Finding the Balance Between Process and Product through Perceptual Lesson Planning

Abstract

Background/Context Lesson planning is one of the most common activities required of teachers; however, since the late 1970s and early 1980s, it has not been a major focus of study, either conceptually or empirically. Although there are recent articles on the topic, much of the current work is specific to examining a particular teaching method or subject area. This essay not only examines the lesson planning process, a neglected area of study, but also puts forward a perceptual or arts-based approach to lesson planning that has not been attended to since Elliot Eisner's essays on objectives. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study The purposes of this conceptual paper are is to provide theoretical grounding for perceptual lesson planning; to analytically examine the two current, dominant approaches to creating lesson plans; and to put forward ideas that undergird a fresh approach to creating and analyzing lesson planning. Research Design This study consists of a major literature review and a related conceptual argument. We also present qualitative data (a lesson plan with attendant interview material) and preliminary findings from an ongoing study. Analytic Framework We use an original analytic framework to discuss the two dominant approaches to lesson planning, the behaviorist and constructivist modes, and to compare them to the perceptual mode. Our analytical categories consist of the following: intentions, process, product, and outcomes. By intentions we mean the aims, goals, or objectives of the lesson plan. The process refers to how the lesson plan is created and what that experience is like for the teacher. Product refers to the actual lessons that result from the planning. Outcomes refer to both the anticipated results of the lesson as well as the general kinds of student outcomes desired in the mode of lesson planning. Conclusions/Recommendations Perceptual lesson planning may be characterized as engaging teachers’ and students senses and creativity; as an artistic endeavor that is joyful in and of itself; as consisting of various stylized products; and leading toward meaningful learning for students and teachers in an environment open to elements of surprise and innovation. Lesson planning may be functional and meaningful to teachers and subsequently their students. Lesson planning could be something teachers enjoy, learn from, and appreciate. Thus, we note that focusing on the process of lesson planning is an important part of education that warrants much more attention.

Imagining New Possibilities: Haikus as Evaluation

“…These themes provide possibilities for teachers and students alike for having aesthetic learning experiences. Uhrmacher, Conrad, and Moroye (2013) further explore the possibilities of utilizing a perceptual mode as a way to foster teacher creativity. As teachers draw from their own artistic sensibilities in the act of lesson planning, new possibilities for joy and inspiration emerge.…”

“…As teachers draw from their own artistic sensibilities in the act of lesson planning, new possibilities for joy and inspiration emerge. While Uhrmacher, Conrad, and Moroye (2013) focus on the aesthetic possibilities of lesson planning, we focus on the aesthetic possibilities of evaluation. Moreover, we ground our inquiry in the notion that teachers can unlock creative possibilities through the act of writing haikus to students as an expression of evaluation.…”

“…Within the perceptual framework, the haiku allows for aesthetic connections with subject matter (Moroye & Uhrmacher, 2009;Uhrmacher, Conrad & Moroye, 2013) It involves mutual risk-taking by the teacher and student due to the unknown aspects of how the student will react and the student's experience of a unique interaction of imagination with the haiku. The sight and sound of the haiku provides a sensory experience for the students.…”

Exploring the Impact of a Perceptual Mode of Teaching: Implications for the Complementary Curriculum

“…While analyses of teaching approaches have historically focused on behavioristic (Tyler, 1949;Taba, 1962;Hunter, 2004), or constructivist (Bruner, 1966(Bruner, , 1977Marzano, Pickering & Pollock, 2001;Wiggins & McTighe, 2005) frameworks, several studies have specifically explored aesthetically-oriented teaching practices. Uhrmacher, Conrad, and Moroye (2013) conceptually explore the perceptual mode through an analytic framework of intentions, process, product, and outcomes in their research study. They offer the perceptual mode, with its intrinsic emphasis on heightened sensorial aspects of teaching and learning, as either an enhancement to behavioristic or constructivist paradigms, or as an independent, stand-alone mode of lesson planning.…”

“…Aligned with many components of these models, such as imagination and heightened perceptivity, researchers and graduate students in Denver have spent a number of years developing a framework that could be useful for teachers interested in increasing student engagement and meaningful learning experiences. Through extensive observation and analysis of artists and teachers engaging in creative processes together, and grounded in the Dewey's (1934) philosophy of an aesthetic experience, Uhrmacher (2009) identified six themes that teachers may employ to elevate 'ordinary' learning into something truly memorable and meaningful: connections, risk-taking, imagination, sensory experience, perceptivity, and active engagement, or CRISPA (see also Moroye & Uhrmacher, 2010;Uhrmacher et al, 2013;Conrad et al, 2015).…”