Needs Assessment

Question 1: What Do You Know?

               As I begin the lesson on the life cycle of a pumpkin, I do not know if the students have any knowledge about a pumpkin’s life cycle.  I do know the students have a basic understand of pumpkin which includes the pumpkin being used during Halloween for Jack-O-Lanterns or decorations for the holiday.  However, I know most of the students understand pumpkins are a form of food which they can eat in a number of different ways.  While some students may have an idea of where pumpkins come from, many will not understand how they grow.

Question 2: What Do You Want To Know?

               After listening to the story Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson, I would like the students to have a basic understanding of the life cycle of a pumpkin.  Based on the information gained from Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson and addition books provided, I would like the students to make a few simple assumptions about how a pumpkin will grow and decompose within its life cycle.  As the students watch their pumpkins grow and decay, I want them to develop a more defined idea of the life cycle of a pumpkin from beginning to end and back to the beginning.

Question 3: What Are Your Trying To Measure, Determine, or Define?

The learning objectives I want to measure, determine, and/or define with this lesson plan include:

1.      The students will be able to describe the life cycle of a pumpkin.

2.      The students will be able to describe how a pumpkin grows.

3.      The students will be able to describe how a pumpkin decays.

4.      The students will be able to identify the difference between the growth of a pumpkin and the decay of a pumpkin.

“A learning objective is the specific knowledge that a learner has to acquire about a concept or skill and the tasks to be performed” (Alonso, López, Manrique, & Viñes, 2008, p. 392).  Each of the learning objectives will be defined in order to deal with a specific piece of knowledge.  A learning objective should contain “educational contents, a ‘good problem’ for group problem solving that covers the concepts described in the educational contents, and evaluation exercises to evaluate the knowledge acquired by the learner” (Alonso, López, Manrique, & Viñes, 2008, p. 392).

               While each learning objective should detail what the learner will learn, if the learning objectives are not clear, it can be overwhelming for the students.  “Consider the additional cognitive demands confronting ELLs, who must tackle academic language and translate between their native language and English” (Fisher & Frey, 2016, p. 84).  Understanding the purpose of the lesson and the activities within is a must for all students in order for them to comprehend the material, content, and participate in social interactions.

Question 4: How Will You Collect and Record Information?

               Each student will receive the Student Observation Journals to record the results of the life cycle of a pumpkin.  The students will be able to include pictures, drawings, and descriptions of each stage of the pumpkin as it both grows and decomposes.  In addition, the students will be able to use other books, websites, and videos to document what they believe will happen with their pumpkin.  Once they have documented the purposed finding, using the different resources, they will be able to compare those purposed finding to the real time results.  The students could even cite the different sources within their journals.

Question 5: How Will You Report The Information You Collect?

The teacher will collect the student’s personal Student Observation Journals in each student’s portfolio.   In using the portfolios, “the students collect more than a diverse body of finished work.  In fact, they gather what we have come to call biographies of works, a range of works, and reflections” (Wolf, 1989, p. 37).  Since the students will be completing an observation journal with both pictures and words, the teacher will be able to see how the student illustrates the pumpkin’s growth, as well as how they detail the growth progress.  The students will be assessed on how well they documented the life cycle of the pumpkin from drawing to pictures to descriptive words.  In addition, the student’s will be assessed on how well they participated in the different discussions and reading sessions.

Question 6: Are All Interested Groups Included in Planning and Conducting the Needs Assessment?

               The teacher will again include the classroom staff in developing the appropriate activities in order to complete the assignment.  The teacher will consult the para-educators, special education and resource teachers, ELL and ELA teachers, and any extend staff within the classroom.  They will be asked to help develop of the lesson plan to ensure all materials and each activity is appropriate for all students within the classroom.  As the students complete their work and observations, the staff members will observe the students activities to be discussed with the different staff members within the classroom setting.

In addition, each member from the para-educator to extend staff will include comments about their observations of the students within each student’s mini-portfolio and class portfolio.  By including the special education and resource teachers, the ELL and ELA teachers, and pare-educators in the observations, each member will be able to their observations and suggestions for improvement within the portfolio.  Since the teacher will have to split his/her time among a large group of students, the addition support would ensure all students are being considered and observed at all times.  In addition, the extend staff will be able to ensure the work is not too easy or complicated for those with special needs from language to physical barriers.

References

Alonso, F., López, G., Manrique, D., & Viñes, J. M. (2008). Learning objects, learning objectives and                learning design. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 45(4), 389-400.                doi:10.1080/14703290802377265

Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2016). Setting clear learning purposes for ELLs make the classroom friendlier by                clarifying your objectives. Educational Leadership, 73(5), 84-85. Retrieved from                http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=58696b00-   4226-4a4b-a3fe-804e456a308f%40sessionmgr105&vid=9&hid=121

Wolf, D. P. (1989). Portfolio assessment: Sampling student work. Educational Leadership, 46(7), 35-39.                Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED332166.pdf#page=363

My Typical Topic Format

Instruction Tab:

Students observe the growth and decomposition of a pumpkin as they learning about and how to grow a pumpkin.  Students will learn about the life cycle of pumpkins from nonfiction books as they practice early reading skills through shared reading. 

Use the Background, Policy, and Resources sections to research pumpkins and their life cycles from beginning to end.

Use the Decide tab when you are ready to record your finding regarding the life cycles of pumpkins.

Background Tab:

Students will read Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson to learn about how a pumpkin patch grows and changes from seeds to plants to pumpkins then back to seeds.

Policy Tab:

The students will listen to the book Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson read to the class.  The students will plant a sprouted pumpkin plant and watch as the pumpkin plant grows.  As the students observe the plant’s growth, they will record their finds in their personal Student Observation Journals.  The students will record using pictures and/or words to describe what they see occurring with the pumpkin from beginning to end.

Resource Tab:

Here are some additional books and resources about pumpkins and their life cycle to help research for the activity.

From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer

Picking Apples and Pumpkins by Richard Hutchings and Amy Hutchings

Pumpkins by Jacqueline Farmer

The Pumpkin Patch by Margaret McNamara

Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington

Kiddie Gardens at http://www.kiddiegardens.com/growing_pumpkins.html is a website which shows children how to grow gardens.

How to grow pumpkins at http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=40627&CategoryID=9483 is a video that shows how to grow a pumpkin.

From Seed to Pumpkin at http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Category.aspx?CategoryID=9483 is a video that shows one how to grow a pumpkin starting with a seed.

Decide Tab:

1.      What did you think would happen to the plant as it grew?

2.      What actually happened to the plant as it grew?

3.      Did you know there were different genders of pumpkin plants?

4.      What is the different between a male and female pumpkin flower?

5.      How long did you think it would take the plant to grow from a sprout to a pumpkin?

6.      How long did it take for the plant to grow from a sprout to a pumpkin?

7.      How long did you think it would take for the pumpkin section to decay?

8.      How long did it take for the pumpkin section to decay?

 



My Topic Activity

Lesson 1: Observing the Life Cycle of Pumpkins

Overview

Students observe growth and decomposition while learning about and growing pumpkins.  This unit is tied to both literacy and math lessons during the pumpkin season. It provides a great opportunity to bring nonfiction literature to the read-aloud time and introduce your students to facts about the world around them.  Students will learn about the life cycle of pumpkins from nonfiction books and will practice early reading skills in a shared reading related to the unit.

Objective

Students will:

1. Learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin.

2. Observe growth and decomposition.

3. Learn where food comes from.

4. Practice early reading skills through a shared reading.

Materials:

•Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson, and other books that you've used to teach life cycles

•Chart paper for recording student observations during the read-aloud

•Pots, soil

•Pumpkin seeds

•One large piece of a pumpkin

•Jar

•Student Observation Journals (PDF)

•Five Little Pumpkins by Iris Van Rynbach

•Pocket chart for shared reading

•Sentence strips

Set Up and Prepare:

1. Print student journals, one per student.

2. Make sentence strips with the text from Five Little Pumpkins and mount it in the pocket chart for the shared reading (as shown in the photo above).

Directions:

Part I: Nonfiction Reading

Step 1: Ask students questions about where pumpkins (and other foods) come from. Then tell students you will read Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden to help us learn about where pumpkins come from and how they grow.

Step 2: Read Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden aloud to the class. Stop to discuss what students notice and learn about pumpkin growth. As students recount the story, chart the sequence of the pumpkins' growth.

Step 3: To grow your students' understanding, follow up this reading with other books that teach life cycles and plant growth.

Part II: Planting Pumpkins

Step 4: Review with students what they learned about a pumpkin's growth and tell them they’ll get to grow a pumpkin plant in class. Then give each student a pot, some potting soil, and several seeds to plant.

Step 5: Show the students how to dig a hole in the soil and plant their seeds. Guide them when watering their seeds. You’ll need to water the pots and put them in the sun daily.

Part III: Observing Growth and Decay

Note: You may want to start this part when the seeds are just starting to sprout.

Step 6: Discuss with students what they do at home with old fruits and vegetables. What did they learn in Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden about pumpkins that get old and mushy? (Introduce the words "decay" and "decompose.") Ask them: Have they ever seen fruit that is starting to decay, or get old and yucky?

Step 7: Tell students that you will watch a pumpkin grow, from the beginning to the end of the pumpkin life cycle. Tell them they will watch their potted pumpkins sprout and grow, then show students the piece of fully-grown pumpkin and tell them that we’re going to keep it in a jar (so it won’t smell) and watch the pumpkin grow old and decay.

Step 8: Pass out the Student Observation Journals (PDF). Tell students to record (with pictures or words) what they see as they take care of their seeds and watch the piece of pumpkin decompose. Look for ways to connect the students’ observations to books you are reading and things they are learning. Students will take their plants home after they have grown to a predetermined height.

Part IV: Shared Reading

Step 9: Shared readings are a non-threatening environment for early readers to practice tracking, fluency, phrasing, and sight words. The story Five Little Pumpkins by Iris Van Rynbach is a great book to use as a shared reading with this unit. (As the students become familiar with the text, I use it for skill-based mini-lessons — see below for an example.) Take out the pocket chart with sentence strips that you prepared for the Five Little Pumpkins.

Step 10: Read the Five Little Pumpkins poem from the sentence strips. While reading, point to the words with a long pointer.

Step 11: Once the students are comfortable with the poem, let volunteers lead the reading with the pointer. Optional: Have the students make pumpkin puppets and act out the poem as you read it together.

Reproducible Worksheets

Student Observation Journals

 

Supporting All Learners:

Encourage students who don’t normally raise their hand during discussions. Give them the opportunity to read the poem to you or the class -- as long as they feel comfortable doing so. Allow sufficient wait time for students to gather their thoughts and formulate their answers. Some students will be encouraged to read the pocket charts when the pointers are a different shape, size, or perhaps something fun like a large hand.

Lesson Extensions:

Take students to see a real pumpkin patch with a field trip.

Home Connection:

Have parents talk with their children about the food they buy at the grocery store.  Where does that food come from? How does it grow? Perhaps they can find smaller and larger pumpkins at the store.

Assignments:

Students will participate in a shared reading of a poem, and discuss the stages of a pumpkin’s growth.

Evaluation:

1. Are the students incorporating things learned from the read-aloud into their thinking?

2. Were they interested in the topic?

3. Did they go to the pocket charts on their own time and read them?

4. Do you see the reading skills practiced during shared reading when students are reading independently?

Assess Students:

1. Did students participate in discussions?

2. Do students participate in the shared reading?

Reference

Tankey, J. (n.d.). Observing the Life Cycle of Pumpkins. Retrieved from                http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/observing-life-cycle-pump

My Topic Activity

Over the last week, the class has participated in Halloween themed lessons focusing on a number of different subjects from math to reading to art.  Today, I have included the lesson focusing on the area of science.  Since growing a pumpkin can take several months, the students will need to start with a seeds already sprouting at the start of the school year in order to complete this lesson within the right time frame.  Using a topic, like pumpkins, will allow specific learning objectives to be covered within the lesson.

               Topics allow the learners to focus on one specific learning objective and fully complete the one learning objective.  “A topic is the lowest-level learning object in a course or other knowledge product.  It is the building block of instruction that accomplishes a single learning objective” (Horton, 2012, p. 285).  As students participate in a topics lesson, they will complete an Absorb, Do, and Connect activities.  In addition, students are often assessed through a test which evaluates the execution of the learning objective.

               Topics have been identified as learning objectives, but what are learning objectives?  “Learning objectives state the observable and measurable behaviours that learners should exhibit as a result of participating in a learning programme” (Swanwick & McKimm, 2010, p. 17).  Learning objectives can also be referred to as instructional objectives.  When learning or instructional objectives are explicit in their description, the learner has a better chance to produce a greater performance outcome while mastering the objective.  In other words, “it is essential that they be written in a manner that makes their meaning clear to the students, parents and educators” (Williams, 2004, p. 4).

               While learning or instructional objectives are vital components in educational planning, there has been a move from the education process to the material being taught and the learning outcome.  “The question arises as to whether the concept of ‘learning or instructional objectives’ is different from the concept of ‘learning outcomes’.  According to Melton (1997) ‘the term “learning outcome” is simply an alternative name for “objective” (Harden, 2002, p. 151). 

While learning outcome may simply be an alternative name for learning objectives, there are a few difference between the two terms.  Learning objectives have a more detailed specification compared to learning outcomes broad statements describing the outcome.  Another difference between the two is where the emphasis on the learning is applied.  When using learning objectives, the emphasis of learning is placed on the details of each objective.  However, in learning outcomes, the details are less specific with a focus on the overall framework.

Since learning or instructional objectives allow the learner to focus on one specific learning objective, the topic lesson plan will have the students focusing on the life cycle of pumpkins.  For my topic activity, I will use a typical topic format to develop the research, analysis, and results of the lesson.  The format will provide the students with an Instruction tab, a Background tab, a Policy tab, a Resources tab, and the Decision tab.

The Instruction tab will tell the students about the activity while providing directions on how to complete the activity.  The Background tab will supply the students with details about the activity including possible alternatives if available and resources.  “The police tab reveals the most important constraints on a solution, namely regulations that govern the situation described in the Background” (Horton, 2012, p. 287).  The Resources tab offers the students a list of links to websites and documents regarding the activity.  In the Decide tab, the students will choose or state the results.

References

Harden, R. (2002). Learning outcomes and instructional objectives: is there a difference? Medical                Teacher, 24(2), 151-155. doi:10.1080/0142159022020687

Horton, W. (2012). E-Learning by design (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

Swanwick, T., & McKimm, J. (2010). Clinical Teaching Made Easy: A Practical Guide to Teaching and                Learning in Clinical Settings. London: Quay Books.

Williams, W. (2004, January). Instructional goals and objectives: Learning activities. Retrieved from                                 http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/tripscy/archivepdf/Inst_Goals_and_Objectives_Lrning_Actites.pdf

Needs Assessment

Question 1: What Do You Know?

For the Connect-type activity, my 2^nd grade students will need to reflect on past lessons of multiplication to complete the worksheets in the activity provided.  The students should have:

·       an understanding of the simple multiplication concepts

·       a concrete understanding of the multiplication process

·       an understanding of the multiplication fact families

·       the ability to multiply one-digit whole numbers by one-digit whole numbers

·       the ability to multiply by tens

·       the ability to multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of 10

·       the ability to multiply two-digit numbers by one-digit numbers without regrouping or using drawings

·       the ability to group number by ones and tens

Question 2: What Do You Want To Know?

            After the students have completed the scavenger hunt and worksheet activity, I would like to see all the students can demonstrate a clear understanding of multiplying by one-digit and two-digit numbers.  “Some things to remember: 1) If children cannot model a particular type of problem and solve problems of that type by counting, then they don't know what problems of that type mean.  2) The reason to memorize so-called "facts" (like 3x4 = 12) is to allow simple word problems to be solved quickly, without models and without counting” (Madell & Madell, 2011, p. 47).  The students should be able to use the memorized fact families to figure out the simple word problems provided on the worksheet during the scavenger hunt activity.

Question 3: What Are Your Trying To Measure, Determine, or Define?

            With the worksheet activity in conjunction with the scavenger hunt, I am trying to determine if my students have a concrete understanding of the principles of multiplication.  “Optimal conditions for learning are created by inspiring children’s active exploration rather than having children adopt a passive role.  Setting a playful and positive tone may be especially important for the learning of mathematics, as children vary widely in their attitudes towards the subject” (Zosh, Hassinger-Das, Toub, Hirsh-Pasek, & Golinkoff, 2016, p. 46).  In using the worksheet work during a scavenger hunt, I am creating a playful environment for my students in hopes of increasing learning results.  The worksheet will measure students’ ability to:

·       understand the simple multiplication concepts

·       show a concrete understanding of the multiplication process

·       an understanding of the multiplication fact families

·       multiply one-digit whole numbers by one-digit whole numbers

·       multiply by tens

·       multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of 10

·       multiply two-digit numbers by one-digit numbers without regrouping or using drawings

·       group number by ones and tens

Question 4: How Will You Collect and Record Information?

            The students will receive a worksheet where they will complete all the multiplication problems while showing all their work.  The students will have the choice to work in a two person group or as individuals during the scavenger hunt.  They will move about the classroom looking for the clues to answer the multiplication problems.  There are a total of 12 problems for the students to solve. 

At the end of the activity, the students will turn the worksheet into the teacher for grading.  The worksheets will be graded on based on the completion of the worksheet and the accuracy of the math problems.  Each problem will count 9 points with a bonus of 4 points if you work as an individual or do not need any prompting for another student or class aid.  In addition, one of the class aids will be observing the students as they move about the room completing the worksheet to see if they needed help or could complete the work on their own. 

Question 5: How Will You Report The Information You Collect?

For the purpose of reporting the information collected from this activity, I will continue to use portfolios to show the students work and progress.  “Use of assessment data has become a part of school culture in the United States and, when used properly, assessments can provide valuable information” (Cruz & Zambo, 2013, p. 40).  Once the worksheet has been graded, it will be added to the student’s portfolio for review by student, parents and teacher.  “Portfolios allow students to gather evidence of their learning, see changes in their learning, and talk intelligently about their progress and needs.  Instead of learning and work being separated, a visual and verbal means to conjoin the two is created in a portfolio” (Cruz & Zambo, 2013, p. 41).

Question 6: Are All Interested Groups Included in Planning and Conducting the Needs Assessment?

For this assignment, all teaching staff including para-educators, special education, resource teachers, ELL and ELA teachers, and extend staff will be involved in develop appropriate ideas for creating the assignment.  Each member will be consulted in regards to grading of material and choosing assignments for the portfolios.  In regards to the portfolios, each member will select different pieces of work to be included in both the mini and original portfolio.  By including the special education and resource teachers, the ELL and ELA teachers, and para-educators, the teacher will be able to include any missed observations caught by the extend staff.  The extend staff will be able to ensure the work is appropriate for the students preventing the work from being too easy or complicated for those with special needs from language to physical barriers.

References

Cruz, H. L., & Zambo, D. (2013). Student data portfolios give students the power to see their own learning. Middle School Journal, 44(5), 40-47. doi:10.1080/00940771.2013.11461871

Madell, R., & Madell, J. R. (2011). Learning the language of elementary arithmetic. Multiplication. Volta Voices, 18(3), 46-47. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=406e3561-9815-4b24-9af8-dec1ace331c8%40sessionmgr106&vid=15&hid=113

Zosh, J. M., Hassinger-Das, B., Toub, T. S., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. (2016). Playing with mathematics: How play supports learning and the common core state standards. Journal of Mathematics Education at Teachers College, 7(1), 45-49.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Connect-type Activity

A connect-type activity can help learners bridge the gap between the learning process and the learners life.  These types of activities help the learner apply their knowledge they know with what they are currently learning in the classroom.  “They do not so much add new knowledge and skills as tie together previously learned skills and knowledge” (Horton, 2012, p. 163). 

            There are six different connect-type activities which include ponder activities, questioning activities, stories by learners, job aids, research activities, and original work.  “Ponder activities require learner to think deeply and broadly about what they are learning” (Horton, 2012, p. 165).  Questioning activities allow the learner to resolve any confusion while filling in the gaps through the process of asking questions.  During stories by learners, the learner is required to tell a story from their own life referencing the subject being taught in class.  “Job aids are tool that help the learners apply learning to the real-world tasks” (Horton, 2012, p. 163).

            Through research activities, the learner discovers and then uses sources to provide information regarding a subject.  During original work activities, the learner will perform genuine work regarding the subject being taught.  Once the learner has completed the work, they will submit the work for evaluation.  For my connect-type activity, the students will be completing an original work activity.  Once the work has been completed, the students will turn the work into the teacher for evaluation.

 

 

 

Directions for the Halloween Scavenger Hunt Multiplication: This scavenger hunt gives Halloween based multiplication problems for students to complete.

Step 1: Print the Halloween Scavenger Hunt cards on brightly-colored paper and cut them apart along the dotted lines.

Step 2: Make enough copies of the Halloween Scavenger Hunt questions worksheet for each student to receive a copy.

Step 3: Place the Halloween Scavenger Hunt cards around the classroom where students will still be able to find them, but not so obvious there is little challenge to finding the clues.  For example, the card could be put on chairs, on the computer keyboard, on the back of the classroom door, on the sides of student desks, on the chalkboard, or wherever you like.

Step 4: Have the students search the room to find all of the sentence cards to get the answers the questions. Allow the students the chance to work alone or with a classmate.

·       The students can rotate out during math time to complete the scavenger hunt.  If you have students needing extra support, they can be paired with a partner for this activity without losing any points.

 

 

Reference

Horton, W. (2012). E-Learning by design (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Needs Assessment

Question 1: What Do You Know?

               In order to ensure the students are learning the material being presented, the teacher needs to know what they have prior knowledge of before starting the new lesson.  “A “need” is a discrepancy or gap between “what is” and “what should be” (Office of Migrant Education, 2001, p. 2).  In the case of my students, they should have the basic knowledge referencing writing and illustrating stories.  In addition, the students should have an understanding of the five W’s in writing to complete the assignment.  The purpose of this question “is to investigate what is already known about the needs of the target group; to determine the focus and scope of the needs assessment; and to gain commitment for all stages of the assessment; including the use of the findings for program planning and implementation” (Office of Migrant Education, 2001, p. 8).

Question 2: What Do You Want To Know?

Since I have a good understand of the students’ prior knowledge, I know need to know what I want the student to learn from the lesson.  After the students have completed this assignment, I want to know if they can name the different sections of a book/story.  I also want to know if they are able to create a story following the process of sequencing discussed in the lesson.  The students should be able to generate, gather, and organize their ideas and/or information together to create their own stories to be shared with the class.  

Question 3: What Are Your Trying To Measure, Determine, or Define?

               The learning objectives I want to measure, determine, and/or define with this lesson plan include:

1.      The students will be able to identify the beginning of a story.

2.      The students will be able to identify the middle of a story.

3.      The students will be able to identify the end of a story.

4.      The students will be able to differentiate between the different sections (beginning, middle, and end) of a story/book.

5.      The students will state the parts of the sequence process.

6.      The students will be able to compose parts of a story together to create a book.

“The focus should be on assessment as a part of the teaching/learning process rather than something removed for accountability” (Wehlburg, 2013, p. 15).  In other words, during this process, the teacher wants to make sure the information has be absorbed or learned. 

While the teacher needs the student to take accountability for the gained knowledge, the focus during this state is not accountability.  The purpose of this question “is to document the status, the “what is” of the concerns/issues, to compare the status with the vision of “what should be,” and to determine the magnitude of the needs and their causes.  The major output from this phase is a set of needs statements in tentative order of priority, based on the criticality of the need, and its causes” (Office of Migrant Education, 2001, p. 13).

Question 4: How Will You Collect and Record Information?

               The teacher will use Explicit Instruction/Teacher Modeling to help the students determine the sequence of events from the beginning to the middle to the end of the book When A Monster Is Born.  The teacher will have the students tell him/her the order of events within the book and place those answers on the board/storyboard.  In addition to the Explicit Instruction/Teacher Modeling, the teacher will use Guided Practice/Interactive Modeling to allow the students to complete the Sequencing Your Day worksheet to practice sequencing their daily routine.

 

 

In the final steps of collecting and recording information, the teacher will have the student divide into small groups to create their own Halloween story.  The students will use index cards to help them illustrate their stories, from the beginning to the end, as they finish creating the storyline.  After the students have developed their stories, they will go to the website, Storybird, to create, illustrate, and publish the story created in their groups.

Grading Rubic:

Complete and Detailed Sequencing of Story (3 points)	Partial Sequencing of Story (2 points)	Fragmentary Sequencing of Story (1 point)	Incorrect or Omitted Sequencing of Story (0 points)	Prompting to Complete Sequencing of Story
All events were in the correct logical sequence on the worksheet.	Some of the events are in the correct logical sequence on the worksheet.	On a few of the events are in the correct logical sequence on the worksheet.	The student was unable to put the events into a logical sequence.	If a student needs your guidance at each stage of the sequencing process, record a 1.
All events were in the correct logical sequence on the index cards.	Some of the events of the story are in the correct logical sequence on the index cards.	On a few of the events of the story are in the correct logical sequence on the index cards.	The student was unable to put the events into a logical sequence on the index cards.	If student needs “several prompts” to complete sequencing process, record a 2.
All events were in the correct logical sequence within the Storybird story.	Some of the events of the story are in the correct logical sequence within the Storybird story.	On a few of the events of the story are in the correct logical sequence within the Storybird story.	The student was unable to put the events into a logical sequence within the Storybird story.	If little guidance is needed to complete sequencing process, record a 3. Notes
				If no guidance is needed to complete sequencing process, record a 4.

 

Question 5: How Will You Report The Information You Collect?

               As with previous work collected, the teacher will add the worksheet from this lesson to the portfolio created at the beginning of the school year.  “Hands-on activities allow learners to perform tasks with real tools but with guidance.  They teach real tasks and help learners apply theory” (Horton, 2012, p. 131).  Since the students only completed one worksheet, the teacher can add the index cards used to illustrate the story to the portfolio to show the students work progress as they developed the story. 

               While the students will be completing a worksheet, using index cards, and creating a story online, the students will also get a chance to work together with the teacher to sequence the story read during Meeting at the Book Nook.  The class activity will allow the students a chance to practice the skills needed for sequencing without the added stress of being graded on the activity.  “Practice activities are like classroom sessions in which students are encouraged to apply what they have just heard the teacher talk about or what they have just read in a book” (Horton, 2012, p. 130).  During the practice session, the teacher and other staff will be able to observe the students to identify those who are and are not struggling with sequence allowing them to step in to offer help or ask for assistance.

 

Question 6: Are All Interested Groups Included in Planning and Conducting the Needs Assessment?

               Like the previous assignments, the teacher will include all classroom staff in developing appropriate ideas to complete the assignment.  Para-educators, special education and resource teachers, ELL and ELA teachers, and any extend staff within the classroom will be asked to join in the develop of the lesson plan in order to assure the lesson is appropriate for all students within the classroom.  As the teacher develops the grading rubic for the lesson, the different staff members will consult on the acceptable goals needed and required for each student.

In addition, each member from the para-educator to extend staff will select pieces of work to include in both the mini-portfolio and class portfolio for each student.  By including the special education and resource teachers, the ELL and ELA teachers, and pare-educators in the grading parameters, the teacher will be able to include those observations made by the extend staff during class.  Since the teacher will have to split his/her time among a large group of students, the addition support would ensure all students are being considered and observed at all times.  In addition, the extend staff will be able to ensure the work is not too easy or complicated for those with special needs from language to physical barriers.

References

Horton, W. (2012). E-learning by design (2^nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

Office of Migrant Education. (2001). Comprehensive needs assessment. Retrieved from Office of Migrant Education website: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/compneedsassessment.pdf

Wehlburg, C. (2013). “Just right” outcomes assessment: A fable for higher education. Assessment Update, 25(2), 1-16. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=146f763a-a6e9-477e-857b-15ed65097672%40sessionmgr102&vid=5&hid=119