Assessing Prior Knowledge

When I was creating my lesson plan, I was thinking how I can bring students prior knowledge and incorporate it into my lesson.The characteristics of the school or classroom that may affect students learning, may be the students lack of experience with technology or the lack of technology supplies (computers) that may be available at a school. The general and specific understandings of students differences that may affect learning are student's unique perfected learning style; each student has a learning method that works best for them, and it can be learning through visuals, songs, play, ect. Student';s differences that may also effect students learning, may also be students prior knowledge regarding the lesson; some students may already know their five senses and others may not know or understand what their five senses are (different experiences).

It's important to understand that every student in a classrooms comes to school with different experiences, skills, beliefs, and different ways of learning. How each student processes and integrates new information will affect how they remember, think, apply, and create new knowledge. One thing I have found from working with students is that every students is different, and the more you bring out students prior knowledge into lessons, the better they will understand the new information that is given to them. In order to asses what each child knows and understand, the educator should take the time to know her students, and learn about how each student learns best. When creating a lesson, the educator should think what form of instruction or assessment will help enhance students learning, and will provide them a the learning experiences they need. When creating my lesson, I thought about how I can bring prior knowledge into my lesson, and that is when I came up with the cookie idea. Every child has tasted, smelled, looked, and felt a cookie before, and by incorporating  a cookie as a manipulatives, it allows students to get a better idea of the five senses; many student's know how to use their five senses, but do not understand them individually or the fact that their are five.The general understanding of student's skill or prior learning that may affect learning, may be that every student knows and understand different things.

Some students may come to school with the knowledge of their five senses, and others will need extra guidance. Every student is different, and every student comes to school with different experiences and prior knowledge. During this lesson I wanted to incorporate students prior knowledge with new information to help guide them in their learning about their five senses. I hope this allows student's to think about what they already know and incorporate it into the lesson;this allow them to have a better understanding of the new information given to them. Prior knowledge is a great stepping stool for students, and teachers should use what students know, and use it to teach students bigger and better lessons that will enhance students learning.