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