Evidence 1. Online Lesson OutlinesDue to school closings for the COVID-19 pandemic, I had to transition to preparing online lesson plans for my students. Our administration required teachers to prepare lessons in a Google slides document that they would be using as formal evaluations. These documents also served as the main outline of the week’s activities for our students. The school administration also provided a list of required elements in lesson plans that I provided as part of the evidence, in “Lesson Plan for E-Learning Guidelines.” The main components were clear instructions, virtual assessments, engaging strategies, and meeting accommodations for all IEPs and 504s. For the first week and a half, teachers were only allowed to prepare five days of instruction, but I included some additional activities for students to do that I highly encouraged throughout the week. I think with these circumstances it is clear that I utilized available technological materials and resources effectively to engage students in varied learning experiences.
This relates to Standard 5 because preparing lessons that students will complete independently from home requires me to understand how to connect concepts in a way students will then understand. In the instructional videos I had students watch, I embedded questions for them to answer throughout the video to check for understanding. I monitored which students answered the questions incorrectly and kept in contact with them to make sure they understood their misconception and could still move forward with the lesson. This shows that even in an online setting, I use questioning strategies effectively. In each lesson outline, I color-coded the lessons for students to easily follow along. The first slide for each lesson lists the objectives. In my instructions, I encourage students to read through the objectives before and after they complete the lesson, to help them understand the purpose of the lesson and to monitor their progress. This shows that I articulate clear learning goals. Each lesson consists of a numbered list of activities for students to complete. Their work was all uploaded in their google classroom account, and I highlighted where to find each activity and what name to look for. This shows I articulate clear instructional procedures. Both the initial instructions at the beginning of the outline and the procedure show that I give directions that are clear and reasonable and contain an appropriate level of detail. This evidence is important to me because creating these lessons required me to be extremely flexible and creative. Teachers were given two days to prepare a week’s worth of instruction, with new information and guidelines released throughout those planning days. I had to constantly change the format of lessons to meet requirements and best serve my students, especially those with an IEP or 504. I think this evidence shows that I handle new situations professionally and with ease, even amidst a global crisis. In addition, the flexibility in planning styles shows that I am capable of using differing perspectives to engage learners. |
Evidence 2. Tax and Tip Writing ResponseDuring my Math 8 class’ unit on consumer applications, I had them think about how the concepts we were learning in class related to businesses and their own experiences. I wanted them to think critically about the concepts, not just on calculations. On one particular lesson, I had students answer a google form called “Discounts and Markups.” Students answered questions about the order of calculating sales tax and tip. I wanted them to determine who benefits from the tip being calculated before sales tax, and the other way around. This did not require any mathematical calculations but had students interacting with the concepts (discounts and markups) in a meaningful way. In another related lesson, I had students answer a google form called “Business Tricks.” This was a similar format to the previous form and had students think about why a business would mark up an item, before applying a discount.
This relates to Standard 5 because I was connecting concepts to engage learners in critical thinking and creativity related to local and global issues. I had students thinking about how the mathematics they were doing matters and how it could impact various people, including customers and business people. For example, in “Discounts and Markups Responses,” I asked students “Who benefits from sales tax being calculated before tip? Why is that?” In C17, the student response, “the customer, because they pay less money,” shows that students were assuming a stance in a financial situation. I chose to have students answer these questions in a Google form because I could automatically see their responses and it was easier for them to just type their response and submit online instead of writing it on a piece of paper. This evidence shows that I can use a variety of media communication tools to enrich learning opportunities. In addition, I had students complete the first Google form in class so that I could give them more specific instruction and allow them to ask questions about what I was expecting from their responses. This shows that I model effective communication strategies in conveying ideas and information. This also shows that I solicit comments and other contributions from students throughout lessons and provide students support for their expression in writing and other media. This evidence is important to me because in this activity I was showing students how the mathematics in our lessons related to their own lives. I had many students get really excited when they saw the connection and understood how they could apply this unit. Later in this unit, I was able to reference student responses in both Google forms to help students see how a situation could be viewed as both positive and negative, depending on which perspective you had. The students did a great job of thinking about who was benefiting in each situation and how it related to them. |
Evidence 3. Ms. Pac-Man ChallengeIn the following lesson, I had students applying their knowledge of translations and reflections. In previous lessons, I had planned to use videos of Ms. Pac-Man to discuss what it means to translate or reflect an image. In this lesson, students were given the Ms. Pac-Man board and were challenged to earn as many points as possible with 20 transformations. Students could earn points by having Ms. Pac-Man collect items around the board. This lesson was set up for two class periods. Between class periods, I was going to review students’ progress and provide comments on their work.
This relates to Standard 5 because I was using a relatable game to connect to the mathematical concepts. Although it is an older game, many students still have played it before and there was no requirement for students to understand the game before class to successfully complete the assignment. At the beginning of the lesson, I had students watch a video of Ms. Pac-Man moving throughout the game board with only translations and reflections. I had them describe her movements using the vocabulary they had learned previously that week. This shows that I use precise language, correct vocabulary and grammar, and acceptable forms of oral expression in class for both myself and my students. Also, I solicit comments, questions, and other contributions from students throughout lessons. This lesson encouraged students' critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem-solving. There was no single correct solution to this problem. Students could choose any order of transformations to move Ms. Pac-Man around the board. They were also encouraged to share their strategies with one another. Slide 6 in “Ms. Pac-Man Challenge Assignment” provides students with a few guided questions to answer with a partner. For example, “Do they agree with your score?” encourages students to review each other’s work and make sure their transformations are accurate. I also provided students with printed out game boards and Ms. Pac-Mans on paper that they could move around. This shows that I provide support for student expression in other media. In between class periods, I had planned on reviewing student work and providing feedback. Students would be recording their transformations in a Google slides presentation that I could access through Google classroom. This shows that I respond positively to student questions both in and out of the classroom. The Google slides also had the instructions for the assignment and specifics on how they could earn points in the game. This shows that I give directions that are clear and reasonable and contain an appropriate level of detail. This evidence is important to me because I was really proud of the connections I made throughout this entire week’s lessons. Students started the week by watching a video of Ms. Pac-Man just making translations and then we progressed to including reflections as well. I did not get to actually implement this lesson before the schools closed, but I was really excited about it. I was confident that if I could have implemented this lesson that it would have encouraged active engagement and collaborative problem solving among the students. Also, as you can see from these three pieces of evidence, in which I exemplify very different types of teaching strategies, I understand how to use differing perspectives. |