Instructional Design and Lesson Planning
Applying concepts from human development and learning theories, the effective educator consistently;
A. Aligns instruction with state adopted standards at the appropriate level of rigor.
In my classrooms, the state standards and essential questions are displayed in the classroom. It is important for the students to know what the goal of the instruction is. The common core and or state standards are written on the dry erase board, the class newsletter, on worksheets and even are included in some of the smart board textbook lessons. If you are trying to teach the students a concept or master a skill it is essential to give them the map (the standards) in order for them to reach that goal. Above, is a lesson plan and an example of the display of the standards on the white board for the students, parents and visitors to see in the classroom.
B. Sequences lessons and concepts to ensure coherence and the required prior lessons;
When planning lessons, the teacher follows guidelines set by the grade level. As highlighted in the photo to the left, the skills unit goes in sequential order, building on the skills learned to achieve learning goals. In the math lessons, the teacher follows the order of lessons suggested by the textbook to scaffold on knowledge learned. For example the students need to know how shapes fit together before they begin building new shapes. The grade level meets weekly and decides what is to be covered and when.
The students are given a list of spelling words on Monday, each night they are to practice the words in various ways such as using them as in sentences. During the week's instruction, the teacher points out the spelling words in various lessons. On Friday, before the test, the students participate in a game of Sparkle to practice the words, and then take the test afterwards.
C. Designs instruction for students to achieve mastery;
When teaching a lesson, it is important for the teacher to use concrete examples of the concepts. In the photo above, the students were learning about graphing. The entire class stood up and became part of a living graph. The post it notes represent where they were standing in answering a question. The students were able to apply this activity to the lesson being taught, giving them greater understanding. The class, then, completed the Go Math lesson using games and the exercises included with the textbook. Each student was able to complete the "On your Own" section with little or no assistance from the teacher.
D. Selects appropriate formative assessments to monitor learning.
The photo above shows a concept test for a reading unit we had completed. This test contained all the skills the students learned during the unit. The results were put into performance matters to determine which skills the students mastered.
E. Uses a variety of data, independently, and in collaboration with colleagues, to evaluate learning outcomes, adjust planning and continuously improve the effectiveness of the lessons; and
Using data from district required tests, such as the Star Literacy Test, teachers can analyze data, create graphs which can be shared with the students, their parents and other teachers. In my class, we were able to use graphs and data gathered to help a student get an I.E.P. and much needed speech assistance. After the students test on certain subjects, the data is entered and is available to the entire grade level, the principal and assistant principal. The staff can see where remediation needs to be and can use the information to plan accordingly the following year. For example, when my class was learning about 3-D shapes, the textbook barely scratched the surface when explaining about the sides of a cube. After testing, I was able to go back and review this concept with the students.
F. Develops learning experiences that require students to demonstrate a variety of competencies.
As part of a literacy lesson with ELL students to improve their fluency the students learned about tongue twisters. The students were delighted and were challenged. The students practiced reading aloud, saying the tongue twister and even wrote their own. They were able to practice writing,speaking and critical thinking skills during this lesson. The students were encouraged to take this lesson home to share with siblings and parents.