Nanette
Bertoni
Professor
Derek Decker
EDUC
350/386
Teacher
Work Sample
Section
1: Setting and Context
The School Community
Boltz
Middle School makes every effort to provide a safe and supportive environment
for the students. In an effort to provide the safe environment, bullying is not
tolerated. A website was created for students to report such activity
anonymously (PSD
Bully Report). Teachers and staff work very hard to
instill and model an atmosphere of organization and acceptance. With the inclusion
of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), the teachers and
administration are trying to give their students tools to be successful in
future life activities such as college. Boltz also encourages parents to be
involved with their children’s education.
Demographics of the Poudre School District reports
that 31% of the students in the district participate in the reduced or free
lunch program. They also report that ethnicity roughly breaks down, but not
limited to, into white students at 74%, Latino students at 17%, and Asian
students at 3% (see Fig. 1). The district also claims that 68% of their staff
holds masters degrees or higher and that 84% of students graduate (PSD website).
Fig. 1
In order to keep students emotionally invested in
school, Boltz
provides extracurricular activities such as band, choir, Lego robotics,
football, and volleyball to name only a few (Sandell). The schools mission
statement says they are, “A school
where respect, rigor, relevance, responsibility, and relationships drive learning”
(Boltz website). This is evident when you walk the halls and watch the
students. Teachers and students work on relationships with each other and
learning takes place in this trust filled environment.
The students in the Engineering classroom, where I was
assigned for the semester, are a diverse group. My teaching day gave me the
chance to instruct students from various ethnic backgrounds as well as
different learning styles. The period in which I was teaching was assigned to
Lego robotics. These students are at different levels of understanding in
regards to programming the robots and also in different grade levels of seventh
and eighth. Some of them are able to easily make changes to the software
program, while others struggle to comprehend why a certain set of commands do
not give the desired results.
Fig. 2
The classroom has a culture of
cooperation. Projects are given by Mr. Sandell and sometimes he picks the team
members and other times he allows the students to pick their own team. With
three rooms to use in the Engineering classroom, two are used for the Lego
robotics building and programming. These two rooms are equipped with computers
for the students to use for viewing the instructions for building and
programming the robots (see Fig. 2).
Mr. Sandell used formative and summative assessments
during the semester. He would circulate between groups asking questions and
helping out with programming or building problems. Using this formative
assessment, he was able to tell whether the class as a whole or a specific team
needed more time and guidance. He offered the students other times in the
classroom to catch their work so that they had every opportunity to do well in
the class contest. He also performed summative running tests with the Lego
robots on the day they had their “contest”. The team that made their robot
complete the tasks or obstacles were given a chance to take a prize from the
prize box. This was the additional goal for the teams besides getting a grade
in the class.
Section
2: Case Study Interviews
Boltz Middle School Student Interviews
I wanted to interview two students who were different in
learning capabilities and gender. I wished for different points of view in at
least a couple of diverse ways. I had in mind two students in the Lego Robotics
class during the “gold” day, which meant that there would be students with
learning difficulties as a possible choice for my interview. I wanted to
interview a student who was academically challenged in some way, such as a learning
difficulty, but still able to answer some deep questions. The second student I
chose was female. Since males outnumber females in this class, I thought a
female student would have a different perspective on the questions I wanted to
ask.
Jake
was the first student I wanted to interview. Mr. Sandell confirmed for me that
Thomas, or Jake as he prefers to be called, had a learning difficulty and would
be an interesting student to interview. I introduced myself and asked him if he
would be willing to answer some questions for me as I learn to be a teacher. He
hesitated only slightly and we proceeded into a different room.
I learned that Jake struggles with Aspergers syndrome. I
know from some previous knowledge that Aspergers tends to be a higher functioning
version of autism. As I was asking questions, Jake tried to be thoughtful in
his responses. I wanted to make sure that I gave him time to think about his
answers and not hurry him. When we got to question nine, he mentioned the
importance to take his medication but then changed his mind on revealing this
about himself. I was very glad I was writing in pencil and was able to erase
that portion of the notes giving him control on what I was writing down.
I learned from Jake that it’s important to feel like you
can change your mind about what information you reveal to someone. I also
learned that as a teacher, it’s equally important to give a student the time to
formulate a response. Jake finds it hard to think of the future beyond the
current school year. Interests in his academics and home life are enough for
right now. This is ok for me. Getting a handle on life as it exists today when
you are in the middle of puberty is hard enough without a teacher trying to get
you to speculate about the future. Finally, I learned from Jake that Boltz
Middle School is a safe place for him to learn. For him, the teachers are
“amazing” and he enjoys coming to school every day.
Peyton is the second student I wanted to interview. She
is an eighth grader and seemed enthusiastic about the engineering class. I
asked her if she would be willing to let me interview her and try to do so in
the mere ten minutes that was left, she obviously said yes.
I discovered that Peyton also enjoys school. Like me, she
struggles with dietary restrictions and finds that she isn’t able to eat school
lunches. We commiserated that this is quite difficult when you have to bring a
lunch every day.
Peyton also has difficulty thinking about anything
further in the future than the school year. She enjoys sports all year around
specifically cross country running, but enjoys spending time with her friends
most of all. She enjoys the geography class the most because the teacher builds
relationships. For her school is “fine, but the homework is too much.” I found
this funny because I’ve been having the same thoughts. I guess no matter what
age you are, or what grade you’re in, homework can be overwhelming. When I
asked her what advice she would give a new teacher she clearly stated that she
thought it was important to have teachers who could have fun. I couldn’t agree
more. As a future teacher, I want to show students that you can have fun
learning. School shouldn’t be boring; it should be a safe and fun place to be.
Being able to ask these questions of these two students
was quite informative. Receiving input from students on what they expect from
school and teachers can give you insights on things that are important to them.
We sometimes forget to take into consideration the student’s perspective on the
classroom. Interviews can let us know what they look forward to in school or
what they are afraid or unsure about. Finally, interviews or talking to
students as fellow participants in school instead of just receivers of data can
help build a relationship between teacher and student. After all, we cooperate
with each other every day whether we realize it or not. Getting students to
work together and with you, as a teacher, makes the learning process easier and
definitely more fun for everyone.
Section
3: Teaching Experience: Lesson Plan
STEPP Lesson Plan
Teacher: Scott Sandell Date:
10/20/13 School: Boltz Middle School Grade Level:
7th & 8th Grade Content Area: Engineering/Robotics
Title: A
Step Above Lesson
#:__ of __
Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson: (Write
Content Standards directly from the standard)
STCO.01.04.a Demonstrate the ability to characterize a
plan and identify the necessary tools that will produce a technical solution
when given a problem statement.
Understandings: (Big
Ideas)
Given the opportunity to work collectively as a team,
students will brainstorm steps in a process (using the process of tying a
shoe), by creating a process that yields as many steps as it takes to
effectively tie a shoe.
Inquiry Questions: (Essential questions relating knowledge at
end of the unit of instruction, select applicable questions from standard)
Why
and how is problem solving complex?
Evidence Outcomes: (Learning Targets)
Every student will be able to: (Create
your own lesson objectives from the standard, follow the ABCD format)
Every
student will better understand how to write specific instructions on how to tie
the shoelace using problem solving skills in a group.
I can... work with a group to creatively and critically
conduct a thorough step-by-step process to tie a shoe. This means that... My
group will need to put our thinking together and come up with as many steps as
it may take for someone else to tie shoes with our group's detailed directions.
Assessment of Evidence Outcomes: (How
will you assess the selected lesson objectives (general explanation, you will
go into more detail at the end of the lesson plan)
Each student will write down how
their new problem solving and instruction writing skills are used in other
school activities or at home.
Planned
Lesson Activities
Activity
Name
|
A
Step Above
|
|
Approx.
Time
|
This
activity should last the entire class (approx. 50 minutes)
|
|
Anticipatory
Set
|
I will greet the students at the door and
let them know they need to sit at the table that has their name on it and
that there is a writing activity “Do Now” to work on. I will then ask the
class to, by a show of hands, who knows what SLANT means. I will then ask
them to point to the SLANT description posted in the classroom, then telling
them I’m looking for 100% participation. I will then let them know that I
expect them to sit in the red chairs at the tables and turn all chairs facing
the front with their shoes and knees facing me. I will then ask for a show of
hands (no speaking just physical actions) who understands a few vocabulary
words. I’ll ask them to raise their hand and show me which direction is
clockwise and then counter-clockwise. I’ll then ask them as a class group to
tell me the name of the forefinger (pointer finger). This is important
because I use “forefinger” in my instructions. I’ll then let them know we
will be using a timer to make sure we don’t run out of time during the class
activity. For practice, I’ll ask them to turn to their neighbor and tell them
what they had for breakfast and that when time is up the timer will go off.
So when the timer rings, they are to once again use their SLANT skills so we
can get to the lesson.
|
|
Teaching/
Presentation:
(Direct
Instruction)
(Select
the most appropriate model for teaching, direct instruction is a basic
example)
|
1.
This is when I let
them know that since we’ve been learning how to program Lego robots we are
going to learn how to program a human robot. I’ll tell them I’ve been given
special permission to test program the “Sandell Robot” (I’ll then ask Mr.
Sandell to sit in a chair). I’ll then let them know that the program we’re
going to write is one that has the “Sandell Robot” tie his shoes.
a.
I’ll then tell the
students to watch and listen carefully because they are going to write
instructions that are going to sound like what I’m going to say.
b.
I will touch Mr.
Sandell on the head like I’m pushing a button and say something like,
“Prepare for new programming.”
c.
I will then use my
written instructions that have precise instructions with one flaw in them to
show the students what happens when they aren’t specific.
2.
Once these
instructions are completed I will “reset” Mr. Sandell to his normal mode.
a.
At this point I’ll
let the students know that they will continue writing instructions as a group
to finish having him tie his shoes. The instructions must be written in good
handwriting so that I can read them to the “Sandell Robot”. I’ll ask if there
are any questions at this point.
3.
Using the same
sheet they wrote the “Do Now” on, I will have the students then turn to a
neighbor at the same table and come up with 1 or 2 ideas on how to get the
“Sandell Robot” to tie his shoes. I’ll give the students about 3 minutes to
work on this using the timer ring to signal them to stop.
a.
I’ll then have the
students work with their entire table group to write down on the one colored
sheet of paper the instructions that I will read to the “Sandell Robot”. The
colored sheet of paper will have my beginning instructions so the students
will be able to write their own directions with a guide. I’ll give this
activity about 15-20 minutes, again using the timer.
4.
Once the timer has
gone off, I will collect the colored sheets of instructions from each group
and have the class watch to see which group wrote the best instructions. Each
group will stand in front of the rest of the class as their instructions are
read. I will allow 4-5 minutes, setting the timer, to read each groups
instructions. If the “Sandell Robot” pauses in confusion, that groups
instructions will not be read any further. I’ll try to convey an “Aww,
bummer” or other “sorry” statement and move on to the next group.
|
|
Teaching Strategy: (Guided Practice)
|
||
Teaching
Strategy: (Independent Practice)
|
(This may not come immediately
following each lesson)
I will have students gather into their
general color separated areas and then work with a partner to work on 2 or 3
initial ideas of where to start in having someone tie their shoes. After 3
minutes I will have them stop and form the larger groups (5-6 per group) and
instruct them on writing on one sheet their instructions as a group to be
tested on the “Sandell Robot” after about 15-20mins.
|
|
Closure
|
Keeping 3-5 minutes before class
dismissal available, I will distribute the “Ticket out the door” sheets for
the students to fill out and give to any of the teachers present before they
leave.
|
|
Materials
|
I need 5 different colored pieces of paper for the
final instructions of each group. I also need several copies of the “ticket
out the door” papers. A timer app on my phone. Scott Sandell’s acting
ability. Finally, teachers to “roam” the room for question answering during
activity.
|
|
Differentiation
|
To modify: I
will have teachers help students clarify language or answer questions when
they arise.
To extend: We
will discuss at length examples of other types of specific instructions that
are used in other activities.
|
|
Assessment
|
In
the last 5 minutes of class time, I will have the students write down how
this type of strategy is used in other areas like home or other classes. This
is their “ticket out the door”.
|
Section
4: Reflection
Reflection after the lesson
My lesson today went pretty well. I really tried to plan
for disruptive contingencies. I’ve learned there will always be some student or
students who push the boundaries in the classroom as far as management. While I
have been observing the Lego robotics class, I saw that a couple of groups had
formed and would be disrespectful to me, Mr. Sandell, and sometimes each other.
Planning my lesson for these groups of students required that I take their
behavior into consideration. Using colored paper and placing names of students
on them, I separated them from each other. I had hoped to minimize their
actions by isolating them into different groups.
The start of the lesson was a little rough because I
expected the students to sit at the tables and face me instead of each other. I
reminded them of the SLANT motto and they seemed to understand what I was
asking them to do. I can have a loud voice because of my singing and theater background
and found this to be useful when the students would forget to SLANT. I also
found using the timer on my phone with a fun alarm sound was helpful to signal
the end of a task.
Planning
each step of the lesson was very practical because it cut down on loss of time
during transitions so this went very well. What did not go well was the time
during the actual writing of the instructions. I did not give the students a
copy of my example instructions and so believe that they were confused on how
to get started. What also did not go well was when all the groups were called
to the front of the class to test their instructions; one group of students
found each other again and continued with their disrespectful behavior. I
should have had each group come forward in front of the other students to watch
the “human robot” perform their instructions. The other thing that went well
was I was able to have formative assessment information while walking around to
different tables discovering if the students were on track with their
instructions.
I
believe one of my strengths is the ability to ask questions to a student,
instead of giving answers, to lead them to the understanding and finding the
answer themselves. One of my weaknesses is that I have yet to learn to perform
wait time. This is important to me as a student but performing it as a teacher
will take practice.
I
learned through this process that lesson planning is more important than I
first thought. I found that I did pretty well writing my first lesson for students
who were not used to me being their teacher. I discovered that I really do
enjoy teaching and will need to plan my next lesson with even more detail on
EDUC 450. My goal for this next class is to be able to write the lesson plan
easier with more detail and practice classroom management using different
techniques learned in this education class.
Section
5: Field Notes
Field notes from the classroom
observation
EDUC 350 Field
Notes- Chapter 4 Engaging Students in
Your Lessons
Cold
Call
|
Not
witnessed
|
Call
and Response
|
Not
witnessed
|
Pepper
|
Not
witnessed
|
Wait
Time
|
Witnessed
|
Everybody
Writes
|
Witnessed
|
Vegas
|
Not
witnessed
|
Which techniques from Chapter 4 have you
observed? Explain 1-2 techniques and how
they helped engage your students.
I witnessed Wait Time and Everybody Writes. When Mr.
Sandell asked a question of the students, he paused and looked around the room
waiting to see if students appeared to be pondering an answer. A few students
raised their hands to answer the question, but Mr. Sandell waited a few moments
to give other students a chance to raise their hands.
Mr. Sandell gave an assignment to the students to
write a paragraph on something regarding robots. He did not have a specific
topic for them but did make sure they understood that the paragraph was to have
an opening sentence, at least three sentences supporting their claim in the
opening, and a conclusion sentence.
EDUC
350 Field Notes- Classroom Climate and
Culture
5 Principles
|
Evidence- What is the teacher doing?
|
Discipline
|
Witnessed
|
Management
|
Witnessed
|
Control
|
Witnessed
|
Influence
|
Witnessed
|
Engagement
|
Witnessed
|
Which techniques from Chapter 5 did you see
today? Explain 1-2 techniques and how
they helped to establish Climate and Culture in the classroom.
Entry
Routine- Do Now- Tight Transitions- Binder Control- SLANT- On Your Mark- Seat
Signals- Props
Mr. Sandell stands at the entrance of his classroom
and greets every student by name as his entry routine. He will quickly remind
them of what they are doing for the day. I believe this helps establish the
classroom climate of engagement so that the students are not waiting for him to
tell them what they are doing only after roll call is performed.
During the advisory portion of the day Mr. Sandell
had the students get their binders ready for a check otherwise known in his
class as “Binder Check Monday”. The students are encouraged to check each
other’s binders but we teachers would go around the room and spot check to make
sure that no one fibbed on their check sheets.
EDUC
350 Field Notes- Classroom Climate and
Culture
100 Percent
|
Witnessed
|
What to do
|
Witnessed
|
Strong Voice
|
Witnessed
|
Do It Again
|
Witnessed
|
Sweat the Details
|
Witnessed
|
Threshold
|
Witnessed
|
No Warnings
|
Not Witnessed
|
Which techniques from Chapter 6 did you see
today? Explain 1-2 techniques and how
they helped to establish Climate and Culture in the classroom.
I witnessed What to do and Sweat the Details. Mr.
Sandell started the class by telling the students exactly what they needed to
do in order to be ready for the Lego robotic contest coming up soon. He
verified with his check sheet where each team stood as far as grades.
Mr. Sandell made sure that teams put their partially
built robots and unassembled parts in the matching number marked bins. He also
warned the teams to make sure they didn’t mix parts with other bins as this
would cause delays. He tried to make sure they sweat the details to keep
organized.
EDUC
350 Field Notes- Classroom Climate and
Culture
Positive Framing
|
Witnessed
|
Precise Praise
|
Witnessed
|
Warm/Strict
|
Witnessed
|
The J-Factor
|
Witnessed
|
Emotional Constancy
|
Witnessed
|
Explain Everything
|
Witnessed
|
Normalize Error
|
Witnessed
|
Which techniques from Chapter 7 did you see
today? Explain 1-2 techniques and how
they helped to establish Climate and Culture in the classroom.
Mr. Sandell used Warm/Strict today with a few
students. A couple of groups have fallen behind in programming their robots.
Mr. Sandell sympathized with them yet saying that they had to be finished by
the next class meeting in two days. He gave them a couple of time periods
during his lunch or after school to come in and try to finish, but he was
strict in telling them they must be ready to run the course with their robots
for a grade.
Mr. Sandell also used The J-Factor this week. When
he finished giving the students a breakdown of what needed to happen in class,
a couple of students wanted to have music played while they worked. He agreed
to let this happen to help them work better and give a fun atmosphere to the
classroom.
EDUC
350 Field Notes- Assessment
Types
|
Formative and Summative
|
Purpose
|
Formative assessments happened
constantly during class time. They were used to make sure that each group was
at a point where they could participate in the “contest” or obstacle course
for the Lego robots.
Summative assessment was used on the
day that the group’s robots were to run the obstacle course. Each group was
allowed 2 tries at the course to get as many points as possible for their
final grade of that section.
|
Was it effective? Why or Why not?
|
I believe that both were effective.
The formative assessments were needed to make sure students did not fall too
far behind where they needed to be in building and programming the robots.
The summative assessments were necessary for students to realize that they
needed a finishing point in their building and programming. Also, parents,
teachers, and administrators need the grades to give a quantifiable end to
the lessons taught.
|
Works
Cited
Boltz
Middle School. Poudre School District. n.d. Web. 14,
Sep. 2013.
Lemov, Doug. Teach Like a Champion. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass, 2010. Print.
Poudre
School District. PSD Demographics. 2010. Web. 14, Sep.
2013.
Sandell, Scott.
Personal interview. 14, Sep. 2013.
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