Week 13- Assignment #2

How can you build assessment into your instruction?

 First, determine clarity about end of year expectations. Assess while instructing. 

How can you document ongoing classroom assessment? 

Use a notebook for anecdotal records, and checklists. Focus on a group daily. 

What is the difference between standards and benchmarks, and how do they impact your teaching? 

Content standards are what the students know and will be able to do. Benchmarks are what I can expect my grade level students to do by the end of the year. Standards are categorized into each grade level.  Create evidence or assessment to let teachers know how the students are doing.

 

How do end-of-the-year benchmarks influence daily assessment? 

Teachers from each grade level collaborate and create a staircase to teaching.  Teachers teach and assess with end of year expectations that will prepare students for the start of the next grade level.

 

How can you make anecdotal records useful and manageable? 

Teachers can make anecdotal records manageable by focusing on assessing one small group at a time rather than observing all students, all at once.

 

Discuss your experience using rubrics. What changes might you make after watching the video? 

I use rubrics to assess all published writing, math, science, and social studies assignments.

How can students use rubrics to guide learning? 

Students set goals for their own learning and challenges they need to work on. Students help develop the criteria of a rubric. 

 

Describe how portfolios are developed and how they can be used as an assessment tool. 

Grade level benchmarks can be collected in a student portfolio.  Evaluation portfolio: is selectively chosen pieces of work that meet the grade level benchmark.  The work can be compared and contrasted.

 

 

Why are high-stakes tests not always accurate measures of student learning? 

A single score doesn’t give us an accurate picture of how good of a reader or writer a student is.  The student might not be a good test-taker due to anxiety.  Higher-order thinking skills and knowing author’s craft is more challenging to measure through a test.  Motivation to read and write can’t be assessed through a test.    

 

What are the best ways to prepare students for high-stakes assessments? 

Rich content prior knowledge contributes to prepare for high-stakes assessments.  Make sure what “good-writing looks like” in various genres.  Give students a time limitation while writing or reading in preparation.  Connect test prep to prior instruction. 

 

How does assessment help differentiate instruction? 

Teachers will notice a skill that the whole class or small group of students are having difficulty grasping. 

How can you use assessment results to create small, flexible groupings in your classroom? 

Teach certain students (flexible/small groups) what they need to know- based on the data gathered from assessments.

 

Based on what you learned in the video, what changes might you make in your assessment practices? 

When I am creating anecdotal records, I will try not to overwhelm myself with too many observations.  I will focus on one small group at a time.

Week 13 Assignment #1

There are qualitative measures (rubrics, student profiles, and anecdotal records)- that give data for further instruction. There are observational records that are expanded. Recording, managing, and using anecdotal records are important for authentic assessment purposes.(ARA) Anecdotal Records Assessment. By taking observational notes, the teacher records levels of engagement, curiosity, and motivational factors. There are specific techniques used while observing children, recording, and handling authentic assessment data.  The author focuses on five techniques when: observing children in an instructional setting, maintaining a standards- based focus, making anecdotal records, managing anecdotal records, and using anecdotal records for assessment. Teachers should avoid trying to observe everybody all at once.  Establish a content standard focus in order to avoid being distracted by disruptive or unusual behaviors.  While writing anecdotal records, keep in mind : write observable data, use important abbreviations, write in the past tense, support records with examples as evidence, don’t use the “C” word (can’t), and avoid redundancy.  Teachers can use adhesive computer address labels to record and manage observations.  In order to analyze anecdotal records, standards are compared to the child’s performance. Teachers should try to analyze records every six to eight weeks.  Based on the data, recommendations are then made by the teacher.  A focused ARA includes formative as well as summative assessments.   Teachers must consider how the data will inform instruction of  students.

QRI Assessment Lesson Plans

Candidate’s Name: Renee Bacchus

Grade Level: 2

Title of the lesson: Differentiating between Diphthongs

Length of the lesson: 30-60 minutes depending on the length of the text

Central focus Students identify and compare diphthongs ou/ow.

Prerequisites Knowledge of blends and digraphs Knowledge of the long /o/ sound and spellimg pattern “ow” Classroom setting includes ELL students.

Common Core State Standards ELA Reading Standards Foundational Skills K-5: R.F 2.3- Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Support literacy development through language (academic language)   Word Play activities Repeat or verbalize each word aloud Use  software to enhance learning Vocabulary General academic terms: similar, difference, substitute Content specific: diphthongs, digraphs Sentence Level Sentence structure, transitions/connectives, complex vowel combination spelling patterns Discourse Text structure, message, conversation

Learning objective    Students will recognize that two letters that blend together to make a special vowel sound are called diphthongs such as: ou, ow, and oo.

Formal and informal assessment: Independent Practice on the Vowel Diphthongs worksheet: The student task is to look at each picture and complete each word by writing the correct vowel diphthong. Performance on the “Kidz Phonics” iPad Game:  The task of the iPad game is similar.  The only difference is that the sound for each diphthong is heard and reinforced whenever the student touches it.  The student must also be able to correctly identify, drag, and drop the corresponding diphthong to each picture/word.

Instructional procedure . “Lesson Hook”: Write the letters ou on the board; make them at least a foot tall. Alternatively, use a letter card  large enough for the whole group to see easily.  Access  of Prior Knowledge: “Let’s say the sounds for each letter combination”. Display index cards with the digraphs: sh, ch, and th.  Stating the Objective: “Today we will learn that when we blend two letters together, they make a special vowel sound”.  Task Analysis/Procedure 1.      Some letters stick together, so they make one sound even though they are two letters. Here are two letters that stick together. The sound for these letters is /ow/. It's the sound in the middle of the word cloud: /ow/. What's the sound? 2.      Look for students who are not saying the sound. Ask them: What's the sound? Look for students who are making the wrong sound and model the sound for them until they have it right. Well done everyone. 3.      Erase ou. Now write a mix of 12 letters and letter combinations on the board, arranged randomly: 4 of the items should be ou and they should be combined  with 8 other items different in appearance to ou, such as kn and ch. 4.      When I point to the letters we just learned, say their sound. When I point to anything else, you have to stay quiet. My turn first. Point to a series of items and either say the sound or make a performance of saying nothing, as appropriate. 5.      Your turn. Ready? Point to items randomly, holding on each one for a few seconds. 6.      If a student says the sound for one of the other items (not ou), point to ou and say: You only need to make a sound for these letters. When I point to anything else, stay quiet. Ready? Look for individuals who are saying nothing when you point to ou. Have those students try items individually until they have it (but don’t call only on struggling students). Keep going until everyone has the new sound. 7.       Partner activity: using diphthong cards with ow and ou, the teacher will place three cards on the table in three rows and three columns.  Each player uses an “o” or “x” as a game marker.  The first player must point to and pronounce one of the words.  If correct, that player may put his or her X or O on top of the word.  The next player takes a turn.  The game continues until one player covers a row of words across, down or diagonally. 8.      Independent Practice: After the teacher models the first word. Students will complete the worksheet by writing the correct vowel diphthong on the blank with the corresponding picture. 9.      Students will take turns reinforcing skills learned, on the Kidz Phonics App for iPad.  The task is to listen to, choose, drag, and drop the correct diphthong or digraph to the correct word.  Then they are to choral read the story, “Mouse and Cow” with the audio. 10.  Students will finally orally share what they learned about the letter combinations for this lesson.     Theory/research: Technology is used to enhance and support literacy instruction.   Accommodations and modifications:. Different measures for success are prepared for this lesson.  Students are given audio, visual, as well as tactile stimuli to encourage engagement. Assessment data is gathered based on student writing and reading skills.

Instructional resources and materials: Worksheet, letter combinations cards,  index cards with words with diphthong words, tic-tac-toe frame, and “x” and “o” cards, picture cards, dry-erase board, and dry-erase markers, iPad, and “Kidz Phonics” App.

Reflection The plan is based on implicit instruction, guided instruction, as well as partner and independent practice.  Students will have different opportunities to demonstrate understanding of diphthongs and digraphs.  Students must have prior knowledge of vowel sounds and sound blending.

Candidate’s Name: Renee Bacchus

Grade Level: 2-5

Title of the lesson: Main Idea and Supporting Details

Length of the lesson:30-40 minutes

 

Central focus Use a graphic organizer to identify main idea and supporting details.

Prior Knowledge ·         Students have had prior experience reading expository text. Prior knowledge of sentence and paragraph structure. Classroom setting includes IEP students.

Common Core State Standards ELA 2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

Support literacy development through language (academic language)   Interpret the author’s main idea of the text Use written language to transmit information Students use graphic organizer to organize thoughts and ideas   Vocabulary General academic terms: author’s central idea, text evidence, interpret Content specific: Main idea, supporting details Sentence Level Sentence structure, transitions/connectives, complex verb tenses Discourse Text structure, message, conversation, discussion with reading partners.

Learning objectives   The students will understand the main point of an expository reading passage.

Formal and informal assessment:  Independent use of the graphic organizer Student Information recorded on the Main Idea webpage by Harcourt Publishing

Instructional procedure “Lesson Hook”: “ I will say a list of words and you will tell me what group they belong to”. “blue, green, yellow, red, purple. These are all a group of ________”. Yes, colors! Access of Prior Knowledge: Present a list of words (without headings) on the dry-erase board. Ask students to think of a word or phrase that could be used to describe what the words are mostly about. Several lists are shown below:       Dog Mario Kart Despicable Me Cat Halo Harry Potter Hamster Gran Turismo Hunger Games Tiger The Legend of Zelda The Avengers Horse Call of Duty Iron Man  * Students will then write the headings for each group on three separate cards: animals, video games, and movies. Stating the Objective: “Today, this lesson will help you how to figure out the main idea of a passage”. Task Analysis/Procedure Stress that the headings/words they discovered, describe the topic.  They tell what the words from each group are mostly about.  Relate the discussion to reading.  Ask students to think of favorite books or stories and tell what the topics are.  Explain that the main idea is the most important idea given about a topic.  Other pieces of information that support the main idea are called details. Draw a wheel with spokes(graphic organizer) on the dry-erase board and tell students that the center of the wheel represents the main idea and the spokes represent the supporting details.         Then present a short passage and help students model how to go about finding the main idea, as in the following example: Did you know it takes the planet Pluto over 200 years to go around the sun?  Our planet, Earth, takes 365 days.  Mercury, the smallest planet, only takes 88 days to go around the sun. All of the nine planets in our solar system take a different number of days or years to go around the sun. After reading the paragraph aloud with students, think aloud to determine the main idea.                         “At first I thought the paragraph was going to be about Pluto, but then other                         planets were mentioned.  In fact, one sentence says something about all nine                         planets…, so I think the paragraph is about planets, but what about planets?       Each sentence gives some information about how long it takes planets to go around the                         sun…, so I’m sure the paragraph is mostly about how long it takes planets to go                         around the sun”. Using the facts from the passage fill in the graphic organizer together. Use another passage.  Think aloud and explain why certain details are eliminated as the main idea.  Encourage students to share their thoughts and also to think aloud as they process information in making their decisions to find the main idea.  Choose a sample passage like the one below. Guide students as needed. They will use the graphic organizer independently. “Owls are one of the only kinds of birds that you can see at night.  That’s because owls are nocturnal. They hunt at night, usually looking for small animals to eat.  Owls can hunt at night because they have large eyes that can see in the dark.  Their eyes are 50 times more powerful than are the eyes of humans.  Owls have extremely sensitive hearing and can hear the rustling of a mouse from high in a tree”. Make the point that in some passages the main idea is directly stated.  In others, it is not.  Also, some paragraphs may not contain a main idea, because they may be transitional paragraphs. Students will share responses as the teacher gives guidance an input. Make a wall chart that contains the following reminders:           Finding the Main Idea What is the paragraph mostly about? What is the most important idea given in the topic? Look for details that tell about the main idea. If you can’t find any details, you probably don’t have the main idea. Remember that the main idea is sometimes right in the passage.  Other times you have to use the details to figure out the main idea.   Theory/research: Graphic Organizers are useful for organizing ideas and monitoring comprehension.   Accommodations and modifications: ELLs/struggling readers: Visual and technology, paraphrasing, and prompting. Different measures for success are prepared for this lesson.  Students are given visual, as well as tactile stimuli to encourage engagement. Assessment data is gathered based on student writing and reading skills.

Instructional resources and materials: Graphic Organizer (attached), picture cards, and Main Idea webpage. To reinforce and practice finding the main idea in passages of text, the students will complete these activities online at a computer or laptop.  Main Idea Game

Reflection Ideas for this lesson plan was a collaboration of my original ideas, “Improving Reading” by Jerry Johns and Susan Lenski, and from Harcourt Publishing. Students involved in this small group will be chosen based on the need for more support in the area of comprehension skills. Students will be provided with implicit instruction.  This lesson will be taught as if the students were never introduced to the skill of finding main ideas. In spite of this, they must have prior knowledge of sentence and paragraph structure.