#5r's

In order to 'move from' a reflective trigger to a meaningful reflection on practice it is important to have a systematic method for thinking through the experience. The 5R’s framework encourages educators to engage in deep and purposeful thinking about their practices and pedagogies. The following reflection draws from the 5R’s framework to evaluate the Year 2 Design Technologies unit on Australian Animal Habitats.

Reporting: The context of this class was a Year 2 Design Technologies activity based on Australian animal habitats. Throughout their Science and English units the students had developed a comprehensive understanding of iconic Australian animals. Students had learned about each animal’s shelter, diet, predators, reproduction cycle and utilised this knowledge in order to create a diorama of a habitat for their chosen Australian animal.

Responding: When I was asked to design this unit I was initially apprehensive. I had very little knowledge about design technologies and am not naturally a very artistic, creative person myself. I was given a framework that assisted me in developing a sequence of lesson plans that involved a high-degree of planning exercises. The students embraced the planning process and they were creative, innovative and thoughtful about their plans. Due to this, their dioramas exceeded my expectations.

Relating: This unit required the students to make many connections between their knowledge and understanding and what was required for them in the design process. As a class we did mind maps that revolved around group discussions (e.g: “What do we know about what kangaroos eat?” “From what we learned, what do you think you may need to put in your habitat for a Tasmanian devil to sleep in?”). The students were very knowledgeable on the issue and enjoyed the opportunity to extend their learning potential using creativity and imagination.

Reasoning: The process was based on the Technology Essential Learnings by the Queensland Studies Authority who developed suggested learning experiences for children: 

Technology (2003) Years 1–10, Queensland Studies Authority

Using an evidence-based approach greatly assisted the planning and execution of the process.

Reconstructing: I was very satisfied with the unit and the work that the students produced. I believe it was the thorough planning that aided the group in creating their masterpieces. We also engaged in a reflection guided by some questions to prompt critical thinking about their own and others work. Questions included:  What did I like about my design? What would I change if I had another opportunity? What did I like about someone else’s design? What have I learnt about the design technology process?

While the planning and executing stage were done very well, I believe that the evaluation stage could have been implemented more effectively. This was a crux of the unit and was somewhat overlooked as the children were so excited about their final products and did not wish to engage in “book work”.

References

Bain, J.D., Ballantyne, R., Mills, C. & Lester, N.C. (2002) Reflecting on practice: Student teachers' perspectives, Post Pressed: Flaxton, QLD.