Silent "e" Lesson

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Here is the lesson!

    Lesson Plan: I. Rationale & II. Overview Reflections: Assessing Prior Knowledge and Planning Instructions:

o   What do the students need to know prior to the lesson?

Prior to this lesson students should be familiar with the basic concepts of laptops and how to navigate them. For the anticipatory set the students will be using the classroom laptops to play a review game. Students will need to be able to log on to the laptops and navigate the internet well enough to get to the Brain Pop website and log in to their accounts. The students would already have Brain Pop accounts.

o   How will prior knowledge and experience be assessed?

This prior knowledge would have been taught by the classroom teacher earlier in the year and have an ongoing assessment of the students’ experience with laptops and technology would be monitored by the teacher whenever the laptops were used in the classroom.

o   How will you use this information in the planning process?

This information will be used in the planning process because depending on how familiar and capable the students are with the laptops and technology will determine whether or not this activity would be appropriate for the class. Since this activity is a game, it would be a good opportunity to help reinforce proper technology etiquette and the use of laptops to help students navigate the internet and the game.

o   Why should the content of this lesson be taught at this grade level?

The content of this lesson should be taught at this grade level because it meets the standards for phonics for second grade and the students should have a solid enough background in phonics to be able to understand the concept of the silent e.

o   How do the objectives that you have for the lesson align with the standards?

The objectives for this lesson align with the standards directly because they ask the students to complete the assignment in a way that meets the criteria of the standards. The standard are students engaging in meaningful dialogue geared specifically toward grade level content. By working in pairs, and creating silent e words together, the students are engaging in meaningful dialogue appropriate to grade level content.

o   When will the lesson be taught in the course of the school year? Why?

The lesson will be taught a few months into the school year once students have had a chance to familiarize themselves with the proper ways to use technology in the classroom and what the routines and procedures for using technology in the classroom are. At this point in time the students will also be familiar with appropriate discussion/conversation skills when engaging in dialogue in the classroom.

·         Lesson Plan: III. Implementation Reflection: Designing Instructions:

o   Why are you using the instructional methods you have described?

I decided to use the instructional methods described in the lesson plan because I feel that given the grade level and the content being taught, they would be the most appropriate. I use Thumbs Up Thumbs down in every lesson and even with my students at work because I feel that it is an effective and quick way to gauge the class and see if students are following or not. I also used whole group and partner work to bring the students together as a class and have a whole group discussion, but I also decided to break them off into pairs to work to give them the opportunity to engage with each other and take what we learned during the lecture portion of the lesson and discuss it with peers.

o   How do the instructional methods align with what you know about best practices (think about your methods classes)?

I feel that the instructional methods I use during the lesson align with what I know about best practices because I’ve seen them used in several of my practicum classroom and we’ve had several assignments that have required research on best practices in the classroom. Each method used during this lesson was either seen in a practicum room or came up in article readings required for previous methods courses.

o   How are you engaging students in creative and higher order thinking?

Students are being engaged in creative and higher order thinking by having to create their own words using the letter cards. The student will engage in dialogue with their partner and come up with as many words as they can. Once they have found several words, they will have to choose three and write them in a sentence using them correctly having students not only spell the words, but also be sure of the meaning of the word in order to use them correctly in  a sentence.

·         Lesson Plan: IV. Assessment Reflection: Planning Assessment:

o   How does the assessment align with the standards and objectives of this lesson?

The assessment aligns with the standards and objectives of this lesson directly with the students creating words that end in e with the letter cards and then writing three sentences using three of the words they created. In completing the assessment, both objectives will be met. The objectives align with the standards so as long as the objectives are met, the students are meeting the standards addressed during the lesson.

o   How does the assessment demonstrate that the students have been successful in learning the content?

The assessment demonstrates that the students have been successful in learning the content because the assessment is tied directly to the objectives and the standards. By completing the assessment with at least 80% accuracy the students would successfully meet the objective and demonstrate success in learning the content.

o   How does the assessment demonstrate student engagement in higher order thinking?

The assessment demonstrates student engagement in higher order thinking because it requires them to think deeper about the lesson by going beyond just coming up with silent e words, but also using them in sentences demonstrating complete understanding of the words.

o   How does the assessment demonstrate that the individual student needs were met?

The assessment demonstrates that the individuals needs were met because the students being able to complete the assessment shows that their needs were met throughout the lesson and they were able to make it to the assessment successfully and complete it.

·         Lesson Plan: V. Materials & Resources Reflection:

o   How does your lesson meet each of the ISTE NET’s Standards?

The ISTE NET’s Standards were met during the anticipatory set of the lesson while the students were on the laptops. Anytime a student is using technology, especially on the internet, the ISTE NET’s Standards are being met. If a student is to be a global digital citizen, all standards should be met. The teacher should embed each of the standards when teaching students how to properly utilize technology.

o   How does your lesson meet Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity?

This lesson doesn’t address the first standard specifically because the students aren’t exactly creating any sort of artifact, but it is touched upon as the students interact on the website Brain Pop and engage in a fun activity while practicing a academic content.

o   How does your lesson meet Standard 2: Provide Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessment?

Standards 2 is met anytime a student is using technology because it is providing them with the opportunity to experience digital age experiences through the use of technology. By providing students with these opportunities, they are learning to become global digital citizens.

o   How does your lesson meet Standard 3: Model Digital Age Work & Learning?

Standards 3 is met by modeling appropriate use of technology during the lesson and then allowing students to utilize technology independently. They are working on the laptops and learning new content not only academically, but every time a student is able to use technology, they become more familiar with it and learn to navigate it.

o   How does your lesson meet all four elements of Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Age Citizenship and Responsibility by:

§  advocating, modeling, and teaching safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.

§  addressing the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.

§  promoting and modeling digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

§  developing and modeling cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.

All four elements of standard 4 are rooted into any lesson involving technology. Students have a natural tendency to these types of behaviors, it is the teachers responsibility to guide students towards these elements and emphasize them to show students the importance of these elements when utilizing technology. By allowing students to the chance to interact with technology, they are allowing students to build up their familiarity with technology and the appropriate way to use it.