It's All in the Question: A Problem-Solving Lesson

In our most recent lab session, we were challenged to develop and deliver a managerial lesson plan.  This type of lesson is a great example of Problem-Based Learning; providing the students with a question, or having students to determine or formulate a question, and then allowing the class to direct their own learning by discovering a solution, or multiple solutions, to the problem.

For this lab, I developed a lesson on energy consumption that I plan to use in my Environmental Science class while student teaching in the spring.  During the lesson, students were given the problem of energy consumption that is not sustainable in countries around the world.  The lesson then led the students to determine their own energy consumption and finally develop an energy conservation action plan.

I was really excited to deliver this lesson to the lab and I feel as though this has been my favorite lesson to date.  As a learner, I appreciate lessons that appeal to the affective domain of learning according to Bloom's Taxonomy; meaning I love lessons that allow me to involve my emotions and personal opinions!  As I was preparing this lesson, I found my self really getting fired up about the ridiculous amount of energy being used and wasted in the affluent nations around the world so I was very excited to deliver the lesson.

I believe that of all of our lab sessions, I have enjoyed this one the most.  But as with every lesson, good or bad, I do know that there is always room for improvement.  I think before I deliver this lesson again, I will revamp my questioning, making sure to really hit those questions that promote higher level thinking.  I think I may also revisit the amount of time that I am using the powerpoint to guide instruction.  I found my self running out of time before we even got to the meat of the lesson, developing our energy action plans.  I will need to be sure that there is plenty of time to complete that task for the next time.