Throughout this final practicum, I felt that each lesson was a job well done, some better than others. However, I learned that all teachers have a favourite lesson for each subject. That one lesson that gets both the teacher and students absolutely amped. Towards the end of my final practicum, I discovered that exact lesson. Starting the prep for the lesson had me quite nervous as this subject area was my coaching teacher’s specialty, and I was worried I wouldn’t do a good job, but I surprised myself. Going into this lesson, I wanted the students to have complete control of their final project and design, so I gave them instructions and plans that would accommodate each group’s final design. Over two days, my students were tasked with designing, building, and testing their own Rube Goldberg Machines.
A Rube Goldberg Machine is a chain reaction type machine requiring a series of steps to complete a simple task. For the purpose of my lesson, the task was to get a marble to travel from one end of their machines to the end. After a few videos, class brainstorms, and examples, the students began designing. Watching each group collaborate and design in unison to create their own machine was amazing. It was even more astonishing watching them construct and prototype their designs. Watching the students bring to life their plans. Having students design and build was just the first component, but having them constantly testing and readjusting truly showcased their ability to prototype and reflect on their learning. This lesson reinforced my love of unconventional types of lessons where the students are in charge of their learning, class collaboration, and ability to reflect on their contributions.
