When looking at a standard, it is important to know how you’re going to assess students’ abilities to meet that standard.
Pre-Assessments, Formative Assessments, and Summative Assessments are all important ways of determining your student’s level of understanding when teaching a specific topic.
These are some examples of assessments that could be used in the classroom.
For this project. we took the standards we addressed and created a lesson plan that included stations for students to participate in. It was a fun way to integrate our knowledge of the standards with practicle application in the classroom.
Throughout this class, we were able to focus in on a few content specific standards that we will be teaching. It was a useful process to break down these standards into their criteria, content, and skills that students will need in order to achieve mastery.
Taking a Deeper Look at these standards, helps to really understand what and WHY we are teaching what we are teaching.
At the beginning of this class, we got to enjoy exploring project-based learning and all the different variations of this teaching philosophy.
Project-Based Learning (PBL)
Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a learning strategy where students learn by actively engaging in real-world and meaningful projects. Students are setting out to gain knowledge and skills by working for a specific period of time where they are able to “investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.” Some of the key concepts of PBL are critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills (Buck Institute for Education, 2019).
Teaching PBL requires the teacher to be continually collaborating and learning from other teachers. Sometimes, as teachers, we can create routines where we become comfortable or set in our ways. With PBL, teachers have to be willing and courageous enough to experiment and try new things with their students. For the most part, projects students may engage with during PBL are not going to be the typical 45-minute class period. Teachers and students have to be flexible and willing to adjust their schedules as they work their way through projects (Edutopia, 2011). When comparing traditional instruction to PBL, research is showing that students learn content and remember what they have learned more efficiently by doing projects and engaging with questions and challenges rather than a more traditional instructional approach to education (Edutopia, 2011). “In Project Based Learning, the project is the vehicle for teaching the important knowledge and skills students need to learn. The project contains and frames curriculum and instruction” (Buck Institute for Education, 2019).
According to, Rahil, a student at the Impact Academy of Arts and Technology, the four main goals for students at their PBL school are to collaborate productively, think critically, communicate powerfully, and complete projects effectively. These practices allow students to learn skills that will be beneficial in college and the workplace in the future. This type of goal setting allows students to aim for deeper thought and learning practices. “Deeper learning is when a student learns something beyond the content they are supposed to” (Edutopia, 2013).
PBL can be extremely beneficial when teaching science. Students feel motivated because the projects they are working on are real life problems. Often times the act of working through a problem allows the student to take on a role that may exist in the real world. For example, a physicist would need to do research in order to successfully complete a mission to Mars. When students experience what it is like to work on projects like this, they have the opportunity to see what an actual job may be for them in the future. This future-oriented perspective can help them have more enthusiasm and interest in the question or problem they are trying to solve.
In order to accomplish the task they are engaging with, students will need to connect prior knowledge and skills to determine what is necessary to complete the project at hand. Engaging in a project with a specific goal allows students to apply that knowledge in a real life situation and have a better understanding of the real life implications of scientific principles. (Edutopia, 2018)
More often than not, teachers recommend starting with the standard and building a project idea to meet that standard. For example, in the key ideas and details section of the reading standards for literacy in science and technology grade six through eight, students will be able to follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks. Another standard found in the integration of knowledge and ideas section states that students will be able to distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text. In the writing standards for Literacy in science, students are expected to be able to use research to build and present knowledge. One of the key standards is that students will conduct research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. (California State Board of Education, 2013) These standards can easily be met by working on a project that is related to the content that is being covered in the curriculum. Creating and designing a project can provide easy opportunities for students to meet multiple standards while engaging in meaningful learning experiences.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a helpful framework for creating a classroom setting that provides opportunities for all students based on multiple means of representation, action or expression, and engagement. With different means of representation like text, audio, video, and hands-on projects, “all students [have] a chance to access content in ways best suited to their learning preferences” (Newcomer, 2014). Providing different means of expression allows students to have different ways of interacting and presenting what they are learning. Sometimes it can be difficult to find ways of motivating and engaging students. However, having multiple means of engagement can allow students to relate to content in a way that can feel more relevant to them and encourages students to “feel that they are a part of the classroom community” (Newcomer, 2014). PBL allows students to easily access the curriculum based on these UDL concepts. When considering the variety of students that a teacher could have in their classroom at one time, there can be many benefits to using a PBL framework that allows each student to engage with the curriculum in a way that would be most beneficial for them.
There are specific benefits of PBL for individual learning groups within the classroom:
In some ways, PBL can be a framework that is put into motion on a grand scale. It can be the entire premise for specific schools. However, I have noticed that there are many ways that PBL concepts can be integrated into the everyday classroom. I definitely want to apply some of the main ideas of critical thinking and successful collaboration into my classroom. In a science class, it can be very useful to have projects that will help students actively engage with what they are learning and develop a deeper understanding of the material.
References
California State Board of Education, (2013). California common core state standards: English language arts & literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Retrieved from https://padletuploads.blob.core.windows.net/ prod/228882809/4d40a28b19ea2c268907b11238a378d2/CCCStandards_ Lang_Lit_History_and_Science.pdf
Edutopia, (2011). Getting started with project-based learning. George Lucas Educational Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/stw-replicating-pbl-overview- video
Edutopia, (2011). Project-based learning: What experts say. George Lucas Educational Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-experts
Edutopia, (2018). Projects that work: Mission to mars. George Lucas Educational Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/video/projects-work-mission-mars
Edutopia, (2013). Student voice: Experiencing deeper learning through pbl. George Lucas Educational Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/video/student-voice- experiencing-deeper-learning-through-pbl
Buck Institute for Education, (2019). What is PBL? PBLWorks. Retrieved from https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl?gclid=CjwKCAiA5JnuBRA-EiwA- 0ggPQNdEy_YZ5Nt4PnYEhfFBCZjx1bBDnZWYfQMesB3hAd0bJ7FUB7 lHBoCRhoQAvD_BwE
Hinchman, K. A. (2014). Best practices in adolescent literacy instruction. 2nd edition. The Guilford Press.
Newcomer, B. (2014). The principles of universal design for learning. Essential Practices. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/for-educators/universal-design- for-learning/the-principles-of-universal-design-for-learning?fbclid= IwAR2WiiOJt8WUpVhxCRHOWoLtiIF2bm_1V5HNv8pffNYcdve6s2Y7de3LCeM
After creating a lesson plan and having the opportunity to teach, we needed to take a look back at how we felt our lesson was presented and reflect on what we could do to improve our learners’ experiences.
Here is my Learning Map with Analysis and Reflection as well as Applications:
In ITL 522 – Content Area Literacy we had the opportunity to Plan a lesson, Teach, and then Analyze, Reflect, and Apply what we learned. It was really neat to actually implement a lot of the concepts that we have been learning over the last few classes.
This is the lesson plan that I created for this experience.
| Stage 1: Planning Instruction |
| Teacher: Sarah Ashley Shirey
Grade/Subject: 7th Grade/Life Science
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| Target: Standard, Goals & Outcomes
Academic Literacy Standards |
| NGSS-MS-LS1-2
Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and the ways parts of cells contribute to the function. · Science & Engineering practices: Developing and using models · Disciplinary Core Ideas: LS1.A: Structure and Function: How do the structures of organisms enable life’s functions? · Guiding Question: To develop and use an accurate model of the cell. · Crosscutting Concepts: Structure and Function: Understand the difference between the structure of a cell and its parts and the functions of each individual part.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7 Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table). |
| Big Questions (Questions to frame Student learning)
· What is the difference between the structure and function of something?
· How can structure enable function? |
Knowledge (Concepts to be understood and applied)
· Recall previous knowledge about the cell. · Understanding the cell as a system of organelles that rely on one another. |
Skills (what will be explicitly taught)
· Clarification of the differences between animal and plant cells.
Method: online activity with matching game
· Differentiation between the function of something and the structure.
Method: Multiple activities showing specific functions of various organelles. Article about the structure and functions of cells.
· Connecting real world scenarios to ideas and conceptions learned in class.
Method: Collaborative project with team members illustrating comparisons using Google Slides presentations.
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| Student Learning Goals:
Student Learning Goal:
· Reflect on prior knowledge of the cell. Students will be able to build a plant and animal cell model, showing the differences between the two. Students will be able to explain the function of specific organelles within an animal and plat cell. They will be able to accurately label each kind of cell with the names of the individual organelles that they learned about.
Student social-emotional goal (LEARNER):
· Students will be able to collaborate in groups to present their findings in their organelle functions project. They will interact in a meaningful and beneficial way to compile the information needed to present their ideas to the class. Throughout their explorations of the cell, organelles, and their functions, students will be expected to make connections of their previous knowledge to the activities in this lesson. The students will have multiple means of engagement with the content about the cells. They will also have multiple means of representing what they have learned regarding the cell, organelles, and their functions.
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| Barriers to learning (LEARNER): (level of literacy, funds of knowledge, attention span)
· One barrier to learning in this lesson may be a gap in prior knowledge. This lesson begins by asking students what they have learned previously. This is under the assumption that their education was consistent with what our district and elementary districts taught them. However, there are several students who moved or came from outside places and did not receive the background knowledge expected of them. · Another barrier may be language proficiency. This area in which I teach has many children who are English Language Learners. This means that I will need to be checking in with them to see that they understand the new vocabulary being presented, especially with understanding the difference between structure and function.
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| Common misconceptions (LEARNER & TARGET):
· Students are struggle to make comparisons to real life situations in order to understand scientific principles. This lesson will help students compare a cell and its organelles to real life situations in order to help them remember and better understand the function of the individual parts within a cell. Making these comparisons will allow the students to better understand the purpose of organelles within the individual cells. |
| Classroom Composite: (TEACHER & LEARNER)
(Whole group needs, observable patterns and trends, language & literacy subgroups, technology fluency, emotional regulation) (For this assignment, I am going to be referencing a class that I was able to actually teach this specific lesson to last year.)
· This classroom a general education science class that consists of resource students who have mainstreamed into general education classes. There are thirty-three students in this class, six of whom have IEPs. There are also two students in the class who are English Language Learners (EL) who would be considered to have a bridging level of proficiency when it comes to their reading levels. This means that these students occasionally struggle with understanding vocabulary words as well as making connections between activities and the material we are covering. · Three of the students with IEPs have Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). These students need additional support when interpreting directions and generally take longer to complete their work. One of the students with SLD is an EL student who was mentioned above. · One student with an IEP is Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH). This means that the teacher has to wear a Bluetooth microphone clipped to their shirt to help the student hear what is being taught. It is also beneficial for this student to sit in the front of the classroom so they can easily see when the teacher is speaking to the students. · There is a student with an IEP who has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This means that this student struggles to understand social context. This manifests by continual interruptions or inappropriately timed comments throughout class. This student’s goals also state that any assignment completed may be done with the use of technology. This means he is allowed to type answers to worksheets rather than write them down. · The last student with an IEP has a qualifying diagnosis of Other Health Impairment (OHI). Additionally he has an ADHD diagnosis. This student reacts emotionally to most social interactions as well as academic struggles. He is easily upset by what he interprets as negative interactions with peers. He has accommodations that allow him to take exams in separate rooms from the rest of the class with assistance from an instructional assistant. · In addition to these six students with IEPs, there are twenty-seven general education students. Four of these students tend to be disruptive and distracting to the others in the class. However, these students are still friendly and easy to talk to and reason with. Overall this class has groups of students that work well together when doing group projects despite their tendency to be distracting and easily off task.
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Accommodations/adaptations/intervention (TEACHER, LEARNER, INSTRUCTION, MANAGEMENT)
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| Focus student #1: Special Needs (IEP) DHH
Student is DHH. He has cochlear implants so that he is able to hear while at school but can often time miss instruction. If he is distracted by a fellow student it can be easy for him to not realize that the teacher is talking. Due to occasional missing information, it can take him longer to complete the work that needs to be done. Additionally, he can occasionally miss information relating to due dates.
In order to ensure participation and understanding, the instructor will do the following:
· During instruction time, student will be seated at the front of the class to be closer to the teacher. · Teacher will wear Bluetooth microphone that connects directly to hearing aid so that he can hear what is being said. · Teacher will constantly ask check questions to ensure comprehension. · Teacher will check that the student is looking before beginning instruction. Sometimes this can be accomplished by making eye contact. Other times this may need to be done by tapping the desk to get him attention before beginning instruction.
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| · Focus student #2: Special Needs (IEP) ASD
Student was recently diagnosed ASD at the beginning of the school year. He was attending a private school before this year and had no formal diagnosis. They were becoming overwhelmed and frustrated with the inability to handle him and his behaviors. Therefore he and his teachers are constantly having to adapt to changes and different goals that have been set due to new understandings of his needs. Student struggles with social interactions and occasionally speaks at inappropriate times during class. He is unable to assess the reactions of the other students when he speaks out of turn or discusses things that are off topic. Student often times refuses to complete work and does not stay organized in order to keep track of his work.
In order to help him succeed in class several accommodations and specific adjustments have to be made in class:
· Because of his lack of social skills, he struggles to find groups to work with on projects. Therefore, the instructor will help to assign a group of students who can work easily with him. · Teacher needs to ask student at the end of each class to see his planner and check that he has his homework written down. This is part of his goals set to keep him organized. · Because this student often refuses to do work, he is allowed to use technology to type his responses to worksheets and other work that needs to be done in class. · If this student is struggling in class to complete an assessment, he may go to another room with an instructional assistant to complete the assessment. |
| (TEACHER, LEARNER, TARGET, ASSESSMENT, INSTRUCTION, MANAGEMENT) |
| Multiple Means of Representation (Modeling & Practice) |
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Content in this lesson will be presented in a number of ways: · Phenomenon engaging activity will be presented via projector for students to observe and comment about in groups. · Students will view interactive models on their Chromebooks using a website given to them via Google Classroom. · Students will see multiple examples of cells represented in diagrams with labels, videos, as well as 3D models that will be shown to them by the teacher in class. · Students will be able to work together to creatively make real world connections to the material they are learning. They will do this using Google Slides and creating a presentation with their groups. |
| Multiple Means of Engagement |
| Students will have multiple opportunities to remain engaged throughout the lesson:
· Students will engage with the material through worksheets showing illustrations of cells and their organelles. · Students will have an article with information they need about the cells. · Students will have a worksheet where they will be cutting out functions and matching them to specific organelles. · Students will have a website where they can match organelles to specific kinds of cells. · Students will have groups that they will be working with where they are creating a slide show presentations to make real world connections |
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Multiple means of Expression (practice & assessment) |
| Students will have a variety of opportunities to respond to the lessons and express their knowledge:
· Students will be able to show their prior knowledge with their “do you know cells well” worksheet. This will give them an opportunity to reflect on what they know going into this topic. · Students will be able to complete the online activity and show that they have matched all the organelles with the correct cells by creating a Google doc listing all the appropriate organelles with the correct type of cell. · Students will be able to show their matched functions with the appropriate organelles with the organelle card sort activity. · Students will be able to show their knowledge gained from the cell article by filling in the Building Blocks of the Cells worksheet. · Students will be able to show their work as a group by creating a Google slides presentation giving real world examples of organelle comparisons. · Students will take a multiple choice quiz after learning about organelles and their functions. |
| Managing the Classroom Environment |
| · Students will work independently and quietly while filling out the “Do You Know Cells Well” worksheet.
· Students will raise their hands and share things that they remember about cells when called on by the teacher. · Students will be respectful of others when grabbing the materials needed to cut out or color their cell models. · When working in groups, students will share the work among each other as equally as possible. They will be able to talk as a group but respect the other groups that are working around them and not be disruptive. · The instructor will ensure that students who have IEPs or other specific needs are paired with groups that will work positively together. · When giving presentations, students will act professional and not be laughing or goofing around while sharing information. When watching presentations, students will quietly listen to their other classmates and have any questions written down to ask afterwards. |
| Stage 2: Teaching
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| Daily agenda: what will you use to manage daily instruction
What is your learning map sequence?
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| Day 1:
1. Students will receive a worksheet asking them to write down and draw what they can remember about previously learned things regarding cells. They will quietly and independently fill out what they can remember. 2. Instructor will randomly call on students to name some of the items that they can remember about Cells. Students may raise their hands and share what they remember. Students may add things to their work sheet that they do remember as the discussion continues. 3. Students will use Chromebooks and their Google Classroom to retrieve a link for a website in which they will build a plant and animal cell. They will match up the organelles with the proper kind of cell. For example: Cell walls will only be found on the plant cell. 4. Students will click and drag the proper organelles into the Venn diagram on the website after playing around with the virtual cell. 5. Students will receive “Anatomy of the Cell” reading handout to read and highlight for homework. Day 2: 1. Students will take out their “Anatomy of the Cell” handout to use as a reference. 2. Students will fill in the “Building Blocks of Cells” worksheet. They may work with their table buddies to double check their work. 3. When they have completed “Building Blocks of Cells” they will each get an “Organelle Card Sort” worksheet. 4. They will cut out the different organelles and functions in the boxes found on the “Organelle Card Sort” worksheet. 5. With a partner at their table, students will pair up the different functions of the organelles with the organelles. 6. They may use the “Building Blocks of Cells” worksheet at first to double check their answers. However, after the first few practices, they will be expected to match the functions to the organelles without checking their answers. 7. After the students have discussed and practiced matching up organelles and their functions, the instructor will have them return to their seats in order to explain the upcoming group project. 8. The teacher will explain to the students about the Google Slides presentation they are going to do called the “Organelle Function Project”. 9. Students will be expected to create groups of three to do the project together. Days 3-4: 1. Students will grab Chromebooks and join their groups to work on their group project. 2. There is a template that is shared to the students on the Google classroom where they create their projects. 3. Students will decide on a real world theme to match items within the cells to. For example: A theme of Hogwarts would have the gate or barrier outside of Hogwarts be equal to the cell membrane of the cell. The Golgi Bodies would be represented by the owls because they are delivering messages. The nucleus or control center of the cell would be the Headmaster, etc. 4. The teacher will walk around the room engaging with students, checking themes, and helping cement ideas or clarify ideas they might have. 5. Team members will assign specific slides to the individuals in the group to ensure that every topic is covered. Days 5-6: 1. Students will submit their projects to the teacher. 2. Each group of students will present their ideas and explain to the class why they chose the specific items that match up with the organelles within that theme. 3. Students who are listening will be expected to write down any questions that they have for the group at the end of the presentations. 4. Homework will be studying for a quiz about organelle functions. Day 7: 1. Teacher will play a fun YouTube video to engage the kids with cells. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zafJKbMPA8 (You should check this video out! The kids absolutely love it and it cracks me up every time!) 2. Students will do a review activity with the instructor as a warm-up. The instructor may differentiate the review activity depending on the class. Some classes could do well with a Quizlet or Kahoot! quiz. However, other classes may find this to be too distracting and only work well on individual reflections. 3. Students will take a twenty question multiple choice quiz asking them to pair up the functions for individual organelles. This quiz will also ask questions differentiating between animal and plant cells. |
| What materials will you use?
· “Do You Know Cells Well”, “Anatomy of the Cell”, “Building Blocks of the Cell”, “Organelle Card Sort”, and “Organelle Functions Project” Worksheets · Coloring utensils for filling in diagrams. · Scissors for cutting out cards to sort. · Chromebooks for online activities and Google Slides Projects |
| How will you assess student learning?
1. Informal assessments: a. Students will engage in sharing what they can remember about cells. b. Students will highlight their reading for main ideas to show that they were engaging with the material. c. Teacher will walk around the room and check that students are sorting their cards correctly. d. Students will ask questions about the presentations and engage with the students who are presenting. 2. Formal assessment: a. Students will present their findings and ideas with their Google Slides presentations as a group. b. Students will take a multiple choice quiz evaluating their knowledge on the function of organelles. |
| Stage 3: Assessing Student Learning |
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What evidence of student learning have you collected? · The interaction between the students and the teacher in the beginning while reviewing what they already know can show that the students are engaged with the material and remembering what they have discussed before. · Their Google Slides project as well as their actual presentation will give the instructor an opportunity to listen to the students discuss the different functions of the organelles. · The quiz at the end of the unit will assess whether or not the students have retained the information about the cells and their organelle functions. How will you analyze this evidence? · When we share what we know already about the cells, this will allow the teacher to know how much review needs to be done on the topic. If the students are showing that they do not remember anything in relationship to cells, the teacher may need to take an extra day of discussing the article and matching cards before the students are prepared to do the group project. · They will be graded by a rubric on their presentations. · The quizzes will show their knowledge of the material. Retakes will be allowed up to 70% on the quiz.
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| What instructional decisions can you make as a result of your analysis of evidence?
· After the “Do You Know Cells Well” worksheet, the teacher may decide that the students need to spend an extra day going over the article that talks about cells, the organelles, and their functions. · If students show that they are not prepared for a quiz, the teacher may take an entire day to spend reviewing with students by playing review games, walking them through a slideshow presentation with basic information, having them work in groups, or creating some other form of review for the students before they need to take the quiz.
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References
The William S. Hart Union High School District NGSS Science Curriculum website. (I cannot insert a full reference for this simply because it is attached to my school district email and I was able to see standards for the NGSS curriculum.)
California State Board of Education, (2012). California English language development standards. Common Core State Standards. Retrieved from https://padletuploads.blob.core. windows.net/prod/228882809/43ad4be5f43bf286bb97bcab654c5999 /CA_ELD_Standards_PLD.pdf
IES – NCES (2019). The NAEP reading achievement levels by grade. Institute of Education Sciences – National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/reading/achieve.aspx
When presenting students with any type of reading materials, it is import to understand their reading levels proficiency. If you understand you students’ reading abilities you can know what to expect from them when assigning them anything that has reading expectations.
Analyzing Academic Texts within Content Areas
As students are learning to read, they are constantly being evaluated to determine their level of understanding. There are typical characteristics that can be found in English speaking students depending on their level of proficiency. It would make sense that as a student is getting older, the expectations would change depending on the grade they were in. As I plan to teach at the junior high school level, I will be discussing the expectations of students’ reading abilities for that age group.
Below Basic:
At the junior high school level, students are expected to have the foundational reading skill. While students performing below basic understanding may possess a fundamental reading ability, they may not have the ability to answer simple questions or identify main ideas from a text. Simply locating some of the important information found in the text may be difficult for students performing below the basic level of understanding. These students would not have the ability to make judgments based on what they are reading. Without the ability to make judgments or understand the text, most of these students would not be able to locate evidence to support a claim when asked. Sometimes these students may not be able to understand the basic meaning behind some of the words they may be reading. Knowledge of vocabulary may be missing as well.
Basic:
In junior high school, students who are reading at the basic level should have many of the foundational skills required to understand a text. These students should be able to identify the main idea, theme, and purpose of the text, as well as having the ability to interpret the meaning of what they are reading. Students will have the ability to identify the meaning of certain words used within the context of the material. When answering questions about the text, students should be able to evaluate, make judgments, and provide evidence to support their answers. The strength of students at this level is the ability to identify specific information found in the text.
While these students have the ability to identify a lot of the information, they may not be able to fully interpret and make solid connections across an entire text. They would not be able to completely summarize and support inferences that they may make about the text (IES – NCES, 2019).
Proficient:
Students performing at the proficient level of reading should not only be able to identify the main ideas and themes of a text but summarize them as well. These students have the ability to make inferences as well as provide evidence for those opinions about the text. Connecting parts of the text and analyzing different features of a text are skills that will be developed at this stage. This level of performance would mean that a student could clarify and back up their judgments that they make about the text with evidence from that text. These students would be able to see decisions that a character is making and be able to explain, recognize, and interpret the character’s actions and even feelings. They would be able to recognize what motivates a character’s actions within a text. While they are making stronger connections and demonstrating the ability to summarize and explain these connections, students at the proficient level may not have the ability to fully understand or interpret the author’s motivation behind the events that may occur in a text. Recognizing an author’s stance or literary devices used is the first step towards truly understanding an author’s intentions. This skill is beginning to develop at this stage of achievement (IES – NCES, 2019).
Advanced:
Advanced readers have developed all the skills previously mentioned when it comes to being able to recognize themes, ideas, and purposes of a particular text. Students reach the advanced level when they have the ability to make substantial connections within and across texts. This ability will allow the reader to more thoroughly explain casual relationships between themes, ideas, and even characters within the text. These students would be able to evaluate and justify the strength of supporting evidence. Understanding an author’s presentation and the quality of the author’s presentation. Students with advanced understanding can handle the demands of analysis, evaluation, and justification. Their skills lie in the ability to make intertextual as well as intratextual connections across a text. These students have the ability to explain and infer a variety of information about the text (IES – NCES, 2019).
The materials I chose to examine for this assignment were taken directly from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Life Science for All curriculum. Both of these texts are used in California’s new NGSS seventh grade curriculum.
Text #1: Are Viruses Alive?
This is an article and follow up worksheet titled “Are Viruses Alive?” It is found in the seventh grade life science NGSS curriculum. This article is used at the beginning of the school year after students are taught the different characteristics of what it means to be alive. The purpose of this article is to introduce to students the idea of writing a CER (claim, evidence, and reasoning). They will be expected to use this basic set up for the rest of the year any time they are asked to evaluate a scientific principle and back up their claim with evidence and reasoning for that evidence.
The article is set up in a way that allows students to take notes and write questions in the margin as they are reading. Students are instructed in the directions to make not of any questions or important details that stand out to them as they read. The article is two pages long. It begins by describing viruses the students may have heard of. The second part of the article lists the basic requirements for something to be considered living. The third section then describes how viruses do or do not meet the requirements to be considered living things. The article ends with the author stating how this subject is a strongly debated issue in the scientific community.
After the article, there is a two page worksheet where students are asked to summarize the main purpose of the article. Next, they are asked to provide evidence to back up both the idea of viruses being alive as well as them not being living. This evidence can be found in the article provided. Lastly, the students are asked to make a claim based on the evidence that they examined and their judgment of the evidence provided. They are then asked to provide evidence from the article to back up their claim and then show their reasoning behind why they personally believe viruses are alive or not.
Text #2: What is Your Body Made of?
This article and activity is a worksheet found in the seventh grade life science NGSS curriculum as an introduction to the human body. It is taken from Accelerate Learning Bodies and Systems. This article is used when body systems are introduced. It helps the students understand the levels of organization that occur in organisms by describing the simplest structures to most complex.
This article begins by listing the levels of organization as a hierarchy; cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms. It explains each of these levels and brief details of their make-up. Once the article reaching the organ systems stage it begins to describe individual organ systems within the human body and their specific traits and functions that they serve. The article continues by discussing the similarities and differences found in plants and the systems that they have. The last three pages ask the students to analyze, summarize, and examine different aspects of the subject by using their ability to interpret what they have read.
| TEXT TYPES
LEVELS OF READING |
ACADEMIC TEXT 1 Are Viruses Alive? |
ACADEMIC TEXT 2 ___________________ |
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BELOW BASIC LEVEL |
· These students would have trouble identifying the evidence for the two arguments.
· Students would struggle with making the connections between the characteristics listed and the relationship to viruses. · These students would have a difficult time following the instructions and answering the questions at the end of the activity because they would be unable to make connections needed. |
· Students at this level would struggle to understand many of the complex vocabulary words found in this article.
· These students would become overwhelmed with the sheer volume of information presented to them and be unable to connect one section to the next. · Given the many topics addressed in this article, these students would have trouble remembering the differences in the levels of organization as well as explaining the relationship of human systems to plant systems. |
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BASIC LEVEL |
· These students would be able to answer the basic questions of the main purpose and idea of the text. However, they would have a hard time being able to formulate the general idea of the text into their own words.
· These students may be able to find specific evidence about viruses by notating the facts listed in the article. However, they may be unable to judge which side of the argument the facts may support. · These students would struggle to follow the outline set out by the worksheet to formulate their own CER at the end of the activity. This would be due to the inability to completely connect the main ideas with the claim that they are being asked to make. |
· These students would be able to grasp the main ideas and purpose of this article. They would struggle with summarizing the meaning into their own words. When asked to summarize certain systems at the end of the article, they would have trouble connecting the information.
· These students would have trouble connecting the idea of plant systems with human systems. It would be difficult to see the relationship between the two. |
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PROFICIENT LEVEL |
· These students are able to understand and interpret the material that is presented to them. While the students may be able to identify and evaluate the evidence, they may have a difficult time writing the evidence in their own words. | · These students are able to understand the material they are presented with. However, they may have a difficult time understanding the author’s intentions when it comes to breaking down and comparing plants composition to humans and animals. The last page has an activity asking students to evaluate a carrot as a root. These students would understand what was being asked but would struggle to understand the reasoning behind the activity. |
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ADVANCED LEVEL
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· Since these students would be able to make the most connections, they would probably struggle most with making a judgment based on the evidence provided. This would be due to their ability to evaluate and understand the confusion of the two sides presented. | · These students would definitely have the best understanding when it comes to this article. Since they are able to make real connections with the material and draw conclusions, I could honestly see their challenge being a lack of understanding the quality of the author’s presentation of the material. With their deeper understanding of the topic, I could see these students being challenged by whether or not they find the last few pages and activities to genuinely be helpful since they have the ability to judge the quality of the material. |
According to Hinchman (2014), “Students’ reading identities influence the decisions they make with texts. Students who self-identify as poor readers often limit their interactions with texts, ask fewer questions, and limit the amount of reading they do with academic texts.” For me, this was one of the most profound statements that I came across this week when beginning to read and understand how literacy can affect all content areas in a students’ academic pursuits. As I was reflecting on the challenges and successes that students face in different levels of reading, it occurred to me how greatly a child can be affected by this label that could be given to them. I need to be incredibly aware of any labels that I may use to describe a student in my classroom. Confirmation bias seems to be a concern when trying to help students improve their reading abilities.
Despite being a science teacher, my students will come across many different types of materials that present information to them within my classroom. We do not really think about the effect that a student’s reading ability may have on them in science, but most of the material is presented to them in such a way that they are going to be reading and analyzing many different types of texts. Science can be a really content heavy subject and maybe a student’s disinterest may not be simply because they do not like science. Maybe their disinterest could be due to a lack of understanding the material.
For this assignment we learned about the different characteristics that could be expected from students who are English language learners. When we understand these types of learners, we are better able to prepare lessons to meet their needs.
Academic Texts for ELL and SELLs
English Language Learners (ELL) need specific instructional support while developing their English proficiency.
Emerging:
When working in groups, emerging students are able to successfully answer yes, no, and who, what, when, where, and why questions. They are able to respond to questions using simple phrases. These students are able to engage in brief conversations using basic learned phrases. With prompting and substantial support, these students are able to demonstrate active listening skills and explain ideas. Drawing conclusions based on text is possible with the use of frequently used verbs. Emerging students are able to exchange words with similar meanings in order to communicate with different audiences. When presenting oral presentations, these students are able to give brief summaries on a variety of topics and content areas. While writing is a challenge for these students, they are able to write brief summaries of tests using complete sentences or key words.
Expanding:
Students who would be categorized in the expanding proficiency level have the ability to contribute in collaborations with other students. These students would have the ability to take turns asking questions and engaging in group discussions. Their written exchanges with peers would be more detailed than emerging students. They would only require moderate support when it comes to giving oral presentations or even when reading through texts or materials presented in class. These students are able to use their knowledge of morphology as well as understanding context, reference materials and visual cues in order to determine the meaning of words. With moderate support, these students are able to provide evidence to support any ideas they are trying to show. The use of figurative language and descriptors becomes more frequent for these students.
Bridging:
Students at the Bridging level of proficiency easily contribute to class discussions by adhering to common expectations such as asking questions, paraphrasing key ideas, building on responses, and providing feedback to their partners. They are able to negotiate with other students in conversation and use a variety of learned phrases and changing up their phrasing based on the task they are given. These students only need minimal prompting when it comes to demonstrating active listening and oral presentation skills. These students are able to compare, contrast, determine cause and effect, and even problem solve. They are able to explain their inferences and conclusions that they draw based on the texts they have read. Students at this level will begin to use more descriptive words that emphasize the meaning of certain phrases.
African American Vernacular English (AAVE): (Jones, 2014)
AAVE is often misunderstood as “bad English.” However, it is actually considered to be a dialect which means that there is a very clear set of rules and grammar. Its origins are believed to be from the American South and has many of the same features as a typical Southern dialect. There are several specific features that can be found for most speakers. One characteristic is the deletion of specific verbs such as “is” and “are.” Another feature is stressing of the word “been.” For example, “he been got a job.” This shows that he has had a job for a long time or that he got a job a long time ago. In English we always stress the misuse of negatives. In many other languages it is common practice to use more than one negative to emphasize a point. This is the same with AAVE. There are other instances in this dialect where verb tenses are used in a way to emphasize a certain meaning behind a sentence. These tenses would be considered “incorrect” in proper English grammar, yet make sense for the specific emphasis desired within this particular vernacular.
The materials I chose to examine for this assignment were taken directly from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Life Science for All curriculum. Both of these texts are used in California’s new NGSS seventh grade curriculum.
Text #1: Are Viruses Alive?
This is an article and follow up worksheet titled “Are Viruses Alive?” It is found in the seventh grade life science NGSS curriculum. This article is used at the beginning of the school year after students are taught the different characteristics of what it means to be alive. The purpose of this article is to introduce to students the idea of writing a CER (claim, evidence, and reasoning). They will be expected to use this basic set up for the rest of the year any time they are asked to evaluate a scientific principle and back up their claim with evidence and reasoning for that evidence.
The article is set up in a way that allows students to take notes and write questions in the margin as they are reading. Students are instructed in the directions to make not of any questions or important details that stand out to them as they read. The article is two pages long. It begins by describing viruses the students may have heard of. The second part of the article lists the basic requirements for something to be considered living. The third section then describes how viruses do or do not meet the requirements to be considered living things. The article ends with the author stating how this subject is a strongly debated issue in the scientific community.
After the article, there is a two page worksheet where students are asked to summarize the main purpose of the article. Next, they are asked to provide evidence to back up both the idea of viruses being alive as well as them not being living. This evidence can be found in the article provided. Lastly, the students are asked to make a claim based on the evidence that they examined and their judgment of the evidence provided. They are then asked to provide evidence from the article to back up their claim and then show their reasoning behind why they personally believe viruses are alive or not.
Text #2: What is Your Body Made of?
This article and activity is a worksheet found in the seventh grade life science NGSS curriculum as an introduction to the human body. It is taken from Accelerate Learning Bodies and Systems. This article is used when body systems are introduced. It helps the students understand the levels of organization that occur in organisms by describing the simplest structures to most complex.
This article begins by listing the levels of organization as a hierarchy; cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms. It explains each of these levels and brief details of their make-up. Once the article reaching the organ systems stage it begins to describe individual organ systems within the human body and their specific traits and functions that they serve. The article continues by discussing the similarities and differences found in plants and the systems that they have. The last three pages ask the students to analyze, summarize, and examine different aspects of the subject by using their ability to interpret what they have read.
| Text Types
Levels of Reading |
ACADEMIC TEXT 1 Are Viruses alive? |
ACADEMIC TEXT 2 What is your body made of? |
| Emerging Proficiency Level | · These students would struggle with some of the vocabulary and scientific terms that were mentioned throughout the article.
· Substantial support would be necessary from the teacher or an instructional assistant who could help explain the relationship between the questions and the text. · These students would be able to understand that there were two sides of the argument presented. They may need help identifying which pieces of evidence back up which claims. · Due to the lack of visual representations with any part of this article, the students would need help identifying key pieces of evidence. |
· Students at this proficiency level will be able to determine the main idea of this article. They will be able to see that there is a specific order in which things are organized in the human body. They may have difficulty with the scientific or unfamiliar vocabulary. This misunderstanding of vocabulary use may cause confusion in understanding the connection between the different levels of organization in the human body.
· This students will see that there are similarities in the comparison with the plants. However, they will have difficulty in understanding how the two can relate to each other. · Due to difficulties with understanding the vocabulary used throughout the article, students will most likely need substantial support in filling out the last few pages of the article where they are asked to summarize and interpret what they read. |
| Expanding Proficiency Level | · These students would benefit from visual cues as well, therefore it would be difficult for them to identify particular pieces of evidence to back up the individual claims. However, they would be able to identify more easily the two sides of the argument.
· These students would be able to easily identify the main ideas in this passage. However, it may be difficult for them to clearly state the evidence for each argument presented without moderate support. |
· These students will have a better understanding than emerging students due to a more solid foundation with vocabulary and understanding main ideas more easily. These students will be able to see how each system in the body contains the specific levels of organization.
· These students will be able to see the connections between the plants and animals but may struggle with the differences found between the two. · These students will be able to summarize and interpret information found on the last few pages of the article. However, they may require moderate support with wording or phrasing their responses in a proper manner. |
| Bridging Proficiency Level | · These students will have a fairly easy time with understanding the purpose and main idea of this article. They will be able to recognize and determine the two separate arguments being made and identify the evidence presented for both sides.
· There may be some instances of confusion when it comes to understanding specific vocabulary and scientific verbiage. · These students will be able to complete the written portion of the article and follow the prompts given to them in order to properly fill out a CER. However, they may require minimal support for specific wording or phrasing needed. |
· These students will have a nearly proficient skill set when it comes to understanding the vocabulary and scientific languages used throughout this article. They will be able to see the main ideas and understand the connections made between the levels of organization and the differences found in plants and animals.
· These students will only need minimal support in summarizing the main ideas and filling out the last few pages of the article that asks them questions regarding their understanding of the article. |
| Standard English Learner
AAVE |
· These students should have little to no difficulty with reading the article. There may be a few instances of a need for clarification simply due to a difference in speech patterns or emphasis. However, there should be an understanding of the intent and purpose of the article.
· These students would be able to fill out the last page of the article with their claim, evidence, and reasoning. However, they may struggle with using proper verb tenses or eliminating specific verbs they may need in order to clarify their meaning. |
· These students will most likely have little to no difficulty with reading and understanding the main ideas and key points of this article. They may struggle with making a few connections between some of the descriptions of the systems due to differences in verb tenses.
· These students should be able to summarize and interpret what they read and answer the questions provided. They may require some brief help with specific wording required in order to fill out the answers in a way that meets expectations with proper grammar. |
This past year I had the privilege of teaching on a long term substitute teacher assignment. While one this assignment, the class that I was involved in had several ELL students and an instructional assistant that worked with them on a daily basis. I will admit to feeling overwhelmed for a while with trying to understand how I could possibly help them succeed in my class. Some of these descriptions of proficiency levels would have definitely helped me in better understanding where these children were at in their understanding of the English language. However, I do not necessarily think that each child can so easily be placed in one category or another. This belief is due to witnessing the success of these students in one class or another depending on what content areas they were more interested in or understood better depending on their prior knowledge. While reading about the different kinds of standard English learners who may have different dialects, my eyes were certainly opened to the many different dialects and uses of language that we come across on a regular basis. We can sometimes be so quick to assume that someone who uses verbs “incorrectly” is uneducated or ignorant. However, there is definitely a cultural aspect that needs to be taken into account to understand the reasoning behind the use of particular words or phrases. Having grown up in the South, I found the articles and videos about AAVE to be very fascinating. There are definitely many similarities between AAVE and what most people would simply call a “Southern” dialect. I have two parents who are both educators and were always insisting on proper grammar. However, it is interesting to now have a better understanding of why the dialects may be a certain way.
Our accumulative project for this class was actually designing a lesson plan that could be presented in the classroom where we did our field work. This was a neat opportunity to get feedback from the teacher and practice implementing everything that we learned in this class. Our teacher we observed gave us feedback that allowed us to adjust our lessons based on that communication in order to improve our lessons. Here is the lesson that I created with the revisions and reflection about my collaboration with Denise, the teacher I was working with:
Signature Assignment:
Revised Lesson Plan
Introduction:
This lesson plan was created as a follow up to the lesson that I previously observed during my field observation. The class I observed was a third/fourth grade, Mild to Moderate Special Day Class (SDC). The students’ lesson that I observed was a discussion about Abraham Lincoln and how he abolished slavery. They read a book titled Abe Lincoln’s Hat. After they read this story, they discussed the meaning of the word “abolish” and how it meant to “get rid of.” The goal for the students was to understand the meaning of the word. They followed this up with an activity where they studied Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation speech. They defined “emancipation” and “proclamation.” After writing any of these words down, they did a wrap up activity where they drew a picture, illustrating Lincoln giving his speech. The follow up lesson that I am creating will be a character study of the main character involved in the story that we read previously (Abe Lincoln’s Hat) as well as the speech that he gave as president. We will be comparing Young Abe to Older Abe to see how he solved the problem of his disorganization and how the things he saw as a young man impacted him later in life.
Lesson Plan
Learners:
In this classroom there are a total of eleven students with mild to moderate disabilities. Eight of the students have a primary qualifying eligibility of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Two of the students have a qualifying eligibility of Specific Learning Disability (SLD). Additionally, one student has an Emotional Disability (ED). One of the students with ASD has a secondary qualifying eligibility of a visual impairment while several of the other students have a secondary qualifying eligibility of a speech/language impairment. There are nine boys in the class and two girls.
Focus Student #1:
RA
Focus Student #2:
AB
Teacher:
Because my students have learning disabilities, it is important to model for them when we are doing any sort of activity. It is also vital that directions are repeated clearly for specific students and any questions are addressed and clarified in order to hold students’ attention. Graphic Organizers are also essential for clearly illustrating the material that is being presented to the students.
Target:
Standards: This lesson follows the California Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts for third grade.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY 3.3
Describe characters in a story (e.g. their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.9
Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g. in books from a series).
Goal: The goal of this lesson is to help the students understand what a character is and how they change over time.
Objectives: When applying Bloom’s Taxonomy to this lesson, students will be mainly accessing the lower levels of thinking, including remembering, understanding, and applying. The students will define what a character is in a story. Additionally, they will be listing as well as describing characteristics of Abraham Lincoln as the main character in the material that was covered in the previous class. They will apply what they learned from the previous story by organizing traits of Abraham Lincoln as a child versus an adult. This will allow the students to briefly access the higher levels of thinking as they are evaluating what part of Lincoln’s life a trait belonged to by comparing his older self to his younger self.
Assessment:
The assessment for this lesson is going to be an informal assessment. The teacher will ask check questions throughout the lesson to determine if the students are understanding and remembering what a character is in a story. The students will also work independently to draw character traits from the hat and be able to put them in the proper place of whether it described Lincoln as a young child or as an adult.
Instruction:
Materials:
Introduction/Review (10 mins)
The students will be place in cooperative groups of two or three, selected by the teacher, at the beginning of the lesson. This will give them opportunities to work with their partners and have discussions together. The teacher will remind the students about the lesson that was taught the previous day. The book, Abe Lincoln’s Hat will be shown to the students. The teacher will ask the students what they remember about the story and go over any key points. The teacher will remind the students about Abraham Lincoln as a child and how he was disorganized and had to learn to solve that problem with his hat. The image of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation speech will also be shown to students. They will discuss how the things that he saw as a child (the slaves being chained on the boat) affected him and resulted in him writing the emancipation proclamation and abolishing slavery.
New Material
What is a character?: (5 mins)
Tell the students that we are going to talk about what characters are in a story. Show the students three books that they are familiar with or would have read previously in class Cinderella, Charlotte’s Web, and The Mouse and the Motorcycle. These are all books we have read in class. Ask the students briefly what they remember about them. Ask the students, “Who was this story about?”
Tell the students that characters are “the people or animals that a story is about.” Have the students turn to each other and repeat the definition of a character. On their worksheet, the top section asks, “What is a character?” The students will fill in the sentence frame that follows stating, “A character is the ____________ or ____________ that a ____________ is about.”
What’s in the Hat?: (30 20 mins)
Tell students that we are going to look at Abraham Lincoln as a young person as well as an adult. Show them that their worksheet has two boxes. One side of the paper says “Younger Abe” and the other side says “Adult Abe.” Tell the students that we are going to look at some character traits and decide if they are describing Abe as a child or as an adult.
Teacher will have a hat that contains index cards with character traits. The teacher will pull two traits, one at a time, out of the hat and place on the visual on the board of whether it describes him as a child or adult. Teacher will then write the character trait in the appropriate box on the worksheet using the Elmo Document Camera.
Teacher will select an equity stick to have a random student come to the hat and choose a character trait. The student will read the trait out loud to the class with teacher’s help if needed and place it on the correct side of the visual on the board. Students will then write the character trait on the worksheet while the students write it with her.
After two three to four traits have been pulled together, two or three five more students will then choose a trait from the hat and read it independently and decide which side of the board that trait belongs on. The number of students who select traits will be determined by their eagerness and desire to continue with the activity. The teacher should be monitoring for disinterested behavior. Teacher will assess students to see if the traits are placed in the correct box and make any corrections as needed. Students will then independently fill in those traits on their boxes.
A brief example of possible traits:
| Young Abe | Adult Abe |
| “Disorganized”
“Did not go to school” “Always losing papers” “Saw slave chained on a ship” “Read books a lot” |
“Wore a hat to keep his papers”
“Organized” “Lawyer” “President” “Worked to end slavery.” |
Closing (5 mins)
Teacher asks the students “What is a character? Which character did we learn about today?”
Focus Student #1: RA would need to use the slant board when he is writing. He also has preferred seating close to the IFP to see the worksheet and images. He needs to have the worksheet enlarged on the document camera to be able to see the material.
Focus Student #2: AB needs to be seated near a student who will not engage in arguments with her if they disagree. When discussing Abraham Lincoln’s feelings, she needs to be reminded what feelings are. Example: “Feelings are what our mind thinks on the inside.”
Management:
The attention of the students will be gained by the teacher starting the class by saying “I am ready to teach you.” Students respond with “I am ready to learn.” Teacher will use the equity sticks to draw names of students who will be called up to select character traits from the hat. Students who are paying attention will earn stars on their star chart. The teacher will regain the students’ attention by using attention grasping phrases such as, “one, two, three, eyes on me” and “show me that you’re listening.” Verbal praise will be used throughout the lesson. Non-verbal cues, such as high fives or thumbs up will be used as well.
UDL Considerations (Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2014)
Engagement: Realia is used with an actual hat to pull the character traits out of. The use of familiar stories to the students will grab their attention. The equity sticks increase excitement and participation because they enjoy coming to the board.
Focus Student #1: RA uses the slant board, IFP, and the document camera in order to remain engaged throughout the lesson.
Focus Student #2: She can work well with a partner who is patient and understanding if she becomes upset. This is especially relevant because she can easily become agitated by her name not being selected with the equity sticks. The teacher can engage her in conversation throughout to assess whether or not she may need a break due to becoming upset.
Representation: Large visual on the board and individual graphic organizers are given to the students to help visually organize the character traits. The information on the IFP and the books also help to present the information.
Expression: Students tell the teacher as well as their neighbor the definition of a character. They are reading the traits out loud as they are drawing them out of the hat. Restating the information at the closing will reinforce the definition of a character.
Reflection
After reviewing my lesson, it was helpful to talk to Denise more about her class and how well her students stay engaged (or do not). This factor really plays a huge part in the way she runs her classroom. It was wise of her to suggest cutting down the amount of time that the lesson would be for the kids. This would allow the students to remain engaged and not become side-tracked by the fact that they are bored or wanting to move on. Denise and I discussed how keeping these things in mind also helps to ensure that the goals and objectives for the lesson are truly met. Otherwise, we would just end up with some frustrated students who would not remember what the function of the lesson was. I also liked her suggestion of starting off the class with creating cooperative groups. This can help to peak the students’ interesting from the start and ensure that they are successfully completing the work. This can be achieved by the students having a partner whom they can turn to and work with throughout the lesson.
This field experience was a little different from all the rest because we were focusing on the way that the teacher presented information. We had an opportunity to sit down with the teacher and interview them about how they plan their lessons and what key things they need when planning:
Field Experience:
Denise Turner – Charles Helmers Elementary School – 3rd/4th grade Mild/Moderate SDC
Introduction:
Prior to my interview, Denise and I discussed the evidence-based learning map and the six elements. We talked about how each element is vital when considering a lesson plan and ensuring that the material is presented in a way that allows each student to access the curriculum. Each of the elements in the learning map is important to be aware of in order to ensure that every lesson is specifically designed in a way that every learner is able to meet their academic goals and objectives.
Due to her classroom being a special day class, it was important to acknowledge the benefits of incorporating technology in the classroom. According to Myer, Rose, & Gordon, teachers “find, adapt, and even invent technologies that would help students with disabilities overcome the barriers they faced in their environments, especially in schools” (2014, pg. 2). Denise is able to use technology in a way that allows for multiple means of representation, action and expression, as well as engagement.
She also encourages her students to have a growth mindset and be willing to try new things in the classroom. “[L]earners with a growth mindset are motivated by self-development through learning. They perceive and seek out challenges as opportunities to expand their intelligence and ability” (Myers, Rose, & Gordon, 2014, pg. 31). Denise is continually planning lessons that enable her students to grow and change. This change is a part of the growth mindset that encourages deeper learning as much as possible.
Interview:
Conclusion (analysis and critical opinions):
During my interview with Denise, it became abundantly clear to me how important each of these six elements is in implementing effective lesson plans. Understanding the learner is critical in order to have an awareness of the prior knowledge or experience that each student has. Knowing how my beliefs as a teacher can affect my lesson planning process is also a key element that can enable my students to better engage in the lesson. According to Meyer, Rose, & Gordon (2014), engagement is needed for successful learning.
When it comes to structuring the lesson plan, the target, assessment, instruction, and management elements are the core of what the lesson actually looks like. In order for students to effectively access the curriculum, it is important to have clear goals, objectives, and outcomes in mind that will allow you to meet the standards that are set for each student. For me, as a learner, sometimes these elements seemed separated or abstract but Denise was able to show me how they are all connected and each important for running an effective classroom. She was able to remind me of how important our efforts are in the classroom. “The ultimate goal of our efforts as educators is to engage, challenge, and support each learner to become the best [they] can be” (Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2014, pg. 22-23).
Sarah Ashley's Teacher Showcase 