ARTIFACT 2 - Lesson Plan Part 3 - Symbolism
The second assignment I chose as an artifact for this class is Lesson Plan Part 3. The lesson plan is from Week 8 and was submitted on November 14, 2023. Lesson Plan Part 1 focused on a comparison and contrast of two short stories. Lesson Plan Part 2 focused on character analysis, and Lesson Plan Part 3, focused on symbolism. I varied the lessons to employ a different type of literary analysis each time, to give the students a broader view of literary devices. The InTASC standard that most closely relates to Lesson Plan Part 3 is Standard #5: Application of Content:
"The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues" (CCSSO, 2013).
The students analyzed short stories by comparing and contrasting, interpreting character analysis and development, and understanding symbolism. Part 3 of the lesson specifically focused on symbolism. The InTASC standard that was used for Lesson Plan Part 3 is Standard #5: Application of Content: “The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues” (CCSSO, 2013). A portion of this standard was followed. The lesson plan focused more on local issues than it did on global issues. However, global issues can be construed in the lesson in the areas of human nature and human development, where people are linked together by human emotions and actions that extend across cultures, such as the human need for love and connectedness. Also, human strengths and weaknesses, desires, faults, and frailties are demonstrated in the short stories that the students analyzed.
Critical thinking was also used to analyze the short stories and to apply interpretation, evaluation, and analysis of story elements. The stories were designed for the students to evaluate moral judgment or issues of right and wrong. Some stories were designed for the students to evaluate prejudice in society such as in "Everything That Rises Must Converge" by Flannery O’Connor.
Explain how the artifact demonstrates achievement of the standard. Specifically explain the connection between the artifact you chose and the standard.
Substandard 5 (m) “The teacher understands critical thinking processes and knows how to help learners develop high level questioning skills to promote their independent learning” (CCSSO, 2013).
The students were encouraged to use critical thinking skills. “Critical thinking is the act of analyzing facts to understand a problem or topic thoroughly. The critical thinking process typically includes steps such as collecting information and data, asking thoughtful questions and analyzing possible solutions” (Herrity, 2023). The students were also instructed in how to use questioning strategies.
This artifact demonstrates achievement of the standard in that the students are given multiple opportunities to demonstrate critical thinking and to practice developing writing and analytical skills.
Critical thinking skills include:
1. Analysis
2. Communication
3. Inference
4. Observation
5. Problem-solving (Herrity, 2023)
Teaching and Learning: Describe how the completion of this artifact affected your understanding of teaching and learning, and/or how it may contribute to your effective teaching/learning in your discipline.
In the process of creating this lesson plan, I have gained a greater understanding of how the elements of a lesson plan work together. I have learned how creating a lesson plan combines standards, objectives, assessments, and outcomes together as a cohesive whole. I have learned the specific uses and benefits of specific assignments and testing methods. For example, to recall, identify, or recognize information, a student might complete a fill-in-the-blank assignment, a matching activity, or a multiple-choice question quiz that requires students to recall or recognize terms, facts, and concepts (Penn State, 2015).
In the future, I will better understand how to use lesson planning more effectively to align specific goals with specific tasks. I will also understand how to create better student outcomes by determining the students’ needs for reassessment, reteaching, or future learning from the results of their tests and assessments.
In creating lesson plan part 3, I realized there are many components that go into a lesson plan such as standards, objectives, goals, and questioning strategies. In addition, formative and summative assessments are required to ensure that the students are on task with learning goals, during the learning process, and at the end of the lesson. The objective is to ensure that the students have met the learning goals and objectives of the lesson. It is good, whenever possible, and preferably always, to provide a rubric, so that the students will have a method of peer and self-assessment as a guide. Lessons should also be differentiated for students’ learning abilities and skills. In addition, a good way to differentiate would be to allow students choice in method, process, or product. Accommodations and modifications should be made for any students who require adjustments due to having an IEP or 504 plan, and adjustments should be made for any other learning disabilities such as autism or physical disabilities such as hearing loss or blindness.
Strengths - Explain how you grew, developed, benefitted or were strengthened by my being involved in the task and how your students would benefit.
I learned to specifically plan and target each area of the lesson to account for ELL and special needs students and gifted and talented students. Also, I learned to differentiate between creating formative and summative assessments to align with specific objectives and goals. Some areas that allowed for student’s choice were journal entries, electronic book creation, and writing assignments. Students had a choice of creating Microsoft Word files, PDF files, a written response project or creating electronic files.
In addition, the students were provided with peer and self-assessments, symbolism and other worksheets, symbolism anticipation guides, exit tickets and a K-W-L chart. Summative assessments for this lesson were a StoryJumper book to be created online or a pictorial representation of symbolism, which highlighted stories and events from the students’ personal lives.
Implications – What are implications for your practice as a teacher and what would you do to achieve effectiveness going forward or to improve in areas where you are not as strong with this standard?
Practice makes perfect and I find that the more I study and practice writing lesson plans and using best practices in my area of English language arts, the better I get at creating lesson plans and being able to line up goals, objectives, assessments, and outcomes in the form of formative and summative assessments. Also, I am better able to select or target deliverables for the students so that they are able to succeed in reaching the specified learning goals and objectives.
References:
Herrity, J. (2023). 5 top critical thinking skills (and how to improve them). Indeed. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/critical-thinking-skills
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards and Learning Progressions for Teachers 1.0. (2013). Council of Chief State School Officers. https://ccsso.org/sites/default/files/2017-12/2013_INTASC_Learning_Progressions_for_Teachers.pdf
Penn State University. (2015). Objectives, assessments, and outcomes. https://sites.psu.edu/objectives/assessing-your-objectives/aligning-assessment-with-objectives/#:~:text=Aligning%20Assessment%20with%20Objectives%201%20Identify%20course%20objectives,Recommend%20actions%20Make%20changes%20Measure%20effectiveness%20of%20changes