Lesson Plan
Student WorkCollaborating Teacher Observation NotesAssessment & ResultsReflectionOverall, I was delighted by this lesson. Not only did the students seem to enjoy learning, but they were able to demonstrate their understanding appropriately. I believe the videos were entertaining and engaged the young learners by activating their background knowledge, clearing any misconceptions about unfamiliar vocabulary (decomposing, part/part/whole, etc.) and appealing to their sense of rhythm, music and rhyme. Also, before introducing the dominoes, the students were delighted to share their experiences with dominoes. Having the physical domino displayed before asking them to count the virtual domino in the Powerpoint gave a tangible connection to the virtual representation, which ensured student’s understanding. All students who were present participated in the lesson by answering questions, sharing their work/thinking or completing a problem in the Powerpoint (ensured by the formative assessment checklist/chart). Students were asked to share their opinions with a thumbs up or down and were occasionally asked to justify their reasoning or explain their thinking as to why they agree or disagree. The students were able to complete the Decomposing Dominoes! worksheet in a timely manner with little need for redirection. The students really seemed to grasp the concept of number bonds transferring to number sentences, as well as an understanding of “+”/”and”/”plus” and “=”/”equals”. A student who is frequently off task reported that the learning activity was “fun” and “cool”, he seemed to enjoy the dominoes as manipulatives in the lesson. My Collaborating Teacher reminded the students that the manipulatives were “Tools, not toys,” which is a great phrase for keeping students on task. The students completed the Add it up! worksheet independently as further formative assessment of their understanding. The majority of the students completed the worksheet with perfect accuracy. Two students made only one mistake. A below-level female struggled and misplaced five dominoes. Another learner, who only shows issues in mathematics, misplaced four dominoes. I hope to do a small lesson with these two learners to give individualized attention to their academic needs while decomposing numbers. To further understanding in future lessons, it would be beneficial to build upon the student’s knowledge of the Part Part Whole relationship.
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Mid-Spring Semester Goal SettingThrough collaboration with my Collaborating Teacher and University Supervisor, I have set professional development goals to better my teaching. During my midterm evaluation, I identified assessment as an area of improvement. The Florida Educator Accomplished Practice associated with assessment is FEAP 4, which includes: The effective educator consistently: (a) *Analyzes and applies data from multiple assessments and measures to diagnose students’ learning needs, informs instruction based on those needs, and drives the learning process; (b) *Designs and aligns formative and summative assessments that match learning objectives and lead to mastery; (c) *Uses a variety of assessment tools to monitor student progress, achievement and learning gains; (d) *Modifies assessments and testing conditions to accommodate learning styles and varying levels of knowledge; (e) *Shares the importance and outcomes of student assessment data with the student and the student’s parent/caregiver(s); (f) *Applies technology to organize and integrate assessment information. Through my participation in this quarter's Parent-Teacher conference night, I have met FEAPS 4e. Additionally, through composing various literacy portfolios and English Language Learner case studies I have contributed to the accomplishment of FEAPS 4a. I have evaluated student performance of the entire class with varying assessments: the Primary Spelling Inventory, the Yopp-Singer Test of Phoneme Segmentation, Running Records, Miscue Analysis' and weekly Sight Word checklists. Also, I have given Unit Tests in math or science to students who were absent on the original testing days. In those scenarios, I have been able to meet FEAPS 4d, by accommodating student's preferences for learning. Most of the lessons I have taught thus far do not call for summative assessments. However, varying my formative assessment methods is an area for potential improvement in the classroom. Assessment is a requirement in all schools, but providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in meaningful ways promotes student success, effective teaching and improved student attitude. My collaborating teacher suggested exit tickets, taking notes during instruction or including a checklist of objectives to offer variety in formative assessment. My supervisor has provided countless resources to develop my understanding of various assessment methods. In order to further my own learning about assessment, I researched the topic. Assessment has always been a word students tremble at and from what I've heard from my teachers, they aren't shaking in excitement for testing either. Words Their Way clarified assessment from its' roots in Latin, "assidere", which means "to sit beside". Instead of seeing assessment as grading or standardized test scores, Classrooms That Work emphasized assessment is utilized to support grades being given. Assessment is also an indication of achievement, performance and growth. Analyzing assessment allows teachers to look through the window of student performance as an indication of their abilities. To determine instructional reading level or specific problem areas, diagnostic assessment is given. Summative assessment judges a student's competence or the program's effectiveness. Finally, formative assessment is used as a tool to inform instruction based on student needs. In classrooms were formative assessment is applied, I was surprised to read that standardized test scores are 15-25% higher. To tailor instruction to student needs, Words Their Way suggests differentiated instruction can be given by grouping students according to their instructional level. While in these groups, frustration or not being challenged implies students should be moved to a group more met to their level. I loved the "Circle-Seat-Center Schedule" included in Words Their Way that allows for differentiated instruction at various levels and differing study methods. Gregory and Chapman addressed assessment differentiation in One Size Doesn't Fit All. Differentiation is a belief system that educators hold to plan strategically and meet the needs of diverse learners to achieve targeted standards. The differentiated classroom considers the content, process of the learners and various products for the unique needs of students. Assessment tools should assess knowledge and interests prior to learning and be a blend of formal/informal strategies for ongoing assessment. Performance tasks can also be differentiated. In planning my remaining two observed lessons, I have varied my data collection of student comprehension formats. For my second Collaborative Teacher observation, I included in the lesson plan: Formative evidence of learning will result from student’s active participation in class, teacher observations and the student’s accuracy of completing the Decomposing Dominoes! worksheet. Also, students' ability to justify their reasoning orally will indicate understanding. Summative assessment will provide data of student as comprehension as students complete the Decompose This! activity sheet independently. Also, the end of unit test will further specify student’s level of learning. In order to track student understanding, I maintained a checklist during my second Collaborative Teacher observed lesson that included participation, student's abilities relative to the lesson objective (dominoes, number bonds, number sentences), student quotes and accuracy/completion of the worksheets. The checklist can be viewed below:
In the future, I plan to utilize differentiation in assessment. I hope to offer my students more performance tasks as a way to demonstrate their understanding. Also, I hope to consider learning styles when planning assessments. Testing in the way students learn best will guarantee all learners are presented equity in assessment. Finally, I will be integrating the use of technology for data analysis and keeping a running record of student's progress over time.
By including a checklist, I am able to ensure that every student is held responsible for participating and that students are provided equitable access to learning. Also, by their participation and ability to answer questions correctly, I am able to infer student's understanding. Having a single sheet with a record of student's behavior during the lesson is an excellent source for planning further lessons.
Peer Coaching I had the honor of working with the insightful Mrs. Randolph to collaborate and conference on our teaching development relative to our inquiries. Visiting her classroom was a privilege and witnessing her pre-service teaching was inspirational. I am lucky to be part of a program that attracts such intrinsically-driven, compassionate and bright peers. I am confident Mrs. Randolph will make for a fantastic and effective educator that students will enjoy learning with. What did you learn about your inquiry from the data collected?My inquiry for this semester relates to one of my biggest passions and sources of intrigue: learning styles and differentiating for above, on and below level learners. Mrs. Randolph's observations noted that student learning was promoted through the implementation of a hands-on approach. The kinesthetic learners in the classroom (which most kindergartners show a preference for) enjoyed the opportunity to see gravity in action, be active in the classroom and witness the concept they are learning. Mrs. Randolph observed the variety of manipulatives and visual aids available for student learning. Tactile learners made observations through handling the manipulatives (rocks, paper) and witnessing the force of gravity. Visual learners benefited from the clip art that corresponded to the terms (provided on vocabulary posters for "mass" and "gravity"). Additionally, students were instructed to either write or draw their observations. In this way, visual learners are able to create a representation of the exploration of the concepts of gravity and mass. Lower-level learners who struggle with writing were given the opportunity to present their observation in an anxiety-free way, and upper-level learners were encouraged to elaborate their explanations during writing conferencing. From Mrs. Randolph's observations of student work, the learners enjoyed the variety of ways to learn and explore the concepts of gravity and mass. Additionally, their observations and discussions implied understanding and demonstrated effective instruction. What did you learn from your conversations with your partner?Through conferencing with Mrs. Randolph, I discovered one of the most beneficial tools to improve student learning: collaboration. Working with your peers to provide learners with the best experience possible allows their development to be encouraged from a variety of perspectives. Mrs. Randolph informed me that she considers herself to have auditory learning qualities, so she suggested a song, chant or rhyme to reach young students who learn best by hearing. This was a brilliant idea that I had previously overlooked! I found this rhyme scheme online, and I hope to share it with my students when we review prior to their unit assessment: Working with Mrs. Randolph furthered my drive to provide children with enjoyable educational experiences that meet their needs, interests and preferences for learning. Not only was I able to witness Mrs. Randolph's admirable teaching, but through collaboration we are able to provide students with improved instruction. I am grateful for her time, support and insight.
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