Ashford Courses

Week 1

DQ 1 Standards and Learning. Estes, Mintz, and Gunter state that, “Classroom instruction must be aligned with state standards and the associated high-stakes tests in order to provide students with the opportunity to be successful” (Estes et al, 2011).

§ Explain how state standards came into existence. Discuss the impact of the standards movement on classroom instruction.

§ How can classroom instruction meet both learner and societal goals considering mandated state standards and the needs of students?

§ What successes and challenges do you foresee as a future educator with regard to state standards and student learning and success.

DQ 2 Creating Instructional Objectives. After reading Chapter 3, respond to the following questions: § What is the purpose of backward planning or backward design (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005)? § How does backward design relate to the KUD format discussed in your text?
§ How would you evaluate this approach to curriculum? How does it affect student learning? Refer to Chapter 3 of your text, additional resources and your own insights/experiences. Respond to at least two classmates’ postings.

Week 2

DQ 1 The Concept Attainment Model. Estes, Mintz, and Gunter state, “The concept attainment model is flexible and can be adapted in a variety of ways and with a variety of materials” (Estes et al, 2011). View the video “Guided Discovery of Dictionaries (http://www.youtube.com/watch?&).” Then reflect on what you have observed in the video and respond to the following questions:

§ Concept attainment lessons take time and imagination to plan. Is it worth using our limited time to teach with this model?

§ What are the benefits of using this approach?

§ When would it be appropriate to use this model? Give specific examples.

§ How can this model be used to meet the needs of a diverse group of learners?

§ How can we maximize the time that we spend organizing a concept attainment lesson?

DQ 2 Comparing Instructional Models. Estes, Mintz, and Gunter state, “The constructivist theory of learning is congruent with both concept attainment and concept development” (Estes et al, 2011). How would you distinguish the concept attainment model from the concept development model? How are the two approaches similar and how are they different? In which units of study might these models be best utilized and why? Give specific examples of when each model might be used successfully in classroom instruction.

Matching Objectives to Instruction. Select an academic standard for a content area that you will be teaching that is compatible with the direct instruction model. In a one-to-two page paper, using the KUD format, write one ‘students will understand’ objective, at least two ‘students will know’ objectives, and at least two ‘students will be able to do’ objectives to match the standard you have chosen. List at least two activities that could be used in a direct instruction lesson plan to support these objectives. Refer to Chapters 3 and 4 of your text, additional resources and your own insights/experiences to complete this assignment.

Week 3

The Quest for Knowledge. One of the problem-centered inquiry models discussed in your text is the WebQuest model of inquiry. First, explore WebQuest.org (www.webquest.org). You will find a variety of sample WebQuests to view. Examine several samples and select one that you might find useful in your own classroom. Then identify the model of instruction used in your selected WebQuest. How is it different from and/or similar to the other two models described in Chapter 7 in your text? Discuss how the WebQuest model you selected meets the needs of a diverse group of learners. How are standards, assessment and evaluation addressed? Discuss your impressions and feelings about this model of instruction. Refer to Chapter 7 of your text, additional resources and your own insights/experiences. Respond to at least two classmates’ postings.

DQ 2 Socrates and Strategies. According to your text, the idea of a Socratic seminar stems from one of the dialogues of Plato in which Socrates suggests that no idea can be taught directly and “all that we know must be extracted from us through a series of questions and a process of inquiry. This is the foundation of the Socratic seminar” (Estes et al, 2011). View the video “Intro to the Socratic Seminar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?&)”. Then reflect on what you have observed in the video and what you have read in your text. Briefly describe the Socratic seminar model. Then respond to the following questions:

§ What role does questioning play in this model?

§ This model is designed to encourage multiple answers to open-ended questions that are in competition and may all be “winners.” Do you think this approach will be difficult or easy to adopt? Why or why not?

§ Discussions may be lively and might lean toward debate rather than dialogue. What strategies can you use to create a setting in which every opinion and perspective is honored?

§ What is your role as a teacher in this model?

Lesson Plan. We have examined a variety of instructional models. Select one of the models we have learned about and create a lesson plan (based on academic standards) using that instructional model. Be sure to address each of the items below in your lesson plan:

§ Identify the instructional model you have chosen.

§ State the academic standards on which the lesson is based.

§ Describe grade level your lesson is written for.

§ Write one ‘students will understand’ objective, at least two ‘students will know’ objectives, and at least two ‘students will be able to do’ objectives to meet the academic standard you have chosen.

§ Include assessments that will be utilized.

§ Explain the procedures you will use to teach the lesson. Your lesson plan should be written using the KUD format as shown in your course textbook. See examples in Chapters 4-10

Week 4

DQ 1 Assessing and Evaluating Learning. Assessment is the process of collecting information to find out what students are learning. As we have examined different instructional models throughout this course we have learned about evaluating instructional objectives. Choose one instructional model we have learned about and respond to the following questions:

§ How can student learning be evaluated in this instructional model? Give specific examples.

§ Why are these types of assessment appropriate for this instructional model?

§ What types of assessment will you utilize within the instructional model you have chosen? (Refer back to Chapter 3)

§ How will you meet individual needs when assessing your students?

§ How can you ensure that assessment and instruction are aligned?

§ When you have completed a unit of study, how will you evaluate the effectiveness of your unit of study? Refer to Chapter 3 of your text, the “Evaluating Learning” sections of Chapters 4-13, additional resources and your own insights/experiences. Respond to at least two classmates’ postings.

DQ 2 Cooperative Learning. Cooperative learning models are designed to promote behaviors such as interdependence, individual accountability, positive interactions and social skills that support group processing. Read Chapter 13 and respond to the following questions:

§ What benefits did you see in this example of cooperative learning?

§ Do you anticipate any problems with this type of classroom learning?

§ What can you do in this instructional model to meet individual needs in a classroom of diverse learners?

§ How will you assess student learning using this model?

§ Not all school tasks should be completed cooperatively. Describe two specific tasks that might be used in a cooperative learning model. Refer to Chapter 13 of your text, additional resources and your own insights/experiences. Respond to at least two classmates’ postings.

WEEK 5

DQ 1 Analyzing Instructional Planning. Choose one of the case studies presented in Chapters 14, 15, or 16. Then reflect and respond to the questions for the case study you have chosen:

Chapter 14: A Kindergarten Case Study

§ The teacher in this scenario checks the readiness test scores of her future students. How much influence should readiness tests have on instructional decision-making?

§ Is the teacher in this scenario using backward design in her planning? Explain your position.

§ What advice would you give this teacher as she plans her next unit? Chapter 15: A Middle School Case Study

§ What are the arguments against asking first-year teachers to participate in interdisciplinary work? What are the arguments for first-year teachers participating in such an effort?

§ How would you evaluate the role of the art teacher in the unit on perspective described in this case study? Would you have increased her involvement? How? Why or why not?

§ How would you evaluate the use of backward design in this case study? Was it used? How? How might backward design support interdisciplinary efforts? Chapter 16: A High School Case Study § This case study is focused on Macbeth. The teacher in this case study used a variety of instructional models. Were they used appropriately? How could you determine the answer to this question? Were there other models that might have been effective in this unit? Which

models? Why?

§ Was the content appropriately challenging for the students in this class? Why or why not?

§ What elements of backward design were obvious in this teacher’s planning? Which elements were missing?

DQ 2 Making the Models Work for You. We have examined a wide variety of instructional models that you will have the opportunity to use as future educators. These models become part of your instructional repertoire as an educator. The authors of your text have expressed a desire that they “want teachers at all grade levels and in all content areas to believe that the most important thing they have to teach students is the process of learning” (Estes et al, 2011). Respond to the following questions:

§ How do you see the instructional models we have learned about helping you to achieve the goal the authors of your text have expressed?

§ Good teachers employ a variety of instructional models in their classrooms. Which models seem to be a “good fit” for your personality and teaching style? Which models will be more challenging for you?

§ How will you select instructional models to be used with students in your own classroom? How will you ensure that you are meeting the needs of all students? Refer to your text, additional resources and your own insights/experiences. Respond to at least two classmates’ postings.

FINAL PAPER

Part One: Lesson Plan

Select academic standards on which a unit of study can be developed. Create three lesson plans that could be used in this unit using three different instructional models (select from models that have been covered in this course) that can be utilized effectively to create objectives to meet the standard you have chosen. Be sure to address each of the items below in each of your lesson plans:

§ Identify the instructional model you have chosen.

§ State the academic standard on which the lesson is based.

§ Describe grade level your lesson is written for.

§ Write one ‘students will understand’ objective, at least two ‘students will know’ objectives, and at least two ‘students will be able to do’ objectives to meet the academic standard you have chosen.

§ Include assessments that will be utilized.

§ Explain the procedures you will use to teach the lesson. Your lesson plans should be written using the KUD format as shown in your course textbook. See examples in Chapters 4-10. Part Two: Rationale You may begin working on these areas through weekly assignments throughout the course. Address each of the following bullet points in your final project:

§ Introduction: The focus of your project (unit of study).

§ Rationale for Selection of Instructional Models: Explanation of why each selected model will be effective in meeting instructional objectives for that lesson.

§ Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners: A summary of how individual needs can be met in each model/lesson plan.

§ Assessment and Accountability: Discussion of types of assessment that will be used in each lesson.

§ Evaluation Plan: An explanation of how you will evaluate the effectiveness of your unit of study.

§ Conclusion: A brief discussion of why it is important for teachers to develop an instructional repertoire. The entire project must be a minimum of 10 double-spaced pages in length and formatted according to APA style including a title and reference page. You must use a minimum of four resources, in addition to the course text.