ITL 608 Observation

Week 2 Teacher Observation

Jessica Kuiper

Professor Comer

ITL 608

10 September 2018

OBSERVATION       

I observed Mrs. Seeba’s 6^thgrade language arts class. The agenda on the board was 1) 10 minutes of A.R. 2) Read chapters 3 and 4 of Maroo of the Winter Caves 3) Pear Deck questions. The 6^thgrade class lined up outside, and waited until the bell rang to come inside. Once inside, the students quietly went to their desks and pulled out their A.R. books. The classroom was set up in long tables, with the agenda posted on the board. Mrs. Seeba used the transition strategy, “ ready in 3, 2, 1” in order to gain the attention of the students. Absent work was organized and posted for students for each day, period, and subject. After the 10 minutes of reading was over, the students were asked to grab their Chromebooks, and waited quietly for instructions. Students were given the website to log into, and were given individual temporary passwords. Mrs. Seeba then explained, in detail, how to change their passwords. Each student was told to change his or her password to SnowlineMMDDYYYY. There were many questions and concerns from the students on how to successfully change their passwords; this took a majority of the class period. Students were told to give a “thumbs up” when they were ready to move on. Once everyone had changed their passwords, the students began reading Maroo of the Winter Caves. One student was called on to read, and the class began popcorn reading (students chose other students to read after them.) Mrs. Seeba would ask the students questions periodically to gauge the understanding and level of clarity of the students. The students were given 2 minutes to discuss the questions at their tables, and then came together as a whole class to go over the answers. The class was unable to do the Pear Deck questions, and finished the period with reading Maroo.
            In terms of the 6 elements of the learning plan, I could see several in Mrs. Seeba’s lesson plan. She takes time to learn about the students (student characteristics) and uses this information to form her lesson plans. Goals, objectives, and outcomes were present in the classroom; the students came in and read for 10 minutes, they created new passwords for their web page log in, and lastly, they read Maroo of the Winter Cavesfor the remainder of the class period. Mrs. Seeba’s instructional strategy was for students to help each other create passwords and log in to the system, and rotated around the classroom for students who needed more help. Mrs. Seeba’s assessment strategy was that she periodically would check for understanding every few pages, and confirmed that everyone was successfully logged into the website. Lastly, the activities included reading and working on the computer, in order to maintain the focus of her students, and ensure their best learning.

DEBRIEF

1.     May I see the learning plan for the lesson? Students were to come in the classroom and read for 10 minutes, create new log ins and passwords, and read Maroo of the Winter Caves.

2.     What plan model do you use? I don't use a specific plan, but most of my lessons are plans from a unit by design larger plan. In pieces, I don’t have a formal lesson plan for the day. 

3.     What was the class composition (specifically, how many exceptional, special need and English learners?) That class has 8 ELL, 2 gate students, and mostly average or below average students according their CAASP scores from 2018

4.     Did any students cause any concern for you? Why? Not for this lesson

5.     What were the lesson’s goal and objectives? Get set up on a new tech website, read chapters 3-4

6.     Why did you structure this plan as you did? It didn’t work out as planned, the website took a lot longer than I had planned

7.     What are your favorite instructional methods and strategies? I like to incorporate technology whenever I can. It keeps kids engaged, and if they can learn the material in a new way, I’m all about it.

8.     Were all students engaged sufficiently? Yes, we do a lot of 10/2 when discussing our book. We talk, and discuss our findings.

9.     Do you believe you achieved the lesson’s goal and objectives? For the most part in the reading, we were supposed to use pear deck (an interactive google slide presentation)

10.  How do you evaluate the resulting student outcomes? Through dialogue, and the next day we answered comprehension questions.

11.  Are you satisfied with students’ work in the lesson? If not, why? Yes

12.  What interfered with an effective lesson procedure? The hiccups of the technology piece. Some students were unable to log on to the website making it difficult to move on.

13.  Was your formative assessment effective? Yes it was more of an oral formal assessment, the following day, we put into writing.

14.  What techniques do you believe are most instrumental for classroom management? Building relationships with your kids, trying to point out the positive instead of the negative, and being flexible when things don't work out as planned

15.   Could you improve your learning plan based on the lesson reflection? How? Yes, now 

I am aware of the kinks in the web program we were using, so I’ll know for next time.

ITL 606 Brochure

ITL 606 Field Work

Teacher Interview

Pinon Mesa Middle School
Phelan, CA

Curt Chase
6^th-8^thGrade Leadership

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs indicates that we all have 5 levels of need that must be met:  Physiological, Safety, Love / Belonging, Esteem and Self-Actualization.  In your professional opinion:

1.     How important it is for students to have their basic needs met in order to be successful in School? Why do you think so?

It’s important for students to have their needs met, because they need to feel safe and comfortable in school. This could be the only safe haven they have, and teachers need to provide a sense of support and create connections with students.

2.     Which needs are most important to have satisfied so students can thrive in school?  Why?

The love aspect of the model is the most important. If the student knows you care for and about them, they will perform better in the class. 

3.     Who is responsible for ensuring that students have their needs met?  Why do you think so?

It is a combination of teacher and parent support. The teacher and parents rely on each other to provide the best support system for the student.

4.     What is one thing a teacher might do for a student who has physiological or safety needs?  Why would this be useful?

It’s important to make sure the student is safe. If necessary, the teacher needs to alert authorities, contact the administration, and file a report. The student needs to know they can trust the teacher, and that the teacher will ensure their safety.

5.     Ensuring Safety needs are met and making sure students are ready to learn involves classroom management.  What are three things you do to manage your classroom?  

1)   Clearly explained/defined expectations

2)   Have students help create expectations, so they feel included in the process

3)   Communicate frequently with parents and students 

6.     How do you decide what rules and routines to employ?

It depends on the group of student. Keep consistency, but remain flexible. If one routine does not work, try another one. If that one works, continue to use that day by day. 

7.     Do these fit for students who have a Behavior Intervention Plan? How do you assess progress? What do you do for students from a different culture?

For students with a BIP, Mr. Chase speaks one-on-one with the student. Together they create a list of goals the student wants to achieve throughout the year. He keeps open communication with the student and their parents. He continues to watch and talk with students on a daily basis to discuss progress. For students from a different culture, Mr. Chase pairs them with someone who speaks the same language, or someone who is a diligent worker (who can help the student succeed.)

8.     How do you organize your classroom / educational environment to support classroom management?

The class is arranged in large table groups, the students rotate seating throughout the year to ensure students are meeting new people, and creating a welcoming environment.

9.     With classroom management in mind, what advice would you give me regarding how to establish good classroom management in my first class?

-Stay consistent

-Follow through with what you say you will do

- Create bonds with students
- Don’t take behavior or actions personally

10.   When you know that a student has a specific need that most of the other students do not have, what do you do to address that need? 

Each need is handled differently. Either modify the activity or partner the student with a diligent student in the class. Remain flexible in lesson plans, and adjust when needed. 

SUMMARY

            Mr. Chase is a 30+ year teacher at Pinon Mesa Middle School. I observed his 6^thand 7^thgrade leadership skill classes. Mr. Chase thrives on creating lasting relationships with his students. He is the most common favorite teacher between middle school students, and establishes bonds with students, that follow throughout the student’s adult life. He creates a safe learning environment in the classroom, and ensures that the student’s need for belonging is met. Mr. Chase chooses to have a classroom with an open door policy, making students feel comfortable and safe. Mr. Chase successfully balances flexibility and consistency in the classroom; students know what is expected, but Mr. Chase offers support if the student is struggling academically, or facing family issues. When asked “what advice would you give me during my first year in the classroom?” Mr. Chase responded that I must remain flexible, follow through on my word, build connections with students, and not take anything personally. 

REFLECTION

            Personally, I’ve always looked up to Mr. Chase as an educator. Mr. Chase is an excellent example of an inspired teacher, and I will be lucky to be half the teacher he is. I hope to share the same connections and life-long bonds as he has with his students. I want to create a safe environment for students to come in to; where they can forget the struggles they are facing at home, and focus on learning. I want to be an understanding and compassionate teacher, one who isn’t there for a paycheck, but one who cares about the well being of my students. I aspire to have the calm and warm aurora that Mr. Chase exemplifies, and to be a confidant to my students while still delivering necessary learning material. Group tables, partner activities, and open door policies will create the classroom experience I want. Clear, explicit expectations, parent/teacher conversations, and flexible lesson plans will create a classroom management style that can be respected and followed by students. This observation was beneficial in helping me see what I would like to implement into my own classroom. 

ITL 604- CELDT Testing Transition

INTRODUCTION

            California is a state in which a significant number of children reside in homes in which English is not their primary language. Based on a parent’s response to the Home Language Survey, any pupil in California not previously identified as an English Language Learner or where previous records do not exist must be assessed for English language proficiency using the California English Language Development Test (Education Commission). Results of the CELDT are used by the school’s EL coordinator, teachers, and administration in order to guide instruction and to ensure that EL students receive adequate support within the classroom.

ASSESSMENT TOOL

            The CELDT is an assessment tool used to gauge the proficiency of English Language Learner students. The CELDT Fundamentals video on Blackboard reviews the four components of CELDT: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. There are five proficiency levels that students can score, “beginning, early intermediate, intermediate, early advanced, and advanced” (Blackboard, 2018). Once test results become available, EL individual student progress can be tracked and monitored for the duration of their public school career. The EL coordinator and teachers use the proficiency levels of the CELDT to properly place EL students in their classes. Also, teachers use the results to ensure that EL students are getting the needed academic support necessary to be successful in their classes. Another example of how teachers use the CELDT results is in the placement of the bilingual associates who provide increased student support in order to help the student transition to their new school setting. Teachers utilize individual CELDT results in order to modify lesson plans that address the language weaknesses and strengths of the EL students. This is an example of how a teacher could modify a test based on a student’s CELDT result. A student who has a higher proficiency level in Speaking could be allowed to verbally answer test questions instead of writing their answers. CELDT results also enable teachers to identify areas that a student’s skill is lacking such as reading. The teacher can then collaborate with the EL coordinator or other members of their department in order to remediate that skill. For example, an EL student with a Beginning reading score would benefit from reading with a partner to help increase reading fluency. There is a less stress for a student when working with a partner versus reading aloud to the entire class. CELDT scores are also important to administrators. For example, a smaller class size may be considered when grouping English Learners. State testing is also affected by English Learners. Generally, English Learners do not test at a proficient level in English and Math. Lastly, administrators also consider the number of English Learners when it comes to the staffing of teachers and associates. 

PURPOSE OF CELDT TESTING

            In order to utilize the benefits of CELDT testing, it is important for educators, students, and administration to understand the purpose of the test. The CELDT is administered in grades kindergarten through 12^thgrade, and progress is tracked each year to better assist the student. If the student is new to a California public school, it is a requirement that students take the CELDT within 30 days of starting the school. According to the California Department of Education, the test is administered yearly until the student attains sufficient English proficiency and is reclassified as a fluent English speaker. The CELDT boot camp video explains the elements associated with the test, and prepares the students for the upcoming test they will be taking (Blackboard, 2018). The teacher discusses with the students that they will be required to write one coherent sentence during the test, which describes what is happening in an image that is given to the students. In order to help the student, the teacher uses a basic sentence frame, which will ultimately keep the sentence organized and guarantee all required components are included in the sentence. She urges students to keep the sentence short and to the point, and encourages students to reread their sentence. Students are told to look for a capital letter, period, and check that the sentence makes sense. She teaches the students that the sentence should be “big, little, and easy through the middle;” meaning the students should have a capital letter at the beginning, period at the end, and that the sentence should flow and makes sense through the middle. Towards the end of the video, the teacher creates one last sentence with the students, “the kids are sliding on a fun slide,” and together the students decide that the sentence makes sense, and contains all required components needed to make the sentence. The results of the Writing portion of the CELDT help teachers determine if a student understands and can use verbs properly or if they can use proper punctuation in their writing. This information helps a teacher guide the individual instruction for the EL student.

            The overall purpose of the CELDT is to ascertain the English proficiency level in four different categories. In reading, a student could be lacking skills in phonemics or fluency. A reading program could be implemented to strengthen these skills. In the listening section of the test, the student is given verbal instructions, is tested on rhyming ability, and is tested on verbal comprehension. Teachers can use this information to determine where the student needs more help; for example, if the student scores low in the rhyming section of the test, the teacher would spend more time reviewing rhyming patterns with the student. In the writing component of the test, the student is instructed to create a simple sentence. Upon reviewing results of the test, the teacher might find that the student used the wrong verb tense; in this case, the teacher would develop lesson plans which improve the student’s aptitude to determine which verb tense to use. The last component of the CELDT is speaking, in which the student is tested on his or her oral vocabulary, speech functions, and the student is asked questions and must verbally respond. Again, the teacher is able to review test results, and determine areas of improvement. Possibly, the student may be struggling with subject-verb agreement, such as “the kids is going to the park,” in which case the teacher would incorporate direct instruction and student practice. 

CELDT TRANSITIONING TO ELPAC

            Current CELDT testing is evolving and becoming the ELPAC. As discussed in the article, “Comparison of the CELDT and the ELPAC” there several differences between the CELDT and the ELPAC. Eventually, the ELPAC will replace the CELDT. The ELPAC has intriguing characteristics, which will make test results more useful to teachers. The CELDT has 5 tiers of proficiency levels, and the ELPAC has only 3, this gives more room for improvement for students, and narrows the gap between proficiency levels. The CELDT is grouped into 5 grade level spans, whereas the ELPAC has 7 grade level spans, this can be beneficial because students can be tested more frequently on material they are learning, and gives students more room for improvement. This can also be a helpful tool in aiding teachers to discover areas of focus and can assist teachers in creating explicit lessons for individual students. In the document titled “ELPAC Transition” found on Blackboard, the ELPAC was in a pilot stage in 2016, in 2017 the ELPAC was being field tested, and as of July 2018, the ELPAC is currently in the operational stage, and the CELDT will slowly be phased out. The ELPAC incorporates the best components of the CELDT, and also contains several improvements that will benefit school districts (Blackboard, 2018).

CONCLUSION

            CELDT or ELPAC testing and results are essential tools for teachers and administrators in order to guide instruction and to properly place teaching personnel to benefit the needs of English Learners. The administration can also use results to guide Professional Development for teachers as well. Yearly monitoring of an EL’s English skills helps teachers target their instruction and celebrate the student’s language successes. The goal for each English Learner is to be eventually reclassified as English Proficient. CELDT or ELPAC testing is the first step to achieving this outcome. 

References

California Department of Education. Comparison of the CELDT and the ELPAC. 18 January 

            2018. Retrieved from https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ep/celdtelpaccompare.aspon 28 July

2018.

California Department of Education. ELPAC Transition. 14 October 2015. Retrieved from 

            https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ep/documents/elpactransition.docon 29 July 2018.

Edmund, Deborah. CELDT Brochure. National University Blackboard. Retrieved from
            https://nu.blackboard.comon 25 July 2018.

Edmund, Deborah. CELDT Fundamentals. National University Blackboard. 13 October 2017. 

            Retrieved from 

            https://nu.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_8046

            8_1&content_id=_5939970_1&mode=reset on 28 July 2018.

Edmund, Deborah. CELDT Video: Bootcamp. National University Blackboard. 24 October 

2017. Retrieved from

https://nu.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_8046

8_1&content_id=_5939970_1&mode=reset on 28 July 2018.

What Methods are Used to Identify English Language Learners. (2014, November). Retrieved       from http://ecs.force.com/mbdata/mbquestNB2?rep=ELL1403.

ITL 604 Cultural Basket Presentation

ITL 604- Students with Speech Disabilities/ Language barriers

Jessica Kuiper

ITL 604
Week 4 Journal Entry

            

Humans are creatures of habit; no matter how small a difference may be, humans will react to change. This is prominent in school systems, kids who differ slightly from the social norm are often viewed as outsiders. In this instance, I’ll discuss students with speech/language disorders. I remember when I was in middle school and high school, there were a significant amount of students who were pulled from class to see their speech teacher. It was bizarre. I remember being caught off guard when I would find out students were in speech. I would think to myself, “wow, John Smith is in speech?!” as if it was this great abnormality, or as it was a negative thing to be in the speech class. When I was in grade school, I could not comprehend that students actually had to see a speech teacher for their speech disorder.

I think one of the main reasons students with speech disorders could be seen as “stupid” by their peers, is that we feel unable to ask questions about a person’s disability. Society has taught us not to ask questions, or stare to long at someone who’s different than us. Instead of trying to find out what disability a person has, we automatically assume the worst: they are stupid, they can’t talk, and I don’t want to offend them by asking them a question. At some point in society, language and intelligence have been linked together. If you don’t know how to speak a language proficiently, then you must have low intelligence. However, there are so many other ways that a person can exhibit their intelligence, it don’t just revolve around how well you can speak the language. 

For example, a person might have difficulty speaking English, but can write and type in English beyond college level. We, as a society, are so quick to judge a person the moment we meet them, that we haven’t given them a chance to express themselves in the way they are most comfortable. What if later you come to find out that the student comes from an immigrant family, both mom and dad only speak Spanish at home. The student is only immersed to English when he is at school, but when he gets home, he spends multiple hours writing in his journal, in English. However, his fellow students, and even his teacher think he’s of lower intelligence, because they can’t have a conversation with him at school. This is an example which I’m sure proves to be true in more than one case around the U.S. That student could be practicing English more than any of this other classmates, he could even be one of the smartest students in the class, but because he does not speak perfect English, all other scholars belittle and tease him.
            In response to the journal prompt, I believe students with speech disabilities and language barrier issues are deemed “stupid” for the simple fact that humans fear what they do not know. Instead of trying other forms of communication, or even imploring what type of “barrier” the student has, everyone is just too quick to judge the student, and the student is already put at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the scholars. 

This is an ideology which I hope changes in the future, and I hope more students and teachers will try more than one way to communicate with students who face language barriers and speech disabilities. 

ITL 604 Assignment #1

To first start evaluate Ms. Begay’s students and their learning tendencies, it would be helpful to know what areas the children are struggling with. Children learn at different paces, and may be likely to understand subjects at different capacities. One of the first things Ms. Begay should look into, would be to pin point what areas are needed to focus on, and what is causing the misconnection for the students. In this case, the student’s are scoring low in math, reading and writing. Ms. Begay is aware that Louisa is getting tested for Special Education, and that Jose has just transferred from another school, and his paperwork has not been sent over yet, and Luke does not have an IEP. This is valuable information for Ms. Begay to be aware of, as she may have to modify assignments to meet their needs. 

            To answer the next question, it is important for Ms. Begay to be aware of her student’s progress because she needs to keep an active log on what methods are working, or may not be working for the students. This benefits the students and herself, because she is able to quickly and easily refer to their progress throughout the year, if they aren’t improving in a certain subject, then she will need to implement new learning strategies for the students. If the students were to qualify for an IEP, monitoring their progress is essential in their learning plan. Being an active participant in the students learning progression reaps many positive benefits. 

            In order to monitor the student’s progress throughout the year, Ms. Begay would benefit from periodically testing students, and reviewing their test scores. For example, if it was a timed math test, which evaluated the student’s knowledge of their multiplication tables, Ms. Begay could give the test to students once a week, or however often she felt obligated to. This would check their understanding of multiplication tables, and show progression in the area of concern. Assessing students on a given subject periodically would be a great aid in monitoring progress.

            Progress monitoring can be more beneficial than annual achievement testing for a variety of different reasons. For example, if the teacher were to use annual testing, it takes far longer to receive results and offer help where needed. Also, progress monitoring is given throughout the year, there are more chances for improvement, and it is easier to keep a long running track of data and progression. Lastly, progress monitoring is more accessible to all parties involved. Students and teachers can both review material together to develop a strategic plan on improving results.

            Progress monitoring has two components: mastery measurement and curriculum based measurement, which differ from each other in a few different ways. In mastery measurement, each skill is planned ahead of time, and the test is followed in order. In order to move on to the next skill, the student must master the each skill before; whereas in curriculum based measurement, skills can be taught in any order, and do not require mastery of a previous skill. Skills in curriculum based measurements are designed specifically for the student at hand. Mastery measurement does not monitor maintenance of skill, and curriculum based measurement does. The two different types of progress monitoring can be very useful in their own way, depending on the needs of the student. 

            Curriculum based measurement can be used in many different way to help at-risk students. Teachers can use CBM to identify what skills students are having issues with. Teachers can also use CBM to verify what teaching strategies are proving effective and ineffective in the classroom. Lastly, CBM helps teachers track progression for student’s who have IEP’s in place.

            Curriculum based measurement can be achieved through 6 steps. These 6 steps include the following: create appropriate tests, administer and score the tests, graph these scores, set goals, make instructional decisions, and lastly, communicate progress. 

            To put CBM into an example, let’s say we are testing a student on their multiplication tables on 2’s, 3’s, and 4’s. The first step would be to create multiplication table tests including 2’s, 3’s and 4’s. We would then give the test to the student, and score the tests. We would graph these scores, or keep track of the amount of problems the student answered correctly and incorrectly. Then, we would make goals on what score the student should receive when the next test is administered. As teachers, it is our job to see where the student is struggling, and find solutions to fix the problem. For instance, if the student is having trouble with their 4’s, it would be important to spend a significant amount of time reviewing these numbers, and going over these numbers on a daily basis. Lastly, we would communicate the results to the student, and/or parent.