Course Reflection Jean Paul 2
Course Reflection Jean Paul 2
Disability
1. Develop a 3-5 lesson segment based on a students present level of performance and
interests, supported with research based teaching strategies and aligned with IEP goals and
Common Core State Standards.
2. Evaluate, reflect upon and provide commentary regarding a teaching vignette to assess
effectiveness of the lesson and how the lesson impacts student learning and management of
student behaviors.
3. Describe how using evidence from instructional experiences will be utilized to examine
and change teaching practices to support student learning and behavior management in the
future.
4. Compare and contrast Educator Effectiveness, edTPA and National Board Certification
requirements.
WTS 7 The teacher organizes and plans systematic instruction based upon knowledge of
subject matter, pupils, the community and curriculum goals.
WTS 8 The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to
evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social and physical development of the
pupil.
WTS 9 The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effect of his or
her choices and actions on pupils, parents, professionals in the learning community and
other and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
608 Portfolio Assignment #6: Course/Program Reflection
Complete a final reflection specific to your individual development/learning
through your course/program. Describe how you will apply what you learned to
future teaching and learning experiences including the edTPA, Educator
Effectiveness and/or National Board Certification. Use this opportunity to explain
the rationale behind your choices and analyze what you have learned about your
teaching practice and its impact on your focus learner(s).
Evaluating a course or a program can be a difficult enterprise for the simple reason that you
are being asked to not only look back into what you have learned (or lived) but also
anticipate the outcomes of that experience in your future activities. It would be quiet
impossible for me to keep any objectivity on this report if I do not take a step back into my
origins. I grew up in Senegal (French West Africa) and graduated in the summer of 1992 with
a Masters Degree in English (Victorian literature) and a minor in Spanish. I was offered a
multinational leadership training program scholarship on Environmental Education by the
Milwaukee Metropolitan YMCA in 1994. I reluctantly accepted that scholarship and embarked
on a three-year outdoor environmental education training and teaching program in Williams
Bay, Wisconsin. Upon completion of the program, I started teaching French and Spanish in a
Milwaukee Parental Choice school but ultimately took over the teaching of ELA when the
English teacher left. I have been teaching in Milwaukee for the last fifteen years.
I could not attend any schools or get any job I wanted given my very restricted immigration
status. Though I was known to be an excellent teacher, I knew I was lacking the main tools
that would give me the opportunities to bring real change in the lives of my urban students.
I had the passion and the will to perform but I did not have the required knowledge.
I always believe that I would be a more effective teacher with a good training in Special
Education. The majority of the students I worked with have undergone some types of trauma
that challenges their learning process. Attending 10Sped Norda has given me the guidelines
I needed to set forth the mechanisms towards achieving two core goals: A certification in
Special Education and a Masters Degree in Education.
The Waupaca cohort has first enable me to synthesize the impact of key state and federal
legislation on current special education processes and procedures; identify, define and apply
the academic language used in special education; select assessment tools used for
diagnosis of a disability and interpret data to determine learner strengths and needs;
determine where and how a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and Least
Restrictive Environment (LRE) are applied in the development and implementation of an
Individualized Educational Plan (IEP); evaluate and select strategies to develop positive and
productive human relations and increase conflict resolution skills that will contribute to an
effective special education program.
I have also learned to assess the impact that family, poverty, culture and nutrition have on child development;
examine key issues concerning the effects and implications of prejudice on Native American students and
demonstrate the knowledge of community-based resources including resources for minority populations and
describe how those resources can be utilized to support and engage the school age child with disabilities; effectively
use and adapt instructional techniques based on knowledge of the subject matter as well as the individual to
appropriately address diverse learning and behavioral needs; employ strategies to incorporate phonics skills in the
reading development process; implement conservation of natural resources in the educational setting; establish
positive and productive partnerships with valued stakeholders in support of individual learning.
I have finally learned to write a 3-5 lesson segment based on a students present level of performance and interests,
supported with research based teaching strategies and aligned with IEP goals and Common Core State Standards;
evaluate, reflect upon and provide commentary regarding a teaching vignette to assess effectiveness of the lesson
and how the lesson impacts student learning and management of student behaviors; describe how using evidence
from instructional experiences will be utilized to examine and change teaching practices to support student learning
and behavior management in the future; compare and contrast Educator Effectiveness, edTPA and National Board
Certification requirements.
The course just completed reinforces my classroom practices and gave me the tools I was lacking in lesson planning,
instructional strategies, assessment, classroom management. The focus on special education will allow me to give
access to learning to all students regardless of any factor that might be hindering their ability to learn. In addition,
the program prepares me to take the edTPA by teaching me how to effectively write a planning, instructional, and
assessment commentary. It provided me information and practices to maximize my success level in any of the
requirements from teacher Effectiveness to the National Board of Certification. Each section of the program
addresses key areas and aspects of teaching and learning. I cannot think of any aspects of teaching that has not been
addressed throughout the course. I now possess important tools to empower my students with a knowledge that can
be relevant to their lives. I am also planning to use the strategies learned to assess their knowledge and make
modifications to improve my teaching and their learning.
The program has had a great effect on the way I plan lessons, instruct and assess my students including my focus
learner. I have gone through a lot of frustrating changes and modifications but I can say that I feel comfortable
performing my duties now that I have a working plan (though in progress). I have received positive feedbacks from
multiple district walkthroughs. The focus learner comes to me asking for accommodations. She has developed a
hunger for learning and discipline has gone way down. We have built an environment where we can collaboratively
engage in learning. I now can objectively and willingly critique myself and accept critique from professionals
offering their supports. I understand that teaching goes through dynamic cycles that requires constant attention.
I am thankful to 10Sped Norda for allowing me to explore my limits and extend my potentials. I command the
program for developing an instructional format conducive to learning and growth in an environment of mutual
respect and support. I will always be grateful to Al Lindau, Kurt Lindau and Molly Roeske for giving me the
opportunity to become a good teacher. I am grateful for their knowledge, their professionalism and their humanism.
I strongly believe that this course will be a catalyst for a lifelong adventure in educationand life.
EDWN 608:
Central Focus for the Learning Segment: The Elements of Fiction (Plot, Setting, Theme)
Content Standards:
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course
of the text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Students have already practiced identifying theme, plot, setting in Response to Intervention (RTI) daily
activities and have also practiced writing coherent paragraphs in their daily journals.
Instructional Strategies:
To begin, share with the whole classroom the Learning Intentions and the goals for the lesson,
ask the essential question and discuss the big ides with the class. Next, activate their prior
knowledge to capture their attention.
Teacher-guided small group instructional stations: Theme-Plot-Setting-Vocabulary
Teacher brings the whole class and have groups share what they learned, reflect, summarize and
preview.
Learning Tasks:
Informal Assessment:
Formal Assessment:
For Primary Learning Target (Academic Literacy or Numeracy): Students are successful when:
For Secondary Learning Target (Communication Skills): Students are successful when:
They can comfortably work in groups with their peers to achieve learning.
They can effectively participate in classroom discussion to demonstrate understanding of the skill.
Howard Gardners Multiple Intelligence theory fits this lesson as students are encouraged to use
their different intelligence to access the story.
Formal cooperative learning is structured, facilitated, and monitored by the educator over time
and is used to achieve group goals in task work
Story analysis starts in earlier grades. Research demonstrates that at this age level, students are
able to tackle complex ideas and expand over the topic to show maturity.
The essence of a group is the interdependence among members. Group members are made
interdependent through common goals. As members perceive their common goals, a state of tension
arises that motivates movement toward the accomplishment of the goals.
He also believes that working in groups builds social skills and confidence.
Content Standards:
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course
of the text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Instructional Strategies:
To begin, share with the whole classroom the Learning Intentions and the goals for the lesson,
What is Point of view and why is it important to know a writers story perspective? Next, activate
their prior knowledge to capture their attention.
Classroom reads the story.
Students work in their assigned groups on a specific task.
Groups share their work.
Lesson ends with a wrap up and a short formative evaluation.
Learning Tasks:
Students are challenged to a different task for each of the three stations.
Students are asked to rewrite the same story from a different point of view perspective.
Students can pick one journal prompt from the week a rewrite from a different point of view
perspective.
Lesson Timeline:
Whole: 3 minutes to introduce big idea and give directions to complete the task.
Small: 10 minutes for each group to discuss and complete assignments
Whole: 10 minutes for group presentation and lesson wrap-up.
Teacher will provide simple and clear directions for the task.
Assist groups and challenged students by asking questions.
Provide special education one-on-one within the inclusive classroom.
Provide graphic organizer
Reduce complexity of the reading material with the glossary of difficult words form the text.
Informal Assessment:
Formal Assessment:
Evaluation Criteria:
Students can incorporate the use of computers in their station through blended learning. This technique
frees the teacher allowing him or her to support needy students. Linda Harasim has in fact developed
what is now called the Online Collaborative Learning Theory. It allows student to work collaboratively
with the help of computers while the teacher becomes a facilitator.
Lev Vygotsky (1962), a Russian teacher and psychologist, first stated that we learn through our
interactions and communications with others. Consequently, teachers can create a learning environment
that maximizes the learner's ability to interact with each other through discussion, collaboration, and
feedback.
Spend more instructional time in helping students develop methods of identifying types of point of
view.
Provide more writing practice targeting the skill taught.
Encourage reading since it gives ample opportunity to discover types of writers narrative
perspectives.
Central Focus for the Learning Segment: Characterization (Direct and Indirect characters)
Content Standards:
Analyze how complex characters develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters,
and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course
of the text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Chromebook
Reading Strategies and Literary Elements/ Glencoe Literature, Course 3
Literature (Prentice Hall)
Posters (Large paper for group work)
Smartboard
Instructional Strategies:
Ask students to define a character in a story and ask them what character traits are.
Explain, with examples, direct and indirect characterization.
Allow students the explore the selection by reading it and sharing the main idea.
In four groups, have student define, identify, and analyze direct and indirect characterization.
Bring students together to present and discuss their work on a poster.
Assess students by having them complete a character trait graphic organizer and write a one-
paragraph character analysis.
Learning Tasks:
Group 1: Defines direct characterization, identify it from the selection and provides real life
connections to the concept.
Group 2: Defines direct characterization, identify it from the selection and provides real life
connections to the concept.
Group 3: Identifies challenged words and define them by using context clues.
Group 4: Identifies four major character traits and uses the graphic organizer to
Lesson Timeline: What is the length of the class period? How is the lesson divided? (Give specific
agenda/timelines for the components of this lesson.)
Launch: 3 minutes
Students exploration or group work:10 minutes.
Application or assessment: 10 minutes
Selection will be read three times to allow focus learner /or struggling students to understand the
story.
Provide glossary to maximize understanding of the story.
Ensure that special education teacher and assistant-teacher provide additional support during
group work.
More time will be given for completion of task.
Informal Assessment:
Formal Assessment:
Evaluation Criteria:
They can identify direct and indirect characterization from the text.
They can complete a character trait graphic organizer.
Etienne Wenger believes that:(1) human beings are social creatures and social learning strategies should
be utilized when teaching, (2) knowledge is demonstrated through competence, (3) learning is a matter of
participating and active engagement with the world, and (4) learning produces meaning and makes
engagement with the world meaningful.