Week 5: Backwards Design Stage 3: Learning Plan

How are students "smart" in different ways? How can teachers use multiple intelligences in the classroom?

Students are "smart" in different ways, in that they all learn differently. One student can learn very well visually, but his friend sitting next to him learns best orally. I find this to be a rather difficult task when I'm teaching sometimes, especially since a student won't raise their hand and say "Ms. Bracco, I'm an visual learning, can you go over that again?" or "Ms. Bracco, I don't understand the drawings, I'm more of an oral learner". A way that a teacher can use multiple intelligences in the classroom is by having students with different styles of learning sit together. This way, every student is introduced to someone else's way of learning, and it allows them to see another way of coming to the same conclusion. 

Week 2: Anticipatory Questions

1. My current understanding of curriculum and instruction are that we are to follow a set course which will prepare students for the tests they are required to take. Instruction is how the teacher is presenting the information to the students so that they will understand it. I am familiar with these terms.
2. I have written my own lesson plans for the coming year, and I also created a whole semester curriculum for my students. On a typical lesson plan I have the grade level, the date, the unit in which the lesson takes place, objective, procedure, materials, standards, and assessments.
3. I think Backward Design is planning a curriculum or a unit with the end in mind, and working backwards accordingly.
4. I am currently teaching a music appreciation class to grade 9 - 12. I am using the Music Blueprint standards

(Sorry, I had posted this on the discussion board, I didn't realize it needed to be on the blog as well)

Week 4: Backwards Design Stage 2: Determining Acceptable Evidence

• Explain how you identify the desired results, how you come up with essential questions and determine what understandings are desired.

When I am trying to determine my desired results from a class, I will usually pick one outcome per lesson per week.  Going back to the ELA essential goals:

 Established Goals: 

RI.6.3 - Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g. through examples or anecdotes)
RI.6.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
RI.6.6. - Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
RI.6.7. - Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

I know that making sure that I incorporate every one of these goals into one lesson and having the students fully comprehend the work is going to be very difficult. Instead, I will incorporate one main idea per lesson, and then slowly add the other essential goals as the week goes on. 

I'm not 100% familiarized with the ELA standards, but the music department has started to make it our goal to improve the ELA regents, so I'm slowly getting acquainted with them. 

• Explain how you determine what knowledge and skills that students should acquire as a result of learning (connecting to college and workforce readiness)

Since we are forced to differentiate our lessons, I feel that student assessments should also be differentiated. I believe that the students can do whatever type of project they would like to do, as long as they are making sure that they are meeting the requirements of the rubric. I also have very different assignments that I give in order to make sure that they still understanding the music aspects of music. One project that I think is a good example of this, is that I'm having my kids work in groups to create their own songs. The song has to have lyrics, different instruments, and some type of beat. While I can see this being viewed as the same assignment, those are the only rules I've given them (besides the lyrics having to be clean and school appropriate). They are allowed to use any instruments they wish, as well as deciding as a group with genre they can work in the best. This project is great for getting them college and workforce ready because they are going to have to work with people that they may not know, and they are going to have to learn how to come to compromises with each other in order to be successful. 

Week 3: Backward Design: Stage 1 Writing

ELA Writing

Established Goals:

W.6.2. - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

Understandings:

Students will understand that:

-  informative/explanatory texts convey ideas and concepts using relevant information that is carefully selected and organized.

Essential Questions:

- What are informative and explanatory texts?

- How do these concepts use relevant information?

- What is the best way that you can introduce the topic of your text?

- What is the best way to convey this topic?

Students will know:

- How to introduce a topic.

- How to convey their topic in the best way. 

- Definition of informative and explanatory texts. 

Students will be able to:

- Develop better writing skills

- Apply proper information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. 

Week 3: Backward Design: Stage 1 Reading

I hope I understand this properly!

ELA-Reading

Established Goals: 
RI.6.3 - Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g. through examples or anecdotes)
RI.6.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
RI.6.6. - Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
RI.6.7. - Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

Understandings:
Students will understand that
- analyzing key individuals, events, or ideas can develop throughout a text.
- there are a variety of strategies to determine word meaning in informational texts.
- they can determine an author's point of view or purpose in an informational text.

Essential Questions: 
- What are they key ideas in this text?
- What is the author trying to convey in their text?

Students will know:
- how to find key ideas.
- what the author is conveying through their text

Students will be able to:
- develop better reading skills
- understand complex readings.