Introduction to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

How to Differentiate Instruction

4 elements to differentiate: Content - what the student needs to learn or how the student will get access to the information Process - activities in which the student engages in order to make sense of or master the content Products - culminating projects that ask the student to rehearse, apply, and extend what he or she has learned in a unit Learning environment - the way the classroom works and feels.

Key considerations for cross-disciplinary implementation.

Working across disciplines requires diplomacy, mutual respect, some agreed-upon common ground and a willingness to learn, along with an understanding of the politics of a campus community and some experience in navigating the political environment.

Explain how the purpose of formative assessment can change over the course of a unit of study.

At the beginning of a unit of study, a teacher can use formative assessment to determine what prior knowledge students bring, what needs students have that will inform the way they should be instructed, and what should be taught. As instruction continues, assessment is used to monitor student progress and to inform teachers about how to modify curriculum or instruction to meet student needs. Additionally, teachers can see what students are retaining, which instructional strategies are working, and how students might be able to apply their learning in other subjects.

4 Learning Domains

Cognitive domain • mental functions and different types of thinking and learning Affective domain • emotions, values, motivations Psychomotor domain • physical functions and movement Social domain • social interactions and communication

Elements of HLP

Collaboration • Work with other professionals and family members to support student learning and increase student success • Includes four HLPs (high leverage practices) that describe working with other professionals and the students' families to support the students and meet their needs. Assessment • Determine students' strengths and areas of need, design and evaluate instruction, and monitor student progress • Includes three HLPs that are focused on using multiple data sources to determine students' strengths and areas of need, communicate the information, and use it to inform instructional practices. Social/Emotional/Behavioral Practices • Support the well-being of students • Includes four HLPs that include creating a positive environment, as well as teaching and supporting positive behaviors and social skills to students. Instruction • Set goals and use EBPs (evidence based practices), teacher knowledge, and data to implement successful learning experiences • Contains 12 HLPs related to utilizing knowledge of content, EBPs, and data to set goals and to design, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of instruction.

Content How to Differentiate Instruction

Examples of differentiating content at the elementary level include the following: • Using reading materials at varying readability levels; • Putting text materials on tape; • Using spelling or vocabulary lists at readiness levels of students; • Presenting ideas through both auditory and visual means; • Using reading buddies; and • Meeting with small groups to re-teach an idea or skill for struggling learners, or to extend the thinking or skills of advanced learners.

High-leverage practices (HLPs)

High-leverage practices are a core set of fundamental capabilities. The basic fundamentals of teaching. Used constantly and critical to helping students learn important content. 1. lead a group discussion 2. explain and model content, practices, and strategies 3. draw out and interpret individual students' thinking 4. diagnose common patterns of student thinking and development 5. implement norms and routines for classroom discourse and work 6. adjust instruction during a lesson 7. specify and reinforce productive student behavior 8. have organizational routine 9. set up and manage small group work 10. build respectful relationships with students 11. talk about students with their parents/caregiver 12. learn about students' unique backgrounds and experiences and use in instruction. 13. set long term and short term learning goals for students 14. design single lessons and sequences of lessons 15. check student understanding during and after lesson 16. select and design formal assessment of student learning 17. interpret results of student work (routine assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, and standardized tests) 18. give oral and written feedback 19. analyze instruction in order to improve it

4 Types of Assessments

High-stakes assessments: • Standardized tests for accountability to federal, state, or local government agencies concerning measurement of effective teaching practices. • Example- state standardized tests, ACT, SAT Pre-assessments: • Establish a baseline for educators to then measure learning progress during a reporting period. before instruction. • Example- pre test. Formative assessment: • in-process evaluations of student learning. feedback gained informs instructors of what students are and are not learning so that teaching strategies may be adjusted as needed. • Example- quizzes, assignments, student one-on-one coaching, class/group discussion Summative assessment: • Evaluate student learning at the conclusion of a learning unit. • Example- scored and graded written or practical exams, assignments, or projects

Importance of standards

what standards are designed to do • spell out what students are expected to learn in each grade and each subject. how they influence instruction and assessment. • standards are the basis for what teachers teach and what is on standardized tests

Describe the evolution of high-stakes testing and the role it plays in curriculum development.

• 1983 report A Nation at Risk concluded that American schools were woefully inadequate. • In 2002, the federal government passed legislation that set very strict rules about measuring the success—and failure—of the nation's schools. These laws brought high-stakes testing to the forefront of education in America, causing it to become a controversial political and educational issue. • No Child Left Behind (2002) and Every Student Success Act (2015)

interactive read aloud

• After each segment, you will pause to allow for interaction with and among students • teacher can do think aloud. "I'm thinking that..." ○ Think aloud about how you came to a key understanding, stating what the understanding is and showing the part in the text that provides evidence for that understanding. Students just listen or turn and talk about your think aloud. • Prompt to use a strategy • Ask students to try a specific strategy that you think will help them construct a key understanding of a segment of text. Examples: visualizing, paraphrasing, questioning. • Teacher models the strategy and invites students to try it. Teacher asks follow up questions aimed at getting students to articulate the key understanding(s) of the segment. • Open ended prompting ○ Use an open-ended prompt to probe students for the key understanding; use student comments as a springboard for discussion. ○ Ask follow up questions, prompting students to show the part in the text that relates to their comment. ○ Confirm and/or clarify student understanding as needed. ○ Can turn this to a think aloud if students struggle.

Examine the range of community and cultural contexts for differentiating learning.

• Assignments are purposeful and meaningful for the students, families, and teachers. They are also adapted to meet the students' needs. • Learn about students and their families, make a connection with them, and use that knowledge in the classroom. • As students learn about their classmates, they will be more accepting of individual differences and everyone will benefit. • Have parents complete a survey about their child and family so teacher can personalize instructional practices so they are meaningful to the students.

alignment and backward design

• Backward design simply means starting with learning objectives that use carefully selected verbs to define what students need to learn • Then create assessment methods and items based on the verbs. • Content and activities are then developed based on the goals, learning objectives, and assessment methods and items. • You will be writing detailed lesson plans that will describe how all of these elements will be delivered as cohesive lessons.

Explain basic design concepts, including scope, sequence, articulation, mapping, and consistency.

• Curriculum mapping: a framework to keep track of all the instructional goals and standards. • scope and sequence: the scope (how much) and sequence (in what order) of the instruction • vertical consistency or articulation: what students learn in one lesson, course, or grade level prepares them for the next lesson, course, or grade level. • horizontal consistency: what students are taught in one classroom is the same as what students are taught in another classroom

Standards Correlations

• ESSA mandates all states adopt challenging academic standards that help students meet goal of college or career readiness. • standards are designed to focus instruction and guide adoption of curriculum. • standards are statements that describe criteria necessary for students to meet specific academic goals. • they define the knowledge, skills, and content students should acquire at each level. • standards are used to develop standardized tests to evaluate academic progress. • teachers are required to demonstrate how their lessons meet state standards.

High Leverage Practices for Social/Emotional and Behavioral Support

• Establish a consistent, organized, and respectful learning environment • Provide positive and constructive feedback to guide students' learning and behavior • Teach social behaviors • Conduct functional behavioral assessments to develop individual student behavior support plans • Teach cognitive and metacognitive strategies to support learning and independence • Provide positive and constructive feedback to guide students' learning and behavior

Types of Special Learning Needs

• Gifted and talented • ELL • ADHD • physical disabilities • intelligences and modalities • Learning Disability (include oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skill, reading comprehension, reading fluency, math calculation, math problem-solving) • multiple intelligences (Gardner) • learning modalities • cultural groups • low SES • at-risk

Describe the types and purposes of feedback.

• Give immediate feedback. • Present feedback carefully. Feedback must be carefully selected and crafted to enable learning. Feedback that is not carefully crafted may have a negative impact on learning. • Be specific as possible. • Address the learner's advancement towards a goal.

methods of monitoring progress to ensure student growth

• Grading is comparing how students did against a perfect score, either via a number or letter scale. A standardized method of measuring student achievement • Progress monitoring involves tracking student growth and evaluating how effective instruction is. The process by which a teacher uses student performance data to evaluate students' improvement toward learning goals and to evaluate the effectiveness of the instruction • Record keeping shows what has happened in a classroom via a written or electronic system. A system (or systems) used to describe or represent student actions in a written or electronic form

Assessment Strategies Must Align with Learning Objectives

• Learning objectives are statements that define what a student will know or be able to do upon completion of a learning unit. • Include an appropriate action verb that describes the depth of learning that will take place and any criteria that must be met • The verb you select for each learning objective will guide the types of assessments you select and the assessment items you write to measure student learning.

Which statement defines learning standards?

• Learning standards describe what students are expected to know and be able to do. • Instructional goals and learning objectives are written based on learning standards. • Assessments are written to measure student learning based on the goals and objectives for the lesson. • Goals, objectives, and assessments must all align with each other and with the standards they are addressing.

Discuss components of a literacy-rich environment.

• Make literacy centers ○ gives students have choice • Teach vocabulary ○ teach most essential words explicitly. ○ choose words that are critical to understanding the main ideas and information of the unit or lesson. ○ use kid friendly dictionary ○ use the word in discussions ○ use graphic organizers for vocabulary ○ repeated expose students to key vocabulary

Understand the relationship between educational standards and instructional processes.

• Make sure the activities and assessments support student learning based on requirements specified in the standards. An important part of alignment requires teachers to make sure they are providing instruction and activities that give students opportunities to develop the same skills required by the standards.

Identify the characteristics of a reflective practitioner.

• Makes time for reflection provides opportunities to identify what is going well and what is not—and to make revisions to your plans if necessary. • After each lesson take a moment to write down what did or did not work. • Make notes of ideas or adjustments made to a lesson for future reference. • Ask students for feedback.

Methods for individualized learning based on teaching strategies, learning objectives, and assessment procedures.

• Personalize learning • Make a connection to existing knowledge and scaffold the learning to help the student learn by adding supports where they are needed. • Match instruction to student needs and learning style • Common populations that require personalization/differentiation are ADHD, ELLs, Autism, SLD, and G&T.

Summative Assessments Defined

• after completely the study of a topic • teacher can determine the student's level of achievement and provide them with feedback on their strengths and weaknesses. • for students who didn't master topic or skill, teacher can use data from assessment to create a plan for remediation. • can be given periodically to determine what students know or don't know at a particular point of time. • accountability measure used as part of the grading process.

Describe the criteria for selecting quality instructional materials.

• school district approved • must align with academic standards • relevant- demonstrate cultural awareness, and they should connect to the students' backgrounds and prior knowledge. • opportunities of differentiation- able to meet the learning needs of all students. • engaging - align with the interests of the students.

Types of Summative Assessments

• state assessments • district benchmark or interim assessments • quizzes • end-of-unit or chapter tests • authentic assessment (project, performance, writing, or portfolio. uses a rubric.) • scores that are used for accountability for schools (AYP) and students (report cards)

Parts of a rubric

4 basic parts in a grid: • task description (the assignment) • a scale of some sort (levels of achievement, possibly in the form of grades) • the dimensions of the assignment (a breakdown of the skills/knowledge involved in the assignment) • description of what constitutes each level of performance (specific feedback) * don't make more than 1 page long.

Know the components of a lesson plan. WGU's Direct Instructional Lesson Plan Template

1. General Information • lesson title • subject • grade level • prerequisite skills 2. Standards and Objectives • state/national standard • learning objective ○ Given ____, students will ____ with ___ percent accuracy. 3. Materials • any materials and resources needed to complete the lesson. 4. Technology • SAMR model 5. Language Demands • language function • vocabulary • discourse or syntax • planned language supports 6. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks • anticipatory set • presentation procedures for new information &/or modeling • guided practice • independent student practice • culminating or closing procedure/activity 7. Differentiated Instruction • gifted and talented • EL • students with other special needs 8. Assessment • formative • summative

steps in student progress monitoring process

1. Identification of the students' starting performance level on skills they will learn during the academic year. 2. Identification of achievement goals that students will need to reach by the end of the year. 3. Identification of the rate of progress students must maintain in order to meet those goals. 4. Institution of regular progress check activities, also referred to as probes, for performance measurement. 5. Assurance that probes cover the entire range of skill set students must learn during the academic year, to ensure that progress is monitored on a continual basis so learning goals may be achieved by the end of the school year.

Steps for Designing Integrated Curriculum

1. scan and cluster standards vertically and horizontally to select 1 or 2 broad-based standards for each discipline. 2. choose an age-appropriate and relevant topic or theme 3. create a web to identify potential clusters of standards. 4. construct the KNOW/DO/BE bridge 5. design a culminating assessment 6. create guiding questions 7. generate instructional activities and assessments aligned with the KNOW/BE/DO bridge and the culminating assessment • recluster standards to develop mini units if necessary • create standards-based learning experiences with built in assessment

Understand the evolution of educational standards

1994 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). • law required each state to set challenging content standards for students and develop assessments that were aligned with the standards to measure student progress 2002 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) • required each state to set standards for curriculum in reading, math and science. • required standardized testing 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) • revisions to NCLB that address some of the concerns about how standards are used.

Teaching Gifted and Talented Students

A menu of activities can be created to develop their understanding of a topic based on the multiple intelligences theory. • offer self direction in activities • allow students to be involved, to create, and to develop.

Differentiate assessment of learning from assessment for learning.

Assessment FOR learning (Formative): • while in the process of teaching • allow teachers to build and rebuild a unit of instruction based on how students are responding to instruction. • constantly appraising how the unit is going by gently assessing students and giving and receiving immediate feedback. • examples: pre-test, verbal feedback, checks, self or peer assessment Assessment OF learning (Summative): • evaluate a broader, more objective perspective of student learning. • data about what students have learned and retained • can make changes after the fact for next years class • examples: Projects and high-stakes tests

Differentiate among various assessment strategies and determine when each type is most appropriate and effective.

Before Instruction: • KWL charts (Know and Wonder) • admit slips/ starter • classroom discussion • pre-tests • anticipation guides During instruction: • unison responses • response cards or small erase boards • personal response system (polling questions or computer programs) After instruction: • exit slips • KWL chart (Learned) • home work assignments • individual student conferences • projects

Blooms and learning objectives

Blooms taxonomy is a tool that will help you identify exactly what you want students to be able to do in the learning objective. • Bloom's taxonomy is a framework for categorizing verbs along a continuum of cognitive levels, from remembering and recalling basic information up through using that information to create or produce an original work. • The verb you select for each of your learning objectives will define the behavior that guides how that objective will be taught and assessed.

What are a condition, behavior, and criterion for a learning objective?

Condition: • defines the circumstances under which a student will complete the behavior. • the resources, place, and time used by a student to complete the task identified in the learning objective Behavior: • what the students will be asked to do and will be measured by the assessment • way a student will demonstrate proficiency as defined by the learning objective Criterion: • level of proficiency expected by the learning objective

4 ways to differentiate

Content: what the student needs to learn or how the student will get access to the information. Process: activities in which the student engages in order to make sense of or master the content. Products: culminating projects that ask the students to rehearse, apply, and extend what he or she has learned in a unit. Learning environment: the way the classroom works and feels.

What is Cross-Disciplinary Instruction?

Cross-disciplinary learning • is an instructional strategy that integrate learning across content areas. AKA interdisciplinary learning. • draws on multiple content areas to support students' deep and through understanding of issues and challenges Integrated learning • an approach to education in which the different subject areas are connected to one another by shared skills and concepts Examples: • math and writing together • science and math together • social studies and ela together In its simplest conception, it is making connections.

Analyze the way curriculum, instruction, and assessment work together in a teacher's classroom.

Curriculum, instruction, and assessment are interrelated in every classroom. Curriculum is the information that is to be learned by students; curriculum is often guided by school, district, and state standards and requirements. With curriculum as the guiding principle, teachers decide how best to present that information. Instruction comprises the methods, strategies, and activities used to teach the curriculum. Finally, assessment can be used at different times in the educational process—during instruction to understand how students are responding to the instruction and after instruction to measure how well students achieved the learning goals and objectives. Teachers use the information learned in the assessment process to make instructional and curricular decisions.

Differentiate between curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Curriculum: • what is being taught. • the knowledge and skills students are to learn Instruction: • how curriculum is taught. • the way concepts, knowledge, and skills are transferred from teachers to students Assessment: • the method by which teachers determine whether the information in a course of study has been adequately learned by students • helps educators evaluate effectiveness of curriculum and instruction

Data from Formative Assessments

Data Analysis • teacher uses data gathered to chart individual and group learning outcomes •target areas of misunderstanding •target areas where students need additional challenge • formative strategy: a chart of students' progress, capturing and reflecting on data gathered during signaling, corners, the work-along, and the t-chart. Responding to Data • teacher adjusts instruction and assessment as needed to readdress the objective more effectively. • formative strategy: adjustment to content/resource level of difficulty, grouping students for additional practice or expanded learning, and differentiating the final assessments.

Analyze student data to inform initial instructional approaches, differentiation, and curriculum design.

Different types of data from multiple sources can provide teachers with a more complete picture of who their students are, how they learn, and what their individual needs are. Gather data on: student readiness • the students' knowledge and academic level • may be influenced by background knowledge, experiences, and prior learning. interests • By talking to the students and asking them questions, teachers can learn a lot about them, including what their interests are. Also, having the students complete interest surveys or participate in ice-breaker activities can provide this information. Learning profile • will inform teachers about how their students learn best so they can plan instructional approaches that align with how the students learn. • For example, if a teacher has a visual learner who excels with cooperative learning, the teacher can utilize visuals and embed cooperative learning.

Explain the purposes of assessment.

Evaluate whether the educational goals and standards of the lessons are being met. three purposes of assessment: • Assessment OF Learning ○ grades based on test scores. ○ have kids actually learned what teacher thought they learned. • Assessment FOR Learning ○ using assessment to promote learning. ○ teacher pauses in lesson to check for understanding ○ actual use of formative assessment. • Assessment AS Learning ○ students involved in learning process ○ students monitor their own progress, ask questions, practice skills ○ use self-assessment and teacher feedback to reflect on learning and work toward learning goals

Learning Environment How to Differentiate Instruction

Examples of differentiating learning environment at the elementary level include: • Making sure there are places in the room to work quietly and without distraction, as well as places that invite student collaboration; • Providing materials that reflect a variety of cultures and home settings; • Setting out clear guidelines for independent work that matches individual needs; • Developing routines that allow students to get help when teachers are busy with other students and cannot help them immediately; • Helping students understand that some learners need to move around to learn, while others do better sitting quietly

Process How to Differentiate Instruction

Examples of differentiating process or activities at the elementary level include the following: • Using tiered activities through which all learners work with the same important understandings and skills, but proceed with different levels of support, challenge, or complexity; • Providing interest centers that encourage students to explore subsets of the class topic of particular interest to them; • Developing personal agendas (task lists written by the teacher and containing both in-common work for the whole class and work that addresses individual needs of learners) to be completed either during specified agenda time or as students complete other work early; • Offering manipulatives or other hands-on supports for students who need them; and • Varying the length of time a student may take to complete a task in order to provide additional support for a struggling learner or to encourage an advanced learner to pursue a topic in greater depth.

Products How to Differentiate Instruction

Examples of differentiating products at the elementary level include the following: • Giving students options of how to express required learning (e.g., create a puppet show, write a letter, or develop a mural with labels); • Using rubrics that match and extend students' varied skills levels; • Allowing students to work alone or in small groups on their products; and • Encouraging students to create their own product assignments as long as the assignments contain required elements.

Ms. Turay is concerned that a small group of students in her math class is falling behind in the coursework. Which type of formative assessment would provide immediate feedback about her students' understanding while respecting their anonymity?

Exit slip: At the end of class, students provide a quick, written answer to a question provided by the teacher. The teacher reviews them to gauge student learning of the concepts taught. An exit slip allows students to provide feedback about their comprehension that only a teacher can see.

various assessment types

Formative assessment • Observations • Student interviews/conferences • Journals • Teacher questioning • Student signaling (affirming understanding by a show of hands, thumbs up, response card, or another indicator) • Daily homework assignments Summative assessment

Formative assessment helps teachers...

Formative assessment helps teachers: • consider each student's learning needs and styles and adapt instruction accordingly • track individual student achievement • provide appropriately challenging and motivating instructional activities • design intentional and objective student self-assessments • offer all students opportunities for improvement • allows for the purposeful selection of strategies (keep doing what does work. try something new if strategy doesn't work.) • embeds assessment in instruction • guides instructional decisions

3 pile strategy

Give exit slip. Collect answers. Sort into 3 piles. • left = just developing or at the beginning of understanding • middle = they are mostly there • right = they've pretty much got it. If most students are in the left (I don't understand) pile, review or reteach.

types of assessment

High-stakes assessments: • Standardized tests for accountability to federal, state, or local government agencies concerning measurement of effective teaching practices. • For example, standardized testing produced by a state's education agency Pre-assessments: • Establish a baseline for educators to then measure learning progress during a reporting period. • For example, pre-tests Formative assessments: • In-process evaluation of student learning • feedback gained informs instructors of what students are and are not learning so that teaching strategies may be adjusted as needed • For example, quizzes, assignments, student one-on-one coaching, and class or group discussions Summative assessment: • Evaluate student learning at the conclusion of a learning unit • For example, scored and graded written or practical exams, assignments, or projects

Apply basic design concepts, including scope, sequence, articulation, mapping, and consistency.

In the process of curriculum mapping, a school will look at how the curriculum within the school works across all grade levels therein. In each grade, there will be a scope of what students in that grade will be expected to learn over the course of the year that is either based on state or district standards or determined by the school itself. The order in which the scope is taught is the sequence, and it must be logical and useful to students and teachers. If the same scope is being taught across more than one classroom at the same grade level, there has to be consistency in the way that the subject is being taught. Using standards and coherent content ensures that students are having the same experience no matter what class they are in. Additionally, there must be a logical progression of the standards through which students are moving over the course of their learning experience. Curriculum mapping takes these ideas into consideration and strives to help schools create the best versions of themselves.

Infusion Curriculum Integration

Infusion Curriculum Integration This type of integration occurs when a teacher infuses other subjects into daily lessons. For example, a science teacher might discuss the Manhattan Project, the atomic bomb, and the end of World War II when teaching about splitting the atom and atomic energy in a science class. No longer would a discussion about splitting atoms be purely theoretical. Instead, students can learn the real-world consequences of atomic warfare. Complete Control The benefit of this type of curriculum integration is that the subject area teacher maintains complete control over the material taught. There is no coordination with other teachers and therefore no fear of unexpected interruptions. Further, the integrated material specifically relates to the information being taught.

Examine instructional strategies for content area literacy and lesson planning.

Interactive read aloud. • read a story (example: in science), pause after section, students discuss Vocabulary • Have students illustrate and label each new term on poster board, and hang the posters in the classroom for reference throughout the lesson.

Bloom's Taxonomy

Knowledge "involves the recall of specifics and universals, the recall of methods and processes, or the recall of a pattern, structure, or setting." Comprehension "refers to a type of understanding or apprehension such that the individual knows what is being communicated and can make use of the material or idea being communicated without necessarily relating it to other material or seeing its fullest implications." Application refers to the "use of abstractions in particular and concrete situations." Analysis represents the "breakdown of a communication into its constituent elements or parts such that the relative hierarchy of ideas is made clear and/or the relations between ideas expressed are made explicit." Synthesis involves the "putting together of elements and parts so as to form a whole." Evaluation engenders "judgments about the value of material and methods for given purposes."

Explain how ideological schools of thought and learning principles affect education.

Learner Centered Curriculum • Learning environment encourages exploration and curiosity among students. • Encourages students to guide their own education. • The teacher facilitates a student-led learning experience. Society Centered Curriculum • The focus is on preparing students to improve the world in which they live. • The goal of education is to make students good citizens. Knowledge Centered Curriculum • Focuses on a set of knowledge and skills across the disciplines that create a well-rounded student. • Students who are learned in a broad range of disciplines are well prepared for life. Progressive Curriculum • based on the student's interests. • teacher has themes and objectives. students and teacher design course of study • the role of the teacher is to provide a rich learning environment and guide students as they engage in their learning.

Differentiate learning goals from learning objectives.

Learning goal • broad statement of what students are expected to learn. • example: Students will gain an understanding of global warming. Learning objective • an outcome statement that captures the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that learners need to be able to demonstrate. • use of action verbs that describe learner capabilities at the end of a course • Learning objectives are more specific than learning goals, articulate the knowledge and skills you want students to learn, and provide information about what will be assessed. • example: Given a chart of data about the changing size of the polar ice caps, students will determine the rate of melting over the past 20 years with 90 percent accuracy.

Describe the importance of digital literacy in P-12 contexts.

Need to be able to: • Evaluate online information for validity • Share information responsibly • Respectful and responsible users of technology • Cite referenced works properly • Digital writing as a "threshold skill" for job and career readiness. • Solve problems using technological tools

Using Assessment to Differentiate Instruction

Once results are gathered and analyzed teacher can use results to inform and differentiate instruction. Data determines which topics and skills are most difficult for students and which students need additional instructional support. Whole-Class Support • data may show whole class is struggling certain topics. • if taught in the past, further instruction or reteaching of whole class may be necessary • if not taught in past, data is great preassessment and shows class does not have working knowledge of the concepts Small-Group or Individual Support • data may show an individual student or a small group of students are struggling with certain topics. • pull these students aside to instruct them further on those concepts while rest of class is working independently. • students may also benefit from extra practice using games or computer-based resources. Enrichment • results can be used to identify which students are ready for enrichment or above-grade-level instruction • these students benefit from independent learning contracts or more challenging activities.

Types of Formative Assessment

Range from informal to formal • observations (watching students. record observations to be formal assessment.) • questioning strategies (asking better questions allows opportunity for deeper thinking. gives teacher insight into students depth of understanding) • self and peer assessment • student record keeping • student interviews/conferences • journals (students metacognition. what love. where struggle.) • student signaling (example: thumbs up or show of hands) • daily homework assignments • unison responses (single question with only 1 correct response) • response cards or small dry erase boards (student holds up answer) • personal response system (uses technology. polling. example: cahoots.)

What is literacy?

Reading, writing, listening, and speaking remain the foundational skills all people need in order to function effectively in our society and to be considered literate.

3 different types of reflection

Reflection-before-action: • reflect on lessons before teaching them • will help ensure that you have everything you need to teach the lesson, the lesson is structured well, and the needs of the students are being met Reflection-in-action: • in the middle of a lesson, reflect on what was happening and make adjustments to the lesson and teaching as needed. Reflection-on-action: • already taught the lesson •reflect on actions and what could do differently to improve teaching

Unpacking standards

STEP 1: IDENTIFY KEY CONCEPTS & SKILLS Identify what students need to know and what they need to do. We like to highlight nouns (content) in blue and verbs (skills) in green. STEP 2: IDENTIFY LEARNING TARGET TYPES Next, you'll determine which concepts are content/knowledge targets, reasoning/cognitive targets, skill/performance targets, and product targets. STEP 3: DETERMINE BIG IDEAS The next step is to list the conceptual understandings that students discover during the learning process (the ah-ha! moments). STEP 4: WRITE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS To focus and guide classroom instruction and assessment, write open-ended questions to help stimulate student interest and make new connections.

what are scope and sequence in education?

Scope and sequence in education provide a structure for learning by helping educators present the learning material in a logical order. • Scope is the breadth and depth of content that an educator covers in class. ○ break curriculum down into topics. topics into how much will cover in a certain time period. • Sequence is the order in which the educator presents the content to learners throughout the course. ○ present in a logical order

Examples of cross-disciplinary instruction

Social Studies/Science • 2 standards: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to examine interdependence of organisms with one another and their environment. Locate selected features of Africa. • learn about biomes. find these biomes in Africa. Math/Reading/Writing • 3 standards: Recognize a line of symmetry for a 2-d figure as a line across the figure such that the figure can be folded along the line into matching parts. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain specific words and phrases in text relevant to 4 grade topic or subject area. • Read book "Seeing Symmetry" and responding to writing prompts. Math/Science • 2 standards: Math- Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve 1 and 2 step how many more and how many less problems using information presented in scaled graphs. Science- Represent data in tables to describe typical weather conditions during a particular season. • Students graph science data and ask how many more/how many less questions.

Determine student strengths, interests, and areas for development.

Strengths: • include talents, knowledge, and skills. • build on and incorporate student strengths • think alouds Interests: • class survey • all about me activity • share stories through prompts • spend time with students • providing time each week for students to explore and create in areas of strength and interest Areas for development: • start with a baseline for each student at beginning of the year

3 different models of curriculum design

Subject-Centered Design • emphasizes a certain subject or field, like biology, literature, or mathematics. • puts the subject—rather than the student—at the forefront. • the type of standardized curriculum that K12 schools use most frequently. • not student centered. less concerned with learning preferences. some students may fall behind. Learner-Centered Design • takes into account the needs, interests, and goals of each individual. • give students control over their education and provide them the freedom to make decisions about it. • varied lesson plans that allow students to select their own tasks, lessons, and activities. • labor intensive Problem-Centered Design • type of student-centered design • educate students on how to analyze a situation and find a solution. • real-world problems • not take learning styles into account

SAMR

Substitution • technology is directly substituted for a more traditional teaching tool or method. • example: read online rather than read a hard copy. type in word rather than write with pencil. Augmentation • tech directly substituted for a traditional tool or method, but with significant enhancements to the student experience. • example: add video clip to a presentation or have interactive links Modification • actual change to the lesson's design and its learning outcome. • example: collaborate online to build project Redefinition • redefine a traditional learning task in a way that would not be possible without the tech, creating a novel experience. • example: network with other students out of state or in another country

Describe cycles of planning, instruction, assessment, and reflection.

The instructional cycle: 1. intended instructional outcome • identify the standard the lesson/unit will address • create learning objective from standard 2. Planning • plan effective teaching strategies • plan instructional activities ○ plan on-going assessments (formative and summative) 3. Assessment • use formative to check for student understanding • use summative assessments to check that students have met learning objective 4. Reflect

Data from Summative Assessment

The key is to think of summative assessment as a means to gauge, at a particular point in time, student learning relative to content standards.

Compare thematic units, project-based learning, and inquiry

Thematic unit • organization of a curriculum around a central theme. • it's a series of lessons that integrate subjects across the curriculum, such as math, reading, social studies, science, language arts, etc. that all tie into the main theme of the unit. Project-based learning • teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects. Inquiry-based learning • a student-centered teaching method that encourages students to ask questions and investigate real-world problems.

Why should teachers align assessments of student learning to learning objectives?

To ensure the assessment is appropriate for the learning planned. When an assessment is aligned to the learning objectives, the teacher can feel confident the assessment actually measures the learning the teacher wants students to achieve.

What is the best way to meet the needs of all students?

Use differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction will provide students with the supports they need to meet their needs.

evaluate assessments for validity and reliability

Validity: • whether the instrument measures what it intends to measure • test on what taught/ learning goals • test on stated learning objective Reliability: • how dependably or consistently a test measures a characteristic or learning objective • 4 classes of reliability estimates: inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability, parallel-forms reliability, internal consistency reliability • may be impacted by student-specific factors.

Develop learning objectives that include a condition, behavior, and criterion.

WGU Required Learning Objective: Given___(resources)_, students will _(behavior)_ with __(criterion)___percent accuracy. • example: Given a map of a county with a graphic scale, the student will measure distances between towns and landmarks within ¼ mile accuracy.

Describe methods and technologies for acquiring student information, including assessment data.

Ways to collect information include: • observing your students • talking to them about their lives and their interests • formative and summative evaluations •investigating academic records • investigating demographic data Always take student privacy seriously.

Analyze benefits and challenges of cross-disciplinary learning.

benefits: • strong content knowledge • see interrelatedness of their learning • critical thinking • problem-solving skills • student engagement • mirrors the real world, where concepts and skills are used in concert • prepares students for careers, college, and society challenges: • takes time • takes collaboration • need to develop background knowledge and skills to integrate other content • lots of work in planning and preparation stages

Know different types of standards.

common standards • broad statements that describe specific content areas that students should learn at each grade level performance standards • define the level of work students must demonstrate. • expectations for instruction, assessment, and student work • skills needed to use the knowledge benchmarks • instructional tools used to gauge student understanding of specific standards • reference points • guidance for articulating learning outcomes opportunity to learn standards • apply to school systems • addressed practices and conditions necessary at each level of the education system to provide all students with the opportunity to learn the material in content standards

Literacy center ideas for elementary grades

computer center ABC center writing center listening center memory card games word family center book club center building/manipulatives center art center buddy reading center poetry center journal center math center science center social studies center

definition and purpose of grading rubrics

definition: an evaluation tool or set of guidelines used to: • promote the consistent application of learning expectations • measure their attainment against a consistent set of criteria purpose: • A rubric allows teachers to clearly lay out the task, the expectations, and how those expectations will be measured. • can be used to meet differentiated learning needs.

3 types of reflective practice

student feedback: • student feedback as a reflection tool • receive feedback from students to obtain information on what is working for the students and what may need to change in order to better support them • example- comment box where students can share their opinions about what is happening in class and offer suggestions peer observation: • peer observation is a great way to learn from other more experienced teachers, who may offer reflections from their own experiences and suggest instructional practices that may enhance and improve your teaching practice. professional journaling: • write reflections, a form of professional journaling. • document what happened • then adjust the lesson based on the reflections

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences

students have special strengths. tailor lessons to their strengths. differentiate process. intelligences: • music/rhythm • naturalist • verbal linguistic • body/kinesthetic • visual spatial • interpersonal • logical/math • intrapersonal

oral literacy

students' ability to listen and speak, and to express their thoughts, ideas, and understanding of a concept or subject area.

social literacy

the development of social skills to interact positively within a defined environment

Explain the philosophies behind the assessment types.

the philosophy, or rationale, behind these two forms of assessment: • Summative assessment measures what students have learned after completing a learning unit. Allows teachers to determine learning milestones and measure what students do and do not know at the conclusion of instruction. • Formative assessment provides information about how well students are learning as they progress through the unit. Should be considered part of the instructional process

Data driven educational decision making

the process by which educators examine assessment data to identify student strengths and deficiencies and then apply those findings to their practice. • data sources include standardized tests, formative assessments (homework, teacher observations, student responses), and summative assessments (tests, quizzes, portfolios)

Distinguish between curricular design models and design types.

three general types or models of curriculum design: • Learner-centered Curriculum is designed around individual student interests and motivations. • Subject-centered Curriculum is designed around specific content areas, which are defined by subsets of concepts and skills to be taught. • Problem-centered Curriculum is based on seeking solutions to real-world issues.

Examine the role of oral and social literacy in content area learning.

• Social literacy can be developed in a literacy-rich environment as students interact with each other and their course work. • Oral literacy is further developed through social connections that are formed as students interact with each other in social and educational settings. • Students should be encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback on other students' thoughts and perspectives in individual and group activities. • Teacher should facilitate and guide the discussions, allowing students to do the cognitive work of learning for themselves.

Why are standards essential in education?

• Standards are broad statements that define the knowledge and skills all students need in order to become successful members of the workforce and society in general. Standards provide common criteria and timelines for what all students in the United States should be learning, when, and to what degree. • When planning instruction, standards provide the foundation for setting relevant instructional goals and learning objectives. By aligning goals and objectives with standards, educators ensure that students are learning skills and gaining the information they need to be successful.

Explain how alignment informs assessment development.

• Standards are distillations of what schools expect a student to know and the skills they should acquire within a subject. • Curriculum—and the learning goals and learning objectives within it—is aligned to standards and provides information about what is taught. • Assessments measure the progress students and teachers are making toward achieving the learning goals and objectives. • Assessments must align with the instructional goals and learning objectives. They must align with what is actually being taught.

three effective strategies for teachers to gather data that will provide a thorough understanding of who their students are in order to inform their instructional approaches.

• Structure class observations • Conduct parent and student interviews • Examine records Interviewing the parents or students, or both, examining their previous records, and engaging in structured observations of the students will provide the teacher with a thorough understanding of who students are as people, how they learn, and what their academic strengths and areas of need are. Having this information will support the teacher's ability to plan instructional approaches that will engage the students and meet their needs.

Analyze the role of reading and literacy in social, cultural, and classroom contexts.

• Students need to be able to make sense of information in all its forms. (4 domains of literacy: speaking, listening, reading, and writing) • Language is an expression of how students interpret who they are, based upon their cultural heritage, values, and traditions. • In the classroom, they are acquiring language and learning how to share their stories through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. • Those stories can be interpreted through illustrations and drawings or through storytelling. • Instructional practices that incorporate culture and language from both the school and home environments can help diverse learners in becoming successful readers.

Key features of cross-disciplinary design and planning.

• Teachers will align standards horizontally when planning integrated learning. Since standards will cut across disciplines, teachers have to know what standards they are addressing from the different subject areas being integrated and use them to develop learning goals.

educational effects are results of the increased role of high-stakes testing in U.S. schools

• The focus on math and reading curricula has increased. • Physical education class time has been reduced. • Test scores have risen. As schools worked to improve student test scores, the time schools spend focusing on math and reading has increased, but the time spent in physical education class has decreased. The result has been an increase in the average student scores on high-stakes test, but some districts and states are concerned about the long-term sustainability of these increases.

Explain the role of literacy in the content areas.

• There is a strong need for students to learn literacy skills in all subject areas in order to be successful in a world that requires proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. • Literacy can be taught in any content area and creates opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate deep understanding of concepts and skills.

Explain how to build a classroom environment that promotes learning and engagement for all students.

• Use a variety of formats to meet the multiple needs of your diverse students. • teacher must respond to variation in the classroom • get to know students so you can meet their needs • strong class culture so students understand fair doesn't mean equal • help students get started! they are more likely to finish. • provide graphic organizers • Engineering text by reformatting its structure and adding more descriptive elements. (more white space, headings, at definition to key vocabulary at the bottom of the sheet)

Know how to integrate technology into lesson plans. WGU's Direct Instructional Lesson Plan Template

• When planning a technology-infused lesson, teachers should consider the method of assessment and criteria for evaluation as they plan the lesson. • Used to differentiate. Technology can create options for students to differentiate products used to show their mastery. Lesson plans often include time for independent practice, and there are many apps and programs that allow students to practice new skills. • Sources ○ videos and websites music and song lyrics, ○ Google Earth and other interactive maps, image slideshows, Quia.com and other sites with educational games, personality quizzes, podcasts, virtual tours, blogs, news, and polls.

Explain how writing is a vehicle for learning in all content areas.

• Writing is a skill that students need to practice in every content area. • Writing to Learn, Not Learning to Write ○ students are encouraged to explore their ideas and thoughts in an effort to promote critical thinking and deepen their understanding of content area concepts ○ great way to incorporate writing across the curriculum. ○ social aspect to their learning by giving them opportunities to share their thoughts and ideas with others.

Literacy Center

• a physical area (or station) designated for specific learning purposes. • designed to provide appropriate materials to help students work independently or collaboratively (with partners or in small groups) to meet literacy goals. • allow for student choice • As the teacher works with one group of students for guided reading, other groups rotate through the literacy centers in the classroom. • The goal of our literacy centers is to provide students with meaningful independent tasks in order to create time for small group instruction or one-on-one reading conferences.

Planning Cross-Curricular Instruction

• as with all curriculum, planning is critical to cross-curricular instruction. curriculum writers must first consider the objectives of each content area or discipline. • selecting benchmarks or standards from the subject areas to be integrated • identifying cross-curricular questions that can be asked about the benchmarks that have been selected • identifying a product or performance assessment that incorporated the benchmarks. • in addition, teachers need to create day-to-day lesson plans that meet the needs of the subject areas being taught, ensuring accurate information.

Understanding Assessment

• assessment is a long term process that involves careful analysis of student responses from discussions, projects, or practice sheets • data gathered from formative assessment should be used to inform instruction: speed up, slow down, or reteach.

Why are cross-disciplinary connections meaningful?

• curriculum connections make learning more meaningful for students. when students see the connections between individual subject areas, the material becomes more relevant. • teachers achieve relevance through tuning into what naturally motivates a particular student to learn. • all students can learn if they have the right motivation • teachers can mold a standards-based curriculum to accommodate motivational preferences • authentic tasks and assessments offer the greatest potential for motivation • teachers who work collaboratively can and do create curriculum that is both motivating and relevant.

Relate the history of curriculum reform to the present-day education climate.

• education has been in constant state of reform since founding of the nation • Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) 1965 created federal government role in education. Title 1 funds to cover cost of educating disadvantaged students • No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) 2002 significantly increased the federal role in holding schools responsible for the academic progress of all students. • Common Core State Standards was launched in 2009. • Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 2015 gave states more freedom to set goals and accountability.

Understand the purpose of educational standards.

• educational road map • standards provide the information about what students need to know and be able to do at different levels in their educational journey. • teachers then write instructional goals and objectives based on the standards, create lessons, select teaching methods and strategies, create activities, and measure student learning through various types of assessments.

Collecting student data that can be used to plan lessons that meet the needs of the students

• gather data from formative assessments, summative assessments, and standardized tests • identify student strengths and deficiencies • adjusting instruction to meet more student needs. (differentiation) • use flexible grouping to meet more student needs. ○ start with forming 3 groups based on standardized tests. ○ basic group whose assessment scores were below grade level ○ proficient group whose assessment scores were on grade level ○ advanced group whose assessment scores were above grade level

Formative Assessments Defined

• happen throughout a lesson or unit •used to check for understanding • is part of the instructional process. • provides the information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they are happening. • informs teachers and students about student understanding at a point when timely adjustments can be made. • adjustments ensure students achieve targeted standards-based learning goals within a set time frame.

Determine student comprehension and future learning needs using student and assessment data.

• identify whether students learned what the lessons intended them to learn • different forms of assessment data need to be used to gather this information • determine what the students' learning needs are and how they can address those needs.

how assessment data informs instructional decisions before and during instruction.

• instructional strategies include various assessment methods • Data feedback from assessments is analyzed and used to help students set goals for improving their performance. • Data also allow an instructor to make determinations on his or her instruction. • Instruction involves activities that will engage a class as a whole or in small groups instead differentiate learning to meet individual students' needs

Understand the purpose of a lesson plan. WGU's Direct Instructional Lesson Plan Template

• instructions for what you want to teach and how you want to teach it. • plan should include teaching strategies and materials for all students in the class. (diverse classroom with cultural, academic, and social differences) • keeps the lesson focused on student outcomes because those outcomes are made explicit in the learning objectives, activities, and assessment portions of the lesson plan • allows the teacher to reflect on the lesson execution after the class because they can compare the planned lesson against the actual lesson experience.

Modality Preference

• kinesthetic learners. give them activity that involves movement. • tactile learners. use manipulatives. • auditory learners. learn well by listening. • visual learners. need to look at something to learn. give graphic organizer. give visuals. power point.

Meeting standards through alignment

• material taught reflects the concepts and skills in the standards • be mindful of testing objectives. standards and objectives needed to be aligned in some way. some state standards don't match national standardized tests. when all students miss a question, is it a bad question or are they missing a skill. • pre-assess standards. use data to focus on the missing skills and concepts • use blooms taxonomy to review assessment. are questions lower-level thinking or high-level thinking. are students being taught at the correct level. • instructional strategies and classroom assessments reflect the standard. "unpack the standards" or decode the performance requirements. • match the requirements of the standard to what students actually "do" in the classroom

Fundamental strategies for cross-disciplinary teaching.

• promote student, department, and institutional buy-in • start off small • team teaching

what is curriculum design?

• purposeful, deliberate, and systematic organization of curriculum (instructional blocks) within a class or course. • a way for teachers to plan instruction • when teachers design curriculum, they identify what will be done, who will do it, and what schedule to follow.

Understand different learning domains and lesson planning. WGU's Direct Instructional Lesson Plan Template

• teachers should attempt to construct more holistic lessons by using all 4 domains of learning in constructing educational tasks. This diversity helps create more well-rounded learning experiences and meets a number of learning styles and learning modalities. • It is important to consider the affective domain when planning lessons. Which instructional approach will motivate students? Which topic will increase their curiosity? • Communication is an important part of the social learning domain. Students who learn to communicate well can be more successful in the classroom and in their future work and social endeavors.