Lesson #1
Diverse Learning Group from Current Teaching Environment:
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Students
Visual Depiction of Learning Group:
Problem for Group to Solve:
Students find the learning of vocabulary boring.
Phases & Steps from the TIP Model:
Phase #1: Analysis of Learning & Teaching Needs
 Step 1: Will a technology-based method offer relative advantage?
o Despite the fact that direct instruction of vocabulary is the most effective way to teach
vocabulary, my ESOL students are often bored by this method and thus do not learn much. A
technology-based method of teaching vocabulary offers the potential to stimulate learners through
graphic organizers and presentation software, while still allowing direct instruction to take place.
 Step 2: What is my technological pedagogical content knowledge?
o I have experience in graphic organizer programs, such as Free Mind. Students could use Free
Mind to complete a Frayer Model for their current vocabulary words and use it to teach each
other more about their current vocabulary words by creating a Prezi or PowerPoint about the
word.
Phase #2: Planning for Integration
 Step 3: How will I know students have learned?
o Students will demonstrate their knowledge of their current vocabulary by completing a
differentiated summative assessment tailored to their learning styles.
 Step 4: What teaching strategies and activities will work best?
o Students will learn a new vocabulary word through direct instruction. I will present an image
associated with a new vocabulary word, as well as a sentence that uses the word in context.
Students will offer guesses as to what they believe the word means and, as a large group, we will
arrive at a definition. Once they have learned the word, they will create a graphic organizer using
FreeMind software based upon the Frayer Model. They will create a Prezi or Powerpoint to
display to their small group partners. These strategies will appeal to the large number of visual
learners in the group and will allow students to truly own the word by being able to teach it to
each other.
 Step 5: Are essential conditions in place to support technology integration?
o Free Mind software is currently installed on all computers. Also, the English department shares
several laptop carts. As long as I schedule accordingly, all students in the classroom will have
access to a computer.
Phase #3 Post-Instruction Analysis and Revisions
 Step 6: What worked well? What could be improved?
o Having students guess at the word’s definition through direct instruction helped tremendously.
The students were engaged in the lesson right off the bat, and did not become discouraged when
they were wrong, but rather helped each other arrive at the correct definition. Something that
could be improved upon would be the presentation piece. This was helpful, as they gained a large
number of visuals, synonyms, and antonyms; however, it was much too time-consuming for this
activity.
 Step 7: What will I revise?
o I would edit the presentation piece and have each small group create one presentation. I will
make sure to divide up tasks so all individuals participate in this activity. These presentations can
be shown to the other groups, thus saving a lot of time.
NTeQ Steps
Instructional objectives
 Students will determine the meaning of a previously unknown vocabulary word by using context clues.
 Students will identify synonyms and antonyms of newly learned vocabulary word by completing a Frayer
Model.
 Student groups will teach newly acquired vocabulary word to the large group.
Computer functions
 Once a Frayer Model is explained to the class, they can create their own using Free Mind graphic
organizer software. This will need to be modeled for the class first, so the teacher will create one for a
word they have already learned. They will then create these individually.
 Students can take what they have created and compile their images, synonyms, and antonyms into one
presentation. They can do this by using Prezi or Microsoft PowerPoint.
Specific problem
 Do the students clearly understand the given problem?
o Because of the frustration they have expressed in previous classes, the students clearly understand
that the current strategies (students write down word meanings, study, then take tests) used to
teach vocabulary in my classroom are boring.
 Do they know what the goal is?
o At the start of the first lesson, I will express to the students that they are going to be solving a
puzzle (i.e. using visuals and context clues) in order to identify the vocabulary word. They will be
taking ownership of their word and preparing to teach it to the rest of the class.
 Do they know what resources are available to solve the problem?
o All items used for lesson will be reviewed ahead of time: Free Mind, Frayer Model, and Example
Presentations.
 Do they have ownership of the problem?
o Students will be constructing the majority of the learning in this lesson. The only direct
instruction needed will be the initial teaching of the word, as well as direct instruction on how to
use the computer applications.
Research and analysis
 Because time is limited and my ESOL students are taught a common set of vocabulary words, I will
provide the students with the data (meaning the vocabulary word to be learned). They will use Google
Images to locate images that could be associated with the word and will place these images within the
Frayer Model.
Results presentation
 Students will work together in groups of three to combine the data in their Frayer Models into a
presentation using either Prezi or Microsoft PowerPoint. Students should create a slide dedicated to the
denotations, a slide for the synonyms, a slide for the antonyms, and slides for the images students
gathered.
Student activities during computer use including problem-solving software applications
 Students will first create a Frayer Model graphic organizer using Free Mind software. The Frayer Model
will consist of a large rectangle divided into four smaller rectangles. The word’s definition should be in
the upper left hand box. Students will use Google Image search to find an image representing the word.
This image will be copied and pasted into the upper right hand box. The bottom left box will be reserved
for synonyms of the word and the bottom right hand box will be reserved for antonyms of the word.
Student activities before computer use
 Students will generate a definition for the new vocabulary word. The teacher will present an image
representing the word, as well as a sentence using the word in context. Students will volunteer guesses
for the word’s meaning, and the teacher will guide them toward the correct definition. They will record
this definition in their notebooks.
Student activities after computer use
 In order to determine the effectiveness of the lesson and whether the specified problem was truly solved,
students will complete an evaluation of the lesson and will describe their interest in the activity and
determine its effectiveness upon their learning.
Supporting activities
 In order to foster dictionary skills, students will also complete a concept map for their word. The map
will require them to identify part of speech, a model sentence, and the cognate.
Assessment
 After the students have completing this lesson for 5 separate words, they will be provided with a word
bank and will be given 4 options of how they want to present the word: 1) Write a sentence using the
word in context, 2) Write the word’s definition in your own words, 3) Draw a picture representing the
word, 4) Write a story using the words in context.
Explanation of how the lesson plan meets the needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles of the group.
Because of my ESOL student’s small lexicon of English words, relying on Spanish cognates to teach English
words is key. Luckily, around 20,000 English words share a Spanish cognate, so it would be relatively easy to
base a vocabulary program around words with a Spanish cognate. This would also make it easier for students to
create model sentences based upon personal experience. Relying on their native tongue and allowing them to
create model sentences based upon their culture will help even the student with the lowest reading level feel
success. The extensive amount of visual learners in this group is catered to, as they will be learning and teaching
the word partly through visual imagery.
Lesson #2
Diverse Learning Group from Current Teaching Environment:
Students with Learning Disabilities
Visual Depiction of Learning Group:
Problem for Group to Solve:
Students fail to see the impact history has on their lives.
Phases & Steps from the TIP Model:
Phase #1: Analysis of Learning & Teaching Needs
 Step 1: Will a technology-based method offer relative advantage?
o By using an online genealogy program, students will be able to research their families and
identify how history intersects with their past.
 Step 2: What is my technological pedagogical content knowledge?
o My knowledge with genealogy programs is not extensive. I have used Ancestry.com to research
my own genealogy; however, this is not readily accessible to students, as it requires yearly
payment to use its services. Familysearch.org, usgenweb.org, and gini.com all offer free online
genealogy access and offer the ability to easily search through family records.
Phase #2: Planning for Integration
 Step 3: How will I know students have learned?
o Students will need to demonstrate their historical knowledge by choosing a family member they
discover using one of the genealogy programs and researching the time period/location in which
the family member lived. They will choose a project for presentation (poster, PPT, graphic
organizer).
 Step 4: What teaching strategies and activities will work best?
o Before logging on to a genealogy site, students should begin researching at home by interviewing
a family member and locating the general information about parents and grandparents (birthdays
& death dates). While not absolutely necessary, knowing this information will allow for an easier
search through the databases. Students should work individually on computers while the teacher
conferences with them one-on-one.
 Step 5: Are essential conditions in place to support technology integration?
o The English department shares several laptop carts. As long as I schedule accordingly, all
students in the classroom will have access to a computer.
Phase #3 Post-Instruction Analysis and Revisions

Step 6: What worked well? What could be improved?
o All students were able to locate a family member to research; however, the use of the genealogy
program did not work well for all students. A few students had very limited knowledge of the
closest relatives (as did the person they interviewed) and thus could not trace their genealogy
back two generations. While all students were still able to complete the project, some of them
who could not use the genealogy program extensively became upset.
 Step 7: What will I revise?
o I might consider either doing away with the genealogy program in general or simply giving it as
an option for this project. All students were able to find birth and death dates concerning close
family members, so they might not need to use the genealogy program. If it were given as an
option, it would prevent many students from becoming upset if they cannot trace far back.
NTeQ Steps
Instructional objectives
 Students will gather research data by interviewing at least one family member concerning the birth and
death dates of immediate family members.
 Students will gather research data by tracing their family trees back at least two generations.
 Students will select a family member from their genealogy to and will use the internet to research the
local historical events of selected member’s time period.
 Students will present their findings by creating a PowerPoint presentation, poster, or graphic organizer.
Computer functions
 Students will need to be instructed on how to use one of the following genealogy websites:
Familysearch.org, usgenweb.org, and gini.com. They will be using the library’s databases to research
historical events that would have affected the life of a chosen family member. Also, they will need to be
instructed on PowerPoint presentations and the graphic organizer software Free Mind. (These can be
taught using posters at stations throughout the room, since not all students will be using them.)
Specific problem
 Do the students clearly understand the given problem?
o The students have expressed to their Social Studies teachers their failure to see history’s impact
on their lives. They have also expressed to their English teachers their failure to see the
importance of research, as the majority of their previous research projects have been disconnected
from their personal lives. Students can readily see the impact history has had on their livelihood
by using their genealogy as a vehicle for researching their ancestors.
 Do they know what the goal is?
o At the start of the lesson, when the students receive their homework assignment, I will provide
them with a timeline mapping out this project from start to finish (from interview, to research, to
presentation).
 Do they know what resources are available to solve the problem?
o All items used for the lesson will be reviewed ahead of time. A tutorial for the genealogy site will
be provided, as well as an overview of the presentation software (PPT, Free Mind).
 Do they have ownership of the problem?
o Students will be constructing all of the learning in this lesson. The product will be connected to
their personal lives.
Research and analysis
 Students will be conducting research in two parts. First, they will be interviewing a family member and
gathering information on their immediate family’s (parents, grandparents) birth and death dates. Second,
they will use this information to create a family tree using an online genealogy site. They will use the
various databases available to them through the school’s library system to research information on the the
local historical events of selected member’s time period.
Results presentation

Students will create a PowerPoint, Prezi, graphic organizer (using Free Mind software), or a poster on
their selected family member. Whatever mode of presentation they choose should include the family
member’s full name, birth and death dates, location of birth and death, and all pertinent local historical
events.
Student activities during computer use
 Students will input data gathered from their interview into the genealogy program and will extend their
family tree to at least two generations, if possible. Students will then select a family member and will
research them by responding to the questions on a Think Sheet. Data will then be incorporated into a
presentation medium of their choice.
Student activities before computer use
 This will include the students’ interview of a family member, as well as a tutorial of the genealogy
program and presentation software.
Student activities after computer use
 Students will complete a brief writing reflection on their project experience. They will respond to the
following prompt: “Describe the impact history has had on your life.”
Supporting activities
 Students will work in small groups and create a web showing areas where their family trees intersect
(time periods, locations, etc.).
Assessment
 Students’ presentations will be assessed according to a rubric that will be shared with them at the start of
the project.
Explanation of how the lesson plan meets the needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles of the group.
This lesson plan meets the needs of my students with learning disabilities by providing them with something
relevant to their personal lives. Since students will be working mainly on an individual level, it provides time for
the teacher to circulate and conference with each student. Students with ODD are less likely to be defiant as they
will not be working in a large group environment There are multiple steps to this process, which provides
students with ADHD the means to spread out their time, thus concentrating on smaller steps while working
toward a final product. Because of the constant emphasis on the steps in the process through homework tasks
and Think Sheets, students with auditory processing disabilities are given instructions multiple times and do not
have to worry about missing a step as teacher talk is minimized. Students arrive at texts based on their own
interest, so they do not need to worry about being labeled. Finally, assessment is differentiated based on learning
style.
Lesson #3
Diverse Learning Group from Current Teaching Environment:
Students with High Reading Levels
Visual Depiction of Learning Group:
Problem for Group to Solve:
Students dislike preparing research reports, even when the topic is of their choice.
Phases & Steps from the TIP Model:
Phase #1: Analysis of Learning & Teaching Needs
 Step 1: Will a technology-based method offer relative advantage?
o I believe part of the problem with students’ dislike for research projects, even when the topic is of
their choice, is the fact that they lack a “real” audience. They spend a lot of time learning research
strategies and creating a product to be viewed exclusively by their teacher. By allowing them to
publish a polished, professional product on a website like Slide Share, the lesson can be extended
to include students posting these products to a classroom blog and commenting on each other’s
presentations. Finally, by offering them technologies such as voice recording devices, which the
school has readily available, students can interview people as part of their research.
 Step 2: What is my technological pedagogical content knowledge?
o I have already created a classroom blog using Blogger and while I have never used it, I do know
how easy it is to incorporate in the classroom. I understand how to get all of my students signed
up and posting. I am very familiar with Slide Share, as well as our school’s various library
databases.
Phase #2: Planning for Integration
 Step 3: How will I know students have learned?
o Students will be creating a final, polished looking product to be assessed by their classmates, as
well as me. Since the steps in this lesson will be tiered, there are plenty of opportunities for me to
check for understanding, whether it is in the research stage or the publishing stage.
 Step 4: What teaching strategies and activities will work best?
o Small group, student-led instruction will be best to start this lesson. Students will brainstorm a list
of topics that are affecting their local area. They will then generate a list of sources to gather
information. This list must include websites and people (i.e. Will this require me to conduct a
“man-on-the-street” interview outside of school, an interview with other students, an interview
with teachers, or a survey of certain people?). After this, instruction will be largely
individualized. Students will conduct research on their own, and the teacher will monitor their
time (Do they need to leave the class for the interview? Are they using appropriate websites?).
Even with teacher monitoring, student learning will be student driven. A lot of the research
questions (Is this website appropriate?) can be driven through Think Sheets.
 Step 5: Are essential conditions in place to support technology integration?
o The English department shares several laptop carts. As long as I schedule accordingly, all
students in the classroom will have access to a computer. I will need to reserve video
cameras/audio recording devices through the computer lab, which if I again schedule accordingly
will not be a problem.
Phase #3 Post-Instruction Analysis and Revisions
 Step 6: What worked well? What could be improved?
o The brainstorming sessions worked extremely well, as the students got to interact with each other
and were in charge of their learning. Also, they really enjoyed the lack of direct instruction
throughout this lesson. The only bit that faltered was the commenting session. Many students did
not participate or did not use the comment tags.
 Step 7: What will I revise?
o I would have students brainstorm comment tags for use in constructive feedback when they are
commenting on each other’s blogs. This particular group of students seems to work best when
they are in charge of their learning, and I believe that by providing them with tags, I infringed
upon this.
NTeQ Steps
Instructional objectives
 Students will generate research questions in small groups and will discuss the avenues of research they
have available to them.
 Students will identify the best sources of information for their product by completing a Think Sheet.
 Students will create a presentation on a localized topic of choice using a presentation program such as
Slide Share or Prezi.
 Students will apply MLA formatting to their research presentation by completing a Think Sheet and
creating a Works Cited page.
 Students will comment on other’s presentations and evaluate the effectiveness of their peer’s research
through Blogger.
Computer functions
 Students will need to use Slide Share or Prezi in order to create presentations concerning their chosen
topic. They will also need access to the various databases the school library has available to them.
Finally, they will need access to the classroom blog, which is powered by Blogger.
Specific problem
 Do the students clearly understand the given problem?
o The students have expressed to their English teachers their lack of engagement in research
products in the past. Their comments include not being able to see the relevance of researching
topics that do not matter to them, and also lack of a real audience. Students will be choosing
topics that affect their local area, and while this has not interested them in the past, they will be
engaging in discussion with a real-world audience of their peers by publishing their results to a
larger audience.
 Do they know what the goal is?
o At the start of the lesson, when the students receive their homework assignment, I will provide
them with a timeline mapping out this project from start to finish. This way, they know the end
goal for their presentations is a professional, polished product to be shared with a wider audience.
 Do they know what resources are available to solve the problem?
o I will schedule an orientation day with the library staff before the start of the lesson. The
librarians will review the various databases available to students to use throughout this project. I
will also spend some time demonstrating how to use the video/audio recording devices and how
to upload this data directly into a presentation. Slide Share, Prezi, and Blogster directions posters
will be posted at various stations throughout the room.
 Do they have ownership of the problem?
o Students will be constructing all of the learning in this lesson, which will be connected to their
personal lives and shared with an audience of their peers. Not only will they be accepting
ownership of their own problem, they will also be accepting ownership of each other’s problems.
Research and analysis
 Students will be conducting research in two parts. After determining what their topic is, they will first
decide on the best means of producing information that is not available on the internet (i.e. survey or
interview). After they have gathered this information, they will use the library databases to research
additional information for their topic. Students will finally analyze the information by creating a
professional, polished final product and uploading it to the class blog.
Results presentation
 Not only will students be creating a research report through Slide Share or Prezi, they will also be
uploading it to Blogger. These presentations will not only be presented to the classroom in the form of a
speech, but their peers will also weigh in on the research. In order for this to occur, the teacher will
provide students comment tags for commenting on presentations through Blogger. These tags might
include (“I’d like to know a bit more about…”; “I think this is a good/bad source of information
because…”; “I learned the most about…”).
Student activities during computer use
 Activities during computer use will include students conducting research using the databases available
through the school library. They will also use this time to edit the interviews they have conducted so that
these can be incorporated into their presentations. After students have fully researched the problem, they
will create a Prezi or Slide Share presentation in lieu of a traditional research paper. The students will
utilize instructional posters concerning these programs to add their research. After they have presented to
the class (see “Student activities after computer use”) they will upload their presentation to the class blog
and will comment on each other’s presentations.
Student activities before computer use
 This will include students working in small groups to generate a list of possible research topics. In order
to get students thinking about what they could research, they should respond to the following:
“Something that affects my local area is…” After they have generated a list, they will create a list of
avenues for research, including websites, as well as who to interview/survey (students, teachers, parents,
experts in the field).
Student activities after computer use
 Students will present their findings to the rest of their English class through an oral presentation, prior to
adding comments to each other’s presentations. It is important to complete this project in this order so
that students can clarify anything about their presentations to the large group before being critiqued by
their peers.
Supporting activities
 Students will conduct interviews with someone of their choosing (teacher, student, family members,
community leader) or will conduct a survey on their topic of choice. These interviews/surveys should be
focused upon specifics of their topic (i.e. gathering specific information from someone in the field of
study), or the participants’ familiarity with the topic (i.e. a survey asking opinion questions) Students will
also complete Think Sheets throughout this project to help them conduct research using proper MLA
Citation skills. For example, students will complete Think Sheets that have model Works Cited entries
and they will be asked to write entries for their gathered research that have been modeled using the
examples.
Assessment

Students’ presentations will be assessed according to a rubric, which will be shared with them at the start
of the project. Students will also assess each other’s presentations by adding constructive feedback
comments through the class blog.
Explanation of how the lesson plan meets the needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles of the group.
Since my students are self-driven, higher level readers with interests in real-world skills, this lesson plan meets
their needs by being almost entirely constructivist in nature. In fact, the only direct instruction that will occur for
this project will only involve the logistics (using recording devices, reviewing rubric) of the project, and not the
actual content. The students will be teaching themselves good research skills and will inform each other about
pressing issues within their community. This lesson will stimulate the enthusiasm of the leaders and presenters
within the classroom and will provide everyone with a real-world audience.