Standard 3: Effective Instruction
Element a: Demonstrate knowledge of current developmental science, the ways in which learning takes place, and the appropriate levels of intellectual, social, and emotional development of their students.
As a staff we have been reading and studying the Core Six: Essential Strategies book. Our World Language department has focused this year on the compare and contrast strategies to implement in all of our courses. During our PLC times we consistently refer back to the research and try to ensure that students are getting practice and being assessed on this strategy. This has been a great way to take Spanish conversations to another level while remaining consistent between units.
As a staff we have been reading and studying the Core Six: Essential Strategies book. Our World Language department has focused this year on the compare and contrast strategies to implement in all of our courses. During our PLC times we consistently refer back to the research and try to ensure that students are getting practice and being assessed on this strategy. This has been a great way to take Spanish conversations to another level while remaining consistent between units.
Element b: Plan and consistently deliver instruction that draws on results of student assessments, is aligned to academic standards, and advances students’ level of content knowledge and skills.
Our department is very good about using PLC time every Wednesday morning to plan instruction together. We make sure that students in each level receive the same information at around the same time. This has been very helpful as students move to different teachers. By also creating the same assessments, we are able to tell what students know and what the still need to work on. We typically plan each unit at once, but meet during the unit to discuss results of assessments. We use this information to help determine if we can move on to new information or if we need to reteach certain concepts.
Our department is very good about using PLC time every Wednesday morning to plan instruction together. We make sure that students in each level receive the same information at around the same time. This has been very helpful as students move to different teachers. By also creating the same assessments, we are able to tell what students know and what the still need to work on. We typically plan each unit at once, but meet during the unit to discuss results of assessments. We use this information to help determine if we can move on to new information or if we need to reteach certain concepts.
Element c: Demonstrate a rich knowledge of current research on effective instructional practices to meet the developmental and academic needs of their students.
I am a lifelong learning and consistently attend professional development opportunities both in and out of the district to keep current on effective instructional practices. (See Standard 1: Element d for more in-depth information about which I have attended recently.) The newest instruction practices that have been my focus are trying to align with the national and state standards by focusing more on communication in the target language. In order to do this, I am trying to focus much less on using the book resources and more on creating situations that enable students to practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Spanish instead of filling in blanks.
I am a lifelong learning and consistently attend professional development opportunities both in and out of the district to keep current on effective instructional practices. (See Standard 1: Element d for more in-depth information about which I have attended recently.) The newest instruction practices that have been my focus are trying to align with the national and state standards by focusing more on communication in the target language. In order to do this, I am trying to focus much less on using the book resources and more on creating situations that enable students to practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Spanish instead of filling in blanks.
Element d: Teachers thoughtfully integrate and utilize appropriate available technology in their instruction to maximize student learning.
I have done this quite a bit in my classroom. I have embraced technology and am part of the Cohort through BVSD. I was given 6 iPads to use in the classroom and have tried to use them in many ways. Below is a link to my Cohort website showing many of the student products that involve technology.
21st Century Technology Cohort
I have done this quite a bit in my classroom. I have embraced technology and am part of the Cohort through BVSD. I was given 6 iPads to use in the classroom and have tried to use them in many ways. Below is a link to my Cohort website showing many of the student products that involve technology.
21st Century Technology Cohort
Element e: Establish and communicate high expectations for all students and plan instruction that helps students develop critical-thinking and problem solving skills.
The great thing about having PLC time built into our schedule at Monarch is that I meet regularly with my colleagues to plan instruction. In each level that I teach, we consistently challenge ourselves to take our instruction to the next level to help students become better language learners. It is a great mix of new and experienced teachers that bring high-quality ideas to the table. I believe that it benefits all students of our program to know that teachers aren't on an island planning instructions for themselves. We hold each other accountable and using common assessments keeps us all on the same track. Due to the changes in assessing students, we also have students use the language more than we did in the past, which uses more critical thinking than the traditional World Language grammar exams. Since we assess differently, we have also changed instruction and formative practices to prepare students in this method.
A few syllabi from my courses showing high expectations:
The great thing about having PLC time built into our schedule at Monarch is that I meet regularly with my colleagues to plan instruction. In each level that I teach, we consistently challenge ourselves to take our instruction to the next level to help students become better language learners. It is a great mix of new and experienced teachers that bring high-quality ideas to the table. I believe that it benefits all students of our program to know that teachers aren't on an island planning instructions for themselves. We hold each other accountable and using common assessments keeps us all on the same track. Due to the changes in assessing students, we also have students use the language more than we did in the past, which uses more critical thinking than the traditional World Language grammar exams. Since we assess differently, we have also changed instruction and formative practices to prepare students in this method.
A few syllabi from my courses showing high expectations:
|
|
Element f: Provide students with opportunities to work in teams and develop leadership qualities.
Being a language class, it is natural to have students working in teams. I try to balance out when students work in teams and when they work alone. I also try to vary when students will be assigned group or are given choice in partners. In addition, my classroom is set up to facilitate group work.
I also mix up what is done for summative assessments and sometimes have students work together for the oral portion of an assessment. Below are a few examples of the group projects and/or assessments.
Being a language class, it is natural to have students working in teams. I try to balance out when students work in teams and when they work alone. I also try to vary when students will be assigned group or are given choice in partners. In addition, my classroom is set up to facilitate group work.
I also mix up what is done for summative assessments and sometimes have students work together for the oral portion of an assessment. Below are a few examples of the group projects and/or assessments.
|
|
Element g: Communicate effectively, make learning objectives clear and provide appropriate models of language.
I try to be as transparent as possible in my expectations and objectives. I have explained to students that communication is our main focus in this class. From the beginning of the year, I make it clear how to get meet the objectives of the class and how the grading scale works. I use a scale that is similar to the AP grading scale and take time at the beginning of the year (and throughout as necessary) to model for students different levels on the scale and what is required to prove proficiency.
To make learning objectives clear, I have also started using Blendspace with my students to help organize resources and make objectives more clear. Students will have access to a different Blendspace pages for each unit.
Blendspace example- Spanish 2 Para Empezar
I try to be as transparent as possible in my expectations and objectives. I have explained to students that communication is our main focus in this class. From the beginning of the year, I make it clear how to get meet the objectives of the class and how the grading scale works. I use a scale that is similar to the AP grading scale and take time at the beginning of the year (and throughout as necessary) to model for students different levels on the scale and what is required to prove proficiency.
To make learning objectives clear, I have also started using Blendspace with my students to help organize resources and make objectives more clear. Students will have access to a different Blendspace pages for each unit.
Blendspace example- Spanish 2 Para Empezar
Element h: Use appropriate methods to assess what each student has learned, including formal and informal assessments, and use results to plan further instruction.
Assessing students is something that I have really focused on improving over the last few years. Much of my professional development has involved studying current ways to assess students. Much of the informal assessment happens in class during speaking or writing activities. Regarding formal assessments, we have broken those into formative and summative assessments. Our formative assessments focus on grammar and vocabulary while the end of unit summative assessment involves a Integrated Performance Assessment where students show their ability to combine everything together to communicate in the language. I use results from the formative assessments on grammar and vocabulary to guide my instruction.
Student example of final exam- Spanish 2
Student example of final exam- Spanish 3
Assessing students is something that I have really focused on improving over the last few years. Much of my professional development has involved studying current ways to assess students. Much of the informal assessment happens in class during speaking or writing activities. Regarding formal assessments, we have broken those into formative and summative assessments. Our formative assessments focus on grammar and vocabulary while the end of unit summative assessment involves a Integrated Performance Assessment where students show their ability to combine everything together to communicate in the language. I use results from the formative assessments on grammar and vocabulary to guide my instruction.
Student example of final exam- Spanish 2
Student example of final exam- Spanish 3