Learning Goals - University of North Carolina at Charlottemplaisan/Impact on Studen… · Web viewTo accurately assess English language learners in their mastery of content concepts,

(Impact on Student Learning ProjectMichelle Plaisance (800447910)ESL Teacher: K-5Spring 2009TESL 6470: Graduate Internship SeminarMasters of Arts in Teaching: English as a Second LanguageUniversity of North Carolina-Charlotte)

Project Context

1. Project Overview

The following project consists of a comprehensive unit on plant growth and adaptation as well as the development of specific English language skills relating to the same topic. The lessons were taught to a third grade class of English Language Learners at Elizabeth Lane Elementary School in southern Charlotte, North Carolina. Elizabeth Lane Elementary is a well-respected school in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System, receiving the prestigious Blue Ribbon School of Excellence recognition in 2007. The class consists of 3 female and one male student, all of whom are in varying degrees of English language acquisition. The students attend ESL class 4 times weekly for 60 minutes at a time.

Plant growth and adaptation is part of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for third grade students attending public schools. The topic is typically covered in the spring, providing many opportunities for hands-on experimentation and exploration. The topic will be taught by the mainstream classroom teacher as part of the standard science content. The objective of including plant growth as part of the English as a Second Language curriculum is to introduce students to the topic and related linguistic requirements, providing a strong background for students to use in their regular classrooms.

The project will include a description of the classroom and the students being taught. A pre-assessment tool consisting of multiple-choice, short-answer and writing elements was used to determine the students current knowledge relating to the topic, as well as a post-assessment that will empirically demonstrate student growth. Data and subsequent analysis has been included to illustrate this growth and mastery of the learning objectives.

2. Contextual Factors and Learning Environment Adaptations

Contextual/Environmental Factors

Information Source

Implications for Instruction and Assessment

100% LEP class

LEP roster, Isis Database, NCWISE and personal observation

All instruction should employ techniques proven to be beneficial to LEP students

Pictorial and realia support should be plentiful

Multiple approaches to presenting information (audio, visual, tactical, etc) should be used to increase opportunities for students success

Varied levels of English proficiency present in same classroom, ranging from newcomer to advanced

IPT/W-Apt scores, LEP roster, Avenues pre-assessment (administered 10/08) and personal observation

Material will need to be adapted for comprehension by novice students

Assignments must be rigorous enough to challenge more advanced students

Collaborative learning will be used to heighten opportunities for negotiation of meaning

Despite high socio-economic level of school, 75% of students in this class have low family incomes

Cumulative folders, Student Services Specialist, personal knowledge of parents professions and student domiciles

100% of materials will need to be provided

Prior knowledge of some concepts may be limited due to lack of experiences

Students have varied native languages: French (1), Spanish (2) and English

LEP roster, cumulative folders and personal observation

Native language dictionaries will be helpful but must be available in all languages

Bilingual instruction cannot be relied upon to deliver content material

This class is an ESL pull-out session that occurs during the students science and social studies time. Class duration is 60 minutes including travel to and from homeroom

Elizabeth Lane master schedule, personal observation

Lessons must be 50 minutes in length and independent of one another to some degree.

When possible, instruction should compensate for the missed Social Studies and Science material while incorporating language

Student #1 is in the process of testing with the Exceptional Children department due to severe academic concerns. Tests have revealed significant learning disabilities

IEP meeting, Student Services Specialist, Classroom teacher, IEP draft, participation in the referral process

Assignments must be modified for this student: reduced written output required, modified responses allowed (bulleted vs. paragraph, etc.)

Instructional modifications: highlight main ideas, brief and high interest presentation of concepts

Assessment modifications: reduced choices on multiple choice, word bank for writing exercises, etc.

Student #2 is a newcomer to the U.S. with no English language background but solid education in native language and prior experience with some concepts being presented. He has high preference for kinesthetic and tactile intelligences.

LEP roster, cumulative folder, W-Apt placement test, personal observation

Heavy use of a native language dictionary will benefit this student who is already familiar with some of the content material, but needs to master the English vocabulary associated with it.

This student is highly active and needs to be kept working to prevent disruptions and digressions

Assignments should be hands-on to allow and activities should naturally allow for movement to meet his learning style preferences.

Student #3 is a novice speaker of English in her first 24 months in U.S. schools. Her learning style preference is reading/writing oriented and she benefits greatly from drawing visual support for new concepts. While educated in her native country, she appears to be a slightly below average learner

W-Apt scores, cumulative folder, French/English bilingual classroom teacher, math class placement, personal observation in that this students often understand concepts in print more quickly and thoroughly than those presented orally in class

Multiple repetitions of ideas presented orally will be necessary in order to ensure comprehension of material.

Allow student to track text for any material read aloud

Reduce mathematical demands

Provide native language dictionary

Student #4 is an advanced English language learner

W-Apt scores, Avenues pre-assessment, personal observation

Allow this student a leadership opportunity that she does not get in her homeroom

Present challenging assignments

3. Project Learning Goals

Project Goals

Corresponding NCSCOS Competency Goals, Objective(s) and Thinking Skill(s)

Learning Goal #1

Students will be able to identify the parts of a plant, phases of the plant life cycle, elements a plant needs for survival/growth and plant adaptations.

1.01 Observe and measure how the quantities and qualities of nutrients, light, and water in the environment affect plant growth.

1.02 Observe and describe how environmental conditions determine how well plants survive and grow in a particular environment.

1.03 Investigate and describe how plants pass through distinct stages in their life cycle including.

Growth.

Survival.

Reproduction.

1.04 Explain why the number of seeds a plant produces depends on variables such as light, water, nutrients, and pollination.

1.06 Observe, describe and record properties of germinating seeds.

Learning Goal #2

Students will acquire an increased vocabulary related to plant growth, survival and adaptation that will allow them to create rich descriptions of plant processes (sequencing) using the English language.

1.04 Increase sight vocabulary, reading vocabulary, and writing vocabulary through:

wide reading.

word study.

listening.

discussion.

4.02 Use oral and written language to:

report information on a topic.

explain own learning.

present information in a sequenced, logical manner.

WIDA Language Proficiency Standard #4: English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Science.

Assessment Methods

4A. Assessment Methods Alignment and Overview

Learning Goals Addressed

Assessments for Project

Format of Assessment

Preliminary Assessment Adaptations

Learning Goal #1

Students will be able to identify the parts of a plant, phases of the plant life cycle, elements a plant needs for survival/growth and plant adaptations.

Pre-Assessment

Multiple choice: pen and paper assessment that will ask students to identify parts of the plant, elements necessary for plant survival and phases of the plant life cycle.

Checklist of skills- instructor will observe students completing preliminary project and observe knowledge of certain key concepts and mastery of certain skills.

Reassure all students that there is a realistic expectations in terms of the knowledge expected of them during the pretest so that they do not become frustrated.

For Students # 1,2,3: Add graphics to assessment to allow students to better understand the questions.

Post-Assessment

Multiple choice: pen and paper assessment that will ask students to identify parts of the plant, elements necessary for plant survival and phases of the plant life cycle.

Checklist of skills- instructor will revisit checklist to evaluate which of the skills has been mastered as a result of instruction.

For Student #1 and #2: Add new section from pre-test that allows students to label parts to demonstrate knowledge- language in multiple choice test is too difficult and is impeding their ability to communicate knowledge.

Learning Goal #2

Students will acquire an increased vocabulary related to plant growth, survival and adaptation that will allow them to create rich descriptions of plant processes (sequencing) using the English language.

Pre-Assessment

Rubric and writing prompt: Students will be asked to write a paragraph describing the growth of a plant. The rubric will evaluate the use of specific and technical language related to the topic covered as well as the use of common words that indicate sequence and cycle.

Reassure students that the pretest is being administered to inform instruction, not to measure student achievement.

Post-Assessment

Rubric and writing prompt: Students will be asked to write a paragraph describing the growth of a plant. The rubric will evaluate the use of specific and technical language related to the topic covered as well as the use of common words that indicate sequence.

Add a word bank for student #1 containing words that will assist in writing, but still allow assessment of descriptive language growth.

4B. Rationale for Assessment Selection/Copies of Pre- and Post- Assessments

To accurately assess English language learners in their mastery of content concepts, such as plant growth and life cycles, multiple assessment methods are necessary. Because the students in this class are so sensitized to being subjected to assessments that inadequately demonstrate their knowledge, special care was given to develop an assessment tool that allows the students to demonstrate their knowledge in a clear and concise manner. Several of the questions were adapted directly from the North Carolina Standard Course of Study created by the Department of Instruction to guide third grade science instruction. Unfortunately, several of those questions were too reliant on advanced vocabulary to allow these LEP students to demonstrate their knowledge. Therefore a checklist of skills was included as part of both the pre-assessment and post-assessment process. This checklist relies heavily on instructor observation and anecdotal notes that will assist in uncovering student learning that might otherwise remain obscured by language barriers.

Adaptations were made to both the pre-test and the post-test. At first administration, the pre-test proved frustrating and impossible for this group of learners, the language was just too technical and the vocabulary was far too advanced. In order to avoid tainting the project, and in an effort to realistically establish the extent of previous learning, the first pre-test was collected and discarded and a second test was created that provided pictorial support for Students #1-3. In addition, a word bank was added to Student #1s post-assessment writing prompt that allowed the student to demonstrate her knowledge of the target vocabulary without being impeded by technical terms.

(Name________________________________________________ Date_________________________________)Pre-Assessment: Plants

Learning Goal 1: Students will be able to identify the parts of a plant, phases of the plant life cycle, elements a plant needs for survival/growth and plant adaptations

1. Which of the following elements is not essential for seeds to grow?

a. Water

b. Sunlight

c. Soil

d. Warm temperature

2. Cactus plants grow best:

a. In the dessert

b. At the ocean

c. In the jungle

d. On a farm

3. Which comes first?

a. Root

b. Flower

c. Stem

d. Leaf

4. All of the following are necessary for plants to grow EXCEPT:

a. Light

b. Water

c. Milk

d. Air

5. What part of the plant makes the seeds?

a. Root

b. Flower

c. Stem

d. Leaf

6. Which of the following lists the plant life cycle in the correct order?

a. Roots, flowers, stems, seeds, leaves, fruit

b. Leaves, seeds, flowers, roots, fruits, stems

c. Seeds, roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits

d. Fruits, flowers, leaves, roots, stems, seeds

7. What happens to plants that receive less water than others?

a. They grow faster than others

b. They grow bigger than others

c. They grow slower than others

d. They produce more flowers than others

8. The seed coat protects

a. The inside of the seed

b. The roots

c. The shoot

d. The stem of a plant

9. Where is the embryo found?

a. Seeds

b. Leaves

c. Sepals

d. Petals

10. Where does a seed find its food?

a. The soil

b. The air

c. The cotyledon

d. The seed coat

Checklist of Skills

Learning Goal 1: Students will be able to identify the parts of a plant, phases of the plant life cycle, elements a plant needs for survival/growth and plant adaptations

(This checklist of skills is to be completed by the instructor during the first lesson administered and then again at the end of the unit concurrently with the post-assessment.)

Student name:

1. Student is able to identify and name in English the seed, root, stem and soil.

YesNo

2. Student is able to define a cycle in either native or English language.

YesNo

3. Student is able to identify three main parts of the seed.

YesNo

4. Student is able to identify adaptations made by plant in reaction to environmental conditions such as lack of water or light.

YesNo

5. Student is able to label the phases of the plant cycle.

YesNo

6. Student is able to name all elements necessary for seed growth and understand that light is not a necessary factor until the plant grows above the soil.

YesNo

7. Student is able to describe (in basic terms) photosynthesis.

YesNo

8. Student is able to describe the function of the stem and leaves.

YesNo

9. Student is able to predict effect of deprivation of essential conditions on plants growth.

YesNo

10. Student is able to name ways in which seeds travel.

Yes No

(Name________________________________________________ Date_________________________________)

Learning Goal #2: Students will acquire an increased vocabulary related to plant growth, survival and adaptation that will allow them to create rich descriptions of plant processes (sequencing) using the English language.

Write a paragraph describing the life cycle of a plant. Include as many details as possible:

0

1

2

3

4

Writing Conventions

Student refuses or is unable to write.

Student writes words, but not sentences

Complete sentences are inconsistent, little or no punctuation

Student uses complete sentences most of the time, punctuation is used, though errors may be present, most sentences begin with a capital letter

All sentences are complete, sentences begin with a capital letter, punctuation is present and accurate

Use of technical language


Student uses words that are general

Student uses some technical terms (2-3)

Student uses several technical terms (4-5)

Student uses ample technical terms (5+)

Use of sequencing words


Students has no transitions between sequential concepts

Student has some (1-2) transitions between sequential concepts

Student has many (3-4) transitions between sequential concepts

Student uses all necessary transitions and concepts are organized in a logical and sequential manner

Answer Key and Scoring Rubric: Pre-Assessment

Learning Goal #1

Multiple Choice Answer Key

(5 points each)

1. B

2. A

3. A

4. C

5. B

6. C

7. C

8. A

9. A

10. C

5 points will be awarded for each of the skills mastered according to the Skills Checklist, for a combined total of 100 points.

Learning Goal #2

Scoring Rubric: Plant Growth Unit Pre-Assessment: Writing Prompt

Score: 11/12 Points: 100

Score 10/11 Points: 90

Score 9 Points 80

Score 8 Points 70

Score 7 Points 60

Score 6 Points 50

Score 5 Points 40

Score 4 Points 30

(Name________________________________________________ Date_________________________________)All About Plants: Final Activity

Directions: Circle the correct answer.

1. Which of the following elements is not essential for seeds to grow?

a. Water

b. Sunlight

c. Soil

d. Warm temperature

2. Cactus plants grow best:

a. In the dessert

b. At the ocean

c. In the jungle

d. On a farm

3. Which comes first?

a. Root

b. Flower

c. Stem

d. Leaf

4. All of the following are necessary for plants to grow EXCEPT:

a. Light

b. Water

c. Milk

d. Air

5. What part of the plant makes the seeds?

a. Root

b. Flower

c. Stem

d. Leaf

6. Which of the following lists the plant life cycle in the correct order?

a. Roots, flowers, stems, seeds, leaves, fruit

b. Leaves, seeds, flowers, roots, fruits, stems

c. Seeds, roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits

d. Fruits, flowers, leaves, roots, stems, seeds

7. What happens to plants that receive less water than others?

a. They grow faster than others

b. They grow bigger than others

c. They grow slower than others

d. They produce more flowers than others

8. The seed coat protects

a. The inside of the seed

b. The roots

c. The shoot

d. The stem of a plant

9. Where is the embryo found?

a. Seeds

b. Leaves

c. Sepals

d. Petals

10. Where does a seed find its food?

a. The soil

b. The air

c. The cotyledon

d. The seed coat

Checklist of Skills

Instructor is to indicate if evidence of mastery of the following skills has been witnessed.

Student name:

1. Student is able to identify and name in English the seed, root, stem and soil.

YesNo

2. Student is able to define a cycle in either native or English language.

YesNo

3. Student is able to identify three main parts of the seed.

YesNo

4. Student is able to identify adaptations made by plant in reaction to environmental conditions such as lack of water or light.

YesNo

5. Student is able to label the phases of the plant cycle.

YesNo

6. Student is able to name all elements necessary for seed growth and understand that light is not a necessary factor until the plant grows above the soil.

YesNo

7. Student is able to describe (in basic terms) photosynthesis.

YesNo

8. Student is able to describe the function of the stem and leaves.

YesNo

9. Student is able to predict effect of deprivation of essential conditions on plants growth.

YesNo

10. Student is able to name ways in which seeds travel.

Yes No

Write a paragraph describing the life cycle of a plant. Include as many details as possible. Your description should indicate the order in which a plant passes through phases as well as words we have learned to describe their appearance:

0

1

2

3

4

Writing Conventions


Student writes words, but not sentences

Complete sentences are inconsistent, little or no punctuation

Student uses complete sentences most of the time, punctuation is used, though errors may be present, most sentences begin with a capital letter

All sentences are complete, sentences begin with a capital letter, punctuation is present and accurate

Use of technical language


Student uses words that are general

Student uses some technical terms (2-3)

Student uses several technical terms (4-5)

Student uses ample technical terms (5+)

Use of sequencing words


Students has no transitions between sequential concepts

Student has some (1-2) transitions between sequential concepts

Student has many (3-4) transitions between sequential concepts

Student uses all necessary transitions and concepts are organized in a logical and sequential manner

Answer Key and Scoring Rubric: Post-Assessment

Learning Goal #1

Multiple Choice Answer Key

(5 points each)

1. B

2. A

3. A

4. C

5. B

6. C

7. C

8. A

9. A

10. C

5 points will be awarded for each of the skills mastered according to the Skills Checklist, for a combined total of 100 points.

Learning Goal #2

Scoring Rubric: Plant Growth Unit Pre-Assessment: Writing Prompt

Score: 11/12 Points: 100

Score 10/11 Points: 90

Score 9 Points 80

Score 8 Points 70

Score 7 Points 60

Score 6 Points 50

Score 5 Points 40

Score 4 Points 30

5a. Results of Pre-Assessment

Note: Because the learning goals differ significantly in the type of learning desired, separate consideration with be given to each goal, as well as an overall analysis student performance on the combination of both goals.

Learning Goal #1

Results of Multiple Choice and Skills Checklist

Learning Goal #2

Results of Writing Prompt

Learning Goals #1 and #2

Combined Pre-Assessment Results

5B. Analysis of Pre-Assessment Data

5B-1:

In terms of Learning Goal #1, by looking at the pre-assessment data available, it becomes clear that this group of students has some previous knowledge of plants and growth cycles. However, by examining the items that were consistently answered correctly on the pre-assessment multiple choice instrument, it is easy to see that instruction, up to this point, has been very basic and has not included some of the technical concepts required by the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for third grade students. This finding is consistent with the fact that there is a brief unit on plant growth included in the Science curriculum for first graders in North Carolina; therefore some general knowledge is expected. In addition, it appears that three our of the four students possess some technical knowledge in their native language, but lack the English vocabulary necessary to communicate it competently. While the multiple choice instrument provided some insight, the checklist of student skills was far more useful in assessing students knowledge and reinforced the observation that most of these students have had minimal exposure outside of their relatively basic knowledge of the topic.

For the most part, the pre-assessment instruments for Learning Goal #1 were consistent with teacher expectations, with a few noted exceptions. Student #1 did surprisingly well on the multiple choice format. It is important to mention that this student was observed responding to some items without reading the question, so many of her correct responses must be attributed to luck. The checklist of skills, however, supports the original hypothesis that this student has had little to no exposure to this topic and that much background knowledge will need to be built. Heavy use of realia and realistic contextual learning will need to be used to compensate for a lack of previous experience and observation. This student will need to see and touch the things being discussed and be allowed multiple presentations of even the most basic concepts. Also somewhat surprising was the score of Student #2, which was lower than anticipated by the instructor given his self-described background in agriculture in his native country. Despite his lack of English proficiency, this student is typically quite adept at uncovering cognates and finding familiar words and, subsequently, selecting the correct answer to multiple choice or matching items, but that was not the case with the instrument administered. Again, the checklist of skills revealed that this student does have some background in the topic of plants, seeds and cycles, but that he lacks the English necessary to convey his knowledge. However, it will be necessary to tap Student #2s prior knowledge by using as examples plants from his native culture to draw out the things that he knows. The fact that Student #4 scored the highest was not unexpected. This student has been in U.S. schools longer than the others and has a more advanced level of English proficiency. It will not be necessary to adjust the learning goals, however, because both instruments used to assess this student revealed room for further growth. Minor adjustments in instruction will need to meet the demands of her cognitive ability. Student #3 performed as expected and should benefit greatly from the planned instruction.

Learning Goal #2 appears to be an area where much work is needed. Student #2 was only able to write two words related to plant growth and life cycles. It should be noted that this student was instructed to try his best but not become anxious as a result of the writing prompt. However, even after several attempts to elicit more writing, the tasked appeared to be outside of this students ability. Given her educational history and current struggles, it was not surprising that Student #1 was only able to produce one sentence which contained only 2 of the less technical words related to the topic. Student #3, also a newcomer, was able to write a couple of brief sentences, but the final product lacked any type of cohesive elements and contained very few technical terms. And finally, Student #4 produced a brief paragraph that was accurately related to the prompt, contained a handful of technical terms, but lacked the depth and detail one would hope for. It is important to note that Student #4 was the only student to use any of the cohesive vocabulary sought after in Learning Goal #2, and even still there was only the repetition of one singular cohesive item- the word then. Given this data, it is logical to assume that Learning Goal #2 is appropriate and necessary for the educational success of this group of students and instruction should target the type of vocabulary it calls for.

Given all of the data collected during the pre-assessment, there are only a few revisions necessary to the planned instruction. First of all, for the benefit of half of the students, some very fundamental concepts will need to be reviewed, for example, the concept of cycle will need to be re-taught and connected to prior experience, despite the fact that these students have studied several other cycles over the course of the year. Likewise, sequence (and the required vocabulary to describe it) is a concept that seems to be elusive. Also, some fundamental knowledge about this topic that might be taken for granted as known by all, like the required elements for plant growth, needs to be incorporated into the instruction and repeated many times for reinforcement. And finally, there was one other area of concern was revealed by the pre-assessment instruments. Peripheral vocabulary, like the names of vegetables and flowers, will need to be taught concurrently with the main lessons.

5B-2:

It would seem logical to choose a sub-group from this class based on English language proficiency. However, given the fact that all of these students have varying degrees of challenges related to language, instruction should naturally accommodate these specific needs. Considering all other factors, the needs of Student #1 seem to require the most attention. This student is currently undergoing comprehensive testing by the EC department of the school. The Student Services Specialist reports that preliminary findings reveal significant learning disabilities in all areas of the curriculum. The child is receiving English as a Second Language services primarily for the benefit of small group instruction. Her mother reports that she is also unable to communicate in Spanish, which is the primary language in the household. This fact is supported by observations in the classroom during the times she interacts with native Spanish speakers. Given all of this information Student # 1 will serve as a sub-group of one for purposes of differentiation of instruction and analysis of data.

In order to meet the needs of this sub-group, instruction, assessment and expectations will need to be modified significantly. Extensive use of visual support and realia will be employed. Repetition and multiple formats of presentation will be used with all material being taught. Preferential seating within close proximity to the instructor will be used to ensure that close monitoring and continual assessment can occur. To affectively reach this student, episodes of re-teaching will need to occur at the beginning and end of each lesson, hopefully at times when the other students are engaged in enrichment activities. When working in pairs, it will be necessary to partner Student #1 with someone who has the patience and understanding to allow her to fully participate in activities. Word banks and cloze activities are familiar formats to this student and can be used to allow her to demonstrate her mastery of skills. Likewise, checklists of skills and rubrics will allow a more realistic evaluation of her performance than traditional assessment methods. It is unrealistic to set the same level of expectation for acquisition of knowledge for this student when compared to the rest of the students; however, she certainly is capable of significant growth and learning. Given her score on the pre-assessment of Learning Goal #1 (30%), it would seem reasonable to set a performance goal of 70% on the post-test for a 133% growth in learning. In terms of Learning Goal #2, Student #1 scored a 30% on the pre-assessment writing prompt. Given her challenges with language processing and expression, 60% seems like a worthy performance goal on this part of the post-assessment, resulting in a 100% growth in demonstrated learning. The learning objective and performance outcome goal for the remaining students will remain consistent with the table below.

5B-3:

Criteria for Success Table

Learning GoalsCriteria for Success on final assessment (whole group)Criteria for Success on final assessment (subgroup)

Learning Goal #1

Students will be able to identify the parts of a plant, phases of the plant life cycle, elements a plant needs for survival/growth and plant adaptations.Students will be able to correctly respond to 8 of the ten multiple choice items. In addition, students will master 9 of the 10 skills noted on the checklist of skills for a combined score of 85% on the final assessment instrument for this learning goal.Student #1 will respond correctly to 6 of the 10 multiple choice items. In addition, Student #1 will master 8 of the ten skills noted on the checklist of skills for a combined score of 70% on the final assessment instrument for this learning goal.

Learning Goal #2

Students will acquire an increased vocabulary related to plant growth, survival and adaptation that will allow them to create rich descriptions of plant processes (sequencing) using the English language.Following the rubric for scoring the writing prompt assessing Learning Goal #2, students will score at least a 3 on each of the sub-categories assessed for a total of 9 out of 12 possible points or a score of 80% according to the corresponding table.Following the rubric for scoring the writing prompt assessing Learning Goal #2, Student #1 will score no less than a 2 on each of the sub-categories assessed for a total of 7 out of 12 possible points or a score of 60% according to the corresponding table.

Design for Instruction

6a. Instruction Implementation Tables

Pre-Assessment Date: March 9, 2009

Post-Assessment Date: March 26, 2009

Timeline

Learning Goal Addressed

Description of Procedures

Learning Strategies and Interdisciplinary Activities

Differentiation for Subgroup and as Needed for Others

Assessment

Day 1

#1 and #2

* Unit kick-off

* Read Tiniest Seed by Eric Carle

* Lecture: survival elements

*Discovery Streaming Video

* Plant seeds

* Practice target vocabulary by recording in plant journals

* Students will have many different sensory experiences during this lesson: Audio, visual, tactile

* Incorporate language and content with journal recording

*Use realia

*Build background with video

* Stop streaming video at key points to make sure that language is not too difficult for ELLs

* Model journal recording for all students

* Work one-on-one with Student #1 to set up journal and record first observations

* Informal observation

* Brainstorm

* Teacher Question & Answer

* Completed journal entries

3/9/2009

Formative Assessment Results:

Students are excited about the unit and the hands-on projects. Basic knowledge in place, but technical information needs to be addressed. Students are enthusiastic about topic. Students need much work on writing and more time needs to be left for this activity.

Changes Made During Lesson:

The streaming video was a little long and a little wordy; we skipped two sections to allow more time to write.

Timeline





Assessment

Day 2

#1 and #2

*Students will watch remaining segment of Discovery video

*Students will work collaboratively to define key terms for upcoming selection by creating a mobile word wall

*Students will practice writing skills by making predictions and observations in their plant journals

*Collaborative work

*Cross-discipline: mathematical concepts when measuring plant growth

*Science/English language combined instruction

*Multi-media: use of streaming video

*Pre-teach vocabulary to ensure comprehension of upcoming selection.

*Encourage creation of visual support for new vocabulary to reinforce meaning.

* Student #1 is familiar with the format of the creation of mobile word walls. Teacher must work closely with this student and encourage participation and focus continuously. Also, encourage this student to restate definitions in her own words to ensure proper understanding.




*Accurate word wall will demonstrate successful completion of activity.

3/10/2009

Formative Assessment Results: The students are struggling with the plant journals. A more simplistic format might have been useful in helping them make prediction. No changes yet, too early. Students want to see progress.

Changes Made During Lesson: Incorporated missing segments from last lesson which reinforced and provided visual support for germination. Gave Student #1 a copy of the teachers manual to simplify the location of the correct definitions for the target vocabulary.

Timeline





Assessment

Day 3

#1 and #2

* Watch very short streaming video on seeds for the description of three parts

* Look at 10 different types of seeds and predict what they grow

*Play a matching game with seeds and vegetables

*Write descriptive words about seeds

*Make observations in plant journal

*Use of realia

*Using predictive skills

*Cooperative work

*Incorporate contest/game to maintain interest

*Pair Student #1 with Student #4 for good outcome for everyone

*Re-teach seed parts to Students 1, 2, & 3 using real seed and whiteboard

*Work one-on-one with Student #1 during journaling.


* Brainstorm



*Observation of participation during contest

*Feedback from peer observation

3/11/2009

Formative Assessment Results: The students did really well with this lesson and really got the properties of seeds and their different parts. This was obvious based on the question and answer following the streaming video and the comments during the presentation of the dissected seed.Changes Made During Lesson: Journaling was cut short to allow more time for the descriptive phrase practice sheet. Also allowed students to work collaboratively on this, though it was intended as independent practice, to provide more interaction time and peer support.

Timeline





Assessment

Day 4

#1 and #2

*Finish activity from prior lesson

*Conduct read aloud

*Begin mobile word wall

*Take AR test

*Record in Plant Journals

*This lesson is to serve as a resting point in the unit where no new material is presented and concepts taught to date are reinforced and reviewed.

*Great visuals in the book will provide learners with a clear picture of plant processes.

*Student # 1 will take the AR test last so that she can receive input from peers on their difficulties with certain questions.


* Brainstorm



*Score on AR test

3/12/2009

Formative Assessment Results: The AR test went well for all students which means that they understood the book. Their journals need work.

Changes Made During Lesson: None

Timeline





Assessment

Day 5

#1 and #2

*Work in groups to define key terms for upcoming selection

*Make a graphic organizer

*Record in plant journals

*Collaborative learning allows students to stay engaged and get language benefit from lesson being taught.

*Mobile word wall provides critical visual support necessary for ELLs and can be left where it can be accessed as needed.

*Teacher works closely with Student #1 to assist her in completion of tasks necessary to remain actively involved in the lesson.

*Must be sure that Student #2 does not just copy words, needs to restate them in his own words to ensure comprehension.


* Brainstorm



*Accurate completion of the word wall demonstrates success with this task.

3/16/2009

Formative Assessment Results: Students are very familiar with the format of this lesson and comfortable with the roles assigned. They are working well together and get more accomplished now than they did when this structure was first introduced. They are also beginning to require less direction from instructor.

Changes Made During Lesson:

None

Timeline





Assessment

Day 6

#1 and #2

*Review key terms

*Listen to the selection on CD while students track print

*Create graphic organizer to reinforce key skills

*Record in plant journals

*Listening to CD gives a multi-media approach.

*Recorded article provides good modeling of fluency

*Creating graphic organizer helps identify key concepts

*Sat next to Student #1 and tracked print with her to keep her on task.


* Brainstorm



3/17/2009

Formative Assessment Results: Students are still very curious about this topic and seem to be staying engaged. They perform well with the Avenues materials and benefit from the captions, pictures and graphs provided.Changes Made During Lesson: Did not use practice sheet, not enough time or value.

Timeline





Assessment

Day 7

#1 and #2

*Students will read a non-fiction story about plants and keep a running record of real facts found in the story.

*Students will locate words within the story that mirror the type of vocabulary targeted in Learning Goal #2

*Students will record observations of plant growth in science journals.

*Reading non-fiction will appeal to some of the students who are not as enamored with science as a topic.

*This lesson will span 2 days and culminate in a compare and contrast activity on two different stories.

*The story contains many cultural references that show a respect for diversity, which appeals to these students.

*Stopped in numerous parts of the story to assess for comprehension with Student #1


* Brainstorm



*Generation of a good list of descriptive words indicates success with this activity.

3/18/2009

Formative Assessment Results: Students were able to identify descriptive words and discern between real facts and fiction as evidenced through their responses to teacher survey. Writing is still a struggle, but improvement is being seen.Changes Made During Lesson: Brainstormed words together, versus completing the activity independently in order to assist the students who were unable to complete the assignment on their own.

Timeline





Assessment

Day 8

#1 and #2

*Students will read a non-fiction story about plants

*Students will create a Venn diagram comparing elements of this story to the fictional selection they read last lesson

*Students will make observations about plant growth and explain why some plants are not growing.

*Observations will be recorded in plant journals.

*Compare and contrast is a good way of reviewing and synthesizing material contained in the selections.

*Students benefit from the visual support of the Venn diagram.

*Making predictions is a valuable skill.

*Student who makes up subgroup was absent from class- all others were able to perform the activities with no interventions. No differentiation needed during this lesson.


* Brainstorm



*Participation in the creation of an accurate Venn diagram indicates success with this activity.

3/23/2009

Formative Assessment Results: The students enjoyed the fiction piece a little more, probably due to its uniqueness. All students are doing well with comprehension. Student #3 needs oral fluency practice and explicit instruction in some pronunciation items that are proving difficult for her.Changes Made During Lesson: Student # 1 was absent today. The book was divided into 4 sections. I modeled recapping the first section and then gave each of the other students an opportunity to try which was successful and provided them with some fluency practice.

Timeline





Assessment

Day 9

#1 and #2

*Students will play a warm up game

*Students will listen to a story about plant growth

*Students will use 2 illustration in book to write a comparative description

*Students will record observations in plant journal

*These beautiful illustrations will be appealing to students and should evoke some of the descriptiveness of the works

*Independent work in this lesson will allow easier assessment of skills be teacher observation

*Work closely with Student #1

*Provide model of descriptive writing for all students

*Place illustrations close to Student #1 and point out other visual support for writing in the room.


* Brainstorm



*Students will show mastery of skills by producing competent descriptions of the differences in the two illustrations.

3/24/2009

Formative Assessment Results: Writing is going well for Students #3 and #4. Student #2 is still struggling with some of the technical vocabulary and may benefit from a review.Changes Made During Lesson: This activity was outside of the abilities of Student #1. I did not require that she produce the same amount of writing as her peers, she was simply unable. Instead we worked on a bulleted list.

Timeline





Assessment

Day 10

#1 and #2

*Students will review literature covered in class to date.

*Students will conduct research on an assigned phase of the plant cycle.

*Students will deliver a presentation of the pertinent facts and descriptions related to their phase.

*Cross-curricular activity, incorporates ESL, language arts and science

*Good practice while they were reviewing material

*Had to spoon-feed material to Student #1. This student would benefit greatly from a template or cloze activity to guide her in her research.




*Presentation of accurate information related to the assigned phase demonstrates success.

*complete checklist of skills for each student.

3/25/2009

Formative Assessment Results: These students are ready to be through with this unit. I think they have heard enough about plants and have absorbed all the information they will be able to in the amount of time given. Oral presentation showed mastery of many of the vocabulary that was challenging at the beginning of the unit.Changes Made During Lesson: Co-presented with Student #1 to assure her success with this activity.

Timeline





Assessment

Day 11

#1 and #2

*Students will play a quiz game and review material presented in unit.

*Students will perform a Readers Theater about plants.

*Students will complete the post-assessment instrument.

*Students love competitive activities.

*Games are a good way to reinforce skills and assess for understanding.

*Informal assessment is sometimes the only way to truly uncover the knowledge possessed by these ELLs students who do not do well (at all) on language-dependent standardized testing.

*I had a special list of questions designed especially for Student #1 consisting of questions that I thought she could have some success with. This seemed to work well because none of the other students were aware that they were designed for her.


* Brainstorm



*Quiz game responses will show mastery of skills.

*Checklist of skills will be completed based on this lesson and the previous one.

3/26/2009

Formative Assessment Results: We are through with plants and ready to move on. There is still much room for learning, but the students are becoming bored and need some new material. Examining the journal responses has me worried that this is an area that will not exhibit the expected growth. I do not think that students are taking it seriously.Changes Made During Lesson: We were not able to complete the Readers Theater. They loved the quiz show format so much that I let this go on for extra time. I did not want the post-assessment to be rushed and did not think that the students would get much benefit from the rushed activity.

6b. Copies of Lesson Plans to Correspond with Implementation of Instruction

Artifact: Plant Observation Log

Plant Observation Log

Date________________ Day # _______

My Plant

Plant without water

Plant without sun

This is how my plant has changed:

Here is a picture of my plant:

Plant Observation Log

Date________________ Day # _______

My Plant

Plant without water

Plant without sun

This is how my plant has changed:

Here is a picture of my plant:

Lesson Critique

Lesson Date: March 9, 2009

1. What aspect of this lesson was most beneficial to the students?

Students did a great job sharing current knowledge of plants and life cycles. It was reassuring to see that in some cases they had a bit of prior knowledge and need language instruction and others needed language and science; instruction should be of benefit to all! They really enjoyed the Tiniest Seed; it was a good kick off and presented many opportunities for conversation.

2. What did students learn and how did you know?

Students learned a lot of new vocabulary, which was obvious through their use of new words. Students also got visual support for concepts that they were vaguely familiar with as demonstrated through their response to streaming video.

3. What did you learn from this teaching episode that will help you?

Students needed more time to really set up the plant journals; more time will be needed to provide students the appropriate amount of time to complete this writing activity. Also learned that Student #2 does not have the scientific background that had previously been assumed- need to teach all students technical concepts.

4. What changes did you make while teaching this lesson?

We skipped 2 sections of the video to make more time for other activities.

5. What were the results of your plans for individual differences?

We translated quite a few of the technical terms for Students #2 and #3 which helped uncover prior learning. Student #1 needed as much help as anticipated with the plant journal. This assignment was completed with very much modeling and assistance from the instructor. Student seemed to feel pleased with the final product and is excited about the unit.

Lesson Critique

Lesson Date: March 10


I am glad we watched the rest of the streaming video. It was better than the segment yesterday and really gave the students some visual support for the concept of germination. By telling them exactly which words to listen for, they were able to identify important parts of the video and focus their attention.


They learned what the inside of a seed really looks like, I know this because they got really excited when that part of the video came on. They also learned about the part of growth process called germination because they were able to identify that phase on my picture cards.


Students really need guidance with the journal. I thought that keeping this type of record was something they would have done in other classes, but I am pretty certain that this is the first time they have kept a record like this. They are eager to see changes occur, but they are still willing to write about the nothing that has occurred so far.

4. What changes did you make while teaching this lesson? What changes would you make if you taught it again?

On impulse I decided to let them name their plants, which they really enjoyed. If I do this unit again, I will make this part of the opening lesson.


It is too hard for Student #1 to locate definitions in a regular dictionary. I think giving her the teachers manual with the list of words and their definitions really made this task more manageable for her. This was the first time she has really been able to keep up with this activity. She must be encouraged to restate concepts in her own words or no learning will occur, just copying words.

Lesson Critique



They absolutely loved this lesson! It was a wonderful interactive and hands-on learning experience that allowed all of the students a chance to participate. The competitive element always adds excitement.


They learned the parts of a seed and that seeds dont always look like what they grow. Many of their predictions were correct, which is a sign of possible previous knowledge that was not uncovered during the pre-assessment (or just luck!).


Keeping lessons active keeps the students engaged.


I allowed the students to work collaboratively on the last activity which I think was a good choice. It allowed them to have more interaction time and sped things up a little so that we could get finished on time.


Student #1 and Student #4 are good matches for group work. They get along well and Student #4 is able to provide some of the support that Student #1 needs. In the meantime, the other two, who are newcomers, get the benefit of negotiating meaning across different language backgrounds.

Lesson Critique



Students needed a review and I think this was helpful to them. The book had good pictures that provided graphics to reinforce the key concepts.


Students learned more about the plant cycle based on observed responses to the question and answer. Students also had a very successful journal experience today, there was more to record with all of the changes happening to the seeds/plants now.


Review is helpful and can draw out areas where instruction was lacking.


I think this group is ready for the weekend, a game might have been good or some way to keep them engaged while allowing them to continue to learn.


Student #1 and I spent a solid block of time together working one-on-one while the students made their observations. She needs so much instruction; she is unable to understand concepts related to measurement which is currently hindering her progress.

Lesson Critique



All students performed well in their roles and have become very comfortable with this format. Interacting with one another and taking responsibility for getting the task completed is probably the most beneficial activity to them. Hearing the story on audio CD allows them to track the print and gives a good model of oral fluency.


The article has all kinds of great information, too much to cover in a single day. They seemed very interested in how seeds travel and it was obviously a new concept that they could be moved by a host. This is a fact that I think they will remember for a long time.


Allow more time for building the graphic organizer and dont try to finish quickly just because it is the end of the lesson. This group would have benefitted from stopping and completing the activity the following day.


Did not have time to do the practice sheet, in looking at it again, I do not think it will add much value and do not think we will use it in the future.


I stayed right with Student #1, but she was able to function more independently today. She was very interactive and seemed to really engage in the activities of the day. I think that some of this may be due, in part, to her comfort level with this format, which may be one to use more with her in the future.

Lesson Critique



Reading the article gave them the repetition necessary to fully comprehend the concepts. These students are doing a very good job of using the resources available to them to help them comprehend what they are reading. These are skills that will transfer to other areas of their learning and allow them to keep up with their peers.


I watched the students access the word wall and use their glossaries. Their responses to the oral question and answer showed that they were able to understand nearly all that they read and they remained focused throughout the lesson.


The approach to this reading was one that we have used a lot and seems to work well with this group, it allows us to move at a reasonable pace but not miss any material because we re-visit each selection three times. I think I will continue to use this method when reading within the content areas.


No changes were made, it went fine.


I am careful how much reading aloud I require of Students #1 and #3 when we are reading for content. Student #1 seems to understand better what she hears read to her, and Student #3 seems to understand more of what she reads silently.

Lesson Critique

Lesson Date: March 18 and 23


I think that the fictional selection provided students with a break from all of the science we have been reading. It was good to see them enjoy a story and they liked to hear me read a lot of these selections. The compare contrast helped a lot with fact versus fiction and the descriptive phrase search was useful for their journals.


Students really seemed to be into the cultural aspect of the fiction piece. They were able to relate to the story because the main character was their age and they have had similar experiences.


I think finding more realistic fiction that helps bring out the content material will help to keep the students engaged. I also found that making students responsible for presenting a recap to the class kept them focused on the material and engaged in the lesson.


Find more fiction. Create the Venn diagram on something more permanent, it would have been nice to keep it for visual support when working on other, related selections. Putting it on the whiteboard meant that I had to erase it at the completion of the lesson.


With Student #1 being absent on one day of instruction, I was able to focus a bit more on other students, which was nice for them.

Lesson Critique



They really reviewed the vocabulary on their own when they saw the illustrations. This was a great selection in terms of reviewing overall concepts. They also benefit from the additional practice in writing, which continues to be a source of struggle.


They completely got the terms bud and planting, two terms that had been missed earlier. They were not able to use these terms until they were re-taught during this lesson.


Writing is just really hard. Cohesiveness is English not natural to non-native speakers. Explicit instruction in terms of vocabulary related to this concept is necessary. Words such as next, then, after, before, etc. all need to be identified in existing descriptions and then modeled in lessons.


The assignment was too tough for Student #1, despite the accommodations made during instruction. This resulted in modified expectations in terms of a finished product, which may have been appropriate but left me feeling as if I am dumbing down the class for her.


See above.

Lesson Critique



Owning a topic was good for them. They did a great job really diving into their assigned phases and finding good information to present to the rest of the class. Public speaking, as required in this lesson, is a good way for this group to practice oral language skills.


I think this was more of a review than a new material lesson. The students certainly got practice in research skills and synthesizing material. It was also a kinesthetic way of presenting the phases because each person was assigned an order to speak that corresponded with their phase.


The students really like projects and performing in front of each other. It is important to provide Student #1 with a template or something to work with, it was lacking in this lesson and that was a major flaw.


In the future I will provide each student with a template or list of questions to guide them in their synthesis/research.


Not very good. It would have been better to have something prepared to help this student achieve success with this assignment. Despite my constant support, she still really struggled with identifying which material was to be included in her phase of the cycle. It would have greatly benefitted her to have some sort of cloze activity available that limited her research; she was all over the place.

Lesson Critique



Without a doubt they were most engaged in the quiz show activity. This activity was based on an electronic game where students ring in, Jeopardy-style with the correct answer. It was a good recap and demonstration of their acquired knowledge of plants and cycles.


During this lesson there was extensive reinforcement of skills that the students have already mastered.


The checklist of skills needs to be done throughout the unit, not just in the last few lessons. It was too difficult to try to have all of the students demonstrate each item in 2 lessons. I think I felt like it had to be at the end of the unit to show that they had retained the knowledge, but in the future, I will keep a running record of events that show they have mastered the material.


I had to do away with the Readers Theater, which was too bad because they really like this activity. I would definitely plant to do this activity if I teach the unit again; I would just create a separate lesson in order to make room for it.


Having special questions for Student #1 was great. I did not give her easier questions; I just based her questions on skills I was pretty sure she had mastered so that she could fell successful. It worked very well because it was very obvious that she enjoyed the activity as much as the other students and did very well with it overall.

Analysis of Student Learning

7. Summary of Student Progress

Student Number

Learning Goal

Pre-Project Measure

Post-Project Measure

Gain Shown

Criteria met?

Explanation of criteria not met?

What can the teacher do differently next time?

1

1

30

75

150 %

Yes

2

30

50

67%

No

Student has been diagnosed with language processing disabilities that may be impeding comprehension of target vocabulary. Student also is undergoing testing for attention disorders and minimal focus or effort was observed during the post assessment.

Enlist the help of teachers trained in exceptional children and learning disabilities.

2

1

30

95

216%

Yes

2

30

70

130%

No

Formative assessment revealed that this student was having difficulty with cohesive vocabulary, and re-teaching was used. More time would have helped this student who was able to communicate knowledge by drawing a diagram instead of writing the paragraph as instructed.

3

1

35

90

157%

Yes

2

40

80

100%

Yes

Instruction could have included more modeling in this area. In addition, more one-on-one instruction with this student may be appropriate to reach future goals.

4

1

45

95

111%

Yes

2

60

90

50%

Yes

Class Averages

Learning Goal

Average of pre-project measure

Average of post-project measure

Average gain shown

# of students who met goal

% of class that met goal

1

35

89

154%

4

100

2

40

73

83%

2

50

Analysis Responses:

7-1

The overall class results on the post-assessment instruments approached the expected range given all of the information and resources available at the time of instruction. This is a small class with very diverse needs, so designing instruction that will meet the needs of every member of the class is a huge challenge. Likewise, designing assessment that allows these students to truly demonstrate their knowledge is not an easy task. For this reason, there was heavy reliance on the checklist of skills that was designed to incorporate all of the main points of Learning Objective #1. It was comforting to note that all of the students met the expected outcome for this portion of the project. In other words, given a list of what I wanted to each child to learn, the class mastered an average of 88% of the objective. I am pleased with this result.

In terms of quality and quantity of instruction, I believe the unit was well-designed for the target classroom. Initially, the unit was to be taught over 2 weeks and contain eight teaching episodes. Based on formative observations, three additional lessons were added to reinforce key concepts and provide additional time for practice of critical skills. I believe that these additional lessons brought the amount of material covered in to a realistic range considering the amount of time available. I will admit, however, that by the end of the unit we are all thankful to be finished with plants. Unfortunately, I think that this is a side effect of the repetition necessary to really deliver content material to English language learners. This type of instruction brings with it the additional burden of finding creative and unique ways to re-present material, so as not to bring on boredom to students who do not require as many deliveries of the same material.

I believe that, overall, I was more effective in teaching Learning Goal #1 that Learning Goal #2. I think that this was due in part to the type of material covered in each goal. Goal #1 was more factual information that challenged me to use creative skills to present concepts in a clear and concise manner, without relying heavily on linguistic resources. Learning Goal #2 was more process-oriented and involved a skill that my students traditionally struggle with- writing. While certainly a necessary component of English language instruction, I find that writing is one of the later skills to emerge with my students. I also believe that work on this skill must be ongoing and continuous, so measurement of growth in this skill over a short amount of time might prove misleading.

7-2

The results of Student #2 were probably the most surprising. This student is very quick to learn and usually has no problems once material has been introduced for the first time. Obviously the student performed very well on the assessment for Learning Goal #1, as was expected. These results support the type of growth that has been exhibited by this student in the past and also incorporated they type of learning in which he tends to excel. However, I was very disappointed to see that he did not make the anticipated growth in descriptive writing required by Learning Goal #2. This student actually included a diagram in his response which reinforced the conclusion that he mastered the content material. However, the objectives of the learning goal called for the use of descriptive, technical and cohesive vocabulary, and his final product lacked a sufficient amount of these types of words. I believe, as was mentioned before, that this is due, in part, to the fact that writing is a skill that emerges later in the language acquisition process, and as a result, this student has not been required to practice this skills as much as some of the others. However, in reviewing the formative assessment results throughout the unit, I must take some of the blame as well. Much attention was paid the needs of the subgroup and very little time was given to ensuring that this student was mastering this particular skill. There is evidence of his efforts in his plant journal; however, even here there is writing that lacked the necessary component to demonstrate mastery of this learning objective. It is important to note, that while this student did not meet the expected growth for this learning objective, he still exhibited a 130% growth in this type of writing.

8. Examination of Subgroup Differences

8-1

In looking at the results of my subgroup (Student #1), I was pleased to see her progress. Though I had to modify the expectation, and even then she fell a bit shy, I feel she made tremendous progress during this time. This student has a lot of difficulty staying focused, and she tends to be sporadic in the amount of effort she is willing to exert. I do feel that identifying her as a subgroup and staying completely focused on her progress throughout the unit contributed to her success. However, the fact that she did not make expected progress cannot be ignored and indicates that she needs much more assistance in meeting educational goals.

8-2

The way that I work with Student #1 definitely plays a role in her learning outcome. Because I am fortunate enough to have a very small group to work with, I am able to give her much more attention than she receives in her main classroom. This is the only type of environment that will allow her to succeed, she just gets lost in large group settings. By keeping Student #1 right next to me throughout instruction, I am able to constantly monitor her understanding and engagement and make adjustments as required. By pairing this student with peers who support her learning, versus those who are unable to understand her difficulties, she receives the benefit of support and interaction. By allowing this student to use a word bank, providing and reducing the number of choices on assessment questions and consistently modeling desired behavior for this students, she is able to achieve many of the objectives set forth for her. There is still a lot to be done with this subgroup, however, modified instruction and assessment does appear to increase successful outcomes

.

8-3

When teaching students who could be members of the subgroup created by Student #1 in the future, there are a few changes I would make. First of all, I wish that I had enlisted the professional assistance of one of our EC teachers. I think that I could have learned a lot in terms of accommodations and expectations by talking with someone with more experience with this type of student. I also think that I might have modified the overall format of the post assessment if I had more experience. Because my group is so small, I am really cautious about treating students differently, even subtle changes are usually noticed. For this reason, I am hesitant to radically change assignments or expectations for students in my classes. However, if Student #1 had been asked to make a list of words related to plant growth (versus writing a paragraph), I think she would have performed surprisingly well. And finally, I think I might offer some extrinsic incentive when completing certain assignments in the future. Whether right or wrong, this type of reward seems to work very well with this student in terms of producing quality work.

8-4

The results of my subgroup versus my whole class were not so dissimilar. All of the students made an enormous amount of progress during the duration of the plant unit. Actually, while, in terms of percentage of growth in Learning Goal #1, she fell right in line with her peers, achieving between 100-150% growth. The results from Learning Goal #2 are where the real difference can be seen. This student has so much progress to make and needs so much support that I still feel comfortable with the amount of growth she made during this period of instruction. Obviously, if I had modified the expectations more dramatically for this student, she would have reached the same level of achievement as the others. However, by keeping the expectations relatively similar, I believe this student was able to feel more a part of the class and more responsible for her learning. It is important to note that ESL class is one of the few times this student has the opportunity to be fully participatory in classroom activities.

Reflection of Instructional Decision-Making

9. Reflection of Instructional Decision-Making

9-1

It is a bit ironic that I honestly never gave much thought to the importance of assessment in education until recently. Up until I was required to take a class specifically designed to address the unique needs of English language learners in terms of assessment, I regarded most attempts to assess these students as unfair and unnecessary. In other words, my thoughts were narrowly focused on standardized testing and assessment for the purpose of passing and failing students. It was not until I took a class within my own department that I was able to really see the practical and beneficial aspects of assessment. I am still a believer that standardized and high stakes testing still poses an enormous problem to English language learners, as well as a monumental drain on available educational resources. However, I have come to understand that, not only can assessment be enlightening in terms of student progress and achievement, but more importantly, it should be used as a way to assess our own strengths and weaknesses as an educator and inform future instruction.

It would be fair to say that the Impact on Student Learning project did not necessarily alter my thinking on assessment, but that it clarified my ideas and confirmed my beliefs about the type of assessment that works well with the students that I teach. I still believe that the best way to evaluate students learning is through collecting work samples, making observations and conducting oral question and answer sessions with students on a continuous basis. I will admit, however, that the project uncovered a major flaw in my ideology in that, to this point, I have not been using data to drive instruction. Until now, I have planned lessons with an objective in mind. I have conducted informal assessments on an ongoing basis, and I have adjusted instruction as necessary to meet the needs of my students. But the Impact on Student Learning caused me to really evaluate what my results mean and look at ways that I could have improved the learning outcome. Quantifying the results of the pre- and post-assessments instruments is not something I would have done if it had not been required of the project, and it made an enormous difference in terms of how I viewed my success with this project. The quantified data revealed the disparity between my subgroup successes relative to my whole-class results, while at the same time showing the enormous growth that was made by this student. It also confirmed my belief that English language learners perform better on assessment designed to uncover knowledge, not tests that require conformity to a normed standard. The proof of this can be seen in the fact that, where the checklist of skills showed demonstrated mastery of a concept, many of my students missed related items on the multiple choice instrument that was administered.

In the future I will approach assessment a bit differently in my classroom. While I still think they types of assessments should consist of checklist, portfolios and rubrics, I will attempt to quantify the results to provide a means for subsequent analysis of the outcome. For example, developing a checklist of skills for each unit that I teach would be an easy way to focus my instruction and ensure that all concepts are correctly understood by my students. Assigning a value to each and calculating a percentage of achievement and of overall growth will go a long way in illustrating where my re-teach time needs to be spent and which students really understood the material being presented.

Specifically addressing the current project, I certainly think that I impacted student learning. The data derived from both assessment administered reveals enormous growth on the part of every student. In addition, I was able to witness firsthand the acquisition of vital skills related to the topic and the enthusiasm expressed on the part of these students. They really enjoyed the majority of instruction incorporated within this unit and brought their eager minds to class each day, curious and ready to learn more. I would be surprised if each one of them remembers every technical term covered during the three weeks we spent studying plants, but I feel confident that they achieved an overall understanding of the objectives that will serve as a basis for more instruction in future grades. In terms of Learning Goal #2, I know that student learning was impacted because I continue to see their use of this skill- descriptive writing- in their daily work. This is a skill that they will continue to practice and will benefit them across the curriculum and for many years to come.

9-2

When I teach a unit on plants again, I will retain much of what we did during this project. However, there are a few minor adjustments I would make in terms of goals, strategies and material used. First of all, I think that the goals might need to be adjusted to create more realistic objectives for a three-week, pullout science lesson. There were many times during the unit that we did not have time to finish the planned activities, and the topic we covered has many more concepts we could have explored. For example, I did not include pollination or the parts of a flower in this unit because we simply did not have time to properly cover this material. All of the strategies I used were completely appropriate for English language learners, but there are so many more that might have been useful. I was able to incorporate much realia into my teaching, but we never really got the chance to get outside and see more examples of the plants that we were discussing. A long nature walk would have been an easy way to expand instruction and meet the kinesthetic needs of my students. In addition, more songs and chants might have been helpful in reinforcing key vocabulary. And finally, if I were to teach this unit again, I would make an adjustment in some of the material I used to present the information. The streaming videos should be used more to give the visual support needed, there are actually time-lapse pictures of the phases we discussed. Also, these students are curious and enjoy non-fiction texts, but they also respond extremely well to fiction. It might have been helpful to incorporate more realistic fiction selection that contain some of the concepts and vocabulary we were covering during the unit.

9-3

If I were to use the data derived from this project to meet with my highest achieving student, I would emphasize her growth in vocabulary and writing. This student is relatively fluent in the English language, but lacks much of the academic English necessary to really succeed in the mainstream classroom. Her parents believe that, because she is conversationally competent, English language instruction is no longer necessary. The data obtained from this students performance on the assessments show that she still benefits from the small group instruction that I am able to provide. The fact that she scored higher on the pre-assessment checklist of skills than she did the multiple choice instrument shows that the language requirements of this type of assessment still pose a challenge for her. I would also share with them the results of her writing assessment. The rubric was designed to be a realistic evaluation of the writing of English language learners. A rubric for a native speaker would have most likely required much more in terms of technical vocabulary and cohesiveness. The fact that she did not max out the writing assessment indicates that she still has much progress to make in this domain of her language development.

If I were to speak with the parents of my lowest scoring student, I would emphasize the enormous percentage of growth she exhibited over the course of the unit. This parent has been actively involved in the psychological and educational testing of her child, and she has listened to countless professionals tell her that her child is struggling and learning disabled. I would love to share with this parent that her child is not only capable of learning, but that she can achieve the same results as a normal student, when presented with the right type of instruction. I would, of course, express my concerns over her writing scores and ask that she continue to encourage her child to work hard and practice this skill, but ultimately, I would emphasize the positive to promote a feeling of confidence and hope within this family.

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As I discussed above, this was my first experience with data-driven instruction. I found the experience to be both enlightening and a little frightening. Without data, it is easy to become convinced that you are making an impact on student learning. With the incorporation of quantified learning results, it is much more difficult to claim this impact unless it has really occurred. I feel confident that this project has prepared me to complete an assessment based project in the future, I only hope that I am afforded the time and context in which to make it happen. Obviously a tremendous amount of time and effort was put into completing the current project. It seems somewhat unrealistic to attempt to incorporate every aspect of this project into every unit that will ever be taught in my classroom. However, there are certainly bits and pieced that need to be present at every lesson. Having a clear objective for instruction, both in terms of content and quantified progress is essential to ensure that each lesson has a purpose and place in the curriculum. One easy way to accomplish this is to develop a checklist for each unit and briefly conduct a pre-assessment at the beginning of each unit. The same checklist can be used throughout the unit to guide the planning and assessment components of the unit. And finally, at the completion of the unit, the checklist can be used once more to ensure that all concepts have been addressed and understood by the students. This is certainly a doable component of this project and something I am already incorporating into my teaching strategies.

I feel relatively comfortable creating adequate and aligned assessments for my classroom. I believe that I am quite fortunate in that I am not required to submit grades for my students. This has allowed me to incorporate authentic assessments much more easily into my practice as an educator. I keep a portfolio on each students that contains work samples and anecdotal notes that demonstrate student mastery of the skills that I teach. I have also begun the practice of creating rubrics for the mini oral presentation assigned to my students. I do this more to show the students what I am looking for in terms of demonstrated success, but it also has allowed me to look more closely at student progress. I believe that this i

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Learning Goals - University of North Carolina at Charlottemplaisan/Impact on Studen… · Web viewTo accurately assess English language learners in their mastery of content concepts,