PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIOcehd.gmu.edu/assets/docs/cie/fall08_portfolios/chettrir.pdf · learning styles. VI. Reflection The teachers will have to keep a close watch on the

[2008]

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO

IREX TEA PROGRAM 2008

MON BAHADUR CHETTRI

INDIA

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

FAIRFAX,VIRGINIA,USA

PORTFOLIO OUTLINE

CONTENTS

SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION

SECTION 2 LESSON PLANS

1.MY LESSONS PLANS

2.SHARED LESSON PLANS

SECTION 3 STRATEGY SHEETS

1.MY STRATEGY SHEETS

2.SHARED STRATEGY SHEETS

SECTION 4 REFLECTIONS

1.MY REFLECTIONS ON ROBINSONS SECONDARY SCHOOL

2.DIFFERENCES AND SIMILIARITIES

3.PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES

4.OUR FACILITATORS AND INSTRUCTORS

SECTION 5 ADDITIONAL SELECTED MATERIALS

1.PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

2.TEACHING STRATEGIES OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

SECTION 6 PHOTOGRAPHS

SECTION 7 CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION Participating in this professional development programme that is,Teaching Excellence and AchievementProgramme (TEA) provided me with an unique opportunity to develop my portfolio.In my portfolio I decided to include reflections on being a teacher,on visiting Robinson Secondary School,where I had my field experience,lesson plans,teaching strategies etc.

This is a professional development programme.The main reason for creating this portfolio is to bring all the information and experiences together to share with my colleagues and students upon my return.This portfolio represents what I have learnt during my field visits to Robinson Secondary School and at George Mason University.It gives an overall picture of my performance and learning and it is a reflection of my work done during my one and a half months stay in the US.I think it is useful because the contents illustrates my professional achievements and growth.I do not want to use it as a showcase portfolio or a collection portfolio.I believe that my portfolio will provide continuous information of my professional development and achievements over time.

Every teacher has a vision and a mission to be achieved. As a teacher of Social Studies,I too have a moral purpose,an aim or a goal to achieve.After becoming a TEA fellow,IREX provided me a rare opportunity to realize my hopes of developing my teaching skills as per my objectives through the internship course taken in the US school.To the teachers ,students are our subjects.We focus all our attention and efforts around their needs,experiences and abilities. So our moral purpose is to strive for the overall development of our students through education.

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MY LESSON PLANS

Lesson Plan Format 1

Intern: Mon Bahadur Chettri Grade Level: 9

Title: Elements of Weather Date: 13.10.08

I. Objectives

.To differenciate between weather and climate

.To understand the various elements of weather

.To be able to understand the functions and working of weather instruments

.To be able to draw thematic and rainfall maps

II. Materials for Learning Activities .Stevenson’s screen,thermometer,Six’s Thermometer,aneroid barometer,hygrometer,rain- gauge,copy of news paper,books from library on various instruments III. Procedures for Learning Activities

The warm up exercise will start with a discussion.The students will be asked to think and write

about the weather conditions of any place they have visited in the summer vacation.Then start a discussion on the differences in weather conditions of various places.Ask them to look at the

instrument,refer to their text book,research from library reference books provided and answer the

questions given in the work scheet.They must also look at the weather report in the news paper.The

children will learn how the instrument works,the precautions involved and how to read and record data.In a group they dwaw the instrument and present their research to the class.

IV. Assessment The students will be assessed through class oral test,unit test and term tests.

V. Differentiation

Weaker students can be grouped with brighter students,so that they can learn.Teacher will be continuously monitoring the work and can offer help when needed.

VI. Reflection

The teacher needs to reflect on whether the objectives or goals set out have been achieved or

not.Reflection helps the teacher to know whether thechildren have achieved the learning instruction

and if not why not.In this particular case I will reflect whether the lesson I set out to teach has been

imbibed by the students or not.I will have to find out ways and means to see that learning takes place

among all the students.

Lesson Plan Format-2


Title: Climate of India Date: 17‐10‐08

1.Objectives

‐Define all new terms of the chapter

‐Analyse why the weather keeps fluctuating

‐List the factors causing changes in the climate

2. Materials for Learning Activities

Thematic maps of India,LCD projector,poster

3.Procedures for Learning Activities

Warm up

The class is divided into two groups called Summer and Winter.

The teacher asks the students to list down all the advertisements that they have seen on TV

that are related to the climatic condition.

Each group starts listing down the ads and when done they put up the posters on the boards.

The teacher then starts with the introduction of the lesson that relates to the climate of India.

The students relate the activity to the chapter and realize the differences in the advertising

and marketing related to the weather.

Procedure

The teacher then shows a power point to the students that shows pictures of different

weather phenomena at different times of the year and that they are essentially related to how

are climate is divided into Hot Weather Season,Cold Weather Season,Advancing Monsoon Season and Retreating Monsoon Season.

The students throw in their ideas about what are the weather conditions they experienced during these particular season.

4.Assessment

As an assessment activity the teacher gives the students an opportunity to quiz each other according to the groups that they have been divided and it is mandatory for each student to answer at least one question

5.Differentiation.

The students were asked to formulate quiz questions and that gave the faster students an opportunityto do that work.The weaker students were gives an opportunity to answer at least one question so it made them pay attention.

6.Reflection

The group required a brainstorming and it ensured participation of each student as TV is a medium watched by all. The students will enjoy the quiz too.



Title: Pollution Date: 25/10/08

I. Objectives

1. To make the students understand the definition, kinds and causes of pollution

2. To make the students aware of the effects of pollution, especially how it could impact them.

3. To help them look critically at human responsibility over the years

4. To help them look for solutions that would work, both locally and globally

II. Materials for Learning Activities

1. Film – An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore, film viewing equipment

2. Poster papers

3. Whiteboard, markers, colors, pencils, erasers etc

4. Notebooks

III. Procedures for Learning Activities

Warm Up Activity – Brainstorming – teachers asks students what they see on the way to school. Then she asks them to think how each of those things could be a possible threat to the environment. All this is put up on the whiteboard.

The students then watch an excerpt from the film An Inconvenient Truth. After watching there is a brief discussion about what they saw and a linking up with they had discussed before watching the film.

Concept mapping ‐ the class goes looks again at the whiteboard and lists all the threats into categories. Using think‐pair‐share methods they discuss definitions, causes effects, remedies. The teacher acts as a facilitator and puts up the concept map on the board. The students take the concept map down in their notebooks.

IV. Assessment

The teacher divides the students into four groups.

One group designs a poster; one group looks up the internet for facts and figures about pollution. The third group writes a short play script , and the last group creates a rap/song all on the same theme ‐ creating awareness about pollution. Groups one and two now join hands for an artistic as well as a numerical representation of pollution. Groups three and four join together to put up the play. This will help the teacher to assess all the students.

V. Differentiation As students learn differently according to Gardener’s theory of Multiple Intelligences, by structuring the assessment activities in this way the teacher will have addressed all the different intelligences and learning styles.

VI. Reflection

The teachers will have to keep a close watch on the time and this lesson would be very good for a block activity bit for shorter classes it may have to be broken up into two classes.



Title: Topographical Map Study Date: 23/10/08

I. Objectives

The main objective of teaching topographical maps is to teach the students how to make and study miniature forms of maps which show colourful and vivid picture of an area as it actually exists during the survey.

II. Materials for Learning Activities Topography Map Sheets,Grid Sheet, Symbols Sheets etc III. Procedures for Learning Activities

1.The teacher will first have to make the students understand what Topography

Sheets are and what its uses are and when these were developed.The teacher should show the colourful sheets to the students to create their interest.

2.Once the students are familiar with the sheets then he will teach them the concepts of directions with the help of direction sheet.

3.The teacher will now teach the scale used in the maps and representative fraction. 4.With the help of grid easting and nothings,students should be able to find out 4 figure and 6 figure grid reference.

5.With the help of symbols sheet and by drawing symbols on the board the teacher will teach symbols 6.Now the students will be given index sheets and they will be taught how to identify the different sheet.

7.These topics should be taught with the help of the learning materials mentioned above. IV. Assessment

1.Index Sheets can be given for identification.

2.On the index sheets the teacher will ask students to find out the directions of different places.

3.One exercise will be given to find outthe representative fraction.

4.In one exercise students will identify symbols and in another they have to draw the symbols.

V. Differentiation

As the map work is a difficult activity all the students will have to be given individual attention,in some students maps,the teacher himself will have to do the work,extra time should be given to the students who are slow in understanding maps.

VI. Reflection

It is a very interesting topic as the maps are colourful showing different natural and manmade features of the place.If the topic is taught in a proper order students will be able to understand and enjoy it.



Title: Weather and Climate Date: 23/10/08

I. Objectives

1 Students should be able to differenciate between weather and climate 2 Students should be able to identify and use the instruments which are used to measure the

different elements of weather and climate. 3 Students should be able to understand the different elements of weather and climate

II. Materials for Learning Activities Instruments used to measure the elements of weather and climate,weather maps,weather data collected by the students from news papers and TV. III. Procedures for Learning Activities

• The teacher will start the lesson with warm‐up questions like,what do students feel about today’s weather .Is it raining outside?Etc.

• Now the teacher will tell them about the differences between weather and climate. • He will teach the elements of weather and climate by showing the maps and instruments. • He will also teach them the working of the different instruments and precautions to be taken

while taken while using the instruments. • The teacher will teacher the students the factors influencing the elements of weather and

climate at different places of the earth.

IV. Assessment

1. Students will be asked to make thematic maps on Temperature,Rainfall and Humidity.

2. Students will be asked to collect the weather data from newspaper and TV for ten days and write a comparative study.

3. As part of the project work,students will be asked to make the instruments like windvane etc.and write information about them.

4. Short answer questions exercise will be give to the students.

V. Differentiation 1. Individual students should be given the instruments to study and handle. 2 .Needs of the students will have to be kept in mind and kept pace accordingly 3. Teacher will help students personally who cannot do the maps.

4. Extra time should be given to the students who are slow in understanding and learning.

5. The teacher should bring some newspapers to the class to show the students where to

find weather report.

VI. Reflection

This is an activity based lesson which the students will enjoy.They will be surprised to know that in different parts of the earth there are so many factors which affect weather and climate.Two places may be thousands of miles away but the weather and climate can be same or two places may be very near to each other but the weather and climate conditions can be drastically different.

Lesson Plans Shared


Intern: Sunita Biswas/India Grade Level: 10

Title: Martin Luther King and Gandhi : the Power of Non‐violence Date: 23/10/08

I. Objectives

1. To examine the philosophy of nonviolence developed by Martin Luther King, Jr.

2. To consider how this philosophy translated into practice during the Civil Rights Movement.

3. To explore the relationship between King's teachings on nonviolence and those of Mohandas K.

Gandhi.

4. To reflect on the relevance of nonviolence to one's personal conduct in everyday life.

II. Materials for Learning Activities Photographs of Martin Luther King Jr and M.K. Gandhi

Photographs of non-violent protestors in India and the United States

Whiteboard, markers etc


The teacher will set the stage for this lesson by having students read a brief selection of Dr. Martin

Luther King, Jr.'s writings on nonviolence and looking at photographs of nonviolent protest during the

civil rights era. She will ask students to compare the practice of nonviolence, shown in the photographs,

with the philosophy King outlines

The teacher will also have students review the selection of Gandhi's statements on "Satyagraha”

How do Gandhi's ideas compare to Dr. King's? Where does King seem to follow Gandhi's teachings, and

where does he differ? Point out their agreement that nonviolence succeeds by transforming the

relationship between antagonists and that its strength lies in the individual's commitment to truth and

justice. Yet Gandhi seems to emphasize a need for personal suffering in the practice of nonviolence, a

posture that is somewhat less militant than King's call to self‐sacrifice. And there is a similar difference

between Gandhi's belief that nonviolence achieves its goals through patience and non‐cooperation and

King's belief that it takes "creative tension" and a degree of confrontation to accomplish change. The

teacher will remind students as they explore these two philosophies that their aim is not to decide who

is right and who is wrong. Both Gandhi and King proved their ideas in practice by leading nonviolent

social revolutions that shattered the law of oppression in their countries. While admiring them both,

however, one can still recognize that they offer two approaches to the practice of nonviolence, one

rooted in opposition, the other in protest.

IV. Assessment

The teacher will conclude the lesson by asking students to consider how nonviolence might be relevant

to their own lives. To what degree can we practice this philosophy of social change at a personal level?

Explore this question by staging a "talk show" in class. Two students play Gandhi and King as the day's

guests and the teacher takes the role of talk show host herself. She might focus the discussion on

violence in school, antagonism between groups of students, or interpersonal conflict. Have students in

the "audience" describe situations in their lives that illustrate these issues, and have the "guests" offer

practical suggestions for handling them. How do ideas like non‐cooperation and creative tension,

suffering and self‐sacrifice translate into everyday actions? The teacher will follow‐up these discussions

by having students write a short essay on the philosophy of nonviolence and what we can learn from it

today.

V. Differentiation The lesson gives adequate scope for differentiation with a range of activities suited to many

different learning styles.

VI. Reflection

Check to see if the desired learning outcomes have been achieved. Have the students understood the

principles that motivated King and Gandhi? Can they identify and comprehend the differences? Are they

able to understand the concept of nonviolence as a method/tool of protest?

Lesson Plan Format-2 Intern: Hasnain Imam/India Grade Level: XI Title: Executive in India Date: 13 October, 2008 I. Objectives The students will be able to: a. recall and define the meaning of executive. b. compare and contrast permanent and political executive. c. Understand the role of the Indian president and Prime Minister. d. Analyze why the P.M is more powerful than the President. e. Recognize all former P.M and President of India II. Materials for Learning Activities a. text books. b. black/white board. c. chart papers. d. pictures of all former PM and president of India. III. Procedures for Learning Activities The teacher will begin the class by asking warm up questions like

Who is the president or prime minister of India?

Name the second President of India? After warm up and assessing the readiness of the students the teacher will asking some questions on the previous lesson on the topic 'Organs of Government' and link the lesson of the day to what was prior learnt in the class, viz. government consists of three major organs and Executive branch is one of them. A work sheet where the students will write the major functions of all the three branches would be distributed to them and few minutes will be given for individual work. After this the teacher would ask the students on what they wrote and reinforce correct answers.

After this the teacher will demonstrate a presentation of the topic and focus on the content intended to be delivered. Power point presentation on the topic is preferable. The teacher will also write important points on the blackboard and would encourage the

students to take notes on important information. Charts displaying all former P.M and President of India along with the current would be displayed in the class prominently. IV. Assessment The students would be divided in convenient JIGSAW groups and discuss the powers and position of the (i) political and permanent executive and (ii) the president and the prime minister. Every group would focus on all four institutions and share information with the group. Later all students focusing on one particular post would come together and share their information before returning to original group. The group will present their information in the class to demonstrate their evidence of learning. V. Differentiation In setting up the group, the teacher would mix the students with different learning abilities to achieve the desired outcome in all the groups. When on group work the teacher would walk through the class and facilitate the working of the groups. VI. Reflection At the discussion stage the teachers will ask relevant questions to understand the learning of the student. At the end of the lesson when the students present their group activities the teacher would reflect the level of leaning achieved and plan modification if necessary.

Lesson Plans -3 (Elizabeth/ Georgia)

Title: Influence of society on environment Date: 10/16/2008

Grade Level: 6

I. Objectives

Summarize the problem of influence of society on environment in the past; define how we use natural resources today; analyze the problem of the most efficient use of natural resources;

II. Procedures for Learning Activities I divide class in groups and tell them to discuss a problem within groups.

Group 1: Plato said: ``There were (in Attica) forests in the past but today just bees can find food on these mountains.” Question: ``What did Plato mean? What was the reason of change of environment?``

Group 2: A photo of modern Ur (Mesopotamia). Question: ``There was a big city in the past, here is a desert today. What was the reason of change? ``

Group 3: An emperor of Rome forbade private persons to kill lions in Northern Africa. Question: ``Why did he order this? ``

Group 4: Historical source of XVII century tells us: `` Air is clean and fresh in other places but in London you can hardly see the sun and you can easily recognize this city by smell. `` Question: ``Why did London have these problems? ``

I ask each group to choose a leader for representing their opinion. (7 min.)

Then we listen to the leaders (the time‐limit is 2 min. for each one) and I write briefly their conclusions on a blackboard: 1. diminishing of forests

2. Decrease of number of animals

3. Degradation of soil

4. Pollution of water and air (8 min.)

I tell students to count things that are necessary in their everyday life (and to explain briefly why they are necessary). I ask them: ``what do we need to make these things? `` I summarize their answers and write on the blackboard:

a) Natural resources

b) Factories

Questions: ``Can you explain how we influence on environment when we make just one of these things that are necessary for us? a) What kind of sources of energy do we need for factories? b) How do we treat forests, animals, soil, air, water (or natural resources)? c) Compare the modern situation with the past.

(10 min.)

I gave each group a scheme with natural resources (resources are divided into renewable and non‐renewable) and ask them: ``what can we do? How to use natural resources, what can we change? `` (They have to discuss this problem within the groups, find the best solution of it and represent their opinion.)

(10 min.)

We listen to the leaders (the time‐limit is 2 min. for each one). Then summarize the results.

(10 min.)

Homework: Man‐the master or the protector of nature? (Write) (``Master`` is an owner who doesn’t care about results; ``protector`` is an owner who manages to use his goods and also protect them.)

III. Assessment

The first part of the lesson helps students (on the basic of their knowledge about occupation of a man in the past) to assess the influence of society on environment. In the second part they realize the importance of natural resources, the necessity of using them (or the influence of economy on environment). The third part gives them a chance to discuss different ways of the most efficient use of natural resources. The homework helps students to think over the problem of relationship between society and environment and to realize their own responsibility in making decision. It also helps me to check how they understand this problem.

Lesson Plan Format-4

Intern: Memtoi/India Grade Level:10

Title: India wins Freedom Date:10/25/08

I. Objectives

1.To develop in the students to understand national events and to appreciate them.

2.To develop the students the skill of reading map,and timeline.

3.TO develop picture identification,vocabulary and critical thinking.

II. Materials for Learning Activities 1.Ordinary classroom appliances. 2.An outline map of the world and India. 3.A time line, some pictures of the important leaders of India. 4 Material on post reading strategy(fact Vs opinion).


1.Quiz to activate prior knowledge.

2.Teaching learning activity will be carried out in story method using teaching materials at relevant situation.

3.Blackboard summary will be develop with the active cooperation from the students.

4.Timing:introduction;5mts

Instruction:20mts

Summary;5mts assessment:10mts

IV. Assessment Reading material will be supplied to find out their critical thinking,fact and opinion.

V. Differentiation

Homework to write a paragraph on the topic to know the students differentiation level.

VI. Reflection

The teacher will reflect on teaching strategy and material used to evaluate the teaching effectiveness.

Lesson Plan‐5 (Valeria/ Ukraine)

Topic: Traveling

Warm‐up

Find a partner and discuss the question “Have you ever traveled? Where? When? If not why?”

Students get cards with the same question but different pictures. Two people with the same picture on the card will make a pair. After a short discussion students report to the class about some interesting things they have learnt from their partner.

Lead‐in

Teacher plays several musical extracts which are pieces from different countries. Students have to identify the country. Visual aids (pictures with sights from different countries) can help children to make a guess.

Students in their pairs look at the countries on the board and choose the country they would like to visit. Then class votes for the most popular holiday destination.

Listening/ Video

Pre‐ listening. Listen to two people talking and answer these questions: 1) who are the people? 2) Why have they met?

Listening #1to a dialogue between a travel agent and a customer at the travel agency. (Discuss pre‐listening questions and set questions for post‐listening activities.)

Listening #2 (for specific details) answer the questions: Which country does the customer want to travel to? What is the cost of traveling? Which climate /nature does this country have? Etc. Students first discuss in pairs. Then the teacher elicits the correct answers. The teacher assesses the students listening comprehension.

Post‐listening Reconstruct the dialogue in pairs, then with the teacher’s help on the board

Drill the dialogue in pairs. Change the role.

Role‐play

Teacher divides the class into two groups Travel agents and Customers.

“Travel agents” have to create a tourist program.

“Customers” have to work out a list of demands.

Teacher monitors their work.

Then a ‘Travel agent’ meets with a ‘customer’ and role‐ play their own dialogue using the model.

Some students perform their dialogues in front of the class.

Teacher assesses their performance using the rubric

Closure: Class votes for the best dialogue.

MY STRATEGY SHEETS

Portfolio Strategy Sheet 1

Choose a method or strategy that you have learned about or observed during field experience

1.Name the method or strategy

Video viewing

2. When is this method or strategy useful?

It is useful if you have a short video on any topic in the curriculum.

3.Why or how is this method or strategy useful?

This method catches the interest of the children.It gives variation to a regular class. It develops

children’s viewing and hearing abilities.They also need to be alert as they have to take down points.

4.What are the steps involved in using this strategy or method?

The teacher gives a summary of the topic to be viewed.He asks children to take down the main

points as they view.The teacher discusses the film and the children take down what they have missed.

5.When would this method or strategy be useful in your setting?

It would be useful for any topic if the teacher is able to get a short film,no more than 20 to 30

minutes.The children can then be given a worksheet where they put down the information they have

collected.

6.What would you like other teachers in your school to know about this method or strategy?

This method would would generate a lot of interest and vary a regural classroom teaching.But if

overused,it could become boring and probably put children to sleep.


Choose a method or strategy that you have learned about or observed during field experience

1.Name the method or strategy

Library Research Project

2.When is this method or strategy useful/

This method is useful when you want the students to gain insight into a topic.It can be used

when you want students to work independently and carry out research.

3 Why or how is this method or strategy useful?

It is useful as it enables students to carry out indepth study on any topic.


The teacher brings several books to class from the library on the topic.He then gives an overview

of the topic.He then distributes a research packet to each student.According to the guidelines in the

packet,students carry on research and write on the worksheets in the packet.


Lessons or topics requiring indepth study e.g. agents of erosion and deposition, physica features of

coastal areas,religions of the world etc.


This strategy teaches the students the importance of research and inculcates the habits of reading

and self study. It also develops their thinking and analyzing skills.


Choose a method or strategy that you have learned about or observed during field experience.

1. Name of method or strategy:

Group activity with aural and visual presentation

When is this method or strategy useful?

When you need to cover a wide topic and complete it in a short period of time.

2. Why or how is this method or strategy useful?

This strategy develops in the children various skills like reading,talking,writing,hearing and

taking notes.Some students may be good at writing while others with aural skills. Both are

covered by this activity.It is interesting,brings out creativity and synthesizes information.

3. What are the steps involved in using this strategy or method?

Divide class into groups,give them a topic,ask them to research from their textbooks and fill out

worksheets,Then in groups make charts and put them up. Each groups moves around taking

notes from other charts.Then there is a presentation from each group.

4. When would this method or strategy be useful in your setting?

When I have to teach various climatic regions.

5. What would you like other teachers in your school to know about this method or strategy?

This strategy can be easily implemented when teachers have a lot to cover in a short period of

time.It can be assessed and graded.In history it would lend itself to several topics like

religion,conquerors,political leaders etc.




Mind Mapping


When the teacher wants to find out the prior knowledge of the students.


This strategy very quickly tells a teacher how much the children already know and hence helps

plan his lesson.It also enables the teacher to teach from the general to the more specific.


The teacher gives the general topic and writes it on the board. He then asks the children for

some issues related to it and writes them on the board,linking them to the main topic.The

teacher then divides the class into groups and gives each a chart and a marker.The teacher asks

the students to think on each subtopic and chart a mind map.The teacher draws an example on

the board to make the activity clear to the students.Children are given only about 10 to 15

minutes to completes the mind map.


This method can be effectively used while starting a new topic to know the prior knowledge or

at the end of a lesson as part of summarization or recapitulation.It can reinforce learning.

6.What would you like other teachers in your school to know about this method

or strategy?

The teachers of other subjects can also use this strategy successfully for the above mentioned

purposes.



1.Name of the method or strategy:

Internet research project

2.When is this method or strategy useful?

This strategy is useful for students who want to know more about a topic and are ready to explore.

3.Why or how is this method or strategy useful?

This method helps to satisfy the inquisitive spirit of the students and helps them to exploremore for

getting more information


When using this strategy,the teacher is expected to provide a list of relevant sites to enable the students

to pursue research.All the sites are should be related to the topic at hand.The teacher has to ensure that

the students go to the sites which are relevant only and do not go to other sites which are not relevant.


This setting will be useful only if my students have access to computers and internet connections.As of

now there is a huge thrust by the government to provide computers to all the students of the

country.There is every possibility of our students getting internet connection also in the near futu


They will be encouraged to prepare an inventory of sites relevant to topics in their

syllabus.

Shared Strategy

Sheet

Portfolio Strategy Sheet‐1 (Valeria/ Ukraine)



Locating what is important in Literature


When teaching reading


It focuses students’ attention on main significant facts rather than on understanding of each separate

word which can cause frustration. For real life reading skills sometimes it is necessary to understand the

gist of the reading text first then if necessary go into details. This strategy helps to teach students to

locate the most important facts, events and feelings involved.


Read the story and decide

a. What this story is about;

b. What the sequence of the main events is;

c. How the characters feel and why.


This strategy would be useful during any reading lessons especially if they deal with fiction stories.


That it easy to use and very effective for developing reading for gist.

Portfolio Strategy Sheet‐2 (Hasnain Imam/India)



Sketching out a story board


When a particular content/reading materials has been delivered, to assess the understanding of

the students on the topic they may be asked to sketch out a story board that explains the

information presented in the topic or reading materials.


This method is useful as it involves the student in the content or helps them read the given

material/articles.


First the content is delivered or the reading material distributed among the students. The content

may be delivered as short oral lecture/presentation etc. Reading materials in the form of news

report, excerpts from books and articles may be given.

Secondly the students then be asked to work in pairs or individually sketch out a story board that

brings out the meaning and understanding of the content. A sample work to make the students

understand could be provided.


It would be useful after a short oral presentation on a topic of political science where the practical

mode of instruction is usually lecture method due to large class rooms. This will help engage the

students actively and their works will indicate their evidence of learning.

Strategies-3

Group Work (Elizabeth/ Georgia)

Group work is a very important method because it improves the skill of cooperation.

Teacher can use this strategy:

• For summarizing the topic • For revising the theme • For discussion a certain topic • For preparing a group presentation • For gathering information about concrete theme

For successful group work it is essential:

• To have exact plan of activities • To give clear instructions to students • To choose appropriate size of groups

Portfolio Strategy Sheet‐4 (Memthoi/India)



Visual method


After the end of the presentation of the lesson.


It helps in recapitulation of the lesson delivered and in evaluation of the students

knowledge,understanding,application and skill.


The worksheet are distributed to each students and they are to fill the sheet in a given

time.they can consult the textbook or the classnotes.


After the end of the presentation of the lesson.


This will help in active participation of the students.It will also engage the students in the

teaching learning process.It will help in the retention of the students memory .

Portfolio Strategy Sheet‐5 (Sunita/India)



Cooperative learning ‐ Jigsaw


When teaching larger groups or groups with varying learning aptitudes


It breaks up the content into easy‐to‐tackle chunks and makes each group focus on a specific

chunk . It addresses the whole topic in its entirety and enables a clear understanding of the Big

Picture.


The students are divided into pairs or groups.

Each pair or group has to read up or do research on a particular part of the topic and then

answer questions that follow.

The teacher may or may not assign roles to the group members like one person to read up, one

person to write and two to present to the class.

The group will put down its findings/answers on a poster and give a presentation before the class.


This strategy would be useful to reach out to those students who are in general non‐participatory in

class, or who need the moral support of a group/team to come forward. It would encourage the

normally participatory students to take charge of the performance of the team as a whole.


Other teachers would also be able to use this strategy to engage learners with different

aptitudes and encourage the students to work and learn as a team.

Reflections

FIELDWORK REPORT My fieldwork started on 01.10.08.I was given Robinson Secondary School,Sideburn,Fairfax,Virginia and my mentor teacher was Mr. Peter Brown.He is a teacher in secondary school and his subject is history.He teaches US and Virginia history.I was assigned under him for grade eleven only.My fieldwork was for ten days going every Wednesdays and Fridays during my five weeks stay in Virginia,USA.During these ten days visit I got an opportunity to look into the American school system,interact with the Principal and administrators,observe the classes of Mr.Peter Brown and other teachers,interact with students,do presentations on Indian school system ,culture etc

Some notable observations about the school

• There is no national curriculum;every state is following its own state curriculum.

• Every school is having its own website where students and teachers find curriculum,lesson plans,planner,events and all the important information about the school.

• Concept of Summer School is new to me.This system caters to the needs of the children who cannot pass their school or due to some unavoidable reasons cannot attend the regular school.

• There is no bell system. All the schedules are announced by the public address system.

• Students who come late are marked T in the register of the teacher.T means tardiness and if a child gets 4 T’s a letter is sent to the parents.

• Recently a law has been passed that a teacher cannot touch the students.There are many administers in the school to look into different issues.

• There is a Health Clinic taking care of different health issues like AIDS awareness,Guidance and Counseling etc.

• Teachers and students are given a lot of freedom to work;students are very open and more exposed.

Some notable observation about the classroom

• Classrooms are well equipped with Laptops,LCS system,TV,Printer,White Boards,Maps,Charts etc.

• Seating arrangement in the classroom is changed every according to the needs of the activities.

• There are about 20 to 25 students in a class.

• Teacher is having a permanent room;students go to the different subject classes.Maintainance of the class is the responsibility of the teacher.

• One period is of 90 minutes according to which the teacher is planning the lesson and related activities.

• Every teacher is given an assistant,thus there is no problem of substitute teacher in the absence of either of them.

SOME NOTABLE OBSERVATIONS ABOUT TEACHING

• Social studies is an integrated subject including History,Government,Geogra

• phy,Economics.One teacher handles the complete subject.

• Teacher always begins the lesson with a set of drill questions based on the previous day teaching.

• Teaching is activity based;there is a lot of use of OHP,Internet,Documentaries ,Exercises like graphic organizers,quizzes etc.

• Lesson plan is little different including activities, differentiation and reflection.

• Evaluation system is totally different with the help of small exercises in the class.

• Before assessment students are given the Rubric of the assessment.

• Students with Learning Disabilities are accompanied with a councelor in the class.

• Concept of lunch discussion in school is also very unique where students can be given a topic and a teacher is deputed to discuss the same.

• Lots of strategies are used to teach the lessons in class like KWLH chart,graffiti board,blog,webquest etc.

SIMILIARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

Reflections on the similiarities and differences between Indian and US school system

Similiarities

1.`The teachers are just as involved and motivated as teachers back home

2. Curriculum and activities are planned

3.Classroom dynamics are similar.Some children want to study,some are disinterested

and some are upto mischief.

4.Work gets done,i.e.teaching learning takes place.

5.Curriculum and actvitie are planned.

Differences

1.Method of teaching is different.In India we use more of lecture method intersperse it with few activities and there is no self‐study.On the other handin the US,I obseved more activities and self‐study techniques being used.

2.There is no uniform for the students and their behavior is more casual.

3.There is great diversity in the class.

4.Students do not stand up and greet the teacher.

5.The seating arrangements keeps changing according to the activity planned by the

Teacher.

6.The children move from class to class while the room belongs to the teacher. In India,the students remain in class and the teachers move from class to class according to their time table.

7.There are more resources and technology availble than in Indian schools.

8.The type of assignments given are also different.

PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES

The world is changing at an accelerated pace. Profound technological innovations &globalization processes have further reduced distances making the world a global village and enhancing the accessibility While distances are reduced ,divergences have become wider in societies like India where multicultural, multiethnic and multi lingual social fabric calls for a process of social transformation. In the backdrop of this reality, my role as Social Science teacher becomes important. Today the young learners are at a transitional phase of their life. We need to provide them a comprehensive view of society, so that the young learners of today can shoulder the responsibilities of tomorrow. Merely knowledge of natural sciences won't suffice. They need to have an understanding of behavioral processes where instincts &emotions play a prominent role and energies need to be channelized in desired directions. IN this perspective my philosophy revolves around following points *To develop amongst the youth an understanding of the processes of change and development--both in terms of time & space through which human societies have evolved, *To enable them to appreciate the diversity in the land and people of the country with its underlying unity *To understand and cherish the values enshrined in the constitution and to prepare the learners for their role and responsibilities as effective citizens of a democratic country To aid in acquiring knowledge, skills and the understanding to face the challenges of contemporary society as individuals and

# Provides a sound foundation for students who plan to enter graduate work in a variety of fields, from geography to business, land use planning, law & medicine etc. HOW I LIKE TO TEACH SOCIAL STUDIES # In depth teaching of the topic is a must for students basic understanding. # We must emphasis on activities that engage students in inquiry & problem solving about significant human issues. # Students should be involved in decision making & participation in wider social, political & economic affairs, so that they share a sense of responsibility for the welfare of their school & community. # Students should participate in all interactive & cooperative classroom study processes, so that they learn to work together in groups. # Social studies should be integrated with other areas of the curriculum. # Students should be taught our historical values & a sense of connection with their nation’s history & global history, the history & culture of diverse social groups & the environment that surrounds it. # Last but not the least, use of evaluation that involves further learning & promotes responsible citizenship & open expression of ideas.

OUR FACILITATORS AND INSTRUCTORS FOR IREX TEA PROGRAM

It is a great honour and previlege to acknowledge the unparalleled contributions of the facilitators and instructors we had at George Mason University.Their experience and profound insights acted like a glowing beacon in the darkness of our ignorance.I truly admire their endurance and dedicative personality which inspired and motivated us to work with diligence during these six weeks.We are extremely fortunate to have mentors and guides like them.We had wonderful informative sessions with world is changing at an accelerated pace

The names of the Facilitators and the topics of the sessions are as follows:

1.Dr.Steeley:Reflective Practice

2.Dr.Shahrokhi and Dr.Woody:Educational Leadership

3.Megan Garnet:Methods and Curriculum in Social Studies

4.Dr.Bev Shaklee:Exceptionality and Gifted Education

5.Dr.Rebecca Fox:Portfolios and Teacher Professional Development

6.Dr.James Upperman:Classroom Observation Methodologies and Admin‐Teacher Dynamics

7.Dr.Rachel Grant:Best Practices For Literacy Development

8.Intensive Technology Training:Mr.Mohan,Mr.Sumanth and Mr.Abel

ADDITIONAL SELECTED MATERIALS

Professional Learning Community

To create a professional learning community, focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively, and hold yourself accountable for results.

Schools as Learning Communities

By Richard DuFour

The idea of improving schools by developing professional learning communities is currently in vogue. People use this term to describe every imaginable combination of individuals with an interest in education—a grade-level teaching team, a school committee, a high school department, an entire school district, a state department of education, a national professional organization, and so on. In fact, the term has been used so ubiquitously that it is in danger of losing all meaning.

The professional learning community model has now reached a critical juncture, one well known to those who have witnessed the fate of other well-intentioned school reform efforts. In this all-too-familiar cycle, initial enthusiasm gives way to confusion about the fundamental concepts driving the initiative, followed by inevitable implementation problems, the conclusion that the reform has failed to bring about the desired results, abandonment of the reform, and the launch of a new search for the next promising initiative. Another reform movement has come and gone, reinforcing the conventional education wisdom that promises, "This too shall pass."

The movement to develop professional learning communities can avoid this cycle, but only if educators reflect critically on the concept's merits. What are the "big ideas" that represent the core principles of professional learning communities? How do these principles guide schools' efforts to sustain the professional learning community model until it becomes deeply embedded in the culture of the school?

Big Idea #1: Ensuring That Students Learn

The professional learning community model flows from the assumption that the core mission of formal education is not simply to ensure that students are taught but to ensure that they learn. This simple shift—from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning—has profound implications for schools.

School mission statements that promise "learning for all" have become a cliché. But when a school staff takes that statement literally—when teachers view it as a pledge to ensure the success of each student rather than as politically correct hyperbole—profound changes begin to take place. The school staff finds itself asking, What school characteristics and practices have been most successful in helping all students achieve at high levels? How could we adopt those characteristics and practices in our own school? What commitments would we have to make to one another to create such a school? What indicators could we

monitor to assess our progress? When the staff has built shared knowledge and found common ground on these questions, the school has a solid foundation for moving forward with its improvement initiative. As the school moves forward, every professional in the building must engage with colleagues in the ongoing exploration of three crucial questions that drive the work of those within a professional learning community:

* What do we want each student to learn? * How will we know when each student has learned it? * How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning? The answer to the third question separates learning communities from traditional schools.

Here is a scenario that plays out daily in traditional schools. A teacher teaches a unit to the best of his or her ability, but at the conclusion of the unit some students have not mastered the essential outcomes. On the one hand, the teacher would like to take the time to help those students. On the other hand, the teacher feels compelled to move forward to "cover" the course content. If the teacher uses instructional time to assist students who have not learned, the progress of students who have mastered the content will suffer; if the teacher pushes on with new concepts, the struggling students will fall farther behind.

What typically happens in this situation? Almost invariably, the school leaves the solution to the discretion of individual teachers, who vary widely in the ways they respond. Some teachers conclude that the struggling students should transfer to a less rigorous course or should be considered for special education. Some lower their expectations by adopting less challenging standards for subgroups of students within their classrooms. Some look for ways to assist the students before and after school. Some allow struggling students to fail.

When a school begins to function as a professional learning community, however, teachers become aware of the incongruity between their commitment to ensure learning for all students and their lack of a coordinated strategy to respond when some students do not learn. The staff addresses this discrepancy by designing strategies to ensure that struggling students receive additional time and support, no matter who their teacher is. In addition to being systematic and schoolwide, the professional learning community's response to students who experience difficulty is

* Timely. The school quickly identifies students who need additional time and support. * Based on intervention rather than remediation. The plan provides students with help as soon as they experience difficulty rather than relying on summer school, retention, and remedial courses. * Directive. Instead of inviting students to seek additional help, the systematic plan requires students to devote extra time and receive additional assistance until they have mastered the necessary concepts. The systematic, timely, and directive intervention program operating at Adlai Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, provides an excellent example.

Every three weeks, every student receives a progress report. Within the first month of school, new students discover that if they are not doing well in a class, they will receive a wide array of immediate interventions. First, the teacher, counselor, and faculty advisor each talk with the student individually to help resolve the problem. The school also notifies the student's parents about the concern. In addition, the school offers the struggling student a pass from study hall to a school tutoring center to get additional help in the

course. An older student mentor, in conjunction with the struggling student's advisor, helps the student with homework during the student's daily advisory period.

Any student who continues to fall short of expectations at the end of six weeks despite these interventions is required, rather than invited, to attend tutoring sessions during the study hall period. Counselors begin to make weekly checks on the struggling student's progress. If tutoring fails to bring about improvement within the next six weeks, the student is assigned to a daily guided study hall with 10 or fewer students. The guided study hall supervisor communicates with classroom teachers to learn exactly what homework each student needs to complete and monitors the completion of that homework. Parents attend a meeting at the school at which the student, parents, counselor, and classroom teacher must sign a contract clarifying what each party will do to help the student meet the standards for the course.

Stevenson High School serves more than 4,000 students. Yet this school has found a way to monitor each student's learning on a timely basis and to ensure that every student who experiences academic difficulty will receive extra time and support for learning.

Like Stevenson, schools that are truly committed to the concept of learning for each student will stop subjecting struggling students to a haphazard education lottery. These schools will guarantee that each student receives whatever additional support he or she needs.

Big Idea #2: A Culture of Collaboration

Educators who are building a professional learning community recognize that they must work together to achieve their collective purpose of learning for all. Therefore, they create structures to promote a collaborative culture.

Despite compelling evidence indicating that working collaboratively represents best practice, teachers in many schools continue to work in isolation. Even in schools that endorse the idea of collaboration, the staff's willingness to collaborate often stops at the classroom door. Some school staffs equate the term "collaboration" with congeniality and focus on building group camaraderie. Other staffs join forces to develop consensus on operational procedures, such as how they will respond to tardiness or supervise recess. Still others organize themselves into committees to oversee different facets of the school's operation, such as discipline, technology, and social climate. Although each of these activities can serve a useful purpose, none represents the kind of professional dialogue that can transform a school into a professional learning community. The powerful collaboration that characterizes professional learning communities is a systematic process in which teachers work together to analyze and improve their classroom practice. Teachers work in teams, engaging in an ongoing cycle of questions that promote deep team learning. This process, in turn, leads to higher levels of student achievement.

Collaborating for School Improvement

At Boones Mill Elementary School, a K-5 school serving 400 students in rural Franklin County, Virginia, the powerful collaboration of grade-level teams drives the school improvement process. The following scenario describes what Boones Mill staff members refer to as their teaching-learning process.

The school's five 3rd grade teachers study state and national standards, the district curriculum guide, and student achievement data to identify the essential knowledge and skills that all students should learn in an upcoming language arts unit. They also ask the 4th grade teachers what they hope students will have mastered by the time they leave 3rd grade. On the basis of the shared knowledge generated by this joint study, the 3rd grade team agrees on the critical outcomes that they will make sure each student achieves during the unit.

Next, the team turns its attention to developing common formative assessments to monitor each student's mastery of the essential outcomes. Team members discuss the most authentic and valid ways to assess student mastery. They set the standard for each skill or concept that each student must achieve to be deemed proficient. They agree on the criteria by which they will judge the quality of student work, and they practice applying those criteria until they can do so consistently. Finally, they decide when they will administer the assessments.

After each teacher has examined the results of the common formative assessment for his or her students, the team analyzes how all 3rd graders performed. Team members identify strengths and weaknesses in student learning and begin to discuss how they can build on the strengths and address the weaknesses. The entire team gains new insights into what is working and what is not, and members discuss new strategies that they can implement in their classrooms to raise student achievement.

At Boones Mill, collaborative conversations happen routinely throughout the year. Teachers use frequent formative assessments to investigate the questions "Are students learning what they need to learn?" and "Who needs additional time and support to learn?" rather than relying solely on summative assessments that ask "Which students learned what was intended and which students did not?" Collaborative conversations call on team members to make public what has traditionally been private—goals, strategies, materials, pacing, questions, concerns, and results. These discussions give every teacher someone to turn to and talk to, and they are explicitly structured to improve the classroom practice of teachers—individually and collectively.

For teachers to participate in such a powerful process, the school must ensure that everyone belongs to a team that focuses on student learning. Each team must have time to meet during the workday and throughout the school year. Teams must focus their efforts on crucial questions related to learning and generate products that reflect that focus, such as lists of essential outcomes, different kinds of assessment, analyses of student achievement, and strategies for improving results. Teams must develop norms or protocols to clarify expectations regarding roles, responsibilities, and relationships among team members. Teams must adopt student achievement goals linked with school and district goals.

Removing Barriers to Success

For meaningful collaboration to occur, a number of things must also stop happening. Schools must stop pretending that merely presenting teachers with state standards or district curriculum guides will guarantee that all students have access to a common curriculum. Even school districts that devote tremendous time and energy to designing the intended curriculum often pay little attention to the implemented curriculum (what teachers actually teach) and even less to the attained curriculum (what students learn) (Marzano, 2003). Schools must also give teachers time to analyze and discuss state and district curriculum documents.

More important, teacher conversations must quickly move beyond "What are we expected to teach?" to "How will we know when each student has learned?" In addition, faculties must stop making excuses for failing to collaborate. Few educators publicly assert that working in isolation is the best strategy for improving schools. Instead, they give reasons why it is impossible for them to work together: "We just can't find the time." "Not everyone on the staff has endorsed the idea." "We need more training in collaboration." But the number of schools that have created truly collaborative cultures proves that such barriers are not insurmountable. As Roland Barth (1991) wrote,

Are teachers and administrators willing to accept the fact that they are part of the problem? . . . God didn't create self-contained classrooms, 50-minute periods, and subjects taught in isolation. We did—because we find working alone safer than and preferable to working together. (pp. 126–127)

In the final analysis, building the collaborative culture of a professional learning community is a question of will. A group of staff members who are determined to work together will find a way.

Big Idea #3: A Focus on Results

Professional learning communities judge their effectiveness on the basis of results. Working together to improve student achievement becomes the routine work of everyone in the school. Every teacher team participates in an ongoing process of identifying the current level of student achievement, establishing a goal to improve the current level, working together to achieve that goal, and providing periodic evidence of progress. The focus of team goals shifts. Such goals as "We will adopt the Junior Great Books program" or "We will create three new labs for our science course" give way to "We will increase the percentage of students who meet the state standard in language arts from 83 percent to 90 percent" or "We will reduce the failure rate in our course by 50 percent."

Schools and teachers typically suffer from the DRIP syndrome—Data Rich/Information Poor. The results-oriented professional learning community not only welcomes data but also turns data into useful and relevant information for staff. Teachers have never suffered from a lack of data. Even a teacher who works in isolation can easily establish the mean, mode, median, standard deviation, and percentage of students who demonstrated proficiency every time he or she administers a test. However, data will become a catalyst for improved teacher practice only if the teacher has a basis of comparison.

When teacher teams develop common formative assessments throughout the school year, each teacher can identify how his or her students performed on each skill compared with other students. Individual teachers can call on their team colleagues to help them reflect on areas of concern. Each teacher has access to the ideas, materials, strategies, and talents of the entire team.

Freeport Intermediate School, located 50 miles south of Houston, Texas, attributes its success to an unrelenting focus on results. Teachers work in collaborative teams for 90 minutes daily to clarify the essential outcomes of their grade levels and courses and to align those outcomes with state standards. They develop consistent instructional calendars and administer the same brief assessment to all students at the same grade level at the conclusion of each instructional unit, roughly once a week.

Each quarter, the teams administer a common cumulative exam. Each spring, the teams

develop and administer practice tests for the state exam. Each year, the teams pore over the results of the state test, which are broken down to show every teacher how his or her students performed on every skill and on every test item. The teachers share their results from all of these assessments with their colleagues, and they quickly learn when a teammate has been particularly effective in teaching a certain skill. Team members consciously look for successful practice and attempt to replicate it in their own practice; they also identify areas of the curriculum that need more attention. Freeport Intermediate has been transformed from one of the lowest-performing schools in the state to a national model for academic achievement. Principal Clara Sale-Davis believes that the crucial first step in that transformation came when the staff began to honestly confront data on student achievement and to work together to improve results rather than make excuses for them.

Of course, this focus on continual improvement and results requires educators to change traditional practices and revise prevalent assumptions. Educators must begin to embrace data as a useful indicator of progress. They must stop disregarding or excusing unfavorable data and honestly confront the sometimes-brutal facts. They must stop using averages to analyze student performance and begin to focus on the success of each student.

Educators who focus on results must also stop limiting improvement goals to factors outside the classroom, such as student discipline and staff morale, and shift their attention to goals that focus on student learning. They must stop assessing their own effectiveness on the basis of how busy they are or how many new initiatives they have launched and begin instead to ask, "Have we made progress on the goals that are most important to us?" Educators must stop working in isolation and hoarding their ideas, materials, and strategies and begin to work together to meet the needs of all students.

Hard Work and Commitment

Even the grandest design eventually translates into hard work. The professional learning community model is a grand design—a powerful new way of working together that profoundly affects the practices of schooling. But initiating and sustaining the concept requires hard work. It requires the school staff to focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively on matters related to learning, and hold itself accountable for the kind of results that fuel continual improvement.

When educators do the hard work necessary to implement these principles, their collective ability to help all students learn will rise. If they fail to demonstrate the discipline to initiate and sustain this work, then their school is unlikely to become more effective, even if those within it claim to be a professional learning community. The rise or fall of the professional learning community concept depends not on the merits of the concept itself, but on the most important element in the improvement of any school—the commitment and persistence of the educators within it.

References

Barth, R. (1991). Restructuring schools: Some questions for teachers and principals. Phi

Delta Kappan, 73(2), 123–128.

Marzano, R. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria,

VA: ASCD.

Richard DuFour recently retired as Superintendent of Adlai Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. He currently resides in

Moneta, Virginia, and may be reached at (540) 721-4662; [email protected]. His forthcoming book is Whatever It

Takes: How a Professional Learning Community Responds When Kids Don't Learn (National Educational Service, in press).

STRATEGIES OF TEACHING SOCIAL

STUDIES

Pre-Reading Strategies These strategies are designed to activate prior knowledge and encourage students’ skills in predicting. HERE AND NOW – give students an image (e.g. photograph, political cartoon, etc.) or a short reading, preferably a primary document like a letter. Have students spend no more than five minutes composing a reaction to the image or reading. Students can share responses and/or teachers can use the image or text to prompt a class discussion. SKIM, SCAN, AND PREDICT – this strategy is useful with a textbook reading. Have students examine the following in a textbook chapter or section of a chapter: o Title of chapter o Subtitles o Images o Maps o Graphs, charts o Bold-face words o Items in textboxes or sidebars Then have students read the first and last paragraphs of the chapter or section of the chapter. Students should then fill out the “Skim & Scan” chart. After students are finished, engage the class in a discussion asking them to predict what they will learn or what is most important about the topic. First Impression Fast Facts Final thoughts

WORD WALL – this is an ongoing class project. Emphasizing key vocabulary is a good way to reinforce learning in social studies and some of this vocabulary can be classified as “high-utility” vocabulary, meaning that these are words used frequently in social studies. Students write these words down on colorful paper and post them on the “Word Wall” in the classroom. The words can be arranged in a variety of ways – as simple as an alphabetical listing or they can categorize the words building on the strategy of “LIST, GROUP, & LABEL.” PREDICT-O-GRAM – prior to teaching a lesson or having students reading a section of text, list key

words they will encounter (including people, places, events, and vocabulary). Have students use the words to do one or more of the following: o Create a story using the words o Predict the topic they will study and specific events associated with the topic o Ask questions about specific items ANTICIPATION GUIDE – this is a good way to get students thinking about controversial topics or evaluating their beliefs, attitudes, and/or values. Teachers compose a series of statements regarding an issue they are about to teach. Students respond by circling whether they agree or disagree with each statement, adding comments to explain their choice. Students can then predict what they are about to study and teachers can use student response to gauge student attitudes and to prompt future discussions. CONCEPT LADDER – this is a graphic organizer that poses a series of questions to students. Teachers can create the questions or students can pose them. Regardless, the questions grow in complexity until students have reached the top rung of the ladder. This is a great way to assess students’ prior knowledge and the questions can be referred to throughout the unit of study to reinforce learning. *All of the above strategies were found in or adapted from those found in Janet Allen’s book Reading History: A Practical Guide to Improving Literacy (2005). KNOWLEDGE RATING (for vocabulary) – this is aφ good way to assess students’ prior knowledge. Give students a list of vocabulary words (no more than 10) and have them note whether they “know it,” “don’t know it,” or are “not sure” whether they know it. Regardless of their rating, have them create a definition for each word. K-W-L- CHART – give students a few minutes at the beginning of a new unit to list what they know (K), what they want to know (W), and what they have learned (L) about the topic you are about to teach.

During Reading Strategies GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS – these are very helpful in guiding students as they read text, emphasizing key points and vocabulary. Graphic organizers are also helpful in modeling note-taking skills. The emphasis on visual learning is useful in making the content more meaningful for students. GUIDED READING QUESTIONS – although these may seem to be passé, some students find them helpful. Composed correctly, guided reading questions and their correct answers can be later used to study for formal assessments. Use this strategy with care, however, as students may feel compelled to scan for answers, thereby missing key elements of the assigned reading. SQ3R (SURVEY, QUESTION, READ, RECITE, REVIEW) – this builds on the pre-reading strategy of skimming and scanning.φ

• Survey – have students scan the subtitles, images, and textboxes and skim the reading. Then have them predict three things (or more if you want) they think they will learn.

• Question – turn each subtitle into a question and record any bold-typed words into a chart. • Read - students answer the questions they created and define the words they listed as they read. • Recite – have students compare their answers with a partner and write a summary of what they

have read.

• Review – allow students to work independently or with a partner. Using the questions they created and the terms they highlighted, have students see if they can answer the questions or define the terms while not looking at the answers.

HIGHLIGHTING MAIN IDEAS – this is most useful when students can write on what they are reading. Have students use a highlighter or a pen with a color different from the text they are reading. As they read have them highlight key people, terms, and events. They can even code these (e.g. circle key people; box key events; and underline key terms). After they are finished highlighting, have them bullet the main ideas from the reading. FIND THE EVIDENCE – this activity teaches students to support main ideas and to foster critical thinking. Teachers compose a list of factual statements about the topic they are teaching. Students must then read the textbook or supplementary reading looking for evidence to support each statement, bulleting the evidence under each statement to late be shared with the rest of the class. Y-NOTES – this is aφ useful strategy for helping students compare and contrast information. Have students divide a piece of paper in half to record their notes. On one side, have them record information pertaining to one topic (e.g. Hitler) and on the other side have them record information pertaining to the other topic (e.g. Stalin). When they are finished, have them scan their notes for similarities and record those beneath the two columns. *source: McDougal Littell’s Reading Toolkit for Social Studies R.E.A.P.(Read, Encode, Annotate, and Ponder) – this guided reading activity helps prepare students for class discussions and other activities that engage the entire class. Students do the following:

• Read the text on their own. • Encode – take notes on what they have read, but put notes in their own words • Annotate – write down main ideas, key terms, quotations, etc. • Ponder – think about what they have read; talk about what they have read with a peer;

try to make connections with what they know, have experienced or read before; and record questions they may still have about the topic. *source: Reading History: A Practical Guide to Improving Literacy by Janet Allen (2005), pp. 67-69.

Post-Reading Strategies STORY BOARDS – these are a great way to review key events and are especially useful as a cooperative learning activity. Students must recreate an event using pictures only and they are limited to 3 to 6 frames in order to do so. They may incorporate conversation bubbles or really short captions, but the emphasis needs to be on the visual components. ILLUSTRATED TIMELINES – this activity can be completed by individuals, pairs, or groups and they do not necessarily need dates. Students pull the main events from a time period and create a chronology highlighting each with a brief description and illustration. FACT Vs OPINION – have students compose a list of facts they learned from a reading, recording the facts in one column on a two-column chart. On the second column, have students record opinions associated with the topic (either those they developed or those they read about). FRAYER MODEL – this is useful for reinforcing and summarizing “big picture” topics or themes you have been teaching. Using the Frayer Model graphic organizer, have students define the topic/theme, list characteristics of the topic/theme, and then list both examples and non-examples that illustrate the topic/theme. WEBS & CONCEPT MAPS – these can actually be used at any time in class (before, during, or after a reading). Provide students with a topic or theme and have them build on that topic/theme by adding key details associated with it.

PHOTOGRAPHS 0F

ROBINSON SECONDARY

SCHOOL

CONCLUSION I am profoundly grateful to IREX for honoring me by selecting me as a TEA

fellow and providing me this rare opportunity to attend sessions in George

Mason University, one of the most prestigious universities of the United

States of America. I also extend my deepest gratitude to the facilitators who

had been great and excellent in their instructions. They were truly epitomes

of unlimited endurance and dedication. They motivated and inspired us and

enriched us with new knowledge and skills of teaching .They demonstrated

us the process of bringing change in our leadership approaches. Their

teachings will always be their inside us to glow our path in the darkness of

ignorance and despair. This is not my final portfolio. Here I have made

efforts to organize it within a very short period of time. This portfolio

definitely needs further development in different sections. Because of

extreme limitation of time span and my certain weakness in IT I am aware

that I have been unable to produce a standard portfolio which could have

reflected my true insights that I have achieved in the USA. After I go back

to my school I plan to develop my current portfolio and also to keep regular

portfolios for my own professional development. I believe my portfolios in

the coming tomorrow will reflect my teaching and learning and provide me

better understanding and of course assist me in realizing what it means to

be a professional and change agent in education.

Documents

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIOcehd.gmu.edu/assets/docs/cie/fall08_portfolios/chettrir.pdf · learning styles. VI. Reflection The teachers will have to keep a close watch on the