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Practicum I Lesson Plan  Jeanette Denning

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Practicum I Lesson Plan  Jeanette Denning

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Addendum: Ideas to incorporate the ISTE Triple E Framework!

Technology Ideas Section one:  Engage

1.  Word Cloud: List words that you would use to describe bats and create a word cloud to share with your group. (Two sets of partners equals one group; one set of partners per computer.)  This activity aligns with ISTE standards because students must be good Digital Citizens, and develop skills as Knowledge Constructor and Innovative Designers during the process of deciding on vocabulary and how to create their cloud.

2.  Picture Finder: With a partner, search online for pictures of different types of bats and their names (search district approved sites only).  Students can experience being Creative Communicators when they attempt to state what is happening in the pictures.

3.   Question Your Class: With your partner, think of two questions to ask your classmates and teacher about bats (Microsoft Word). Digital Citizens will develop their knowledge while putting their ideas into words, learning more about bats.  They are also Global Collaborators; asking classmates and teachers questions that they may or may not know the answers to.

Technology Ideas Section two:  Enhance

1. Partner Paragraphs:  Work with your partner, using your word clouds, to create a paragraph (3-4 sentences) about bats (Microsoft Word).  Being Global Collaborators, students will be able to express themselves while also being Knowledge Constructors with the subject matter of bats.

2. Alike and Different: Brainstorm ways in which the two groups of bats (“Microbats” and “Megabats”) are alike and different (Microsoft Word or Google Docs).  Knowledge Constructors will further their ability to classify bats based on specific attributes.  They will also become Computational Thinkers while figuring out what sorts of attributes belong in which category.

3.  Classify:  Use your “Alike and Different” list, as well as results from “Picture Finder”, and put pictures of bats into our two main groups (teacher(s) assist in teaching copy and paste between online searches and Microsoft Word or Google Docs).  Not only will students continue working with knowledge about bats, but also be Knowledge Constructors while learning to copy and paste with technology.  Becoming Innovative Designers and Creative Communicators will take place as students make decisions about how they would like their pictures to “look”.

Technology Ideas Section three:  Extend

1.  Nature Center Fieldtrip:Plan a fieldtrip to a Nature Center with an emphasis on bats.  Discover what bats (if any) live in your local area.  Find out how technology is used to help bats.  Students will be able to not only be Knowledge Constructors, but also Empowered Learners as they discover technology used at Nature Centers, perhaps for the first time.

2.  Explore the BatsLive website and write a short summary of what you enjoyed: Use this address: https://batslive.pwnet.org/resource/lesson_plans.php .  Contains many webcasts to watch about bats.  Empowered Learners will be able to choose from a variety of webcasts about bats and be Knowledge Constructors as they learn more about these animals.  Also, students will be Creative Communicators as they retell what they watched in their own way; perhaps writing or drawing about the webcasts.

3.  Online Virtual Tour: Watch the virtual tour at: https://batworld.org/virtural-tour-of-bat-world-sanctuary/to watch how bats are cared for.  Being able to see how bats are cared for during a virtual tour will allow the students to be Knowledge Constructors and Creative Communicators.

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Practicum I Lesson Plan  Fall 2017   Jeanette Denning

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Practicum I Lesson Plan  Fall 2017   Jeanette Denning

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I was so pleased how well this went, I had to post it!

Name:      Jeanette Denning                Date:  11-09-17    Time Frame: 20 min.    Grade: 2nd

Content Area: ELA  Central Focus: Explain Details of Informational (non-fiction)      text

| Lesson Overview
| Common Core (or other appropriate) State Standard(s): CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1  Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.4  Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.
| Rationale/Purpose:  To follow up readings of Stellaluna  with an informational text about real life bats, students will learn about real bats and be able to explain their characteristics. Students will learn about “facts” and “opinions” by writing and comparing sentences.  Engaging students in informational text, they will learn to organize information such as types of bats, sizes of bats, and other facts involving similarities and differences of different bat groups.
| Objective/SWBAT: Students will be able to explain information about real life bats based on the Non-Fiction text by answering questions which require them to identify characteristics of bats.
| Summative Assessment of Lesson Objective(s): Worksheet questions at end of lesson will ask about type of text presented and information about author’s wording (“sweeping”) and phrases.   | Evaluation Criteria: Worksheet, met/not met with opportunities to strengthen skills during other lessons based on this text.
| Academic Language: Vocabulary: Fact, opinion, bats, non-fiction, cave, sweeping. | Academic Language: Function: Explain
| Instructional Materials/Technology: Student and teacher texts Bats A-Z, student writing paper, pencils, dry erase and/or smartboard for class notes, worksheet summative.
| Planned Supports: Accommodations/ Modifications: Struggling students may write one or two words instead of complete sentences and/or require dictation. Also, may have to read summative questions and answers to these students. Students who are more advanced may write more than one sentence and understand the vocabulary/phrasing quickly.
| Lesson Procedures (Including Formative Assessments)
| Opening: Explain: Now that we have read about Stellaluna, which is a fiction story, let’s think about what we think real bats might be like.
| Instructional Procedures: *Group students (about 3 to a group) and ask them to think about what real bats are like and write sentences about them. *Back to whole group – ask students to share their sentences about bats. *Review “fact” and “opinion” with students.  Ask students if they think their sentences are fact or opinion. *Keep sentences to work with throughout unit; sorting into “fact”, “opinion”, or “not sure”. *Read pages 1-7 of Bats A-Z, talk about the text, ensuring understanding.
| Closing:  Summative worksheet questions, allowing students to use the text, then tell students we will continue to explore real bats throughout upcoming days. Questions:  “What kind of book is this?”    “Why do bats leave the cave at night?”   “On page 5, what does the word “sweeping” mean?”   “How long have bats been on Earth?”  Multiple choice.

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Rigor in Education    By  Jeanette Denning

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Rigor in Education    By  Jeanette Denning

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Because I have learned so much and believe in creating educational environments that involve positive rigor for student growth, I have decided to place this blog which is part of a paper I wrote about rigor in the classroom.

Educational theories and practices have been invented and evolved over time to help students become more successful.  In a survey conducted by youthtruthsurvey.org, students from elementary through high school were asked various questions about how they feel about school.  Although many “students may feel challenged to work hard…only about 6 percent of students agree that their assignments help them understand the subject. … …data also found that as students progressed through the grade levels, a lower proportion feel supported in their learning.  When asked whether they learn a lot in class every day, 80 percent of elementary students answered positively compared to only 66 percent of middle school and 59 percent of high school students. …data also found that as students progressed through the grade levels, a lower proportion feel supported in their learning.” ( http://www.youthtruthsurvey.org/academic-rigor/ , 2016).  Although the percentage of elementary students is the highest, what about the other 20 percent?  Looking at what is missing in curriculums and classroom environments to engage students in learning can help teachers understand what needs to happen.  Providing rigorous assignments, activities and lessons cannot only help students learn, but provide opportunities for true student engagement.

Meaningful lessons, activities, and other class work are an important part of creating a positive environment for rigor.  Expecting students, as a demand,  “…to learn and perform at high levels.” is key since “This requires instruction that allows students to delve deeply into their learning, to engage in critical thinking and problem-solving activities, to be curious and imaginative, and to demonstrate agility and adaptability (Wagner, a)…” (Blackburn, B. Williamson, R. 2010).  Leading students to be engaged in their learning can create a classroom environment that is relevant to students; giving them “…opportunities to demonstrate how they want to pursue their own learning and how they want to demonstrate what they know.” (Mason, C. 2013).  This means that students should have a say in what type of project/product they would like to be involved in (individually or in groups) to complete; being able to have a few choices such as surveys, research, interviews, or artwork.  Teachers can also give students some responsibility over creating “…feedback and evaluation criteria for assignments…”, adding to demands as well as qualities, since “The thought students put into designing the criteria may help them understand more about how to approach the tasks to demonstrate highest levels of understanding.” (Mason, C. 2013).

References

Blackburn, B. and Williamson, R. (2010).  4 Myths About Rigor in the Classroom. Available here: http://www.eyeoneducation.com

Mason, C. (2013).  Realizing Rigor At Your School.  Available here:  https://www.naesp.org/communicator-may-2013/realizing-rigor-your-school

Your Truth: Learning From Student Voice: Academic Rigor (2016).  Rigor Has Become a Buzzword in Education- And With Good Reason. Available here: http://www.youthtruthsurvey.org/academic-rigor/

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Carol Dweck is well known in Education for the concept of Growth Mindset.  In a nutshell, this can be thought of as students learning to be responsible for their own learning.  “…when students learned through a structured program … they…” are “students who believed their intelligence could be developed (a growth mindset)..” they “outperformed those who believed their intelligence was fixed could “grow their brains” and increase their intellectual abilities, they did better.” (Dweck, 2015).  Helping students understand that they are able to have control over what happens not only in their assignments, but schoolwork as a whole, they begin to see themselves as valuable individuals and not just “kids”.

Also, when teachers realize that there has been a concept of “fixed mindset” for quite some time, it is important to help break those habits.  When students have a growth mindset, “… is that it creates a passion for learning rather than a hunger for approval.”  (Popova, M., 2014).  This is in stark contrast to the fixed mindset, which has found “…people with the fixed mindset see risk and effort as potential giveaways of their inadequacies, revealing that they come up short in some way.” (Popova, M., 2014.).  Showing students the value of learning in order to grow intellectually instead of just get grades and approval is a powerful way of helping them understand they are important and have control over their lives; both present and future.

References

Dweck, C. 2015.  Carol Dweck Revisits the ‘Growth Mindset’.  Available here:        www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/carol-dweck-revisits-the-growth-mindset.html?cmp=cpc-goog-ew-growth+mindset&ccid=growth+mindset&ccag=growth+mindset&cckw=growth%20mindset&cccv=content+ad&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr9T7j5uS2QIVkrrACh3F7AQzEAAYASAAEgL2EfD_BwE

Popova, M.  2014.  Fixed Vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives.  Available here: https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/

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Triple E Framework     By  Jeanette Denning         In reading and studying Learning First, Technology Second by Liz Kolb (copyright 2017, International Society for Technology Education), I have found many valuable resources.  One such resource that will be instrumental in lesson planning throughout teaching life is the Triple E Framework.  Using the ISTE Triple E Framework to ensure students receive meaningful learning through technology is a wonderful way for educators to check and double check that their lesson planning and classroom activities Engage students, Enhance learning, and Extend learning into real life.  Engagement requires that students are focused on their tasks, motivated to complete them, and are active learners in a social environment. (Kolb, p. 34, 2017).  Enhancement in this framework moves students to a “…more sophisticated under-standing of the learning goals or content…”. (Kolb, p. 34, 2017).  Students who are engaged in enhanced learning are scaffolding to other ideas and use technology to “…demonstrate their understanding of the learning goals…” (Kolb, p. 34, 2017).  Extend is the last of the Triple E Framework and requires that students have real life learning outside of school; “…students grow as learners in a lifelong way…”, developing technology skills that do not have to be in the classroom. (Kolb, p. 34, 2017).       Although I really enjoy the concepts of this framework, I seem to have the most trouble figuring out how to use the Extend portion.  How can lessons be Extended outside of the school? Some students have limited or no technology access once they leave the classroom; making supporting them beyond the classroom a daunting task.  However, I have found that I am not alone.  Searching deeper into the text, I find that may scenarios in Chapter 6 (“Defining Extension”, p.71-83).  Also, in speaking with other pre-service teachers, as well as in-service teachers, Extension seems to be the part of the Triple E framework that is most difficult to bring to fruition.  Working with others, researching lesson themes and topics, and trying new ways to Extend will be my “homework” during planning and thinking of activities and other learning strategies.  I hope to grow in this area and help students further their knowledge, become and stay interested in learning, and help them move to the next levels of learning.

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Triple E Framework     By  Jeanette Denning         In reading and studying Learning First, Technology Second by Liz Kolb (copyright 2017, International Society for Technology Education), I have found many valuable resources.  One such resource that will be instrumental in lesson planning throughout teaching life is the Triple E Framework.  Using the ISTE Triple E Framework to ensure students receive meaningful learning through technology is a wonderful way for educators to check and double check that their lesson planning and classroom activities Engage students, Enhance learning, and Extend learning into real life.  Engagement requires that students are focused on their tasks, motivated to complete them, and are active learners in a social environment. (Kolb, p. 34, 2017).  Enhancement in this framework moves students to a “…more sophisticated under-standing of the learning goals or content…”. (Kolb, p. 34, 2017).  Students who are engaged in enhanced learning are scaffolding to other ideas and use technology to “…demonstrate their understanding of the learning goals…” (Kolb, p. 34, 2017).  Extend is the last of the Triple E Framework and requires that students have real life learning outside of school; “…students grow as learners in a lifelong way…”, developing technology skills that do not have to be in the classroom. (Kolb, p. 34, 2017).       Although I really enjoy the concepts of this framework, I seem to have the most trouble figuring out how to use the Extend portion.  How can lessons be Extended outside of the school? Some students have limited or no technology access once they leave the classroom; making supporting them beyond the classroom a daunting task.  However, I have found that I am not alone.  Searching deeper into the text, I find that may scenarios in Chapter 6 (“Defining Extension”, p.71-83).  Also, in speaking with other pre-service teachers, as well as in-service teachers, Extension seems to be the part of the Triple E framework that is most difficult to bring to fruition.  Working with others, researching lesson themes and topics, and trying new ways to Extend will be my “homework” during planning and thinking of activities and other learning strategies.  I hope to grow in this area and help students further their knowledge, become and stay interested in learning, and help them move to the next levels of learning.

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I have an extensive work experience and have always loved working with children. I have had the opportunity to work with children of all ages and abilities and enjoy helping them understand more about their world everyday.

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National Louis University                                                                            Lisle, IL

Master of Arts in Teaching; Elementary Education
Licensure Anticipated 2019

Northwestern College                                                                         Bridgeview, IL

Certificate Paralegal Studies                                                                             2014

Elmhurst College                                                                                      Elmhurst, IL

Bachelor of Arts  Human Services Administration                                          1999

College of DuPage                                                                                  Glen Ellyn, IL

Associate of Applied Science  Child Development                                        1997