EDUC 303

Over the course of the last few weeks, we have all been asked to submit various lesson plans. This started off really tricky and time consuming for me. However, like most things, as time goes on it has become less straining and more smooth. Contrary to probably almost anybody, I actually feel like the left hand column comes sort of naturally to me. I do not struggle very much with filling that area out, especially after I received clarification from Dr. Bedford about it. After taking some ESL courses over the last year, as well, I find the Language Support really simple to me. I was challenged in these classes to alter lessons and material for English language learners and their families, so due to this practice, I can quickly find the areas that may be overly challenging for an ELL. (Ignore the Super ELL part of this graphic. It's an advertisement. The other info is super interesting though!) I am not very confident in my ability to decide which assessments should go wher...

The four categories of assessment that we have been learning about ultimately can capture basically all types of assessment that will be conducted in our future classrooms. I think it is very important to take into account what type of assessment is best fit for our learning targets, as we have been practicing this week. Assessments seems to present pros and cons in general, so it is not surprising that both are present among the categories, as well. For example, a pro of selected response is that it is a great way to measure knowledge mastery, and it gives clear results in regard to right or wrong. It also has the capacity to cover a wide range of information regarding the knowledge topic. However, selected response, especially multiple choice, could be skewed due to the chance that students are guessing. Realistically, a student that does not know any of the material would not do well on a test by guessing, but some students may have a lucky day. Additionally, some students may kno...

Deriving a learning target initially seemed like a somewhat easy task, but proved to be much denser once I completed the unpacking assignments. I found choosing a measurable verb that best represented the standard(s) was the toughest decision to make. The measurable verb is very important in order to assess students, so to best reflect the standards, the verbiage must be accurate and selectively chosen. The learning target(s) directly connects with assessment, as the assessment will show how well the learning target was executed by the teacher and grasped by the students. It's almost as if those three depend on each other in a triangular way. For example, a learning target needs and standard to exist and an assessment to measure it's worth. A standard needs a learning target to execute the goal and again, an assessment to determine it's value. An assessment would not be possible without first the standard, and then the learning target. If one of these three factors were...

The Common Core State Standards give me conflicting feelings, although I am gaining more insight as I move through school. Just today I had a conversation with a coworker who used to be a teacher here in Cheney. She brought forth the concern that class has become overly scripted, which I believe is a valid concern. While she has moved away from teaching and into occupational recreation, I still value her ideas, as she has a few years of experience. Over the last year, I have moved away from feeling harshly about the standards, as I see value in all students getting the same kind of instruction. For example, if a student has a parent in the military, he or she does not have to worry about being behind or lost in school after another move. I also see the reliability of the standards, as they push teachers to all teach the same topics and move together as a unit. This ensures that a student is not unprepared or on a completely different path than another student when entering middle schoo...

I am your classic "enneagram three" achiever. I get a lot of joy from feeling like I have mastered something, and in short, I like to be good at the things I like. For example, when I was eight years old, I can vividly recall my dad telling me that he did not think I could pogo-stick to the end of the neighborhood... so I tried for about a week until I could show him I, in fact, definitely could. I also remember my soccer coach challenging me with juggling the ball. It took me about a full day out in the cold, but I would not let myself stop until I reached 100 juggles, even if it meant being there until dark. These funny childhood memories illustrate my desire to do things that test me. In a lot of ways, I was, and still in someways am, a performer with a growth mindset. Tell me I can't, I'll show you I can. While it sounds like I was your typical fierce little girl, that did not always continue to ring true. In all honestly, I am still a fairly good performer, bu...