Micro teaching and exploring community resources

1. Micro-teaching &
Community Resources

2. Micro-teaching

3. Background
Microteaching consists of teaching a brief lesson to a small
group of students in an actual classroom. It is often
resorted to during student-teacher’s practicum before
going out for off-campus teaching. Beginning teachers
likewise undertake this learning activity by teaching their
peers. In addition to gaining experience in teaching, the
opportunity to observe ones own performance for purpose
of analysing and evaluating teaching knowledge and skills
is considered of great value.

4. Rationale
The ultimate aim in microteaching is to obtain feedback
from the students or peers. Feedback may be in the form
of a critique on how the lesson’s objective was achieved,
the mannerism observed, if any, and the expressions that
may have been repeated too often.

5. Diagramatic representation of a
Micro-teaching Cycle

6. Effectiveness
The feedback must be followed by a reflection, that is, look
back at why or how such teaching performance progressed
the way it did. This step will determine whether this
strategy is effective or not. A successful and productive
microteaching session is considered a more focused and
down-to-earth way of learning than other teaching
techniques.
For best viewing, critiquing and recording the whole
proceedings, audio visual equipment will be needed such
as video camera, camera, tape recorder, overhead
projector and wide screen. Assistance in using them must
be secured ahead of time.

7. Guidelines:
1. Microteaching is the most effective with groups of 4-6
members, be it for students or peers.
2. The lesson should be brief but complete, requiring
about 12-15 minutes.
3. Feedback should be honest and straight to the point.
The performers are ready to listen and accept peer’s
evaluation.
4. The special equipment needed must be prepared ahead
of time. Blank tapes may be needed for own records.
5. Since feedback is crucial in this learning activity, the
oral and written mode may be employed.

8. Guidelines
6. If critique will be required from the students, they must
be instructed how such can be expressed and recorded.
7. Practice lessons may be viewed over and over to obtain
accurate feedback.

9. Exploring Community
Resources

10. Background
Using community resources as a strategy involves familiarization and
eventually close link with all the educational aspects in it – the people
and their expertise, the places with rich instructional materials and the
natural landscape. Teachers can take advantage of the abundant sources
of first hand materials that can make the teaching-learning process
spontaneous and natural.
All learning activities will necessarily take the students out of the
classroom, although some materials from outside can be carried to the
classroom or laboratory for further study. Interview with agriculture
experts, doctors, historians and business men in the community gather
first hand information that are readily available. The community health
clinic, orchard, plant nursery, natural ponds are likewise potential
resources. Learning is facilitated through actual contact with human and
material resources.

11. Effectiveness
1. The use of community resources is commendable strategy which
brings the school close to the community it serves and vice versa.
2. The knowledge and experience gained by exploring and investigating
things in their natural settings are guaranteed to be more permanent
and lasting compared to those learned from printed pages.
3. Educational trips to the community in a more meaningful ,practical
and enjoyable learning.
4. The students become more appreciative, grateful and proud of their
rich resources.
5. Interaction between the school and community leads the students to
a better understanding of the conditions obtaining in it. In the long
run, they may be strongly motivated to participate actively in
projects, academic or social that will redound to a reciprocal
assistance for both.

12. Disadvantages
1. The hazards of traveling in big groups limit the use of
this strategy.
2. Proper planning and pre-tour preparation can be time
consuming
3. Difficulty in scheduling the meeting with the experts is
another constraints.

13. Guidelines
1. The teacher must have a complete file of people, places and
things in the community that could be tapped for specific
instructional purposes.
2. The objective of this out-of-the-classroom activity must be
well understood by the students in order to avoid being
distracted by irrelevant and non-educational observations.
3. A note on proper behaviour will contribute immensely to the
achievement of the objectives and to the safety and comfort
of all.
4. The students must be involved in the selection of the site and
in the planning the entire activity so that they will be guided
on what to do at every step. This will likewise assist them in
tracing the causes of success or failure of the activity during
the evaluation time.

14. Guidelines
5. You may combine the lessons in the other subjects in this single trip,
thus enriching their experiences and accumulating vast knowledge rather
than tackling a single lesson.
6. When meeting authorities in the community, remind students to be
courteous, respectful and warm. They are busy people and must not be
disturbed unnecessarily. Remind them to show appreciation and gratitude
for the time spent with them and valuable information gathered.
7. Design a Plan B for any failure of communication or last minute
cancellation. Ask suggestion for alternative steps from the group.
8. Assign committees with a leader who will be responsible for the
conduct of the group and can guide the group during transfers, audiences
with lectures if any, and in looking after their needs and comfort.
9. Have the entire class evaluate the results of the trip according to the
objective defined beforehand. Encourage them to offer recommendations
to improve succeeding trips

15. Sample Community Resources
Places
• Plantation
• Library
• Museum
• Art gallery
• Theatre
• Hospital
• Parks
• Factories
• Bus station
• Canal
• Rice fields
• Municipal buildings
• Hill
• Cultural exhibits
• zoo
• Market place
• Convention centre
• Nursery
• Historic sites
• Monuments
• River

16. Sample Community Resources
People
• Mayor
• Principal
• Professor
• Historian
• Musician
• Doctor
• Nurse
• Agriculturist
• farmer
• Fisherman
• Policeman
• Authors
• Librarian

17. Prepared by:
Eren Saturnino
Judy lyn Cabagay