missouri pre-service teacher assessment (mopta) · rl.9-10.4: determine the meaning of words and...

Designing Instruction for Student Learning — Task 3

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Missouri Pre-Service Teacher Assessment (MoPTA)

Task Requirements

Standards and Quality Indicators Measured in This Task

The following Missouri Teacher Standards and Quality Indicators represent the focus of this task.

The evidence you submit needs to address and will be scored according to the following.

Standard 1, Quality Indicator 1C2

Standard 2, Quality Indicators 2C3, 2C4, 2C5, and 2C6

Standard 3, Quality Indicators 3C1, 3C2, and 3C3






Task 3: Designing Instruction for Student Learning

In this task, you will demonstrate your ability to develop instruction, including

the use of technology, to facilitate student learning.


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What Do You Have to Do for This Task?

If you are a candidate to teach at the elementary level (at least the four major subjects of mathematics,

English/language arts, social studies, and science), you MUST select Mathematics as your content focus for Task 3.

For this task, you must submit the following evidence.

1. Written Commentary of a maximum of 25,500 characters (approximately eight typed pages) that

responds to all parts of the guiding prompts;

references your artifacts to support your written evidence; and

describes, analyzes, and reflects on the evidence

2. Identification of two Focus Students who reflect different learning needs

3. A maximum of seven artifacts including

representative pages of your lesson plan (a sample template is provided, but candidates may submit a plan of their own) (maximum

of two pages);

a plan for differentiation for Focus Student 1 (maximum of one page);

a plan for differentiation for Focus Student 2 (maximum of one page);

a teacher instructional artifact (maximum of one page);

a work sample from a student other than the two Focus Students (maximum of one page);

a work sample from Focus Student 1 (maximum of one page); and

a work sample from Focus Student 2 (maximum of one page)

How to Submit your Evidence (Refer to the Submission System User Guide for more details.)

Upload your artifacts into your Library of Artifacts

Refer to the artifacts in your Written Commentary

Link to the artifacts within your Written Commentary


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How to Compose your Written Commentary

This task has four steps with guiding prompts to help you provide evidence that supports the rubric. Your response needs to address all parts

of each of the guiding prompts.

Step 1: Planning the Lesson

Step 2: The Focus Students

Step 3: Analyzing the Lesson

Step 4: Reflecting

Please read the entire task before responding to any guiding prompts. Use the textboxes located under the guiding prompts to

compose your responses and link your artifacts.


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Contextual Information This step allows you to provide a picture of your class to give the rater a better understanding of your instruction and decision-making

skills.

Overview

Many factors can affect teaching and learning; these include community, district, and/or individual school/classroom/student factors.

The information you gather about your teaching and learning context and about your individual students will help give a perspective to the rater

who will be scoring your submissions.

This part of your submission will not be scored, but the information you include should reflect implications regarding your instructional

choices.

Your response must be limited to 1,500 characters (approximately one-half typed page). No artifacts can be attached to this Contextual

Information textbox.

a. Describe your classroom. Include the grade level, content area, subject matter, and number of students. Provide relevant information

about any of your students with special needs.

b. Describe any physical, social, behavioral, and developmental factors that may impact the instruction that occurs in your classroom. Mention

any linguistic, cultural, and health considerations that may also impact teaching and learning.

c. Describe any factors related to the school and surrounding community that may impact the teaching and learning that occurs in your

classroom.

Enter your response in the textbox below.

Contextual Information – Type your response below


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a. Our classroom contains 32 student desks, my mentor teacher’s desk, and a table that I have been using for my desk. We have three whiteboards on the walls of the room, as well as a Smart Board and digital projector. I teach American Literature, which is a course for advanced 11th and 12 grade students. I also teach English 1, which contains mostly 9th and 10th grade students. Because my Task 3 response centers around English 1, I will focus on those classes. We have 3 sections of English 1: 2nd, 6th, and 7th hours. These classes have 22, 19, and 24 students respectively. b. Behavior has been a significant issue for these classes. We have several students in each class who either have caused themselves or others in the class to become distracted, disruptive, and/or insubordinate. We do not have any students in any of these classes with IEPs, 504 plans, ELL designation, or any other documented behavioral or learning issues. Raytown High School is racially diverse, which leads to some cultural confusion about expectations for both assignments and behaviors. We have addressed these concerns with our students, and maintain a safe and non-judgmental environment as much as possible. c. Raytown itself tends to be a lower-income city, which affects our students’ learning more so than it might in higher-income areas. Some suffer from malnutrition, have trouble engaging their parents/guardians in the educational community (due to work conflicts, legal issues, etc.), and lack appropriate home environments conducive to learning and academic success. Many students also live with single parents or have other non-traditional family arrangements.


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Step 1: Planning the Lesson This step allows you to demonstrate your knowledge of an effective lesson plan that facilitates student learning.

Textbox 3.1.1: Standards and Learning Goals and Student Background Information

Activity: Planning for Instruction

Develop a lesson plan that you will use for your students in this task. You can use the sample template provided or you can submit a plan of your

own. Then respond to the guiding prompts below.

Guiding Prompts

a. What learning theory/method will guide your planning process? Provide a brief description of the theory/method. How will you make use

of it?

b. What learning goal(s) and standards, both Missouri and national, did you identify for the lesson (provide the number and title of each

standard that you list)? How will they guide the planned learning activities?

c. What is the content focus of the lesson? What related content that the students have previously encountered will support the learning in

this lesson?

d. What are some difficulties students might encounter with the content? How do you plan to address these difficulties?

Enter your response in the textbox below. Link representative pages of your lesson plan (maximum of two pages) from your Library of Artifacts

to the first sentence in your response.

Textbox 3.1.1: Standards and Learning Goals and Student Background Information – Type your response below

a. The planning for this lesson, which can be found here: https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Mopta_lesson_plan_form.pdf?file_id=124005424, was primarily guided by Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. According to Gardner, learners possess and express intelligence through multiple modalities,

https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Mopta_lesson_plan_form.pdf?file_id=124005424


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rather than a single monolithic “intelligence.” While, typically, the theory of multiple intelligences is represented in educational situations by giving students the choice of multiple modes of expression and assessment to show achievement of learning goals, this lesson incorporates the modalities into a single assessment. Because the end product is a written sonnet, the primary mode, according to Gardner’s seven modes of intelligence, is the verbal-linguistic mode. However, it will also incorporate the musical-rhythm mode, as students will write the sonnets using a set meter and rhythm and a fixed rhyme scheme, the intrapersonal and interpersonal modes, as poetry requires close introspection and a keen sense of emotions, and the logical-mathematical mode, as students need to employ logic and mathematics to ensure each of their lines stay within the designated limit of syllables (10 per line).

This lesson will also incorporate scaffolding. Students come in to the lesson with some prior knowledge of literary terms, such as metaphor, simile, imagery, rhyme, theme, tone, and syllables, as well as a baseline of knowledge regarding sonnets, as we have performed in-class close readings of the Act I and II prologues in Romeo and Juliet, which are sonnets, and have watched the TEDx presentation “Hip Hop or Shakespeare?” in which rapper Akala performs Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 as a rap, and briefly discusses some elements of sonnets, such as their meter and rhyme scheme.

b. This lesson incorporates the following Common Core State Standards: RL.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Students will utilize textual evidence to determine the central idea and theme of the sonnet examples we read in class, as well as how they use metaphor, simile, and imagery. RL.9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. Students will need to determine the theme of the sonnets we read, as well as develop an identifiable theme in their own sonnets. RL.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). Students will close read the sonnet examples to determine the tone of each, finding clue words to give an impression of the author’s emotion and attitude toward the subject. W.9-10.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. Students will use what they have learned about sonnets and literary devices to write their own sonnets.


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W.9-10.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Students will write sonnets with a clear theme and coherent internal logic. W.9-10.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. Students will revise their rough drafts based on feedback from their peers.

c. The content focus of this lesson is twofold. First, students will practice creative writing. Creative expression is a hallmark of 21st Century learning, so it’s important to me to give students an avenue to practice and express those skills. Second, students’ prior knowledge of literary devices will be activated as we analyze Shakespeare’s sonnets and as they write their own. They must be able to use that prior knowledge in authentic contexts, and build upon that knowledge to learn more literary devices, such as end and internal rhyme and meter.

d. Students often experience difficulty with creative writing. I plan to encourage them to just do their best and help them along whenever possible. I will give students a list of common sonnet topics, such as love, death, and the passage of time, to give them a starting point, but then will brainstorm with individual students about the topics for their sonnets. I find that students often have the most difficulty with that aspect of writing, so it will be important that students get assistance with finding a topic and determining what they can write about the topic. I will encourage them to use Web resources as they need, and point out to students online dictionaries, thesauruses, and rhyming dictionaries to help them develop their rough drafts. Additionally, students may experience difficulty writing in iambic pentameter. While I think it’s important that they understand meter well enough to be able to write lines of 10 syllables only (especially to incorporate the logical-mathematical mode), I will allow students to forgo writing in iambs, allowing them to write with whatever pattern of stress feels comfortable to them. This will streamline the process and hopefully prevent students from getting too frustrated with the sonnet form.


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Textbox 3.1.2: Instructional Strategies

Guiding Prompts

a. What different instructional strategies do you plan to use to engage students in the lesson and to enhance their learning? Provide a

rationale for your choice of each strategy.

b. How do the instructional strategies connect to the learning goal(s) to facilitate student learning?

c. What informed your decisions to use individual, small-group, and/or whole-group instruction to facilitate student learning?


Textbox 3.1.2: Instructional Strategies – Type your response below

a. One of the primary strategies for student engagement will be making connections to sonnets through popular culture with which they’re familiar. We will watch an excerpt from the TEDx presentation by rapper Akala entitled “Hip Hop or Shakespeare?” which can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSbtkLA3GrY. Akala asks the audience about 6 different lines which are either from rap lyrics or Shakespeare to show how similar they are. Students will participate in this “quiz” informally along with the video. He also explains how Shakespeare’s fastidious use of iambic pentameter is very similar to how successful rappers keep a steady rhythm and flow in their raps. Also, I will show students selections from “Pop Sonnets,” a Tumblr blog found at http://popsonnets.tumblr.com, in which the author rewrites popular songs as Shakespearean sonnets. Not only will it give them inspiration for their own sonnets and connect the writing of sonnets to their own lives, we can also analyze and close read them to practice the literary devices. I will also utilize one-on-one instruction to help students when they begin writing the rough drafts of their sonnets. Students will get a full class period to work on their rough drafts, at which point I can assist students in finding topics, thinking of examples of literary devices to use, and how to keep within the designated meter of 10 syllables per line. This will give students motivation to continue with their sonnets instead of giving up because they’re frustrated, or don’t understand the assignment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSbtkLA3GrY

http://popsonnets.tumblr.com/


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b. Making real-life connections will help students see the relevance of learning about sonnets and Shakespeare’s writing in general. They can see how influential he was to writing of all forms, and how his language can still be powerful and relevant today. This also recontextualizes the learning of literary devices so that students can see them in authentic examples that do not resemble “school literature,” which I think is important to help students understand the devices in a context that is more familiar to them than the writing of Shakespeare. Using one-on-one instruction will help keep students on track with the assignment and not give up short of completion. Creative writing can be a difficult task for even high-performing students, because of the way that they’re used to learning and expressing their knowledge. Giving students one-on-one attention will help keep them focused and on-task, as well as help keep them motivated toward accomplishing the goals for the lesson.

c. The lesson will be primarily whole-group, simply because that is the best arrangement for the design of the early parts of the lesson, which require students to learn and find examples of literary devices, and to practice analyzing and close reading a sonnet. They will do individual work when analyzing additional sonnets, and when writing their own sonnets. During the writing process, students will be allowed to work with partners. This will help them have another perspective when writing, and to construct ideas, phrases, and topics together. During the peer revision portion, students will also work in small groups. Forming these small groups will give students valuable feedback on their rough drafts before they continue on to their final drafts.


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Textbox 3.1.3: Learning Activities

Guiding Prompts

a. What learning activities do you plan to implement in this lesson? Provide a rationale for your choices.

b. How will these learning activities address student strengths and needs?

c. How did your classroom demographics inform the design of the learning activities you chose?


Textbox 3.1.3: Learning Activities – Type your response below

a.During the first day of the lesson, students will watch an excerpt from from the TEDx presentation by rapper Akala entitled “Hip Hop or

Shakespeare?” which can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSbtkLA3GrY. We will participate in the “quiz” over lines from

either rappers or Shakespeare along with the video, and then de-brief on the video, discussing how Akala shows the continued relevance of

Shakespeare and his language skills. We will then have a brief lesson about literary devices and the elements of a sonnet, activating prior

knowledge and elaborating upon it to learn literary devices specific to poetry and sonnets, such as end and internal rhyme, meter, and the

turn or volta. This will reinforce the learning of literary devices from past classes and earlier in this school year, as well as build on top of that

to give students a more specific mode of literary terms that they will apply to sonnet examples and their own writing. I will also lead a full-

class model of close reading and analysis of one sonnet, Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18. They are asked to identify the meter, rhyme scheme,

theme, tone, figurative language, imagery, and turn in the poem. This model will help students practice the skills in a formative sense before

they will work independently to analyze Sonnet 29 on their own.

The second day will begin with selections from “Pop Sonnets,” a Tumblr blog found at http://popsonnets.tumblr.com, in which the author

rewrites popular songs as Shakespearean sonnets. This will reinforce the relevance of Shakespeare and his sonnets to the students’ everyday

lives. Students will then be introduced to the sonnet writing activity and begin writing the rough drafts of their sonnets. A key component of


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this process is the sonnet rough draft grid. This grid offers an additional connection to real life today, as I borrowed the concept from rapper

Joe Budden. It divides each line into ten boxes which represents one of the ten syllables. By putting one syllable in each line, students will be

able to keep track of the meter in their sonnets more accurately. They are provided with a model using Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18.

The third day will be spent finishing rough drafts and peer editing. I assume that some students will be behind and will not have their rough

drafts completed in time, so they are given the whole class period to work. By the end, they will be expected to have two peer edits

completed. This will allow students to work collaboratively to ensure that their peers are staying on task and have understood the assignment

completely before completing their final drafts.

b. These learning activities give students connections to today’s world in order to allow them to see the content in a different perspective,

with which they are more familiar than traditional literature. This will help students with learning and identifying literary devices and

elements of sonnets. Additionally, the close reading activity will help reinforce literary analysis skills that students have been working on

throughout the year, and scaffold new knowledge on top of their prior knowledge. Students who lack a base of prior knowledge of these

skills will be re-familiarized with them, and can “fill in the blanks,” so to speak. The peer editing allows students who are struggling to get

advice and guidance from classmates who have more initial success with the assignment before turning in a final copy.

c. Most of our students love music, particularly hip hop and pop. Music lyrics are far and away the most common form of literature students

encounter on a regular basis outside of school. Connecting the learning of Shakespeare, literary devices, and sonnets to modern music will

help them see the continued relevance of learning this content, as well as recontextualize it; the idea is that they should forget they are

learning in the first place, because they’re enjoying the content so much.

Also, I know that several of our students, including Focus Student 1, are active creative writers. My CMT coaches Raytown High’s “Louder

Than A Bomb” team, which is a nationwide poetry slam competition for high school students, so poetry and writing are at the forefront of

importance for her and her students. Students know about her involvement with LTAB, and many are interested in it, leading to a general

increased interest in poetry and writing. This assignment gives them an opportunity to use those skills in a practical application.


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Textbox 3.1.4: Materials, Resources, and Technology

Guiding Prompts

a. What materials and resources will you use to support your instruction? Provide a rationale to support your choices.

b. What types of technology do you plan to use for this lesson?

c. How will your chosen technology enhance your instruction and student learning in this lesson?


Textbox 3.1.4: Materials, Resources, and Technology – Type your response below

a.

Students will be given a study guide of sorts called Introduction to Sonnets. It asks them to define several literary terms (metaphor, simile,

imagery, theme, tone, end rhyme, internal rhyme, meter, etc.) that we will discuss in class. They are also required to include an example of

each. They also will fill in the blanks on a page all about sonnets, identifying major features, such as that they have 14 lines, that they’re

often written in iambic pentameter, that iambs are poetic feet consisting of two syllables of alternating stress, that pentameter means there

are five feet in a line, etc. These are all essential to analyzing and writing sonnets, and connect the sonnet writing activity back to the

standards and learning goals of the lesson.

Students will also receive a rubric giving them specific instructions about how to complete their sonnets. They also feature (optional) sonnet

rough draft grids, which break each line into ten boxes that represent the syllables each should have. This reinforces meter and forces

students to think logically about writing formal poetry.

Once students have finished their rough drafts, they will use peer editing worksheets to give feedback to their peers. These ask them to

identify the essential elements (contains 14 lines, each line has 10 syllables, contains metaphor or simile, contains imagery, etc.) and

evaluate the strongest and weakest line. These will help students refine their drafts and learn the importance of revision.


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b. Technology will be incorporated through the TEDx video, available on Youtube. This will be shown using our digital projector and the

external speaker connected to my CMT’s laptop. Additionally, students will view the Pop Sonnets blog using our digital projector. I will also

use the Smart Board to model good annotation and highlighting of these sonnets.

c. The use of the TEDx video and the Pop Sonnets blog reinforce the connection to today’s popular culture that is essential to student

engagement in this lesson. Students will be more engaged and comfortable with seeing sonnets and literary devices used in a familiar, but

still valid and authentic, contexts.


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Step 2: The Focus Students

This step allows you to demonstrate your ability to differentiate instruction for individual students.

Textbox 3.2.1: Understanding the Two Focus Students

Activity: Differentiating Instruction

Select two students from the whole class who reflect different learning needs. Please refer to them as Focus Student 1 and Focus Student 2. Then

respond to the guiding prompts below.

Guiding Prompts

Focus Student 1:

a. Identify Focus Student 1’s learning strengths and challenges related to the learning goal(s) of the lesson.

b. What evidence will you collect to show the progress Focus Student 1 makes toward the learning goal(s)?

Focus Student 2:

a. Identify Focus Student 2’s learning strengths and challenges related to the learning goal(s) of the lesson.

b. What evidence will you collect to show the progress Focus Student 2 makes toward the learning goal(s)?


Textbox 3.2.1: Understanding the Two Focus Students – Type your response below

a. Focus Student 1 is an active creative writer. I have read a number of his pieces of creative writing, and they are very strong for a 9th grade student. He seems very enthusiastic about this project, and should be motivated to follow it through to completion. He also has a very


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strong vocabulary, which will help him when writing his sonnet. Additionally, he tends to be a quick learner, so he should be available to assist other students when writing their sonnets and working through the writing process.

However, he has a history of not turning in major assignments. He missed his major paper from last semester, along with several other smaller assignments, which led to his failing grade. He may have difficulty meeting all the checkpoints if he does not stay motivated and isn’t reminded of the importance of completing them all.

b. Knowing Focus Student 1’s skills with creative writing, I have very high expectations for his sonnet project. I’m hoping that he will show good interpersonal skills, a minor struggle for him at times, when helping his classmates with their sonnets during the rough draft or peer editing phases of the process. He will also be graded, like all other students, on his completion of all the “checkpoints,” meaning his rough draft and peer editing. It will be important to remind him of the importance of these checkpoints to the writing process.

a. Focus Student 2 tends to be very studious. She is very good about completing her work on time, and usually performs highly. I do not believe that she will have any issues with learning the content or being able to apply it. Her past writing also expresses a strong vocabulary and grasp on writing clear and coherent work.

However, her shyness may become a factor when participating in class, particularly with regards to the peer editing portion. Also, I fear that she may miss some information in class, and might miss out on peer editing, by moving to the other classroom to work with the other student. This may negatively impact the final product of her sonnet, and what she is able to recall and apply about the literary terms covered in class.

b. Focus Student 2 will need to have all of the checkpoint assignments (rough draft, peer editing) checked independently of grading. I think allowing her to work independently is important for her, but I also want to make sure that she doesn’t avoid completing some of the work as a result of moving to the other classroom. I need to ensure that she helps her classmates, given her high writing ability, and doesn’t just retreat to the other classroom once her work for the day is completed.


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Textbox 3.2.2: Differentiating Instruction for the Two Focus Students

Guiding Prompts

a. How will you adapt the learning goal(s) to engage each Focus Student and facilitate his or her learning? Provide a rationale.

b. Describe how you will differentiate your instructional strategies and learning activities to engage each of the two Focus Students and

facilitate their learning. Provide a rationale.

c. What materials, resources, and technology will you add or adapt to engage each Focus Student and facilitate his or her learning? Provide

a rationale.

d. How will you and each Focus Student know that he or she achieved the learning goal(s) for the lesson?


Link a differentiation plan for Focus Student 1 (maximum of one page) from your Library of Artifacts to the first sentence discussing

Focus Student 1.

Link a differentiation plan for Focus Student 2 (maximum of one page) from your Library of Artifacts to the first sentence discussing

Focus Student 2.

Textbox 3.2.2: Differentiating Instruction for the Two Focus Students – Type your response below

a. Focus Student 1’s differentiation plan can be seen here: https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Task_3_focus_student_1_differentiation_plan.pdf?file_id=123984447, and Focus Student 2’s differentiation plan can be seen here: https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Task_3_focus_student_2_differentiation_plan.pdf?file_id=123985662. The learning goals for the two focus students should be roughly the same as the rest of their classes. They are very much capable of performing highly when motivated, so I need to make sure that they are getting enough individualized attention and periodic checks to ensure that they’re

https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Task_3_focus_student_1_differentiation_plan.pdf?file_id=123984447

https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Task_3_focus_student_2_differentiation_plan.pdf?file_id=123985662


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meeting all the checkpoint goals of the writing process. If anything, I will have higher standards for them, because I know that they are both successful writers with great vocabularies.

b. I will need to give both of the focus students more individualized instruction than I may give to the other students. While they are both capable of working independently, I worry that FS1’s history of missing assignments and FS2’s isolation in the other classroom may negatively impact their ability to reach the learning goals of this lesson. This will require conferencing with them at each checkpoint to make sure that they’re completing them and, especially, providing quality feedback to their classmates. c. None of the materials, resources, or technology will need to be modified for the focus students. They are both capable of using the same materials as the rest of the class, and their specific needs to do not necessarily require any modifications in this area. d. I will make sure to give the focus students, along with all other students, some positive feedback if they met all the requirements of the assignment. Creative writing can be a stressful process, and sharing with others can be particularly difficult for some students. Focus Student 2 has shown some feelings of anxiety when in the full class in the past, so I need to make sure she feels confident to share her writing with other classmates. This will probably require some strategic grouping. I especially want Focus Student 1 to have positive feedback, to encourage him to continue creative writing.


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Step 3: Analyzing the Lesson This step allows you to demonstrate your ability to analyze the implementation of your lesson and the evidence of student learning.

Textbox 3.3.1: Analyzing the Lesson for the Whole Class

Activity: Focusing on the Instruction

After you have implemented the lesson, respond to the guiding prompts below.

Guiding Prompts

a. To what extent did the lesson, including instructional strategies, learning activities, materials, resources, and technology help to facilitate

student learning? How does the evidence you collected support this finding?

b. How did the students demonstrate their understanding of the content presented? Provide specific examples from the lesson and student

work to support your analysis.

c. While you were teaching, what adjustments to the lesson did you implement to better support student engagement and learning?

Provide examples to support your decisions.

d. What steps did you take to foster teacher-to-student and student-to-student interactions? How did they impact student engagement and

learning?

e. What feedback did you provide during the lesson to facilitate student learning? What impact did the feedback have on student learning?

Provide specific examples.


Link a teacher instructional artifact (maximum of one page) from your Library of Artifacts to the first sentence discussing the lesson.

Link a student work sample (maximum of one page) from your Library of Artifacts to the first sentence discussing the student. The

student work sample should come from a student other than the Focus Students.

Textbox 3.3.1: Analyzing the Lesson for the Whole Class – Type your response below


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a. First of all, the students really responded well to the TEDx video, as I predicted they would. They all participated in the “quiz” at the

beginning of the video, and were quite impressed when Akala began rapping Shakespeare over a beat. We had great discussions after the

video, including participation from some students that don’t normally speak much during class. They didn’t respond as well as I had predicted

to the Pop Sonnets. However, I saw students had generally more success identifying the literary devices in these sonnets than they did with

the Shakespearean sonnets, which was promising and shows them making progress toward the learning goals. They also tended to have

good recall and understanding of basic literary terms, so we could simply review those quickly to “fill in the blanks” and refresh memories in

order to move on to the new material. The peer editing seemed to work well, although not every student who completed the sonnet utilized

two edits, only turning in one completed worksheet. To my surprise, more students than expected used the grid to write their rough drafts.

This grid can be seen here: https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Task_3_instructional_artifact.pdf?file_id=123980951. I

wasn’t sure how well they would understand it, but in working with students one-on-one during the rough draft writing class period, many of

them said that it helped them keep a good rhythm. Some students required some redirecting, as they were misusing the grid (not filling in all

the boxes, thinking that words and not syllables go into them, etc.), but once I was able to explain it, they seemed to like it.

b. During the lesson on literary terms, I saw that all three classes had a good baseline knowledge of some of the “refresher” terms, like

metaphor, simile, and theme. Most students were able to fill out their Introduction to Sonnets packet completely and correctly. They had a

lot of difficulty doing the sonnet analysis of the Shakespearean sonnets, so there were some issues with application. However, they did a

better job applying these to the sonnet writing itself, and identifying literary terms and elements of sonnets when editing their own. Some of

the sonnets received misunderstood the purpose of the assignment and ignored meter, rhyme, or other essential elements of the sonnets,

but I was overall impressed by how well students were able to work within the tight constraints of the sonnet form. Many of them were

wonderful. The exemplar I chose was from a 9th grade student in our 6th hour class. It can be seen here:

https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Task_3_other_student_work_sample.pdf?file_id=123980894. It shows a great

understanding of figurative language, literary devices, rhyme and meter, and contained probably the best example of a turn that I saw in the

work of all of our students.

c. We had to spend a lot more class time discussing the sonnet analysis than originally predicted. Very few students in any of the classes

completed the second, independent analysis, so we had to spend more time on the following day going through that, so that everyone was

able to understand how to analyze that particular poem. To be fair, it was a difficult piece to parse, and I feel as though I could’ve picked a

better sonnet to have the students analyze independently. Additionally, we had a lot of problems with students not completing their rough

drafts in time to be ready for peer editing on day 3, so there were relatively few students who were able to peer edit. We were not able to

spend any more time on the peer editing, so many had to complete that outside of class. As a result, several only turned in one peer edit.

https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Task_3_instructional_artifact.pdf?file_id=123980951

https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Task_3_other_student_work_sample.pdf?file_id=123980894


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d. Working on the rough drafts and peer edits in class gave plenty of opportunities for teacher-to-student and student-to-student

interactions. During the rough drafting class (day 2), both my CMT and I were able to monitor the class closely, redirect off-task students,

and give students individualized instruction and motivation. I worked with several students to help them brainstorm topics. During the peer

editing, my CMT and I monitored and encouraged students who had finished their rough drafts, who were usually the better writers and

more diligent students in our classes, to work with each other to peer edit, and then to help their classmates who had fallen behind on their

checkpoints.

e. I was always encouraging to students who were working hard during the writing process. It was sometimes difficult not to constantly

correct students who were making earnest attempts to complete what was admittedly an intensive and difficult assignment for some, but I

mostly kept my comments positive, unless a student needed to be redirected or was straying from the parameters of the assignment. I

think this helped a lot of our students who were struggling with the assignment. Creative writing, particularly poetry, can be daunting for

some, so I think this prevented some of them from shutting down completely and refusing to continue with the assignment.


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Textbox 3.3.2: Analyzing the Differentiation for the Two Focus Students

Guiding Prompts

a. To what extent did each of the two Focus Students achieve the learning goal(s) of the lesson? Cite evidence to support your analysis.

b. How did your differentiation of specific parts of the lesson help each Focus Student meet the learning goal(s)? Cite examples to support

your analysis.


Link a student work sample (maximum of one page) for Focus Student 1 from your Library of Artifacts to the first sentence discussing

Focus Student 1.

Link a student work sample (maximum of one page) for Focus Student 2 from your Library of Artifacts to the first sentence discussing

Focus Student 2.

Textbox 3.3.2: Analyzing the Differentiation for the Two Focus Students – Type your response below

a. Both Focus Students turned in wonderful, exemplary sonnets, even assessed against the high standards I had held for them. FS1’s

sonnet can be seen here:

https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Task_3_focus_student_1_work_sample.pdf?file_id=123980893. It incorporated his

scholarly vocabulary and strong interest in mythology. He also succeeded quite well in using figurative language, and featured a really good

turn in his sonnet. He really went above and beyond, writing two sonnets and asking for my help and his peers’ help in deciding which to

use. I was very proud of how well he stepped up to the challenge. Unfortunately, he was missing one peer editing worksheet. FS2 was also

missing one peer edit, but wrote a very good sonnet. It can be seen here:

https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Task_3_focus_student_2_work_sample.pdf?file_id=123980892. I tried to get her to

help her classmates a little more, but she was insistent in working independently with the other student we allow to go with her to the other

classroom most of the time. I was very impressed, however, with her sonnet, particularly with how emotionally charged it was. One of my

https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Task_3_focus_student_1_work_sample.pdf?file_id=123980893

https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/download_file/Task_3_focus_student_2_work_sample.pdf?file_id=123980892


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biggest concerns is that she would not express herself fully, or that she would not allow students to peer edit her poem at all, because of

her anxiety. However, she did very well in that respect.

b. Conferencing with FS1 was very beneficial to him, I believe. He was excited about this assignment, so he already had the motivation to

complete it, but I think that the one-on-one conferencing during and after class really helped him stay on track. Again, I wish he had done

one more peer edit, but that might have been an issue related to the low turn-in rate of the rough draft on the peer edit date by his

classmates. He did wonderfully getting outside his comfort zone and helping other students work on their rough drafts after peer editing,

though. I was so pleased with how well he worked with other students and helped them craft their writing.

FS2 benefitted from being allowed to work independently. I think that it allowed her to bring out more personal emotional resonance from

her work that she may have been hesitant to include without moving away from the classroom to write it. I neglected to appropriately

ensure that she had all the materials, however, as she wrote her final draft on notebook paper instead of the official form I had designated

for it. However, this had no bearing on the ultimate learning goal of including that form, that students wouldn’t just turn in their rough draft

as a final and at least took the time to rewrite it, so I did not penalize her for it. Still, I feel as though I could have done more to make sure

that she was on the same page as the rest of the class.


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Step 4: Reflecting

This step allows you to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of your lesson.

Textbox 3.4.1: Reflecting on the Lesson for the Whole Class

Activity: Reflecting after Instruction

Think about your lesson plan, the lesson that you taught, and the student work. Then respond to the guiding prompts below.

Guiding Prompts

a. What specific instructional strategies, learning activities, materials, resources, and technology will you use to help students who did not

achieve the learning goal(s)? Provide specific examples.

b. How will you use your analysis of this lesson and the evidence of student learning to guide your planning for future lessons for the whole

class?


Textbox 3.4.1: Reflecting on the Lesson for the Whole Class – Type your response below

a. Unfortunately, many of our students who failed to achieve the learning goals did not turn in the sonnets at all. Several students took

severe grade penalties to turn their sonnets in late, but many others never turned anything in. Those who did turn them in did very well.

We will simply need to take more time to assess the learning goals from this lesson in the future. We will still discuss sonnets to some

degree as we read Romeo and Juliet, but, more importantly, students will have many other opportunities to learn, understand, and be able

to apply the literary devices covered in class. This may require some individualized attention to some students, and I will design lessons

that give those students more of an opportunity to understand and be able to apply those skills.


25 8/15/2014

b. Classroom management, particularly monitoring for on-task behaviors, will be a number one priority for me in the future. I feel as though

almost all of the students who did not turn in the assignment were either frustrated and found themselves giving up before completion, or

they did not use their class time effectively. I will make sure that this is a priority for these classes, particularly our more problematic ones,

to ensure that no one is distracted, and that everyone is using their time wisely. This may require some one-on-one instruction,

conferencing, redirecting, creative grouping, and/or removal from the classroom, in extreme cases.

However, I was very impressed by how well some of our students did on this assignment. I want to incorporate more opportunities for

students to express themselves creatively. Some students, whose more formal work tended to be weaker, really impressed me with how

well they were able to meet the learning goals for this particular lesson. I want to bring that out of these students again the future.


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Textbox 3.4.2: Reflecting on the Differentiated Instruction for the Two Focus Students

Guiding Prompts

a. How will you use your analysis of this lesson and the evidence of student learning to guide your planning for future lessons for each of the

two Focus Students? Consider specific instructional strategies, learning activities, materials, resources, and technology you will use.

Provide specific examples.


Textbox 3.4.2: Reflecting on the Differentiated Instruction for the Two Focus Students – Type your response below

a. Focus Student 1 did extremely well on this assignment. I will still need to work with him some to ensure that he’s staying on track with

the rest of the class, and that he turns in everything on future assignments. I have considered giving him some sort of checklist system that

would make him sign off at the end of every class to ensure he understands what needs to be turned in in the near future, and to make

sure that he has completed even ungraded, informal assignments. Focus Student 2 also did very well. I need to work with her to increase

her comfort level with the rest of the class. This will require some more work on classroom management, especially dealing with respecting

other students by creating an environment conducive to learning and working. Also, I need to monitor her independent work more carefully,

to ensure that she is receiving the same instruction, and is assessed on the same parameters, as the rest of the class, to avoid any kind of

favoritism, and to ensure that she is prepared for Enriched English II next semester.


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activities. Inquiries related to Department programs and to the location of services, activities, and facilities that are accessible by persons with disabilities may be directed to the Jefferson State Office

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