Reflection on the Lesson Presentation

Although I am not a big fan of group presentations, I think that the lesson presentation with Veselina went well. Of course, there were things that needed to be ironed out, but I must confess, it is hard to teach a lesson to peers and imagine that they are 4th grade students in addition to introducing a lesson with another teacher. Nevertheles, it was a great experience.
The technology resources that Veselina and I used were BrainPop and the digital clock. The technology tool- BrainPop was chosen appropriately for the grade level and for the assumed technological literacy of the students. To differentiate for students of various reading/writing levels, the activities ranked from hard, to moderate, to easy. If this were to be a real classroom, we would have most likely split the students into groups based on their performance and reading/writing level.
One aspect of the planning of the lesson that I found challenging was the need for students to have a BrainPop account. However, since Veselina has already used BrainPop in her classroom, she was able to ease my mind by explaining that we only need one account. Most schools that use Brainpop as a technology tool have paid a fee for the use of the tool and both students and teachers can create their own account on Brainpop.
If I were to plan this lesson again, I would have design it somewhat differently. I would have began the lesson with a cork-board where the students can write down what they have learned from the introductory lesson on the American Revolution. I would have also asked the students to make predictions as to what might possibly happen between the Colonies and the British having in mind the topics discussed in the previous class. Afterwards, I would have played the video, re-capped the information, and asked for any questions. I would have asked the students to complete the activities in BrainPop and after they were finished, to share what they have written (since every group has a different activity). I would like for this lesson to involve the students, to get them to participate and take charge of their learning instead of quietly completing an assignment. After everyone has shared their activity with the class, I would split the class in two groups- the British and the Colonist and make them argue their point- Why should the Colonists obey King George III and Why the British should let the Colonies behave as independent entities from King George's rule? I want the students to actually think about the events and to make it more personal to them, I would have them argue their point.