EDSS 521 Blog Post #5

This semester, I have been surprised by the literacy levels of my students. They are able to communicate in the target language without using any grammar translation in the classroom. Luckily, some students have some background with the knowledge. Some of them have taken Spanish classes in middle school, are repeating the class, or grew up with the language. Because of the students background knowledge, I am able to present communicatively new material by using pictures, visuals, gestures, or intonation, and they can eventually make connections to understand what I am asking. In addition, they are able to participate in listening activities, and fill out a chart to show comprehension, watch videos completely in Spanish, and understand a some parts. And they are able to write basic sentences and communicate small phrases and sentences in Spanish. They are not able to discuss culture, current events, art, or participate in debates in the target language. They also have a hard time writing cohesive paragraphs because they do not have enough vocabulary to create them organically without using google translator for help.

Journal Entry: September 30, 2013

My literacy rich classroom includes all areas of literacy; reading, writing, listening and speaking and also includes elements of culture in Spanish speaking countries. Students are being introduced to the Spanish alphabet, how to compose sentences, and they are learning how to listen and comprehend what they hear from listening activities, videos, and my own lectures which incorporate at least two learning styles each class period. My students are engaged in the classroom activities where they are communicating with their peers in low pressure situations where they feel comfortable making mistakes and learn from them. My students are reading children's books as a warm-up in the beginning of class at least once a week. At the end of the book, I will have them answer basic questions to show comprehension and be sure they are on task. Students are hearing native pronunciation, intonation, and the words are at a basic level they can understand. As  the semester progresses, I can move up with more difficult children's books and ask them to do more in depth reflections of the reading.

Journal Entry December 15, 2013

My literacy rich classroom is a fun, low pressure environment that provides universal access for all students. At this point, I have gotten to know my students as individuals and understand how to best accommodate them.
My students are engages in all aspects of literacy including reading, writing, listening, and speaking in the target language but still make many errors due to the influence of English. Students are able to communicate basic phrases and sentences but are beginning to acquire necessary vocabulary to talk about topics more in depth.
My students are reading children's books and basic readings in the target language with some comprehension and can communicate a translation in English.



Journal Entry May 30, 2014

My literacy rich classroom accesses all students and they are able to communicate basic needs in the target language. They are able to ask each other questions, answer them, and talk about topics such as school schedules, weather, calendar, birthdays, travel, and customs. They are able to write a cohesive paragraph with some errors, but have the vocabulary to discuss specific topics in depth. For example, students will be able to write at least 7 sentences describing their family members including how they look, what they like to do, where they live, etc.
My students engage in discussion about current events in Spanish speaking countries including cuisine, religion, economics, politics, customs and traditions and can formulate opinions and have friendly debates about these topics. I can bring in articles that describe holidays in the target language, and they can compare their own holiday celebrations to them.
My students are reading children's books but are able to understand all words, recognize cognates, root words, and connect sentences based on context clues because they have the skills to do so.
They are writing complex sentences in Spanish including verbs, nouns, adjectives, prepositions of location, and are able to talk about the past.
My students are in discussion about their likes and dislikes, their past as children, and are able to talk about things they are in the progress of doing. My students will be able to communicate basic needs if they traveled to a Spanish speaking country.
My students are capable of independent learning by using online resources to help them study and apply grammar concepts they have learned in class and can communicate with each other in the classroom with some prompt. Students are comfortable in my class and are able to talk about themselves and formulate opinions in a low risk environment.

EDSS 521 Blog Post #4

I read the article, 

 LEARNING IN THE 21ST CENTURY MOBILE DEVICES + SOCIAL MEDIA = PERSONALIZED LEARNING". 

This article talked about students using personal devices in the classroom, and the increase in percentages of administrators and educators with access to tablets, digital media, and smart phones. I was surprised when I read that teachers with 16 years of experience were only slightly less likely than teachers with 1-3 years of experience, because I would have thought that newer educators were more inclined to have smartphones, but after thinking about it, it makes sense that educational professionals have smart phones because it allows us to do our work on the go and stay connected. 

I  agree with the concerns in the article that stated that they felt that mobile devices will only serve as a distraction to students. I personally feel that there is a difference between students being able to use their cell phones as a mobile device versus a laptop or a iPad which do not have the ability to text message (for the most part). 

• Choose one of the “Videos from Speak Up” to view. In your reflection include your opinion, what surprises you, what doesn’t, and how the information informs your philosophy and practice of teaching. Videos are at the bottom of the page. (http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/speakup_presentations.html)

• Have a look at the “youthTEACH2Learn resources.” How would you start such a program at your school site? You will be leaving your site, of course, but find out how you can start programs, clubs, etc. at your school site. What would be the benefits of starting a “Future Teachers” type of organization? (http://www.tomorrow.org/programs/teach2learn.html.)

EDSS 521 P21 Blog Post #3

TPE 4 (In my own words): Teacher candidates address content standards that are reinforced, varied, diversified, and facilitate active listening, creativity and imagination for all students.

Creativity occurs frequently in my classroom because students are constantly critically thinking using the target language. For example, for homework the other night we assigned students to write a paragraph (at least 4 sentences) about the things the student family members “do”. The idea was for students to use their verb tenses and conjugate properly while critically thinking. In addition, when we have oral presentations, students are allowed to make up the dialogue using as many current vocabulary words as they want. Students are not confined to a list of phrases or sentences.

Critical thinking and problem solving are used on a daily basis because students are constantly using new grammar and vocabulary applications to communicate with their classmates independently, out of their seats. In addition, on units about health, travel, illnesses, environment, students are asked to solve problems such as “What would you do to help eliminate pollution?”

Communication occurs everyday for the students in a variety of methods. Students communicate informally with each other, they will ‘interview’ classmates and then respond to answers in writing. However, there is not too much discussion because students are very immature and need structure. In addition, students have not yet learned any culture which is often where discussion is involved. Students collaborate everyday and in formal settings for oral presentations which are often done in groups of two.

We have not yet had students participate in any researching using technology inside or outside of the classroom. I would like to have students create and post to a blog about an issue in Spanish culture such as art, literature, politics, health care, pastimes, customs, holidays...etc. We do however present material using a variety of sources including listening, reading, writing, communicating, playing games, watching videos’, all of these are done regularly in daily classroom activities.

I would like to have students research current events that are controversial and force students to see multiple points of view. However, in the current classroom I work in, there is none of that taking place right now in the curriculum. This is the area my CT is weakest in, and I do not feel comfortable forcing her to change her curriculum.

Currently, we do not use technology in the classroom. This is something I really hope is different and my next school site and I know will be changed when I have my own classroom. I think incorporating technology is appealing to all learners and helps them familiarize themselves with technology for educational purposes.

I think my CT and I facilitate self directed learning very effectively in the classroom. Students are always thinking critically and applying new concepts to relevant everyday activities. Students are also able to go beyond what is assigned because they have the skills to push themselves if they want to. For example, if I have a student who is really grasping the verb conjugations, they can write an entire paragraph, and as a narrative rather than in elementary style disconnected sentences.

Students interact with each on a daily basis in informal settings that are low pressure and allow students to utilize new concepts. Students are set up so they have 12 different partners in the classroom that they can work with, and these partners are not necessarily in their immediate social group, or grade level. I feel that students who would not normally work together are allowed to collaborate efficiently and build community within the classroom and the school in general.

EDSS 511 Instructional Strategy

CLASS PARTICIPATION (Preventative)- Hawley Laterza


By designing different strategies to involve all students in class discussions and activities, the teacher can ensure that all students are participating despite readiness, interests, and learning profile.
1. Flash cards with student names to draw at random
2. Palomitas (Popcorn)
3. Divide the class in half and have the boys choose a girl, and a girl choose a boy from the opposite side of the classroom
4. Seating chart- have students go up and down their rows giving answers and write points directly on the seating chart
5. Class Dojo- App on phone that selects students at random and you tap on the student to award a point
6. Popsicle sticks with student names in a jar
7. Having students write on the board by choosing an article of clothing they are all wearing (ex. Any student wearing white shoes- go write an answer on the board)
8. Girls vs. Boys (When playing an activity, students go against each other by having one boy and one girl go head to head)
9. Student volunteer (raise hand when they have the answer)
10. Think/Pair/Share- have students choose a partner to discuss an idea, then call on all groups to share their collaborative idea.
11. Number students 1-4, ask someone from the 1’s share their answer, someone from the 2’s share their answer....etc.
12. Delegate groups of four students to turn their desks and work as a collective unit. 1 student will be designed the recorder, time keeper, speaker, and the person who gets the teachers attention when they need help. Students will collectively turn in one assignment but we will go over the task as a class.

EDSS 511 Unit Plan

UNIT TOPIC:  Para Empezar (En la escuela, en la clase, el tiempo)
Spanish
Stage 1 (First Year)
Grades 9-11
Length of Unit: 3 Weeks, Approximately eight 2 hour block periods

2. FACTS ABOUT THE LEARNERS
Whole Class Information

• 39 Students: 19 males, 20 females
• Demographic Information:
• 2 African American males
• 4 Latinos: 3 male, 1 female
• 300 students in school of 2,200 receive free or reduced lunch
• ELL: 1 male EL, 1 male designated LEP
• IEP: 6 students, 3 females, 3 male
• Developmental Needs: Out of the 39 students in the classroom, ¾ of the students play a sport. Therefore, students understand that they must maintain their grades in order to stay on the team and be considered for scholarships. 98% of high school graduates at La Costa Canyon go on to college.

Individual Student Information and Differentiation Strategies
Provide the following information for 5 specific students

• Jesse: Jesse was raised in a mostly English speaking household. However, his grandparents speak only Spanish and he spends much time with them and has since he was a young child. Jesse is in 10th grade, he currently has only passed one class in high school, Physical Education. He can communicate basic phrases in the target language but is lacking the other aspects of language learning which are reading, writing, and speaking. Jesse is frequently absent or tardy and never does his homework.

1. Modify Content: I would not give Jesse any differentiated content.
2. Modify Process: I would expect that Jesse can serve as the model in class when the students are taking the communicative approach to learning. His pronunciation of words is usually perfect for this level and he can be engaged by leading the class.
3. Modify Product: I would modify the content for Jesse in that I would push his skills in writing and reading. Also, since he has many of the basic skills, I would ask that he goes above and beyond on oral presentations so that he is not bored by the task
4. Management: I would be sure to keep my eye on Jesse as much as possible when I am touring the room. He often sits at his desk doing nothing when he is supposed to be taking notes or working on assignments. I would constantly remind what he needs to be doing and that he is prepared to learn.
5. Learning Environment: I would pair Jesse and Joel together because likely they can talk to each other in the target language. Jessa can help Joel in some ways, and Joel can be sure that Jesse is on task and they are completing their assignments. Joel is a much more motivated student and if he sees someone within his culture working hard, he will likely follow suit.
6. What progress monitoring assessment would you choose to obtain evidence of the student’s progress toward a learning goal/objective? Use a rationale for your assessment choice. I would use the homework assignments to serve as a progress monitoring tool for Jesse since this is his weakest area. I would look at his grade on Aries each week to be sure he has turned in appropriate assignments and try to tell him what he is missing if he has not completed them. Since Jesse does not struggle with material, using his homework grade as a progress monitor would be appropriate because it would tell me that he is improving his study habits.
7. What would be your next steps to facilitate this student’s learning? Consider the student’s facts - identity/demographics and developmental needs (readiness, interests, learning profile). I would give Jesse copies of notes, or graphic organizers to help him take notes and remain on task. I could tell Jesse that he needs to meet with me before or after class each week to be sure he is doing what is expected of him.

• Joel: Joel is a student that moved to the United States before 9th grade from Guatemala. He began at LCC as a freshman. His native language is Kajobal, a dialect of Mayan. His family only speaks Kajobal, however, Joel learned to speak Spanish because of his classes in Guatemala. In December, 2011, Joel was landscaping with his dad at work and fell about 12 feet from a tree. Joel was in a coma and hospitalized. Afterwards, he was diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). He had to repeat his entire senior year due to the accident, and is now a 19 year old super senior. Joel loves to read and skateboard. Joels CELDT scores are at a 1.

1. Modify Content: The way I would modify the content for Joel would be giving him graphic organizers for note taking when students are learning a new concept. This only happens about twice a week and is not a very long lecture. However, Joels memory is not as good as used to be due to his accident.
2. Modify Process: I would use Joel frequently as a model to speak Spanish when we are learning a new topic. Spanish comes more naturally to him, so the communicative part of it is not difficult for him. This will also build his social skills.  
3. Modify Product: I would give Joel extended time for testing. Also, I would explain the instructions orally, in Spanish, and I would have him repeat it back to me so I know he understands what is expected of him. Directions on tests and assignments is usually done in English.
4. Management: I would have Joel keep a running list of words that he did not understand throughout the lesson. Since Joel can usually finish assignments quickly, he can afterwards look up those words in a dictionary for clarification. If he still does not understand, he can ask me after class.
5. Classroom environment: I would pair Joel with a strong speaker of English, and also someone with strong writing skills. Many Spanish speakers struggle with writing, so these students can feed off of each other during assignments.
6. What progress monitoring assessment would you choose to obtain evidence of the student’s progress toward a learning goal/objective? Use a rationale for your assessment choice. I would assess Joel on his tests because I know that he will have been given ample time and a comfortable learning environment.
7. What would be your next steps to facilitate this student’s learning? Consider the student’s facts - identity/demographics and developmental needs (readiness, interests, learning profile). I would want to use this class as much as I can to develop his English capabilities. I would have him read directions aloud to practice fluency. In addition, I will assign the class to do writing assignments once a week that show critical thinking and writing skills in the target language.

• Alex: Alex is a 15-year-old boy in the tenth grade stage two language class. He had difficulty with the development of his early literacy skills, including the acquisition of sound/symbol relationships and word identification, demonstrated in both his reading and writing. In the second grade, Alex was identified as a student with specific learning disabilities. Since then, Alex has received special education support primarily in a resource room for language arts, while he is included in the general education curriculum. He is able to independently read text at a 7th grade level and continues to struggle with decoding words. Alex also has asthma for which he takes daily medication and occasionally needs to use an inhaler. He is a self-isolating person who does not readily join into whole-class conversations or contribute to group learning situations. His tendency is to sit alone at lunch and to be by himself during transitional time. There is no in-class support for this student.

1. Modify Content: Alex is another student who will receive graphic organizers and copies of notes because he struggles with sound/symbol relationship and word identification.

2. Modify Process: Because of students like Alex who have difficulties socializing, I will create an activity where students use a 12 hour clock to assign themselves a partner with 12 other students in the class. This way, students will never be left to “choose” partners, leaving Alex out. Alex will have a designated partner for each activity and can get to know students who he normally would never socialize with.

3. Modify Product: If Alex has difficulties keeping up with classwork, I can allow him to turn in the assignment the next day, or only require him to do the first few questions of each section rather than the entire activity. He will still be getting the practice he needs but the amount of work in the time period allowed can be lessened when necessary.

4. Management: I would include Alex in discussions by using flashcards to rotate answers between students to monitor for progress rather than taking volunteers.

5. Classroom environment: I would give Alex preferential seating and let him know that there is no pressure to always answer questions correctly, I would create a safe learning environment for Alex and the whole class by creating low pressure activities rather than high stakes assignments.

6. What progress monitoring assessment would you choose to obtain evidence of the student’s progress toward a learning goal/objective? Use a rationale for your assessment choice. I would use oral presentations as a progress monitoring assessment for Alex. This would exemplify his growing social interaction and use of verbal skills rather than written. I will also assign students to do book work during presentations so that the oral presentations are not receiving 100% of students attention so the pressure is much lower and mistakes will not be noticeable.

7. What would be your next steps to facilitate this student’s learning? Consider the student’s facts - identity/demographics and developmental needs (readiness, interests, learning profile). I would continue to develop Alex’s social skills by having him participate in read alouds and being sure that he is participating in partner communication activities by progress monitoring. I would recognize his strengths and praise his efforts.

• Sophie: Sophie is an 11th grade female who suffers from ADHD and depression. She hates taking her medicine which helps control her ADHD, but when she is not on it, she is frequently off task and wanders. Sophie’s accommodations require breaks from material, but she will then roam around campus and be gone from class for extended periods of time. She failed most of her 10th grade classes and is in sheltered classes for all subjects except English. Her weaknesses are in reading comprehension and staying on task and organized.

1. Modify Content: I would modify content for Sophie by scaffolding material and I know that she loves music, so I would try to incorporate music into lessons as much as possible.

2. Modify Process: I would allow Sophie to take her mental breaks from instruction, however I would be sure that she and I agree on the length of her mental break and be sure to set a timer. After that I would expect her to be on task at all times and engaged in activities.

3. Modify Product: I would not modify product for her unless her mental breaks resulted in her not being able to finish classwork. If that is the case, I can either allow her to turn in the work she has (pending that she was on task the entire time). Or tell her to finish the work at home and turn it in the next day.

4. Management: I would be sure to check that Sophie has the homework written down in her agenda each day. In addition, since she is in a support class, her case manager checks in with me each week. At this time I could tell her case manager the assignments she is behind on, or still needs to turn in.

5. Classroom environment: I would pair Sophie up the same way I do with the rest of the class by using the clocks to ensure she is not always with her closest ‘friend’. In addition, I would try to get her out of her seat by collecting work or helping me to pass back assignments to the students.

6. What progress monitoring assessment would you choose to obtain evidence of the student’s progress toward a learning goal/objective? Use a rationale for your assessment choice. I would use Sophie’s homework assignments to be sure that she is always turning in her work on time. By being sure that she is always turning in her assignments, I can see whether or not she understands the material, and am helping her to stay organized and keep her grade as high as possible.
7. What would be your next steps to facilitate this student’s learning? Consider the student’s facts - identity/demographics and developmental needs (readiness, interests, learning profile). I would try to talk with Sophie one on one to get an understanding of the way she would prefer to present oral presentations that allow her to show her creativity. By giving Sophie a choice this will help her to feel empowered and in charge of her own learning. For example, I could tell her that we have an oral presentation coming up about weather, time, and numbers. I could ask her how she would want to present the material.

• Alexander: Alexander is a 10th grade student who just moved to the United States from Sweden. He was born in Spain and lived there until he was 5. In Sweden, instruction is taught in English. He has a heavy accent, but overall has no issues in Spanish nor English.

1. Modify Content: I would like Alex to share some of his experiences with schools in Sweden and in Spain. It would be interesting for students to know that in other countries they are forced to learn more than one language and many times their core classes are taught in another language.

2. Modify Process: I would not modify process for Alex except that he transferred in late, so he may be behind in some aspects.

3. Modify Product: Alex would not need modifications for product

4. Management: Alex is very shy so I will encourage him to read aloud for the class just as I would any other student, however, his pronunciation is much better than most of the class so I would probably let him read for longer periods of time than the rest of the students who struggle with word recognition and fluency.

5. Classroom environment: I would want to be sure that Alex feels he is in a safe environment and that he feels he belongs at LCC even though he transferred in late. I would need to keep my eye on him that he is not being so shy that he is not effectively communicating with partners. His classmates can really benefit from working with him because he knows the basics of the language.

6. What progress monitoring assessment would you choose to obtain evidence of the student’s progress toward a learning goal/objective? Use a rationale for your assessment choice. I would use Alex’s oral presentations as a progress monitoring assessment because I would hope that his social skills improve and he can learn to talk a little louder and have confidence in his speaking.
7. What would be your next steps to facilitate this student’s learning? Consider the student’s facts - identity/demographics and developmental needs (readiness, interests, learning profile).
I actually feel that Alex is a great student to push harder because I feel that he already knows a lot of the new material that he is being exposed to. I would like to get a diagnostic test to see how much he knows by having him do a short writing. Would he be able to create a paragraph in Spanish? or has he lost these skills? By knowing exactly how much he already knows, I can assign Alex assignments that are not a waste of him for him, and have him think critically rather  than the drill and practice assignments that I am giving the rest of the class.


2. Unit Rationale: Enduring Understandings & Essential Questions
This unit is important because it gives students the basic vocabulary to be able to greet another Spanish speaker. It is important to be able to greet others and introduce yourself to new people in all aspects of life including school, personal, and professional relationships. This unit is an introductory unit that students will build on for the rest of the year and for the rest of their career speaking Spanish. Students need to understand how to introduce different people formally or informally, and knowing how to say numbers will allow them to talk about many different aspects of daily life.

Enduring Understandings (EU)
Students will understand that..introductions, greetings, numbers, weather and geography are all important aspects of the Spanish language. Having the acquisition of the vocabulary surrounding these topics will allow students to engage in conversation with a stranger. In addition, they are furthering their knowledge of Spanish speaking countries and learning to see things from a different perspective. Students will be able to orally present two Spanish speaking cities and talk about weather patterns in a certain season, at a specific time of the year, and at a given hour of the day.

Essential Questions

How would address someone who you have never met? (Application)
What kind of gestures and phrases would you use towards a new friend? (Empathy)
How would you address your boss or a potential client? (Self-knowledge)
Have you ever traveled to a Spanish speaking country, if so, was the weather pattern the same as when you left the United States, if not, do you image it is? (Explanation)
How is the culture different from your home country? (Interpretation)

Reason for the Instructional Strategies & Student Activities

3. CA STANDARDS

1.0  Students acquire information, recognize distinctive viewpoints, and further their knowledge of other disciplines.
1.1  Students address discrete elements of daily life, including:

a. Greetings and introductions
e. Celebrations, holidays, and rites of passage
f. Calendar, seasons, and weather
h. Vacations and travel, maps, destinations, and geography
i. School, classroom, schedules, subjects, numbers, time, directions
n. Parts of the body, illness
o. Technology

ELD Standards:
1. Listening and Speaking: Cluster 3 (i+1= Early Intermediate)
Begin to be understood when speaking but may have some inconsistent use of standard English grammatical forms and sounds
2. Listening and Speaking: Cluster 9 EI
Prepare and deliver short oral presentations
3. Reading Fluency & Systematic Vocabulary Development: Cluster 1 EI
Demonstrate internalization of English grammar, usage, and word choice by recognizing and correcting some errors when speaking or reading aloud

4. UNIT OBJECTIVES
Cognitive=C, Affective=A, Psychomotor =P, Language=L

After completing the unit, students will be able to (SWBAT):

1. Have general acquisition of numbers 1-100 and can use them separate from each other and in context. (C, L, CA standard 1.1i)
2. Talk about classroom objects including their articles with a partner or group (A,L, CA standard 1.1i)
3. Address the four season of the year (C, L, CA standard 1.1f)
4. Address which months of the year are categorized into the appropriate season in the United States (C, L, CA standard 1.1f)
5. Understand that countries in South America generally have the opposite weather patterns as us. (C, CA standard 1.0 and 1.1h)
6. Have a brief understanding of Spanish speaking countries where it rains, snows, and experiences heat and autumn weather (C, CA standard 1.0, 1.1h)
7. Ask someone what the temperature is, and answer in a complete sentence (A, L, CA standard 1.1f)
8. Be able to say the date, time, day of the week, and month in the target language (C, L, CA standard 1.1f)
9. Greet a stranger including various forms of “hello”, asking their name, how they are doing, and “goodbye” (A, L, P, CA standard 1.1a)
10. Work in small groups and collaborate with a partner to present orally to a group of listeners (A, L, P, ELD standard Listening and Speaking, Cluster 9 Early Intermediate)
11. Ask a friend when their birthday is, and answer in return (C, A, CA standard 1.1f)
12. Complete a summative exam revolving around the classroom, numbers, seasons, weather, and basic introductions and greetings (C, L, CA standard 1.0, 1.1a,e,f,h,i)


5. ASSESSMENT PLAN

Assessment (s=summative, f=formative) Daily Warm-up (f), diagnostic, written/ short answer Media center visit worksheet (f), entry level Body Parts handout (f), entry level Weather graphic organizer (f), entry level Clocks worksheet (f), assess concepts Crossword worksheet (f), assess skills Student workbook packet (f), assess knowledge Weather quiz (f) assess knowledge Weather presentation, assess skills with rubric, self assessment Classroom objects/Body parts quiz (f) assess concepts Study Guide (f) assess knowledge Summative Exam (s)

Objective Covered CA standard 1.1a,e,f,h,i,n CA standard 1.1o CA standard 1.1n CA standard 1.1f CA standard 1.1i CA standard 1.1i CA standard 1.1a,f,i CA standard 1.1f CA standard 1.1a,f,i,h CA standard 1.1i,n CA standard 1.1a,e,f,h,i,n CA standard 1.0, 1.1a,e,f,h,i,n,

Checklist for your overall assessment plan:
Q. Are your assessments addressing all standards, objectives and goals? How are the assessments inherent to the learning goals/objectives? How many assessments do you have? One for each day? More than one for each objective?
A. Assessments meet all standards, objectives, and goals. There is at least one assessment each day. Each standard is practiced multiple times before the summative exam

Q. What variety are you providing for the assessments? (formality, purpose, implementation method, communication of expectations, evaluation criteria, feedback strategies, self-assessment …)
A. The warm-up performed each day is informal and provides short answers, homework assignments are formally graded each day for completion and progress monitoring, expectations for weather presentations are clearly stated in a handout given to all students along with a rubric for self assessment, and instructor assessment. Students receive feedback for weather presentations

Q. How will you know if your assessments are valid & reliable? Using multiple assessments to monitor student progress?
A. I will know that these assignments are valid and reliable based on the students feedback while we are reviewing homework each day. I will not re-use assignments that are unclear or confusing. Also, I will know that these materials are appropriate for the objectives because it will reflect on their quizzes and exam.

Q: How are the student’s developmental needs (readiness levels, interests and learning profiles) integrated into the assessments? How many different multiple intelligences are incorporated in the unit assessments? How do students have choices in their assessments?
A. Each day students are involved in cognitive, affective, and psychomotor/kinesthetic learning. Students are talking about themselves, their birthdays, interests of travel, and learning how to meet new people. Therefore, the material is relevant and interesting and necessary building block to learn how to communicate with others in the target language. Students are given choices in their assessment because they are able to choose whatever Spanish speaking they would like for their weather presentations. They are also able to answer however they would like for all short answer assessments as long as the target vocabulary and sentence structure is being used.

Q: How are the criteria for the assessments communicated, modeled and supported?
A: Handouts need to be completed in full for credit prior to coming class that day. Students have 48 hours to complete their homework, so it really should not be an issue. Conversation between students and with teacher are always modeled with teacher and model student. In addition, the teacher clearly identifies expectations for oral presentation by giving a list of requirements, having students take notes on a model between two hypothetical students, and a rubric where they will self assess.

Q: How will you guide students to self-assess as they complete their assignments? Have you provided an assessment rubric for the unit (1 minimum)? Will students use it for a formal self-assessment? When?
A: Students will receive a rubric with clear criteria on how to earn an “A” (not difficult), a B, a C and below. Students will self assess and give rationale for their self grade. This is a formal assessment which will be turned into the teacher prior to their performance.

Q: How will you have assessment data inform your instruction? Not just at the end of the unit but along the way?
A: I will be able to progress monitor by checking student homework and classwork and also by the success of students when we converse daily in the target language with newly learned material. It will be obvious if students are lost with homework assignments, or if many students are not able to answer the teacher when she asks progress monitoring questions. I can give students more practice with the material at hand prior to formal quizzes, the oral presentation, and the summative exam if necessary.

Q: What levels of problems solving and critical thinking are implemented in the assessments?
A: Although students are constantly practicing fill in the blank types of assignments, each day students practice in dialogue and ad libbed conversations with the teacher and with classmates. Here, they are thinking critically rather than using rote memorization. Many times students are talking about their own likes, dislikes, schedules, birthdays, preferences, materials etc.

6. STEPS OF INSTRUCTION
A. Into: To hook students, I would show a video about a person who does not know the language of the country where they are, and they are visiting a hospital where they have injured a specific part of their body. The person cannot communicate what is wrong with their body because they do not speak the language, and therefore the nurse cannot understand what is wrong with them. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8anuxNH0qo&feature=related) After this, I will tell students how important it is to understand how to talk about different parts of the body. The first lesson revolving around body parts will give an introduction to new vocabulary words. The night before, students will make flashcards with one side having the Spanish word, and the opposite having a picture that illustrates the word. After watching the first video showing the language barrier of an injured patient, I will ask students what word they already know, accessing background knowledge. I will do my best to prevent behavior issues by allowing students to get up and move around the room to talk, and to dance to the video as much as possible. Most management issues happen because students get antsy and bored from doing the same things over and over. Students will be assessed on participation, and completion of flashcards.


B. Through: The next day, we will practice communicatively. In addition, I will play a head, shoulders, knees and toes video in Spanish for kinesthetic learners. The teacher will ask students if they remember the song heads, shoulders, knees and toes? She will have students stand up and play the youtube video which is the Spanish version of the song and sing/dance to it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMaJ1_eZDos). Now that students are in their second day with the new vocabulary about the body, the teacher will tour the classroom and ask students at random “¿Cuantos pies hay en el cuerpo?” or “¿Cuántos dedos hay en la mano?” “¿Cuantas narices hay en la cabeza?. Students will already know which part of the body I am referring to because they have been practicing with them, and also because I will be making gestures toward the addressed body part. In addition, after completing the previous materials students will work on bookwork in their Realidades textbook page 19 Actividades 2 and 3 which includes parts of the body for students to practice, she will review answers by calling on students at random using flashcards. Students will be addressing content standard 1.1i, and will be assessed on their participation, completion of bookwork  and also they will be formally assessed on a handed in assignment for progress monitoring and feedback.
                                   
C. Closure: Teacher will ask students what Cuantos mean, and what Hay means? Teacher will indicate that these two words are very important and will appear all year in Spanish. As homework, teacher will assign students to draw, label, and color a monster with whatever body parts they want to include. (at least 10). They will model the use of articles and singular/plural nouns. In addition, students need to study for a quiz revolving around classroom objects and body parts. Students will be assessed for completion of their monster, and formally tested summatively on the body parts at the end of the unit along with other concepts revolving around the classroom, the school, and the weather. Students will continue to practice with the vocabulary learned in this unit throughout the year and will build on concepts in more depth. For example, even though they have learned the days of the week, months, and how to say “today”, students have not learned how to say yesterday, or talk about past events.

LESSON PLAN:

Single Subject Lesson Plan Format: Hawley Laterza

1. TITLE OF THE LESSON: Para Empezar- Parts of the Body. This lesson should be given three weeks into the unit. There will be one additional week after this lesson to learn new vocabulary and then take their summative exam on the Para Empezar chapter.	2. CURRICULUM AREA & GRADE LEVEL: Grades 9-11, Spanish 1 Class Strengths: The class is extremely eager to learn and has been behaving well for the first 5 weeks. They are very intuitive and some students have had Spanish in middle school, so they can help other students catch on when the teacher is communicating a new idea in Spanish.
3A. STUDENT INFORMATION: English Language Learners 1.) Readiness Level: Joel has an IEP and suffers from TBI, the result of an accident last December. Joel is learning English as a third language. He struggles with basic English words. Luckily, he can complete this homework easily because Spanish is his second language. His ELD level is 1, Basic. 2. Learning Profile: Joel is enrolled in Academic Success with his case manager to try to get him to graduate high school, He is 19 years old. He also takes two English Classes, one for his grade level, and one ELD class. 3. Interest: Joel loves skateboarding and to read. He tries to challenge himself by reading novels in English.	3B. STUDENT INFORMATION: Students w/ Special Needs      1.) Readiness Level: Alexis has an IEP because she was born with severe muscular dystrophy. For this lesson, Alexis prepared the homework. She has a difficult time being put on the spot.She has no physical impairments that disrupt her learning in class.         2.) Learning Profile: Alexis is enrolled in English classes according to her grade level. This is her second time taking Spanish 1.          3.) Interest: Alexis loves Sports, anything related to sports will get her motivated 5. CA CONTENT STANDARD(S) 1.1 Students address discrete elements of daily life, including n: Parts of the Body, Illness
4. RATIONALE A. Enduring Understanding: Students will be able to name basic parts of the body   B. Essential Questions:Why is learning the parts of the body important to communicate when something on your body hurts? C. Reason for Instructional Strategies and Student Activities: Students will practice parts of the body by first learning the words through examples in their text book, making flashcards, and labeling a monster with the names of the body parts	6. CA ELD STANDARD(S): Vocabulary and concept development: Produce simple vocabulary (single words or short phrases) to communicate basic needs in social and academic settings 7. LEARNING GOAL(S) - OBJECTIVE(S) C. Psychomotor: Students will practice the parts of the body during class by making gestures to which parts of the body they are talking about. They will need to use their knowledge of masculine and feminine nouns and singular vs. plural. At the end of class, students will watch a youtube video to the tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, and will do the gestures that go along with the song.
8. ASSESSMENT(S) B. Formative-Progress Monitoring: Students will be asked to label the terms of the body using proper spelling including singulars and plurals to check for progress and understanding. Teacher will monitor class and answer any questions about pronunciation and spelling. Differentiation (Product) : Teacher will give graphic organizers to Alexis and Joel. The graphic organizer will have a word bank and the body already drawn out for them.  (see attached) In addition, teacher will have a small column on the side that gives Alexis and Joel hints about masculine and feminine words and to remember to add an “s” on the end if it is plural. Differentiation strategies are based on readiness. Depending on how well Alexis and Joel are able to complete the homework (which is very similar to this formative assessment), teacher can know if further scaffolding will be required for these students.	9A. EXPLANATION OF DIFFERENTIATION FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS Process/Based on Readiness, Learning Profile or Interest: Joel will be given extra time to complete the class work. Other students will have to turn in their work before the end of the period.   9B. EXPLANATION OF DIFFERENTIATION FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS Content/Based on Readiness, Learning Profile or Interest: Since Alexis has already taken this class once, she knows the body parts vocabulary. Therefore, she is starting off the semester ahead of her peers. She needs to sit in the front of the class, and always have extra time to answer questions or presentations. The class is patient with her and is patient when she takes some time to answer questions the teacher asks
10. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES (Describe what the teacher does. Include differentiation strategies.) A. Anticipatory Set/Into: Teacher will ask students if anyone knows any Spanish terms for body parts. (3 mins) B. Instruction: Teacher will introduce the new vocabulary by asking students to turn to page 19 in their Realidades textbook, and presenting them orally. (10 mins) C. Through: Teacher will have students demonstrate the new terms by having them draw a human body with blanks to label the body parts. (See attached resource) (2 mins)                                                                  D. Teacher will ask students if they remember the song heads, shoulders, knees and toes? She will have students stand up and play the youtube video (link on resources) which is the Spanish version of the song and sing/dance to it. (2 minutes) E. Guided Practice/Through: Teacher will tour the classroom and ask students at random “¿Cuantos pies hay en el cuerpo?” or “¿Cuántos dedos hay en la mano?” “¿Cuantas narices hay en la cabeza? (7 mins)                                     F. Closure: Teacher will ask students what Cuantos mean, and what Hay means? Teacher will indicate that these two words are very important and will appear all year in Spanish. Students need to write this in their notes and highlight and memorize it.  (2 mins)                                     G. Beyond: Teacher will assign students to draw, label, and color a monster with whatever body parts they want to include. (at least 10). They will model the use of articles and singular/plural nouns. (5 mins)	11. STUDENT ACTIVITIES (Describe what the students does. Include differentiation activities.) A. Anticipatory Set/Into: Students will share any previous knowledge by telling the teacher body part terms they already know in Spanish (5 mins)                                     B. Students will turn to page 19 in their textbooks and follow along as the teacher gives new vocabulary terms of the body including pronunciation and articles (10 mins) C. Independent Practice: Students will draw a human body and fill in blanks of the body parts by using their textbooks and the oral clues and gestures presented by teacher. (20 mins)                                     D. Through: Students will listen and do the gestures to the song head,shoulders, knees, and toes - the Spanish version repeat 3x (5 minutes)                                     E. Guided Practice: Students will be attentive and listen to the responses from classmates and answer questions when called upon about the body. (8 mins)                                     F. Closure: Students will try to guess what cuantos/as means and hay means? They will write the terms in their notebooks. (2 mins)                                     G. Beyond: Students will create a drawing of a monster and label body parts for their homework (20 mins- at home)
12. RESOURCES Realidades Textbook, Level 1 CA Content Standard Website: http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/worldlanguage2009.pdf Youtube videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8anuxNH0qo&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMaJ1_eZDos Parts of the Body Warm Up Worksheet (see attached)

7. MATERIALS/RESOURCES
Identify all tangible resources you will need to teach unit: Reading Materials, Videos, Websites, Provide a copy of all the materials you will need for students:Graphic Organizers, PPTS, (See Attached)

8. REFLECTION
Q: In what ways have you differentiated instruction to meet the varying needs of your students including your high achievers?
A: I have differentiated instruction by modifying the content to appeal to student interests. Many students participate in sports like surfing, football, track, lacrosse, field hockey etc. My students have faced injuries many times, because of this I will ask them what they would do if they injured themselves playing a sport in a foreign country and had to be rushed to the hospital. In addition, I have provided graphic organizers where appropriate. Also, the worksheets and book work that I have selected for this unit all include visual cues for my visual learners. In addition, in each class period, students are able to get out of the their seats to converse with partners about new material.  By doing this, my students with ADHD will be relieved from sitting in their desks quietly for two hours straight. Students are also responsible for talking about materials inside our personal classroom, and their own belongings (such as backpack, purse, notebook, piece of paper, pencil, pen). By making the content relatable to them, students are more likely to be engaged.

Q: What strengths and possible limitations do you see in your plan?
A: The strengths in this plan is that I address all elements of foreign language acquisition. Reading, writing, listening and speaking. However, I do not rely on students to do in depth reading such as paragraphs where students will need to identify words they know and try to guess about the meaning of sentences and the overall idea of the paragraph. In addition, students do not write out paragraphs using critical thinking or addressing cultural aspects in the target language.


Q: What forms of data/evidence might you collect from this unit to measure its effectiveness - gauged by actual student learning?
A: The most telling assessments of student learning will be the oral presentations and the formative quizzes and summative exams. Because students can easily use the textbook to find answers, students may not actually be comprehending the new material, they are just memorizing it. The oral presentation forces students to think critically and use the material they have learned throughout this unit.

Q: What have you learned about yourself, students, your unit plan topic, and/or planning in general as a result of designing this unit plan?
A: I have been able to identify specific students and scaffold material based on their readiness and interest. Also, with my student Joel, I was not really sure where he placed on the CELDT exams. I would have guessed him to be at beginner or EI, but now I understand how to find student demographics, test scores, and IEP information. I know how to read an IEP, and where the  accommodations are located.

Q: What do you know now that you didn’t know at the start of this unit or program?
I know a mountain of information about ways to scaffold or SDAIE’ize lesson plans. It is important to incorporate scaffolding into lessons because this is beneficial for all students and helps them to take baby steps with learning. In addition, I understand what it is like to plan a unit that mirrors the amount of time typically given for a unit in a Spanish 1 class. I am learning how to use resources to help support my lessons and lectures. In addition, there is a wealth of information on the web that can help me to make lessons more exciting and hands on for students.





Melanie Hasty Peer Evaluation: Done well: I love how you explicitly modified content, process, and
product for each of your students.
Suggestion: I believe you should identify the essential questions as
parts of the six facets of understanding. (I added this per her suggestion)
Improvement: Unless my computers view is off, the formatting must be
off on your assessment plan and lesson plan.