111

NAME:
AQEELAH

SURNAME:
KAYSER

STUDENT NUMBER:
ST10138323

TAKE HOME EXAM

JULY 2023
 classroom door
RECREATIONAL/ CRAFTS
AREA
POSTERS
CHAIR

DISPLAY AREA
W
H
I
T MAT / GATHERING
E AREA
B
O
A
Floor plan for an English Classroom:

R
D
Question 1: Constructivism

TABLE
BOOK SHELF/ CLASS LIBRARY
Above is the constructivist floor plan for an English classroom. It includes the layout of
the desks and the gathering area where the learners will spend most of their time. It
includes other essential areas such a reading area or otherwise known as the class
library as well as a recreational area and display area.

The classroom is constructively set up to stimulate the cognitive abilities of the learners
and aid their efforts in further constructing their knowledge. Constructivism states that
new knowledge is acquired when prior or other knowledge is extended through
experiences or discoveries that may change their perspective. Therefore, props were
placed next to the class library and closer to the mat where the learner has enough
space to conduct learning activities of their own. The recreational area is placed
between the whiteboard where content is expressed by the teacher and posters that
express other helpful information. This is for learners to carry out experiments or
construct objects based on their understanding of the work. This emphasizes the
constructivist principle that learning is contextual, so that learners learn and become
aware of the relevancy in their surroundings.

Socializing and understanding learning as a social activity is the reason for the desks
being laid out in that specific order. The layout of the desks also allows for better group
rotation and small group work. When learners are exposed to social learning, they each
have different learning experiences; thus, their knowledge becomes more subjective
due to their own experiences. This is one other principle of Constructivism. The purpose
of the posters, where the posters are both literature and print rich, is to help learners
make links to what they actively learn in class. The class library also helps by teaching
learners to take the abstract lesson behind the story and incorporate it into their lives.
These are examples of active learning and mental processes which are both principles
of Constructivism.
Question 2: Teaching Strategies

Link for group https://www.theatrefolk.com/blog/brainstorming-effective-group-

type reading: work

Subject: Term: Topic: Objectives:

Geography 2 Map Skills ➢ Grids references

➢ Compass directions
➢ Symbols and keys

Reference: Social Sciences CAPS Document: Geography (2011: 22)

Lesson plan: The whole class will be split into small groups. Each group will
be identified by the color sticker they receive from the educator.

After being taught about grid references, compass directions

and symbols and keys as per the objective state in the CAPS
document (2011), the learners will be asked to brainstorm a fun
activity or construct a game to share with the class. Most
importantly the learners must include the given objectives.

Incorporation of Discussion can be used as an essential element in

Discussion:
brainstorming. It is needed before and after the group activity
has been completed, firstly to evaluate and consider each group
member’s opinion and to validate their ideas. Learners learn to
merge and collect thoughts that signify their main topic or
theme. Group discussions help peer learning arise in the
classroom and allow learners to socialize and share their
opinions freely.

Brainstorming often helps learners think ‘out of the box’ and

stimulates their higher order thinking skills and critical thinking.

Question 3: Technology Tools for Teaching

3.1. All groups will collectively be shown video examples of what their fun activities
could look like. This will be done using the school’s portable projector and the
educator’s laptop or computer system. The learners will also be given the option of
choosing to use an interactive whiteboard with its online pens to construct their task.
Learners will be awarded the opportunity to incorporate any other technology-based
components which they feel are best suited to their activity with the consent of the
teacher.

3.2. Projectors are very good technology tools for group or classwork and are common
amongst many educational institutions. They act as a visual stimulus that can be used
to play videos or display pictures that can aid teaching and convey the contact in a way
that is suitable to the learners’ preferred learning styles. Interactive whiteboards are
always a good way to get learners to participate and interact on a technological and
social level. It’s a technology stimulus that appeals to the learners' sense of sight and
touch and is appropriate for when teachers have an interactive objective or require a
physical impulse from the learners.

With small group work and the availability of internet and technology tools, learners can
search innovative ideas (not to copy) but to aid or to extract components that will
improve or build on their ideas. The projector will help them display this accurately and
visibly to the rest of the class. With the help of the interactive whiteboard, learners will
be able to draw or construct their activity with the available tools.

3.3. The projector and interactive whiteboard work together. The projector provides the
visual for the interactive whiteboard to function and serve its core purpose. The activity
was for the learners to create a fun and interactive activity to share with the rest of the
groups in the class. With the help of the interactive whiteboard the learners can not only
demonstrate their task but allow other learners to participate. With the help of the
projector and interactive whiteboard, the learners are creating a lesson with elements
such as sound, pictures, videos and touch which appeals to all senses and has all the
elements of a lesson that has a lasting learning effect.

3.4. Interactive whiteboard

https://www.samsung.com/us/business/solutions/industries/education/interactive-
display/

Projector:

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2F2.zoppoz.workers.dev%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fcdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net
%2F6DAp4vx86EQ8CGiMavinmD.jpg&tbnid=ilU-JATsrGYd-
M&vet=12ahUKEwiCoNWOz_L_AhWMrycCHWmnDm8QMygdegUIARC0Ag..i&imgrefu
rl=https%3A%2F%2F2.zoppoz.workers.dev%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fwww.techlearning.com%2Fnews%2Fproject&docid=-
AwY0uuZFSQfYM&w=2000&h=1333&q=projector%20in%20classroom&ved=2ahUKEwi
CoNWOz_L_AhWMrycCHWmnDm8QMygdegUIARC0Ag
Question 4: Assessment and Reflection

Figure 1. Davis. Vicki. Unfair assessments. Digital Cartoon. 700×498cm. The Cool Cat Teacher
Blog www.coolcatteacher.com (Gunasekara, 2017).

The cartoon illustrates how educators implement equal treatment without making
concessions for learners who may not have the ability or skills to complete the task at
hand.

As I was once a learner myself, I experienced this in my classroom. I was a strong

academic student and preferred theory work over practical tasks. Personally, I enjoyed
extensive reading, research and other theoretical challenges as it suited my learning
style. So, when there were physical education assessments, I tended to do badly or was
given an average mark for merely for participation or being present.

I relate to the cartoon displayed in Figure 1. as it resonates with my experience at

school as some of the experiences I had observed. For example, some learners had
Afrikaans as their third language but were assessed on it as their second language. As
an aspiring teacher, applying the concept of fairness and equality in the classroom is
essential in creating a space where learners feel safe and valued. Adjusting the
classroom atmosphere and engaging with learners on a personal level, where you
respect their beliefs, values and cultures are proven bare provide better results and
learner participation. Learners tend to be more productive in environments where they
have a sense of belonging and security.

It is my goal as a teacher to provide each and every learner that enters my class with
the opportunity to give every delegated task the best of their abilities. Providing learners
with assessments that appeal to their learning style is an objective I wish to achieve in
my career as a teacher. Whether it be constructing multiple school-based assessments
to assist and push their end of year grade or hosting intervention classes to cater for
struggling learners.

Fundamentally, teaching learners how questions are structures should assist them in
their understanding of how assessments are constructed. Learners should be able to
break questions up into more understandable parts. This will help them score the
minimal number of marks needed to pass. This method will also help learners manage
their time more effectively as learners often do not complete assessments due to the
time constraints. Teaching learners how to manage their time as well as perspectives
on how to view the questions aid learners in achieving better results.

Some learners have experienced content present in the exams or assessments that
were never taught in class. This is unfair toward the learners as it only benefits the
educator in them reaching their scheduled curriculum objectives. Therefore, the
teachers curricular schedule should be checked and approved by the grade head or the
principal to ensure that teachers are setting up assessments that are aligned with what
the learners already know and the content they have already been taught. Moreover, as
educators we should avoid associating a grim and stressful stigma and rather allow
learners to see them as an opportunity to view their progress. It gives the learners the
vantage point they need to work on their strengths and weaknesses.
References list:

• L. Price. 2023, Brainstorming: Effective Group Work, Theatrefolk.com [online]

available at: https://www.theatrefolk.com/blog/brainstorming-effective-group-work
• S. Gunasekara. 2017, Intergrated Teaching Model in Graduate Aerosphere in
Classes: Atrial with Compressible Flow Aerodynamics, [online] Available at:
researchgate.net
• Social Sciences CAPS Document. 2011 Social Sciences: Intermediate Phase
Grades 4-6 Department of Education; Cape Town, Oxford inc.
• W.G.U. 2020 What is constructivism? Wgu.edu.org [online] Available at:
https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-constructivism2005.html#close