TRP OFFICIAL

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University of North Texas Teacher Research Project Teacher Work Sample

Name: Anastasia Craig Cadre District: Northwest Independent School District School where data was collected: Samuel Beck Elementary School Content Area: ELA & Social Studies Grade Level: 4th

Abstract

For this research project, I worked with a fourth grade English language arts and social studies class at Beck Elementary in Trophy Club, Texas. This class is extremely diverse in terms of socioeconomic status, and learning abilities. These lessons were based on a few very distinctive fourth grade TEKS, these TEKS are as follows: 4.22(C): spell commonly used homophones, 4.21(C): recognize and use punctuation marks including: commas in compound sentences; and quotation marks, 4.15(D): edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling, 4.15(C): revise drafts for coherence, organization, use of simple and compound sentences, and audience, and 4.20B: use the complete subject and the complete predicate in a sentence. In addition to focusing in on these five TEKS, I had the following five learning goals for this unit:

1- Establish a solid foundation of homophones through the use of proof words (4.22(C)). 2- Successfully apply new organizational strategies to writing compositions (4.15(C)). 3- Successfully edit sentences through the identification of subjects and predicates (4.20(B)). 4- Apply critical components of revising and editing to writing compositions (4.15(D)). 5- Successfully apply comma rules when editing sentences and in our own writing compositions

(4.21(C)).

I used a variety of strategies and accommodations to ensure mastery of each standard for each individual student. The post-assessment showed significant growth in students as individuals, and the majority of the class showed mastery of standards that we addressed in this unit. Engaging in this project helped me to see the value of assessments and how they can be leveraged to guide and enable instruction. I was also able to learn how important flexibility is for a teacher. No two students will learn at the same rate, nor will they have the same needs. Being able to adapt a lesson or schedule to every student’s needs, and meeting all of the accommodations that students have, helps me to be a better teacher and gives them the best opportunity to excel.

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TableofContents

Component1:ContextualFactors...........................................................................................................................3

Component2:LearningGoals...................................................................................................................................9Component3:AssessmentPlan.............................................................................................................................10

Component4:DesignforInstruction...................................................................................................................14Component5:InstructionalDecisionMaking...................................................................................................40

Component6:AnalysisofStudentLearning......................................................................................................42

Component7:ReflectionandSelf-Evaluation....................................................................................................46

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Component1:ContextualFactors Standard #1: Learner Development. The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences. Standard #2: Learning Differences. The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards. Standard #3: Learning Environments. The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

Contextual Factor Instructional Implications Accommodations

Number of Students: 22 -A large class, and will need to use a variety of classroom management techniques.

N/A

Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Make-up:

Ethnicity/Cultural: Caucasian: 63.6% Hispanic: 22.7% Asian: 9% African American: 4.5% Gender: Male: 59% Female: 41%

- Will need to foster an inclusive environment that values all students and their respective cultures. -Will need to include lessons that interest both male and female students. -Accommodations will need to be made for English language learners (ELL’s).

-Will use gestures and pictures when teaching and interacting with ELL and special needs students. -Utilization of plenty of graphic organizers. -Will allow plenty of processing time when questioning.

Socio-economic Status Make-up:

Total: 4.5% -Only one student in our class is classified as ‘low SES.’

-This student may come to school hungry or extremely tired.

-Will provide clear instructions and expectations. -Will provide background knowledge if necessary for this student.

Classroom Environment:

-Three long tables made of eight desks. -Class library located in the back of the classroom. -Extra supplies in the back of the classroom in plastic drawers. -A variety of anchor charts are hung up all around the classroom to assist students when they are working independently. -A large table is located in the front corner of the room for small groups and book clubs.

-This classroom is set up to facilitate both large and small group instruction -Limited access to iPads or computers. -Teacher can easily manage behavior due to the open layout and central location of her desk, and how it is open to the students.

N/A

Community Environment:

-Located in a neighborhood in Trophy Club, Texas, which is a suburb of Dallas, Texas.

-Superb parental involvement.

-Keep students engaged in lessons, especially when their parents are on

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campus. Students with Special Needs/Gifted-Talented/RtI:

Special Needs: 45.5% - 6 of these students are receiving special needs attention in the resource room. - 2 of these students are receiving Speech services. - 2 of these students are limited English proficient (LEP), and receiving ESL services. Response to Intervention (RtI): 9% - 2 students are on Tier II of their RtI program. Gifted-Talented: 27.3% - 6 students are involved in the GATES program at Beck, and they meet Thursday afternoons during the last part of class.

-A strong variety of accommodations will need to be utilized to better help all students to be successful in our classroom.

-Provide one-on-one teacher support when necessary. -Provide small group instruction when necessary. -Provide additional challenges to students who need it, through questioning and/or a more varied option of tasks.

Developmental characteristics:

-A strong variety of accommodations will need to be utilized to better help all students to be successful in our classroom.

-Provide one-on-one teacher support when necessary. -Provide small group instruction when necessary. -Provide assistance during independent time, when these particular students will need extra time to question and understand the task at hand.

Physical: N/A Social: N/A Intellectual: Cognitive: 54.5%

Any other factor considered necessary for instruction

N/A N/A N/A

Individual Student Learning Abilities:

A.A: A.A. is a very motivated learner, but struggles frequently, and has many accommodations to assist him in his struggle. Since A.A. is mildly autistic, he has quite a few presentation and response specific accommodations. Among these presentation accommodations are shortened instructions, repeating the instructions back to the teacher to confirm understanding, use of simplified vocabulary, provided a copy of class notes, and chunked assignments into smaller tasks. For response accommodations, A.A. is provided extra time for oral responses, he leaves class for specialized instruction, and he is allowed extended time on writing assignments. A.A. also receives frequent feedback as a timing and scheduling accommodation and gets preferential seating as a setting accommodation. All of these accommodations help A.A. to perform better in class and focus on the material that is being covered. Although this seems like a lot of accommodations for one little guy, I have witnessed how much doing all of these things attributes to A.A’s success in the classroom. All of this information impacts my instruction in many different ways. With this many accommodations it may be

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difficult to keep up, but A.A. is very good at reminding us of what he needs and how it should be done. With the collaborative effort that A.A. puts forth with his teachers, his success is undeniable. R.B: R.B. is a very sweet, energetic young lady who has a passion for being successful in school. R.B. is a member of a cheerleading squad outside of school and has a knack from bringing that bright and positive attitude to the classroom. R.B. is enrolled in our gifted and talented program here at Beck. She has proven herself to be a motivator of those around her to grow as learners, just as she has. With R.B. being so enthused with learning, it challenges me as a teacher. Most topics that are introduced come much easier to her than they do to other students. This means that accommodations for her, and the other GT students, need to be made to challenge them and keep them engaged in a lesson that may have began as just a review for them. G.B: G.B. is truly one of the most well-mannered students I have come across in fourth grade. He always has a smile on his face and a wonderfully cooperative attitude. G.B. is in the special education program here at Beck and, like his friend A.A., has quite a few accommodations to help him to reach all of his academic goals. G.B. has specific accommodations for presentation, response, timing and scheduling, setting, and behavior. Among these presentation accommodations are shortened instructions, repeating the instructions back to the teacher to confirm understanding, use of simplified vocabulary, provided a copy of class notes, chunked assignments into smaller tasks, and a multitude of study sheets/reviews/summaries. For response accommodations, G.B. is provided extra time for oral responses, he leaves class for specialized instruction, and he is allowed extended time on writing assignments. G.B. also receives frequent feedback as a timing and scheduling accommodation, gets preferential seating as a setting accommodation, and has a note for teachers to make frequent eye contact/proximity control for a behavioral accommodation. All of these accommodations help G.B. to perform better in class and to truly focus on the material that is being covered. When it comes to instruction with G.B. I know that incorporating all of these accommodations will be tough, but G.B. has a tendency to ask a lot of questions to keep me on my toes and to keep him engaged while I am working with him. So, with the positive outlook that G.B. possesses, I am sure that each of these accommodations will prove to be beneficial. O.C: O.C. is a very fun, motivated young lady that loves to be social and hang out with her friends. Her favorite time of the school day is recess, and it is obvious when you see her on the playground with all of her buddies. Since O.C. has such a social nature about her, it is sometimes difficult for her to focus and really get down to work when it is called for. She has a Response to Intervention (RtI) that has been filed and she is on Tier II of the scale. She has been tested for many learning disabilities, and none of them have come back as positive. So, as of now, she does not have any official accommodations. With that being said, she still needs quite a bit of attention during class lessons, and may need extended time with certain assignments. For instructional purposes, this is very important because any student that may need extra time to be caught up with the rest of the class needs to be recognized and given that extra time. A.D: A.D. is a young man that absolutely loves any thing that involves being outside or playing sports. He has an incredible amount of energy that he has difficulty harnessing at times, but he really is an outstanding student. A.D. is enrolled in the gifted and talented program at Beck, and he loves being able to showcase his imaginative abilities in this program. Although he has proven to be a little bit of a behavioral issue in the classroom, he has also shown us that even when he’s standing when he’s supposed to be sitting, or talking when he should be quite, he is always learning. He has yet get anything under a ‘B’ in class so far this year, and teaching him has been so much fun. On the other hand of that, working with A.D. can be difficult because of his lack of focus at times. He is generally easy to redirect, but some days nothing works. So, instructionally, A.D. is one that needs constant redirection, but it really does pay off. E.F: E.F. is a student who has an intense struggle with anything and everything related to school. He does not have any behavioral problems or accommodations, but his mental struggle tends to set him behind from the rest of his class. In order to help E.F. with this he has accommodations for presentation, response, and setting. His presentation accommodations include a specific time for his teacher to check with him for understanding, and

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he receives a copy of class notes after he has already attempted to write the notes on his own. For response accommodations E.F is allowed extra time for oral responses, the opportunity to leave class for specialized instruction, and he receives no penalty for grammatical or punctuation errors in his writing. Lastly, E.F. is provided with preferential seating as a setting accommodation. Instruction time with E.F. can be a challenge, and many times it requires him to sit through the lesson with the rest of the class and then come to me for a one-on-one lesson that is taught in a way that reaches him. For me personally, this has been a very enlightening time in my teaching and E.F. has really taught me a lot about what it means to make sure that your lesson reaches each and every student. E.J: E.J. is a quiet boy who loves to immerse himself in a good book. He rarely ever participates in class discussions, but is always taking in what is going on around him. E.J. is an English language learner (ELL) that has been classified as limited English proficient (LEP). Since he is LEP, he needs a lot of specialized assistance and attention throughout the lessons. He does not get pulled out or receive any instruction from an ESL professional for content, so he is in our general classroom for the entire day. E.J. understands a lot more than he lets on, but because he is so quite it is hard to gage where he is at with the content that is being taught. Instructionally it is important for me to keep in mind that he is LEP, and to give him the opportunity to work with me, or a peer, one-on-one to check for understanding and monitor his growth in English. J.L: J.L. is an extremely intelligent and motivated young man that loves to learn new things. He is always enthusiastic when a new subject or new content is introduced. Although he may come off as a ‘know-it-all’ at times, it is never genuine. He is always helping out others who may not understand what we are talking about, and he takes this responsibility upon himself without being asked by an instructor. J.L. is enrolled in the gifted and talented program at Beck, and he has absolutely grown by being so. He has always been a very smart young man, but his social skills have grown by bounds and leaps from where they were at the beginning of the year. Instructionally for J.L. accommodations for him, and the other GT students, need to be made to challenge them and keep them engaged in a lesson that may have began as just a review. M.L: M.L. is a young girl who has a serious passion for fashion and zest for imagination. Her smile lights up any room, and she is always positive when faced with difficult situations. With this being said, M.L. is enrolled in our special education program here at Beck, and tends to get distracted during any and all learning situations. She has certain accommodations for presentation, response, setting and behavior. Her presentation accommodations are as follows: specific emphasis on major points by the teacher, shortened instructions, study sheets/reviews/summaries, peer tutor/paired work arrangement (at teacher discretion), teacher checking for understanding, varied instructions with simplified vocabulary, a copy of class notes, and breaking of larger tasks into smaller tasks. For response accommodations she receives the opportunity to respond to a question orally instead of writing it down, and she is permitted to leave class for specialized instruction. Lastly, M.L. receives preferential seating as a setting accommodation, and frequent eye contact/proximity control from the teacher as a behavioral accommodation. Instructing M.L. can be a challenge, but I have found that her inquisitive nature makes it easier for her to work with. She is naturally imaginative, which makes her more curious about the lessons that we are learning. With this as a strong suit of hers, I just know that success is in her future. K.L: K.L. is an extremely bright young lady that is extremely artistically inclined. Her devotion to art is unparalleled, and it absolutely shows with the pictures that she draws each day. Her devotion to art is only second to her devotion to learning. She is always asking questions, always problem solving, and always finding a fun book to read. K.L. is enrolled in our gifted and talented program at Beck, and it isn’t difficult to see why. In addition to being in the GT program, K.L. is an English language learner (ELL) and classified as limited English proficient (LEP). Since K.L. is both GT and LEP it is hard to see how those two go together if you haven’t met her. She is such a dedicated person, and she has never let her LEP classification hold her back from achieving her goals. As her instructor, it is important to keep in mind that she actually is LEP because you would never be able to tell by listening to her speak. With her being GT and LEP she needs to be challenged, as the other GT students do too, but she needs a regular amount of one-on-one time.

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D.N: D.N. is an extraordinary learner that loves to help out others. He has a difficult time differentiating between helping his peers, and simply bossing them around. D.N’s tendency to come off as a ‘know-it-all’ tends to hinder his ability to perform well, and many times his peers loose respect for him. D.N. is in the gifted and talented program at Beck, and really shines when he is completely challenged. However, this need of constantly needing to be challenged can inhibit his behavior during instruction time. As his instructor, it must be taken into account that he needs a constant challenge. If he is left without this piece of challenging content, then he is sure to be blurting our answers and disrupting the entire class. J.P: J.P. is one of the most challenging students that I have encountered so far in my student teaching. He has an extremely difficult time focusing, and doesn’t like one single thing about being at school. J.P. has accommodations for presentation, response, setting, timing and scheduling, and behavior. Although he has quite a few accommodations, the behavioral accommodations seem to be the most important to me regarding J.P. His behavioral accommodations include clearly defined and consistent limits, frequent reminders of rules, and frequent eye contact/proximity control by the teacher. These behavioral accommodations are the so detailed because they simply must be. Without telling a teacher that these accommodations need to be put in place to manage his behavior, they would be in for a rude awakening. J.P’s presentation accommodations are emphasis on major points by the instructor, repeating the instructions back to the teacher to check for understanding, and he receives a copy of class notes. For response accommodations J.P. is encouraged to participate in class, and he is given the opportunity to leave class for specialized instruction. Lastly, J.P. is provided with preferential seating as a setting accommodation. As I’ve stated before, working with J.P. can be, and has been, challenging. By putting these accommodations in place his instructors, administrators, and parents have been very proactive to try to prevent past events from reoccurring. By teaching, and observing others teach, J.P. I have learned a great deal about true classroom management and how to still have a successful classroom, despite distractions from specific students. D.P: D.P. is quite a rambunctious young lady who loves to play with her friends and feel like she is a part of the group. She has a bit of difficulty staying on task, but is generally a very easy student to work with. Seeing as she is enrolled in our special education program at Beck, she has a variety of accommodations. These accommodations include presentation accommodations, response accommodations, seating accommodations and timing and scheduling accommodations. Her specific presentation accommodations are varied instructions using simplified vocabulary and a copy of class notes. She is also permitted to leave class for specialized instruction as a response accommodation. She receives preferential seating as a setting accommodation, and extended time of writing assignments as a timing and scheduling accommodation. I feel as though it is important to say that this is D.P’s second year in the fourth grade. This piece of information is very crucial to know as a new teaching that is coming in to a new classroom. Having been in the fourth grade before, D.P. sometimes feels as though she already knows the material that is being taught, and will zone out instead of paying attention to the lesson. This poses an instructional problem simply in keeping her focused, which isn’t always as easy as it sounds. D.R: D.R. is a very vivacious young man who loves all things sports related. He is a pure math and science enthusiast, and this is why he is enrolled in the gifted and talented program at Beck. He is the furthest thing from a behavior problem, and he is always willing to help others. Even though D.R. is in the GT program, he struggles in language arts class and attends tutoring on Tuesdays to help improve his reading and writing. Knowing that D.R. struggles in reading and writing but excels in math and science is crucial knowledge to any of his present or future instructors. In reading and writing class (which is where I have D.R.) it is important for him to attend tutoring and keep practicing reading at home. We have to keep in mind that just because he is in the GT program, it doesn't mean that he isn't struggling with some things. W.T: W.T. is a very energetic young man, who loves to make is peers laugh with all of the las test jokes he found on the Internet. Even though W.T. is very social, he struggles with the learning aspect of school. W.T. has

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an ongoing 504 plan and is diagnosed dyslexic. His main accommodation is that he needs extra time to finish assignments. When working with W.T. it is important to keep him engaged and focused on what we are doing. Since his dyslexia presents him with a real problem when it comes to finishing his work and completely understanding the concepts that are being taught. As an instructor it is important to really know this before you really lose him as a student and he falls behind. W.V: W.V. is such a fun and inquisitive young man, and he loves to learn. Even though he is all of these things, he struggles quite a bit in school. W.V. has an ongoing 504 plan, and is on Tier II of his Response to Intervention (RtI). He has not been diagnosed with any kind of learning disability, but he does have certain accommodations that help him to be the best that he can be. One of his accommodations is extra time on assignments that are timed. This is an extremely helpful accommodation for W.V. as he truly loves to take his time with any and every assignment. Another accommodation that W.V. receives is when we have a test that involves bubbling in answers on a scantron, an instructor sits with him to read his answers to him so that he can bubble all of his answers in accurately. Being aware of W.V’s 504 and RtI are crucial for any instructor that has him as a student. He can get frustrated very easily, and if you are not aware of these accommodations then you will not be the type of instructor that he needs to be successful. F.W: F.W is a sweet, soft-spoken young lady that loves to color and be creative. F.W cares about each of her peers and loves to help instructors with anything that they could possibly need. F.W is diagnosed as dyslexic, and has accommodations pertaining to this learning ability. During testing or times assignments she receives extra time to finish up and do her absolute best. Keeping this in mind while instructing her is crucial to her success because she needs extra time to process things, even if other students do not. F.W keeps to herself a lot, so going to her and confirming her understanding of what is being taught is sometimes necessary for her to be successful.

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Component 2: Learning Goals Standard #4: Content Knowledge. The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content. Standard #5: Application of Content. The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues. Grade Level: 4th Content area: ELA (Writing) TEKS: 4.15(C): revise drafts for coherence, organization, use of simple and compound sentences, and audience; 4.15(D): edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; 4.20(B): use the complete subject and the complete predicate in a sentence; 4.21(C): recognize and use punctuation marks including: commas in compound sentences, and quotation marks; 4.22(C): spell commonly used homophones. Learning Goals:

6- Establish a solid foundation of homophones through the use of proof words (4.22(C)). 7- Successfully apply new organizational strategies to writing compositions (4.15(C)). 8- Successfully edit sentences through the identification of subjects and predicates (4.20(B)). 9- Apply critical components of revising and editing to writing compositions (4.15(D)). 10- Successfully apply comma rules when editing sentences and in our own writing compositions (4.21(C)).

If the unit learning objectives are met students will gain a solid foundation of revising and editing techniques that will allow them to be successful in this area for not only the rest of fourth grade, but also for the rest of their academic careers. This is a review unit that is solely focusing on standards that students have not been successful when assessed previously. If these learning objectives are met, they will gain the opportunity to succeed in an area that they have not yet succeeded in before.

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Component 3: Assessment Plan Standard #6: Assessment. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.

Assessment Plan Table Type of Assessments Learning Objectives Format of Assessment Accommodations Pre-Assessment 1) Establish a solid

foundation of homophones through the use of proof words (4.22(C)).

2) Successfully apply new organizational strategies to writing compositions (4.15(C)).

3) Successfully edit sentences through the identification of subjects and predicates (4.20(B)).

4) Apply critical components of revising and editing to writing compositions (4.15(D)).

5) Successfully apply comma rules when editing sentences and in our own writing compositions (4.21(C)).

-Multiple choice -Assessment given individually -Extra time -Questions and answer choices read aloud

Formative Assessment


2) Successfully edit sentences through the identification of subjects and

Performance with Rubric

N/A

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predicates (4.20(B)).


Summative Assessment

1) Establish a solid foundation of homophones through the use of proof words (4.22(C)).

-Fill in the blank -Multiple choice

-Extra time allowed -Questions read aloud for clarification

Summative Assessment

1) Successfully apply comma rules when editing sentences and in our own writing compositions (4.21(C)).

-Fill in the blank

-Extra time allowed -Questions read aloud for clarification -First two questions modeled as an example

Post-Assessment 1) Establish a solid foundation of homophones through the use of proof words (4.22(C)).


3) Successfully edit sentences through the identification of subjects and predicates (4.20(B)).


5) Successfully

-Multiple choice -Assessment given individually -Extra time -Questions and answer choices read aloud

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apply comma rules when editing sentences and in our own writing compositions (4.21(C)).

1. Explain how the assessments specifically address each of the objectives and why the format of

each of the assessments is appropriate for the learning objectives and for the students you have assessed. I used a multitude of assessments throughout the unit to assess student learning. The pre- and post-assessments were very clear and to the point, and were successful at assessing whether students grasped the concept or not. The formative assessments were used on the concepts that students scored higher on compared to the others. The two summative assessments used during the unit were used on those concepts that were scored the lowest during the pre-assessment. I felt as though these objectives needed more emphasis and more re-teaching in order for students to be considered as successful.

2. Explain why you chose each of these assessments to attain your stated learning objectives. For the first and last learning objective, I chose to use a summative assessment at the end of the lesson to be sure that students had an improved understanding of the concepts. These concepts have proven to be difficult for them, so I used a summative assessment to give them the opportunity to demonstrate their true knowledge of the concepts. For learning objectives two through four I chose to do formative assessments according to a participation rubric. These concepts were still low scoring for students, but they were higher than the aforementioned two concepts. This way I was able to ask students questions about what they were learning and assess their progress that way.

3. Describe why you think the assessments are challenging. I do not think that these assessments were challenging. These five learning objectives are some of the most frequently missed among fourth grade students, and these assessments were the best way to gage how well my students were, or were not, doing. Leading up to the summative and post-assessment students were able to ask questions, clear up any misunderstandings, and have the objective taught to them in a completely different way than it was before. I believe that the time taken to prepare them in every way possible is a major contributor to their success.

4. Describe why your assessment is reliable and valid and how it accurately measures knowledge, skills, and reasoning ability. My assessment is reliable and valid because it addresses each objective in a way that truly measures whether students mastered the concept or not. These questions made them think critically and use all of their writing strategies to prove their answers and show that they are not simply guessing the answer.

5. How did you ensure your students understood your assessment instructions? I was as thorough as I could be with my instructions, using a mixture of repetition and variance in how I stated the directions. I also made sure the students had plenty of response time when I asked them a question. I also presented the rubrics to students before they were assessed formatively, this way each

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student was clear on what my expectations were for them and they could continue to refer back to this rubric when and if questions arose. Lastly, when students were working, I walked around and restated the instructions as needed, as well as answered any questions that students had.

6. Explain the minimal level of acceptable student performance in measurable terms. My goal for this unit was for each student to have a minimum of 90% level of mastery with these learning objectives. This means that each student can only miss one question pertaining within each standard on the post-assessment.

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Component 4: Design for Instruction Standard #7: Planning for Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context. Standard #8: Instructional Strategies. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

A. Pre-Assessment Analysis Objective 1: edit for grammar, spelling, and mechanics. Objective 2: recognize and use punctuation marks. Objective 3: Revise for organization, coherence, use of simple and compound sentences. Objective 4: spell commonly used homophones. Objective 5: use complete subject and complete predicate in a sentence.

Whole Class Pre-Assessment Results

StudentName:

Obj.1?Y/N

Obj.2?Y/N

Obj.3?Y/N

Obj.4?Y/N

Obj.5?Y/N

TotalScore:

A.A. Y N Y N N 63%S.B. Y Y Y N Y 88%R.B. Y Y Y N Y 88%G.B. N N N N N 25%O.C. N N N N Y 58%M.C. Y N Y N N 79%J.C. N Y N N N 17%A.D. Y Y Y N Y 88%E.F. Y Y N N N 58%M.J. Y Y Y N N 83%E.J. N N Y N Y 50%J.L. Y Y Y Y Y 100%M.L. N N N N N 25%K.L. Y N N Y Y 83%D.N. Y Y Y N Y 88%E.O. N N N N N 29%J.P. N N Y N N 42%D.P. N N N N N 33%D.R. Y Y N N N 71%W.T. Y N N N N 46%W.V. Y Y N N Y 42%F.W. N N Y N Y 50%

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Sub-Group 1: Special Needs Students Pre-Assessment Results StudentName:

Obj.1?Y/N

Obj.2?Y/N

Obj.3?Y/N

Obj.4?Y/N

Obj.5?Y/N

TotalScore:

A.A. Y N Y N N 63%G.B. N N N N N 25%E.F. Y Y N N N 58%M.L. N N N N N 25%J.P. N N Y N N 42%D.P. N N N N N 33%

Sub-Group 2: Students with 504 Plans Pre-Assessment Results StudentName:

Obj.1?Y/N

Obj.2?Y/N

Obj.3?Y/N

Obj.4?Y/N

Obj.5?Y/N

TotalScore:

O.C. N N N N Y 58%W.T. Y N N N N 46%W.V. Y Y N N N 42%F.W. N N Y N Y 50%

Sub-Group 3: LEP Students Pre-Assessment Results StudentName:

Obj.1?Y/N

Obj.2?Y/N

Obj.3?Y/N

Obj.4?Y/N

Obj.5?Y/N

TotalScore:

E.J. N N Y N Y 50%K.L. Y N N Y Y 83%

Sub-Group 4: Gifted and Talented Students Pre-Assessment Results StudentName:

Obj.1?Y/N

Obj.2?Y/N

Obj.3?Y/N

Obj.4?Y/N

Obj.5?Y/N

TotalScore:

R.B. Y Y Y N Y 88%A.D. Y Y Y N Y 88%J.L. Y Y Y Y Y 100%K.L. Y N N Y Y 83%D.N. Y Y Y N Y 88%D.R. Y Y N N N 71%

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B. Answer the following questions:

1. What did you learn about the prior knowledge/skills/abilities of the students in your class as individuals and as a whole based on your pre-assessment data?

I learned that my students did not possess the amount of background knowledge (as individuals) that I thought that they did. The majority of the class failed the pre-assessment, and that meant that I absolutely had my work cut out for me. I realized that not only were my students not achieving what they should be individually, but they also were not meeting what was expected of them as a class. This meant that they were severely behind if they were to achieve their goals on the STAAR test later in the year.

2. What did you learn about the subgroups of students? Cite specific evidence from the assessment data that led you to these conclusions about the class and about the subgroups of students.

As a class, we averaged a 59%, which was extremely unexpected. Once I broke it down in to subgroups I found that the special needs students averaged a 41% on the pre-assessment, 504 plan students averaged a 49%, LEP students averaged a 67%, and gifted and talented students averaged an 86%. This showed me that these standards needed to be addressed and emphasized in every sub-group. None of these students were reaching their fullest potential according to these results. Breaking down the averages of each sub-group, and the class as a whole, helped me to see the need in each group within our whole group.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Objective1 Objective2 Objective3 Objective4 Objective5

PercentageExhibitingMasteryinPre-Assessment

Series1

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3. How did your analysis of the pre-assessment data influence how you designed the learning activities for your class as a whole? For the students in your sub-groups? Be specific.

After charting and graphing their data and physically seeing their results, I had to work really hard to figure out how to tackle these objectives. Since my students performed best in objective one (edit for grammar, spelling and mechanics) and worst in objective four (spell commonly used homophones), I knew what needed more attention and what simply needed a review. However, these objectives have been addressed over and over again with them, so I had to come up with something more engaging and meaningful that they hadn’t done before.

For my sub-groups, it was obvious that my special needs, 504 plan and LEP students needed more attention than others. To address this concern and obvious need, in the lessons I would pull them aside for small group with me. During this time there was an extension provided for my gifted and talented students and a work period for each student. In these small groups I was able to address and questions or concerns that students had, and pick up on any misconceptions that they may have about the topic.

4. Explain how you plan to adapt instruction for the needs of students with exceptionalities and English Language Learners.

In my class we have 2 English language learners, and 11 additional learners with exceptionalities. This meant that my planning needed to be extremely careful and conscious of those students. Not only did I need to be aware of the needs of these learners while planning, but I had to be aware of these needs while I was teaching as well. There are a multitude of accommodations that were made for these learners on a daily basis. Some of these include: extra time on assessments, one-on-one instruction, English dictionaries, small group time, and hard copies of class notes/graphic organizers.

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UNTLessonPlan(Day1)

Pre-serviceTeacher:AnastasiaCraig

Grade:4th

School/MentorTeacher(ifapplicable):BeckElementarySchoolChristeMontgomery

Subjectarea(s):Writing

UnitTopic/Theme:SpellingofHomophones

LessonTitle:Homophones

RelevantTEKS:4.22(C):spellcommonlyusedhomophones.

RelevantELPS:4.B(iv):Advanced.AdvancedELLshavetheabilitytoreadandunderstand,withsecondlanguageacquisitionsupport,grade-appropriateEnglishusedinacademicandsocialcontexts.Thesestudentsareabletoapplybasicandhigher-ordercomprehensionskillswhenreadinggrade-appropriatetext,butarestilloccasionallydependentonvisuals,teacher/peerassistance,andotherlinguisticallyaccommodatedtextfeaturestodetermineorclarifymeaning,particularlywithunfamiliartopics.

RelevantTXCCRS:

ELAIIB.2:Identifynewwordsandconceptsacquiredthroughstudyoftheirrelationshipstootherwordsandconcepts.

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LessonObjective(s)/PerformanceOutcomes-Wewill:establishasolidfoundationofhomophonesthroughtheuseofproofwords.-Iwill:usemyproofwordstoidentifyhomophones.-IknowIhaveitwhen:Icansuccessfullyidentifyproofwordsforeachofourspellingwordsonourassessment.Assessment(Description/Criteria)-Seeattachedspellingtestandkey

MaterialsandResources

1) SpellingReviewSheet2) Pencil3) Coloredpencil4) WritersNotebook5) Documentcamera

ManagementoftheInstructionalEnvironment-HigherOrder/CriticalThinkingQuestions:1)Giveanexampleofahomophone.2)Whatdoyourememberabouthomophones?3)Howdoweprovewhichwordsbelongwhere?4)Listtheproofwordsforeachofourspellingwords.5)Demonstrateyourknowledgeofyourspellingwordsandcorrespondingproofwords.OtherinstructionalstrategiesthatIplantouseincludetheuseofaccommodationsforthosewhoneedthem,modelingeachstepofthelessonwiththestudentsonthedocumentcamera,andprovidingone-on-onetimewiththosestudentspertheirrequest.TechnologyIntegration-UseofELMO(documentcamera)DiversityandEquity(Accommodations,Modifications,Adaptations)-Studentswithaccommodationswill:1)Receiveaworksheetthatisalreadyfilledoutwiththeproofwords2)One-on-oneinstructionwhenneeded

AnastasiaCraig 20

Activities/Procedures(5E)Engage:Studentswillusearegularpenciltofillouttheproofwordsthattheyalreadyknowonaworksheetthathasthespellingwordsonit(blanksheetattached).Explore:Studentswillcollaboratewiththeirshoulderpartnertocontinuetofillouttheirproofwords.Explain:Asaclass,wewillreviewallofthespellingwordswiththeirappropriateproofwordsandstudentswillfillintheirblankswithacoloredpencil(teacherexampleattached).Elaborate:Studentswillwriteeachoftheirspellingwordsinasentence,usingtheirproofwords.Evaluate:Studentswilltakeagradedspellingtestasasummativeassessment.Studentswillalsobeformativelyassessedduringclassaccordingtotheirparticipation(blanktestandstudentsampleattached).ReflectionsandDocumentation/EvidenceofLessonEffectiveness-Summative:spellingtest(attached).-Formative:studentswillengageinstudentleddiscussionsinorderfortheteachertoevaluatewhattheyarelearning,orwhattheyarenot,andhowtoproceedwiththelesson.

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BlankSpellingReview: TeacherExampleSpellingReview:

BlankSpellingAssessment:

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StudentSampleSpellingAssessment:

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UNTLessonPlan(Day2)


Grade:4th



UnitTopic/Theme:Grammar

LessonTitle:CommaRules

RelevantTEKS:

4.21(C):recognizeandusepunctuationmarksincluding:commasincompoundsentences;andquotationmarks


RelevantTXCCRS:

ELAIA.4:Recognizetheimportanceofrevisionasthekeyideasandorganizethemmorelogicallyeffectively,anddrawthereadertotheauthor’spurpose.

ELA I A.5: Editwritingforpropervoice,tense,andsyntax,assuringthatitconformstostandardEnglish,whenappropriate

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LessonObjective(s)/PerformanceOutcomes-Wewill:reviewourpunctuationmarks.-Iwill:applyrevisionstosentencesthatmayormaynotneedcommas.-IknowIhaveitwhen:Isuccessfullyapplycommarulestoourworksheetandinmyownwriting.Assessment(Description/Criteria)-CommapracticecardsMaterialsandResources

1)CommaRulesQuestionCards2) Writingnotebook3) Documentcamera4) Pencils5) Writingcompositiondraft

ManagementoftheInstructionalEnvironment-HigherOrder/CriticalThinkingQuestions:1)Whatdoyourememberaboutcommarules?2)Listourcommarulesinyourwritingnotebook.3)Whatcanyousayaboutcommas?4)Howwouldyoudemonstrateeachofourcommarules?OtherinstructionalstrategiesthatIplantouseincludetheuseofaccommodationsforthosewhoneedthem,modelingeachstepofthelessonwiththestudentsonthedocumentcamera,andone-on-oneinstructionforthosewhorequestit.TechnologyIntegration-UseofELMO(documentcamera)DiversityandEquity(Accommodations,Modifications,Adaptations)-Studentswithaccommodationswill:1)Havefewerquestionstoanswerwithcommacards,2)One-on-oneinstructionwhenneededorrequested.

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PracticeQuestions(Blank): PracticeQuestions(StudentSample):

Activities/Procedures(5E)Engage:Studentswillhavefiveminutestoquicklywritedownasmanypunctuationmarksastheycanrememberintheirwritingnotebooksusingacirclemap.Oncethesefiveminutesareup,Iwilldrawsticksandthosestudentswhoaredrawnwillcomeandwriteatypeofpunctuationontheboardfortheclasstoreferenceduringthelesson.Explore:Iwillreviewandmodelonequestionwithstudentsonthedocumentcamerainthepacketthattheyhaveattheirdesks.Studentswillthencompletetheremainderofthecardquestionswiththeirshoulderpartners.Explain:Asquestionsariseduringstudentsworktime,wewillstopasaclasstoaddressthem.Thiswayeveryoneknowsthattheirquestionsarerelevantandworthaddressing.Elaborate:Whenstudentshavecompletedtheirquestionswiththeirpartners,theywillanswerfourquestionsthatapplytothestandersthatwehavebeenworkingon,includingpunctuation.Evaluate:Whencompleted,thesequestionswillbeturnedintothewritingtrayandtakenforagrade.ReflectionsandDocumentation/EvidenceofLessonEffectiveness-Summative:gradedpracticequestions(attached).-Formative:studentswillengageinstudentleddiscussionsinorderfortheteachertoevaluatewhattheyarelearning,orwhattheyarenot,andhowtoproceedwiththelesson.

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BlankCorrectedSentencesWorksheet:

CorrectedSentencesWorksheetStudentSamples:

AnastasiaCraig 28

UNTLessonPlan(Day3)


Grade:4th




LessonTitle:HowEditingHelps

RelevantTEKS:

4.15(D):editdraftsforgrammar,mechanics,andspelling


RelevantTXCCRS:


ELA I A.5: Editwritingforpropervoice,tense,andsyntax,assuringthatitconformstostandardEnglish,whenappropriate

AnastasiaCraig 29

LessonObjective(s)/PerformanceOutcomes-Wewill:recognizetheimportanceofrevisingandeditingourcompositions.-Iwill:comparepiecesofworkthathavebeeneditedtothosethathavenot.-IknowIhaveitwhen:Icanapplycriticalcomponentsofrevisingandeditingtomyowncomposition.Assessment(Description/Criteria)-SeeParticipationRubricMaterialsandResources

6) PowerPointPresentationofphotos7) Notebookpaper8) Documentcamera/projector9) Pencils10) Writingnotebooks11) CompositionDraft

ManagementoftheInstructionalEnvironment-HigherOrder/CriticalThinkingQuestions:1)Whatdoyourememberabouteditingandrevising?2)Whatisthedifferencebetweenrevisingandediting?3)Howcanyoudescribeediting?Howcanyoudescriberevising?4)Whatwouldbetheresultifwedidn’treviseoreditourcompositions?OtherinstructionalstrategiesthatIplantouseincludetheuseofaccommodationsforthosewhoneedthem,modelingeachstepofthelessonwiththestudentsonthedocumentcamera,studentswillalsoreceiveahardcopyofthepowerpointandclassnotes,andone-on-oneinstructionforthosewhorequestit.TechnologyIntegration-UseofELMO(documentcamera)/projectorDiversityandEquity(Accommodations,Modifications,Adaptations)-Studentswithaccommodationswill:1)ReceiveahardcopyofPowerPointpresentationandclassnotes,2)One-on-oneinstructionwhenneededorrequested.

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Activities/Procedures(5E)Engage:Studentswillparticipateina‘RoundRobin’activitywheretheywilleachdrawthefirstelementofahouse.Theywillthenpasstheirdrawingsaroundtheirtablesfivetimes,oruntiltheyhavetheiroriginaloneback.Eachtietheyreceiveanewpapertheywilladdanelement,ordetail,tothedrawing.Wewillthendiscusshowthisactivityrelatestoourwriting.Explore:StudentswillthensilentlyreviewthepicturespresentedtotheminthePowerPointandmakenotesofthedifferencesthattheynotice.Explain:Wewilldiscusshowthisisbestappliedinourownwriting.Elaborate:Studentswillthenapplywhattheyhavelearnedtotheirowncompositions.Evaluate:Ongoingassessmentofstudentparticipation.ReflectionsandDocumentation/EvidenceofLessonEffectiveness-Formative:studentswillengageinstudentleddiscussionsinorderfortheteachertoevaluatewhattheyarelearning,orwhattheyarenot,andhowtoproceedwiththelesson.

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ParticipationRubricCategories Possible Points Earned Points

Uses class time wisely (ex: reads or works in notebook for entire independent work portion of the class)

25

Uses strategies taught in the mini-lesson in readers notebook (ex: post-it notes, graphic organizers, t-charts, writing strategies, etc.)

25

Reads with high volume at home and in school (ex: reads independently without redirection, brings book to class everyday, finishes books in a timely manner, reads 30 minutes every night)

25

Writes thoughtful reading entries (ex: hands homework in on time, writes entries based on strategies taught in class, has variety and detail, listens to teacher suggestions)

25

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UNTLessonPlan(Day4)


Grade:4th




LessonTitle:Subjects&PredicatesPractice

RelevantTEKS:

4.20B: usethecompletesubjectandthecompletepredicateinasentence


RelevantTXCCRS:


AnastasiaCraig 33

LessonObjective(s)/PerformanceOutcomes-Wewill:identifythesubjectandpredicatesinexamplesentencesandinourownwriting.-Iwill:workproductivelyinwholegroupandinstationstoidentifysubjectsandpredicatesinsentences.-IknowIhaveitwhen:Isuccessfullyapplymyknowledgeinstationsinawaythatmeetsorexceedsthestandard.Assessment(Description/Criteria)-SeeparticipationrubricMaterialsandResources

1)Worksheetsinpageprotectors12) Dryerasemarkers13) PoemDraft14) WritingNotebook15) Pencils16) Stickynotes17) InvitationtoNotice18) Documentcamera

ManagementoftheInstructionalEnvironment-HigherOrder/CriticalThinkingQuestions:1)Whatdoyourememberaboutsubjectsandpredicates?2)Labelthesubject(s)andpredicate(s)ineachofthesesentences.3)Whatisthedifferencebetweenasubjectandapredicate?4)Giveanexampleofasubject.Giveanexampleofapredicate.OtherinstructionalstrategiesthatIplantouseincludetheuseofaccommodationsforthosewhoneedthem,modelingeachstepofthelessonwiththestudentsonthedocumentcamera,andone-on-oneinstructionforthosewhorequestit.TechnologyIntegration-UseofELMO(documentcamera)DiversityandEquity(Accommodations,Modifications,Adaptations)-Studentswithaccommodationswill:1)Receiveacopyofclassnotes

AnastasiaCraig 34

2)One-on-oneinstructionwhenneededorrequestedActivities/Procedures(5E)Engage:Studentswilleachreceivetwostickynotes,whichtheywillputhorizontallyononepageintheirwritingnotebook.Theywilllabeloneofthem‘Subject’andtheother‘Predicate.’Studentswilldefineeachofthetermsunderneaththeirstickynote,andwewilldiscussasaclass.Explore:Studentswillparticipateinwholegroupinstructionpertainingtosentencesthattheyhavegluedintheirwritingnotebooks.Wewilllabelthesubjectsandthepredicatesofeachsentence,aswellaslabelingtheconjunctionsandcommasthatwereusedandwhytheywereused.Explain:Studentswillthendiscussthelastsentencethattheyhavegluedintheirnotebookswiththeireyeballpartners,thencomingbacktowholegrouptodiscusstheirfindings.Elaborate:Studentswillthenbesplitintothreegroupsandapplythisknowledgeinthefollowingstations:

1- InvitationtoNotice:studentswritedowntwosentencesandcircle/notewhattheynoticeaboutit.Oncetheyhaveeachcompletedthisontheirown,theywillturnandtalkwiththeirshoulderpartnersaboutwhattheyhavenoticed.

2- Smallgroupwiththeteacher:Wewillworkonidentifyingsubjectandpredicatequestionstogetherusingourstrategies.

3- Applyknowledgeoforganizationandrevisingandeditingtotheirpoemsthatwehavebeenworkingon.

*Wewillspendroughlytenminutesineachstation,eightminuteswithatwominutewarningtowrapup.Evaluate:Ongoingassessmentofstudentparticipation;seerubric.ReflectionsandDocumentation/EvidenceofLessonEffectiveness-Formative:studentswillengageinstudentleddiscussionsinorderfortheteachertoevaluatewhattheyarelearning,orwhattheyarenot,andhowtoproceedwiththelesson.

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25


25


25

Writes thoughtful reading entries (ex: hands homework in on time, writes entries based on strategies taught in class, has variety and detail, listens to teacher suggestions)

25

AnastasiaCraig 36

UNTLessonPlan(Days5&6)


Grade:4th




LessonTitle:OrganizeOurLives!

RelevantTEKS:

4.15(C):revisedraftsforcoherence,organization,useofsimpleandcompoundsentences,andaudience


RelevantTXCCRS:


ELAIIIB.2:Participateactivelyandeffectivelyingroupdiscussions.

AnastasiaCraig 37

LessonObjective(s)/PerformanceOutcomes-Wewill:evaluatepreviousstudents’papersandapplythefeedbacktoourowncompositions.-Iwill:applyneworganizationalstrategiestomycomposition.-IknowIhaveitwhen:mycompositionmeetsthestandardwithorganizationandfluency.Assessment(Description/Criteria)-Seeparticipationrubric

MaterialsandResources

19) CompositionDraft20) WritingNotebook21) Pencil22) Stickynotes23) Postersofpapers24) DocumentCamera

ManagementoftheInstructionalEnvironment-HigherOrder/CriticalThinkingQuestions:1)Howdidyouidentifythepositivethingsinthispaper?2)Whatistheoverallcommonalityyouseebetweenallofthesepapers?3)Whatcanyousayaboutthesepapers?4)Howcanyouapplythistoyourownpaper?5)Usingwhatyouhavelearned,howwillyouapplythistoyourownwriting?OtherinstructionalstrategiesthatIplantouseincludetheuseofaccommodationsforthosewhoneedthem,modelingeachstepofthelessonwiththestudentsonthedocumentcamera,andone-on-oneinstructionforthosewhorequestit.TechnologyIntegration-UseofELMO(documentcamera)DiversityandEquity(Accommodations,Modifications,Adaptations)-Studentswithaccommodationswill:1)Notreceiveanypenaltyforspellingandconventions2)Receiveacopyoftheclassnotestostapleintotheirnotebooks3)Oneononeinstructionwhenrequested

AnastasiaCraig 38

Activities/Procedures(5E)Engage:Studentswillbedividedintogroupsandgotothecorrespondingpapernumberwithapencilandastickynote.Studentswillthenreadthepaperinfrontofthemandmakenotesaboutwhattheynoticeaboutwhatthey’vereadandwriteitontheirstickynoteandstickittothepaper.Explore:Studentswilldiscusswhatthey’venoticedwiththeirgroupmembersquietlyanddecidewhatideatheywanttosharewiththeclass.Wewillthenshareanddiscussthoseideasasaclass.Explain:Asaclass,wewillreviseandeditoneofthepaperswediscussedearlier.Beingsuretocheckfororganization,fluency,mainideaandtopicsentences.THENEXTDAY:Elaborate:Studentswillbedividedintothreegroupsforthreestations.Thestationsareasfollows:

1- InvitationtoNotice:studentswritedowntwosentencesandcircle/notewhattheynoticeaboutit.Oncetheyhaveeachcompletedthisontheirown,theywillturnandtalkwiththeirshoulderpartnersaboutwhattheyhavenoticed.

2- Smallgroupwiththeteacher:Wewillworkonorganizationandrevisingandeditingquestionstogetherusingourstrategies.

3- Applyknowledgeoforganizationandrevisingandeditingtotheirowncompositions.4- Studentswillusesentencesstripstodecomposeandreconstructthesesentencesinorder

accordingtotheirmainidea.

Wewillstayineachstationforfifteenminutes.Evaluate:ongoingassessmentofstudentparticipation;seerubricReflectionsandDocumentation/EvidenceofLessonEffectiveness-Formative:studentswillengageinstudentleddiscussionsinorderfortheteachertoevaluatewhattheyarelearning,orwhattheyarenot,andhowtoproceedwiththelesson.

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25


25


25

Writes thoughtful reading entries. (ex: hands homework in on time, writes entries based on strategies taught in class, has variety and detail, listens to teacher suggestions)

25

AnastasiaCraig 40

Component 5: Instructional Decision Making Standard #7: Planning for Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context. Standard #8: Instructional Strategies. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

Answer the following questions:

1. Give at least two examples of times during the teaching of your unit that your

assessment of student learning or the response of one or more students caused you to change your approach or to do something different than you planned. During the teaching of my unit, there were many times that I had to adjust my lessons. As I was working with my students at the beginning of the lesson to activate their prior knowledge, I realized that I needed to allow for more one on one instruction time because there were many students that were not speaking up about their confusion. To address this, I decided to allow time during the day for small groups that discuss the specific questions that students have. Another adjustment that I made based on student responses, or lack thereof, was that I added an extra day of instruction to address.

2. Provide the rationale for the instructional modification you selected. Once I decided to change the lesson from whole group instruction to small group instruction I began the lesson with a whole group review, and then moved on to small groups where each student was in a group. Each group was at a specific station that addressed and instilled the standard and learning goals for the lesson. One of these stations was a small group with me, at the small group table. Doing this gave those students who wouldn’t ordinarily ask a question in a whole group setting their chance to ask their questions. For my other adjustment, I had planned on a specific lesson lasting for only one class period, and when we began addressing this standard I realized that there was a severe amount of confusion surrounding it. By adding an extra day of instruction for this standard I was able to address and solidify any questions or misconceptions that students had.

3. Describe the result of your selected modification; i.e. explain how your instructional modification impacted student learning.

These instructional modifications allowed me to address student questions and concerns in a way that was specifically accommodated and scaffolded to their needs. By scaffolding and answering questions in small groups, students were able to show me what their specific mastery is of the standard and feel more comfortable actually asking me questions. In the days following these last minute changes I saw a true change in

AnastasiaCraig 41

engagement and motivation to learn. My students realized that it is okay to ask questions, and that they probably aren’t the only ones who have these questions.

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Component 6: Analysis of Student Learning Standard #6: Assessment. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.

Comparison of Pre/Post Assessment

Learning Objectives: Objective 1: edit for grammar, spelling, and mechanics. Objective 2: recognize and use punctuation marks. Objective 3: Revise for organization, coherence, use of simple and compound sentences. Objective 4: spell commonly used homophones. Objective 5: use complete subject and complete predicate in a sentence.

Whole Class Post-Assessment Results

StudentName:

Obj.1?Y/N

Obj.2?Y/N

Obj.3?Y/N

Obj.4?Y/N

Obj.5?Y/N

TotalScore:

A.A. Y N Y N Y 75%S.B. Y Y Y Y Y 90%R.B. Y Y Y Y Y 100%G.B. N N N Y N 60%O.C. Y Y Y Y Y 90%M.C. Y Y Y Y Y 90%J.C. N Y N N N 50%A.D. Y Y Y Y Y 100%E.F. Y Y N Y N 85%M.J. Y Y Y Y Y 100%E.J. Y Y Y Y Y 95%J.L. Y Y Y Y N 85%M.L. N Y N N Y 65%K.L. Y Y Y Y Y 95%D.N. Y Y Y Y Y 95%E.O. N Y N Y Y 80%J.P. N N Y N N 65%D.P. N N Y N N 60%D.R. Y Y Y Y Y 90%W.T. Y N N Y Y 75%W.V. Y Y Y Y Y 95%F.W. Y N Y Y N 80%

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Sub-Group 1: Special Needs Students Post-Assessment Results StudentName:

Obj.1?Y/N

Obj.2?Y/N

Obj.3?Y/N

Obj.4?Y/N

Obj.5?Y/N

TotalScore:

A.A. Y N Y N Y 75%G.B. N N N Y N 60%E.F. Y Y N Y N 85%M.L. N Y N N Y 65%J.P. N N Y N N 65%D.P. N N Y N N 60%

Sub-Group 2: Students with 504 Plans Post-Assessment Results StudentName:

Obj.1?Y/N

Obj.2?Y/N

Obj.3?Y/N

Obj.4?Y/N

Obj.5?Y/N

TotalScore:

O.C. Y Y Y Y Y 90%W.T. Y N N Y Y 75%W.V. Y Y Y Y Y 95%F.W. Y N Y N Y 80%

Sub-Group 3: LEP Students Post-Assessment Results StudentName:

Obj.1?Y/N

Obj.2?Y/N

Obj.3?Y/N

Obj.4?Y/N

Obj.5?Y/N

TotalScore:

E.J. Y Y Y Y Y 95%K.L. Y Y Y Y Y 90%

Sub-Group 4: Gifted and Talented Students Post-Assessment Results StudentName:

Obj.1?Y/N

Obj.2?Y/N

Obj.3?Y/N

Obj.4?Y/N

Obj.5?Y/N

TotalScore:

R.B. Y Y Y Y Y 95%A.D. Y Y Y Y Y 100%J.L. Y Y Y Y N 85%K.L. Y Y Y Y Y 90%D.N. Y Y Y Y Y 95%D.R. Y Y Y Y Y 90%

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64%

66%

68%

70%

72%

74%

76%

78%

80%

82%


Post-AssessmentResults

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%


Pre-andPost-AssessmentComparisonofResults

Pre-Assessment

Post-Assessment

AnastasiaCraig 45

1. Indicate how many students showed mastery of your learning goals after instruction and describe how you would address the educational needs (RtI) of the students who did not attain mastery.

Although not all of my students showed complete mastery of the objectives, many of them did. If students did not show total mastery, then, at the very least, they improved their scores. For Objective 1, the number of students that mastered editing for grammar, spelling, and mechanics went from 13 to 16. In Objective 2 the number of students that mastered recognition and use of punctuation marks went from 10 to 16 as well. In regard to Objective 3 16 students mastered revising for organization, coherence, and use of simple and compound sentences, whereas 11 of them had mastered the objective in the beginning. In the pre assessment, objective four (spelling commonly used homophones) was our lowest scoring objective with only 5 students showing mastery. However, that number jumped all the way up to 17 in the post assessment. Lastly, in objective 5 our mastery went from 10 to 15 for using complete subject and complete predicates in a sentence.

Each of my students showed an improvement in their scores, except for one. This student had initially scored a 100% on the pre-assessment, and his score went down to an 85% on the post-assessment. I believe that this happened because he was out for a number of days for being sick, and when he came back to take the post-assessment he felt rushed and unprepared. For this student I would just pull him aside to address these objectives one-on-one and then move on. He is a very bright student, and just needs a little individual attention to truly reach his full potential.

2. Do the assessment results accurately reflect the degree of learning students demonstrated during the classroom activities? Explain.

Yes, I do believe that the assessment results are an accurate portrayal of the learning that took place during the classroom activities. In general, the class showed a huge improvement between the pre-assessment and the post-assessment. There are always those students who fluctuated throughout the unit, but they did show improvement when assessed after the unit.

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Component 7: Reflection and Self-Evaluation Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice. The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner. Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration. The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.

1. Reflect on your unit as a whole, how it has deepened your understanding of assessment, teaching and learning, and how it will inform your own teaching in the future.

As a whole, I am very pleased with how my unit went with this fourth grade class. I addressed standards that they have been struggling with, and helped them to achieve mastery. I was very encouraged with the end result of the hard work that both my students and myself put in to this unit. There was clear improvement with my students, which was the goal from the very beginning. Through this process I have learned quite a bit about who I am as a teacher, and how I can improve to reach my goals. I realized that my understanding of assessment was very superficial, and about as basic as what I’ve read in textbooks. As I taught this unit and continually assessed my students, my understanding was truly deepened. I came to the realization that without assessment, teaching and learning cannot be measured to be effective or ineffective. Assessments allow us to truly know if what we are teaching, and how we are teaching it, is registering with our students in a meaningful and applicable way. If our students are not learning in a meaningful way that they can apply inside and outside of the classroom, then they are not going to hold on to the knowledge that they have just attained. This is how what I have learned from this unit will inform my own teaching in the future, and how I will keep myself accountable with the huge responsibility that teaching truly is.

2. Highlight the learning goal on which your students were the most successful, as well as the learning goal on which students were the least successful.

My students achieved the most growth on objective four, which was spelling commonly used homophones. They jumped from 23% on the pre-assessment to 80% on the post-assessment. I did tend to focus a lot on this objective, purely because it was the lowest scoring objective on the pre-assessment. We did a variety of activities using homophones, and we reviewed our proof words for each homophone nearly every day. Also, students had a summative assessment using these proof words and using homophones in a sentence. Technically, students showed the least improvement in objective one, which was editing for grammar, spelling and mechanics. This is simply because they scored 59% on the pre-assessment (the highest scoring objective in the pre-assessment), and jumped to 73% on the post-assessment. I feel as though this happened because I did not focus as much on this objective as I did with the others because students already had just a tight grasp on the standard. However, their mastery could absolutely

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improve on this, and in the future I will address each objective on a more equal basis.

3. Discuss how you intend to develop as a teacher to further capitalize on your strengths and improve any areas of weakness (cite potential workshops or classes you will take).

One strength of mine is absolutely my ability to stay organized, even in the most hectic of times. Keeping track of the dozens of papers we are constantly handling is something that is crucial to any future, or current, teacher. Without organization skills, many teachers will drown in the mess that becomes of their classrooms. This organizational skill also includes the ability to get many things done ahead of time and meet crucial deadlines. This will help me to be able to get information out to parents with plenty of notice and to avoid scrambling things up at the last minute. It will also help me when dealing with any kind of testing or turning things in to administration. If teachers are not prompt with these things, then it will begin to reflect badly on them and it will begin to affect their students.

A weakness that I have is absolutely anything to do with technology. I am extremely capable of using a computer, tablets, and things of that nature, but when it comes to projectors, SMARTboards and different kinds of document cameras, I am completely lost. I have been hesitant in utilizing these things in my classroom; even though I know of all the benefits they have with students and solidifying concepts. This is absolutely something that I must work on to improve my effectiveness as a teacher, and my ability to make lessons as meaningful as possible for my students. I feel as though there are many classes or workshops that are offered regarding technology, and looking those up and attending them would be a great first step for me.

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