Student Work Analysis
Analysis of Instruction and Student Work
MC/Gen - Video Whole Group
Accomplished Response
Weaker Response
The structure of my classroom is a self-contained room that is
heterogeneously grouped. There are twenty-four students in the
room. Five of these students have individual instructional plans
written to help them with their educational needs. Three of the
students receive extra math help. One of the student’s main
classifications is behavior disorder with a secondary classification as
learning disorder. Of the nineteen remaining students two are in the
above average range, nine are in the average range and eight are in
the below average range according to the Otis Lennon test given in
the second grade. Eleven of my students are nine years old and the
other thirteen are eight years old. One of the students in the
classroom is repeating third grade and another student repeated first
grade.
I teach twenty-four 8 and 9 year olds in a
self contained classroom. Five of my
students leave the room for one period per
day to work with the Special Education.
Three out of five students receive extra
support in Math according to their
education plans. These students have
Individual Educational Plans (IEP) written
to help them with their educational needs.
My students’ math standardized test
scores range from the first grade level to
the fifth grade level.
We change our seating monthly so all students will have the benefit of
working in flexible groups and working with different peers. The
young people in this classroom need movement and exploration
activities to keep their interest high.
Students are grouped in various ways for
different purposes. The young people in
this classroom need movement and
exploration activities to keep their interest
high.
I choose more hands on and interactive activities because the
majority of the class is more successful when working with concrete
objects instead of pencil and paper activities. I often plan the
activities and materials with another third grade teacher but the actual
lessons are done in our own self-contained classroom. The
videotaped activity was produced as a result of some of the questions
on our state test about nets (flat open geometric shapes that fold into
a three-dimensional geometric form). The student written selection is
a result of a hands-on activity that was co-planned with my colleague.
I choose more hands on and interactive
activities because the majority of the class
is more successful when working with
math manipulatives or concrete objects
instead of pencil and paper activities. I
plan activities and share materials with
another third grade teacher but the
teaching of the lessons are done in our
own self-contained classroom. The
videotaped activity occurred during the
middle of the unit. Students are engaged
in a hands-on activity, where they are
creating a flat open geometric shape that
fold into a three-dimensional geometric
form.
What’s the Difference?
Student Work Analysis
Analysis of Instruction and Student Work
EAYA/WLOE Cultural competence/ Entry 2 (video)
Accomplished Response
Weaker Response
There were many opportunities for students to expand their
awareness of their own culture, other cultures represented in the
classroom, and the target language culture. I used the paired
interview as a starting point for students to reflect on personal
traditions and to begin to differentiate between new and familiar. After
we discussed and listed general American habits, I had students
create Venn diagrams to compare and contrast American and French
cultural habits. I used the strategy of a diagram because it helps
visual learners to organize their thoughts and ideas.
There were many opportunities for
students to expand their awareness of their
own culture, other cultures represented in
the classroom, and the target language
culture. I used the paired interview. After
we discussed and listed general American
habits, I had students create Venn
diagrams.
On our staff we are lucky to have a native French speaker, originally
from Paris. She is a resource for our French curriculum. I invited her
to speak to my classes and to answer their questions about traditions
surrounding food and eating. I did this because it is good for students
to hear more speakers of the target language than just myself, to
provide a real-life “source” for the answers to some of our questions,
and also to show students that there are French speakers just about
everywhere, so the study of French is beneficial. We followed this
experience by sampling French foods in the classroom. I purchased
traditional French foods (bread, Brie cheese, apin au chocolat
pastries) so that my students could taste them for the first time and
could compare them with foods in their own and American cultures.
Using a motivational grant made available through my school, I was
able to take 28 students to have lunch at a French restaurant. I did
this to give my students a real-life experience where they could use
language they had learned and practiced in the classroom in an
unstructured event, and achieve expected or unexpected results,
depending on their skills with French. For example, Javier was
excited to have more French bread, so when the waiter did not bring
any right away, he started to ask, using phrases we practiced. Also,
Erik was able to order another “coca” cola in French, without any help,
and Jorge asked for a replacement fork after he dropped his.
On our staff we are lucky to have a native
French speaker, originally from Paris. She
is a resource for our French curriculum. I
invited her to speak to my classes and to
answer their questions about traditions
surrounding food and eating. We followed
this experience by sampling French foods
in the classroom. Using a motivational
grant made available through my school, I
was able to take 28 students to have lunch
at a French restaurant.
What’s the Difference?
Student Work Analysis
Analysis of Instruction and Student Work – ECYA/ENS, Fostering Communications Development
Accomplished Response
Weaker Response
This school year, picture symbol communication has been a
secondary goal for Joe. Because Joe tends to develop his own ways
of communicating the things that are important to him, no one has
ever encouraged him to use picture symbols. However, there are
several reasons why I think it is important to begin doing so. The
primary reason is that Joe is approaching graduation and transition to
adult vocational settings. Even though we understand his
vocalizations and gestures, people outside of school and family won’t
understand much of what he says. Picture symbols would be
universally understood.
This school year, picture symbol
communication has been a secondary goal
for Joe. No one has ever encouraged him
to use picture symbols before now.
However, there are several reasons why I
think it is important to begin doing so. The
primary reason is that Joe is approaching
graduation and transition to adult vocational
settings.
Even with Joe’s serious cognitive delays, he initiates communication
with people and shows frustration when he is not understood. Taking
away what little communication that he has would be devastating to
him, so we need to find a way for him to successfully communicate
with people who aren’t familiar with his patterns. Attention to visual
detail and visual discrimination are relative strengths for Joe, and he
has already demonstrated the ability to match photographs to
concrete objects. Therefore, the next logical step is to teach him to
match picture symbols to concrete objects.
Even with Joe’s serious cognitive delays, he
initiates communication with people and
gets upset when people don’t understand
him. He can already match pictures to
objects, so picture symbols should be easy
for him to learn.
From there, I hope to teach Joe the more abstract concept that
symbols can stand for messages. I have collaborated with Joe’s
family and several community sources to secure funding for a sixteen
square augmentative communication device. Joe should receive the
device sometime this summer and I plan to spend some time with his
family teaching them how to program and use it. Hopefully, he will be
able to competently use the device by the time he goes to a
vocational setting in the fall.
If he learns to use the symbols, he can also
use the communication device that I am
getting for him.
What’s the Difference?