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EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING

Evidence of Student Learning: Instructional Methods and Assessment of a SelfContained Enclave Classroom
Dion M. Chapman
Towson State University

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Table of Contents
School Introduction
Unit Introduction and Learning Objectives
Assessment Plan
Instruction and Methods
Analysis and Instructional Decision Making
Data Tables and Figures
Reflection

Appendix A

Day One Lesson, Materials, Reflection

Appendix B

Day Two Lesson, Materials, Reflection

Appendix C

Day Three Lesson, Materials, Reflection

Appendix D

Summative Assessment Materials

Appendix E

Student Work Samples

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School Introduction
Reservoir High School is a comprehensive high school located in Fulton,
Maryland. It serves a diverse population of 1,510 students, including a large
population of special education students, as well as a large population of ESOL
students. Reservoir is 30.7% black, 13.3% Hispanic, 36.1% white, 13.4% Asian,
0.3% American Indian/Alaskan, and 0.2 % Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. The school
also includes students of two or more races of 6.1%. The school consists of
<5.0%ESOL population, 8.0% special education population, and has a 24.4%
FARMS rate. Special education programs in the building include Gifted and
Talented/Learning Disabled, Co-taught Programs, Emotional Disabilities Program,
Enclave, Best Buddies, and Allied Sports.
This specific class is a self-contained class that meets five days a week
Monday through Friday. I am the teacher for this group of six students at Reservoir
High. We meet from 10:41 AM to 2:10PM. The Enclave Program is a supervised
work-training program for students receiving special education. The enclave
provides a transition step between school and independent work for those who
need a higher degree of support or supervision. Each enclave consists of a small
group of students who perform basic, repetitive tasks under close supervision of
special education personnel. The experience enables students to achieve success
in a community vocational setting while learning the attitudes and skills necessary
to work independently, including:

Using effective socially appropriately communication skills

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Following directions.
Completing small jobs
Seeking assistance when needed.
To be eligible for this program a student must be 16 years old or be in their
junior year of high school. All students are certificate bound and be enrolled in the
Academic Life Skills program or placed at Cedar Lane School. I also provide
academic work for the students on Mondays when we stay in the building. It is
during this time I work with the students on job readiness, consumer math, writing
goals, and everyday daily living skills. These skills include such things as social
communication, cooking, appropriate socialization and hygiene. It is during this
time I will document the learning of these six students. The class contains two
females and four males. All of these students are part of the Academic Life Skills
Program (ALS). The range of exceptionalities includes three with an intellectual
disability and three with Autism. The cultural differences include three African
Americans, one white, one Asian, and one Native Indian/Alaskan. Many of the
students struggle with reading comprehension as well as written language and
spelling. All of the students struggle with oral language and speaking in front of
the classroom. Between all the students, the areas affected by their disability
include reading, math, written expression, social/pragmatics, expressive/receptive
language behavior study/organizational skills, and functional life skills.
Unit Introduction and Learning Objectives
I found this assignment a little difficult at first because I do not teach in a
content area. It is my assumption that the Maryland College and Career Readiness

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Standards are spelled out for content area classes. However, I combined the
Maryland Career Development Framework for grades pre-k through
postsecondary/adult standards along with the (MCCRS). One of the main goals of
the school system and the Enclave program is to give the students job skills to
make them career and job ready upon transitioning from high school. My students
need the job skills and the ability to apply and get gainful employment. One way
of achieving this is to give the ability to find a job that interest them and apply for
that job, like all other students. I then aligned the two different standards into this
unit. The MCCRS for writing includes W.2 CCR Anchor Standard for grades 11-12
from page 6 (See Attachment). It also includes Maryland Career Development
Framework standards form page 5, standard 2, indicator B, grades 9-12,
objectives 1a, 2a, and 2c (please see attachment). The three lessons will seek to
help the students to fill out a job application correctly and identify the
components of a resume. From the Common Core standards there were two
essential skills that the students will demonstrate. The first skills asked them to
use and consult print and digital reference materials to clarify precise meaning
and correct usage of vocabulary and to aid in vocabulary acquisition. These skills
were demonstrated in the lesson one when I referenced the How to Fill Out a Job
Application. This handout introduced the students to new vocabulary that applies
to filling out job applications and writing a resume. Students will refer to this
handout while completing the assignment. The second essential skill is applying
the edit phase of the writing process independently to edit for spelling,
capitalization, and punctuation. This skill was demonstrated when the students

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used these skills to fill out the application correctly, using correct capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Along with aligning with the curriculum and Common Core standards, this unit
had independent instructional time when I asked the students to fill out and
collect their personal contact information on a data sheet that required the
students to get this information from their parents. There were also individual, but
related objectives throughout the three lessons, which all aligned with
achievement of the instructional goal, in addition to aligning with the Common
Core standards for writing. The objectives that were worked on for the three days
included; identifying the correct information that should go on a job application,
the parts of a resume, and determine chronological order.

Assessment Plan
The pre-assessment instrument was designed to test the students basic
understanding of correctly filling out a job application. The pre-assessment
included a total of ten questions. All of the questions were fill in the blank. From
the results of the pre-test, I determined that they knew very little about correctly
filling out a job application. The assessment required the students to fill in the
blank. Although I was sure this test would be difficult, I didnt expect for them to
get all of the questions wrong. Even with prompting from staff, they found it to be
difficult. I knew that as a result of the data from this test, I must change the way I
assess the knowledge learned. I will keep the questions the same, but I will make
the test multiple-choice. I will include a correct and an incorrect answer for each

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question. I know my students require guided instruction in order to identify the
correct information. The results of the pre-assessment will also make me change
the way I gather the students understanding as I assess them during the lessons.
The post assessment data was determined by the percentage the student got
correct.
WY
YW
RP
TK
AH
ID

Results of the Pre-assessment Test

0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%

Formative assessments strategies were completed throughout all three days of

instruction. This was to determine how much material students were retaining.
The main strategy used was varying the levels of questioning. I had to
differentiate the level of questioning to each students learning needs. At different
points throughout the lessons, comprehension questions would be asked of the
whole class. At points I would pick a particular student to answer the question.
This was to make sure all students participate as well as check for understanding
so that I could immediately review the information, if needed. At different points
throughout the lesson I would go back and ask the same question, I had just
asked of another student. This helps the students to stay focus and listen to the
answers of their classmates. My students require more effort to write an answer to
show what they learned. I will allow them to verbally identify what it is I am asking
them to learn. However, at the end of this three-day lesson I will still ask them to

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write to use their pencils to correctly identify the correct answer. On day one of
the lesson, I will ask them to show incorrect information on a job application by
circling the mistakes on the form. That is how they will show what was learned on
that day. The CCSC that the students worked on day one of this unit include using
essential skills and knowledge by requiring editing for spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation. On day two, I asked the students to correctly identify the seven parts
of a resume. This will be assessed verbally. Although this will be conducted with
the whole class, I will ask the students to answer my questions of understanding,
going around the room. On day three, I asked the students to identify
chronological order and the use of the acronym POWER-AH. The students showed
their understanding of chronological order by placing pictures of items with the
year on it, in order from the dates given. On day one of the lesson I asked the
students to correctly fill out a sample job application. This form requires the
students to fill in their personal information on a sample job application. This form
requires the students to correctly identify their personal information and place it
in the correct location on the form. This form will allow me to grade them on their
understanding of filling out a form correctly. This is the grading scale I used to
compare their understanding of how to properly fill out a job application.

Job Application Grading Scale

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0 errors = 100%
1 error = 96%
2 errors = 92%
3 errors = 88%
4 errors = 84%
5 errors = 80%
6 errors = 78%
7 errors = 76%
8 errors = 74%
9 errors = 72%
10 errors = 70%
Minus 2 points for each error over 10

YW
WY
RP
TK
AH
ID

Results of the Job Application Test

92%
76%
88%
76%
72%
80%

The results of this assessment were better than the pre-assessment. All of the
students required the use of their personal information data sheet to remember
their personal information. As long as they had their sheet they were able to fill in
the correct information, in the correct space. I thought this was an acceptable
cheat sheet to use. As long as they could keep this information in their purse or
wallet, I thought this was great. I will make a small laminated copy of their
information so they can reference it in the future. None of my students had prior
job experience, so all of them left this section blank. The student had no
knowledge of the vocabulary term reference. This term was added to their
vocabulary list. At the end of the third day I gave the same assessment that I
gave them on day one of this lesson. As stated before I made it multiple-choice. I

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included the pre and post assessment to show how I modified it to allow my
students to show the knowledge they gained as a result of the lessons.

Results of Post Assessment Test

WY
40%
YW
80%
RP
60%
TK
70%
AH
40%
ID
60%
Instruction
Sharing the lesson objective is an age-appropriate manner is vital to the
success of lessons and student learning. Learning objectives allow students to
know what is important. I believe that teachers need to understand that like
preaching, we tend to only hear a small part of a whole lecture. I believe that if we
state the objective that allows the students to key in when the objective is

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mentioned. When my teacher states explicitly want she wants me to learn, I tend
to pay attention. I also believe that when a student does not know what is
expected they can spend a great deal of time concentrating on unimportant
information. Teachers should also clarify any language or vocabulary that is in the
objective that the students may not understand. Learning objectives can be
clearly spelled out on the board or handout so the student can refer to it during
the lesson. I tend to identify the objective by using the acronym SWBAT on the
left hand side of the board. The students and I state, students will be able to..
This is the way I was taught to make sure the objective stated for the student to
see. During the lesson, I tend to emphasize when I get to the part of the lesson
that identifies the objectives. I may repeat it several times when I get to the part
of the lesson. Objectives may be reinforced throughout the lesson so students fell
a purpose behind what they are learning. It is important that students know what
they must do in class or what the goal of a lesson is, in order for them to feel its
important to their life. As stated before, I changed the post-assessment due to the
fact that the students werent able to achieve the goal of the unit the way it was
written.
As the teacher I feel it is my job to motivate my students. This lesson excited
me because I know they all are going to need these skills to be successful. I can
only imagine how my students feel as they are preparing to leave high school
unprepared to enter the workforce. All of my students are certificate track kids.
When they leave school, it is my belief that most of them will eventually end up
sitting at home. Last year I had two students who left school with a certificate of

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completion and a goal of attending adult services. They didnt like the program
and ended up quitting. One of them is working part time at Chucky Cheeses and
the other stays at home. I feel that its my job to prepare them for the world of
work. They may never leave home and take care of themselves, but they can be
productive citizens of society. Therefore, when they are with me and I have the
ability to train them to work, thats my motivation. I realize that everyone cant go
to college. I almost didnt go. I must teach my students to follow directions, stay
focused on the job at hand, and have the ability to earn a paycheck. I try to instill
in my students that they all can achieve and that part of growing up is working
and earning a pay. This lesson involved filling out a job application and knowing
the components of a resume. All of my students enjoy cartoons and media. From
my childhood I remembered a Saturday morning cartoon that spoke about careers
and jobs. It was called Zack of All Trades The Future Blob. It was made in 1985
and for some reason it excited me back then to think about what I was going to do
after high school. Although I cant sing, music was an interest. After seeing the
students watch cartoons on YouTube, I thought that this video could motivate
them. Thats where the idea of creating this lesson came from. The video started
by asking, what do I like to do? Then it asks, What jobs are suited to me? From
this video I wanted the students to think about their interest and come up with
possible job that suit their interest. This video was a part of lesson 2. The students
really enjoyed the video and I was happy to share something with them from my
own childhood. The students really became excited when they heard me singing

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the song. This video was the motivation for me to open up and continue the
conversation about jobs and careers.
One of the most essential methods to introducing new knowledge is to show
students how it connects to existing knowledge that they already have. By putting
new knowledge into a context that they already understand, students are more
likely to retain new concepts. For this unit, the initial introduction around the
question, how do you fill out a job application? seemed to catch their attention,
because they never filled out an application. They are aware that the reason we
go out of the building three days a week is to learn job skills. They also know that
every place we volunteer, there are employees there, that earn a paycheck. It was
easy for me to connect how do you fill out a job application to the need for all of
them to get a job. I have said to them many times you cant get a job, until after
you apply for a job. Jobs will not come looking for them, is another saying I
repeat to them while they are out with me. I believe this is helpful to making the
connection to the real world. Making connections to each students world is the
way into their brains. Just getting them thinking about how to get a job is part of
the success of this lesson.
Scaffolding learning is another important facet to instruction. Scaffolding is a
method of teaching new material using a childs strengths, previous knowledge
and special motivational techniques as a support for new information. Some
scaffolding techniques include connecting lessons to prior knowledge, using a
motivational system and breaking tasks into smaller parts. As the students
competency increases, I can reduce the motivation system and require for the

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student to show more of what they have learned. Modeling new skills for students
shows them how to do something correctly and gives them a reference point for
their individual learning. This technique was used in lesson one when we went
from indentifying mistakes on an incorrectly filled out application to filling in an
application with their own information. Guided practice is important for students
to begin to branch out on their own to complete a task and gain confidence in
practicing a skill, yet still feeling comfortable that the teacher is there to guide
them through if they need help. Independent practice shows the teacher if
students are capable of completing a classroom task on their own or not, as well
as allowing the student to practice a skill and find ways to retain the material. On
lesson two, I asked the students to physically show me placing the letters of the
acronym POWER-AH next to the statement that explains that letter. This
independent practice allowed me to see which students still had difficulty with the
lesson. From that, I was able to review the steps with each student on where they
were in the lesson. It was at this point in the lesson I had to stop and slow down.
What I intended to be independent practice turned out to be guided practice. The
students required me to walk them through this acronym several times before
they could remember the information. After several attempts, they then were able
to demonstrate their knowledge independently. Two of the students in particular
still required guided practice. This was an opportunity for me to give more direct
instruction to them, while at the same time review information for the other
students. Giving the students opportunities to practice these skills in this manner
allowed me to check for understanding.

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It is also my hope to help my students to develop critical thinking skills. My
students tend to not think of ways to solve a problem. When they encounter a
problem, they usually seek an adults direction to solve the problem. This method
severely limits them and allows for frustration to build for the adults. As their
teacher I will seek to develop ways to include critical thinking skills in our lessons.
One way of doing this will include allowing them to feel a small amount of
frustration before I intervene in a situation. When the opportunity arises I will talk
them through the situation, not solve it for them. Another way is to help them
understand that they are problem solvers. They can exercise this when I ask openended questions. Rather than giving them my answer, I will ask them to solve the
problem. The third way to work on their critical thinking skills is to encourage
them to think in new and different ways. By instructing them to think differently,
Im helping them to increase their creative problem solving skills. I will ask them
what other ways can we solve this problem? During this lesson I could have
used this more than I did. It was after the lesson that I realized I could have done
better at developing their critical thinking skills.
Formative assessments allow teachers to gauge instructional success. Asking
the students questions during the lessons not only develops critical thinking skills,
but also acts as a formative assessment tool. The good thing about questioning is
that it can be differentiated for each student. The complexity of the question and
topic can be made appropriate for each learner.
Using the CAST Universal Design for Learning lesson builder allowed me to use
models and tools to create and adapt lessons that increase access and

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participation for my students. It gave me the organization I needed to document
my lessons. This was a required format for this assignment and this program.
Using the Universal Design for Learning framework allowed me to build-in
differentiation for all students. A range of general differentiation methods were
used in these three lessons. Visuals were used; this is because all six of my
students benefit from visual learning and visual organizers, rather than using textbased assignments. Writing the acronym on the board allowed the students to get
up out of their seats and move around the room while answering questions of
understanding. The video allowed for multi-media supports to the lesson. Placing
a blank job application in front of them allowed them to become familiar with the
form. During lesson three when they were asked to cut out and place items in
chronological order allowed them to work with their hands. The lessons allowed
me to take into account the vast differences in my students language
development. WY and AH have difficulty expressing their thoughts. I allow them to
signal me through the use of sounds when I ask them to identify a correct answer.
This was a way of communication that I was able to pick up on as I got to know
them.
As a teacher I must give my students multiple opportunities for feedback and
follow-up during instruction. This strategy allows for improvement in learning
before the last assessment is given. This can be demonstrated by giving feedback
at critical points during the learning. With my students I must do this multiple
times for each lesson. It again allows me to check for understanding that my
students are learning what it is Im trying to teach them. Monitoring student

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progress throughout the lesson and giving students individual feedback is a way
to engage students and keep them on the right track. I try to continually give my
students motivation and feedback during this unit. The ways in which I do this was
through a pat on the back, a thumbs up, raising my hands with excitement,
verbally saying Good job, or saying, youre a rock star. At the same time I
allowed them to see when I wasnt pleased with their effort or answer. This can be
demonstrated with a disappointing look, thumbs down, or saying that I wanted
them to try again. I make it a point to let these students know how theyre doing
before they leave the class. I have found that the assignment is easy for them to
forget. If I tell them that they did a great job and they can take a good report
home to show their parents, they tend to remember the lesson. Feedback can
come before a lesson as well. When I asked the students to take home a personal
data sheet and bring it back filled out, several of the students thought it was
something bad. Regardless it kept the assignment on their mind. They were
excited to get it filled out and to use the information on the sheet once they
brought it back.
Summarizing at the end of class each day is a nice way of reminding students
what was taught. It also allows them to review the specific lesson objectives.
Using the strategy of writing SWBAT and asking them to say it was another way
of for me to summarize at the end of class. All students, especially those receiving
special education services, benefit from summarizing. It helps at the end of a
lesson, but also during the lesson as well. Summarizing can also be used before a
lesson when you identify key terms and defining them for the lesson.

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Analysis and Instructional Decision Making
Student achievement of curriculum objectives, as well as Maryland Career
Development Framework standards, as well as Common Core essential skills and
knowledge, was measured to analyze the success of these lessons and unit.
Student achievement of curricular objectives was measured using the formative
and summative assessments present throughout this unit. The scoring data can
be found in Table 1 page 20. I made charts to show the progress of the
assessments. I made a chart to show the Pre and Post Assessment Data, the Daily
Assessment Data, and the Summative Assessment Results by Race. Students
achievements of Common Core objectives were measured through class activities,
as opposed to assessments. The essential skills were difficult to assess because of
my students difficulty with reading and comprehension. All of my students have
IEPs with reading comprehension goals. Rather than assess them directly on
reading skills, I allowed them to work on their reading skills while highlighting the
incorrect information on the sample job application. During this unit I worked on
the students IEP objectives as well as the essential skill requirements from the
CCSC standards. It is important that all students work on reading skills over the
course of the school year. The class activities offered the perfect opportunity for
the students to practice content literacy skills to apply them as they go out and
seek employment in the future.
The editing of the incorrectly filled out job application and the filling of the
blank application gave the students an opportunity to work on essential skills from
CCSSL 11-12 W.2e. It also applied to CCSS L. 11-12.2 and CCSS L.4.3b. They were

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editing for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Using highlighters was a
strategy offered to the students to assist them in their identifying of incorrectly
placed items. Several of my students allow the use of highlighters as a
supplementary aid and services in their IEP. This was to aid the students with their
organizational skills. However, this is an excellent Universal Design for Learning
Strategy for all students to use throughout life. This assignment was difficult for
my students. It required a lot of patience on my part to properly build the lesson
and for the students to maintain focus. At the conclusion of the first assessment I
thought that I wouldnt be able to teach them this information. I had to convince
myself that the goals were attainable and that I was going to do this until I felt
they were getting the skills I had wanted them to achieve.
Originally I thought this unit only took three days to complete. I was wrong. I
believe that if I made it a five-day lesson, the students would achieve better
scores on their assessment. As stated before re-teaching was required on all three
days of this lesson. I now know that I need to give more support and clarification
to my students throughout the lesson. Formative assessments proved to be
effective to judge instructional decision making throughout the unit. These
informed decisions ultimately proved to be successful as all students improved on
their scores from the pre and post-tests. The charts below show the results of this
lesson.

Table 1
Pre and Post Assessment Differential

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Student Name
PreWY
YW
RP
TK
AH
ID
Class Average

Assessment
0/10 - 0%
0/10 - 0%
0/10 - 0%
0/10 - 0%
0/10 - 0%
0/10 - 0%
0%

Summative

% Differential

Assessment
4/10 - 40%
8/10 - 80%
6/10 - 60%
7/10 - 70%
4/10 - 40%
6/10 - 60%
58.3%

+40%
+80%
+60%
+70%
+40%
+60%
58.3%

Table 2
Daily Assessment Data
Student Name

WY
YW
RP
TK
AH
ID

Day 1

Day Two

Day Three

Writing your personal

Identify the information

Students will identify

information

that goes on a resume

the acronym POWER-AH

3/6
6/6
6/6
4/6
3/6
6/6

2/7
6/7
6/7
4/7
1/7
5/7

3/7
7/7
7/7
5/7
4/7
6/7

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Table 3
Race
Black
White
Asian
Indian

Number Of

Average Score

Students
3
46.67%
1
70%
1
80%
1
60%
Summative Assessment Results By Race

Table 4
Assessment Results By Disability
Disability

Numbers of

Average Score

Autism
Intellectual

Students
3
3

60%
56.6%

Disability

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Reflection
I have always looked up to the teachers in my life. They made me believe in
myself when my self-esteem was at an all time low. I looked to my teachers for
guidance and acceptance. For me to give back to my students the way my
teachers gave to me, I need to continue to push myself to learn the strategies and
skills necessary to be an effective teacher. I want to be the type of teacher that
will make my past teachers proud of me. In my professional opinion, I feel we are
losing at preparing out students for the world of work. In my school we tend to
focus on all students going to college. I am blessed to have been able to
continue schooling after high school. However, I would not have made it to
college, if I couldnt play football. I had no desire to attend college because of the
many problems I had in school. I thought I was going to go in the service and take
up a trade. The students I teach cant play sports and they are years behind in
their education. I hope to prepare my students to find a job and bring a paycheck
home to help take care of themselves. This assignment was enlightening for me. I
know that I am not the best teacher in my school. I work too much on my part-

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time job to make additional money to take care of my family. I need to slow down
and take care of myself by getting enough rest, continuing to learn in the field of
education, and increasing my knowledge of students with disabilities.
After conduction this assignment I find myself question how this lesson could
be better. I realize that all lessons will be a work in progress. I will prepare the
lesson to the best of my abilities using the best methods and strategies based on
proven techniques. When I find a way to increase my students learning, I wont let
anything stop me from applying it to teach my kids. As I reflect on this
assignment, I like the fact that the students increased their scores on the postassessment by an average of 58.3%. I should be proud of their increased score.
However, I also wonder if I started out with the assessment being too difficult for
my students to begin with. It was the results of this assessment that made me
change it for the post-test. I also realize that its not where the students started,
but where they ended up. They know more today about filling out a job
application than they knew before I taught them this lesson. Im proud of that, but
I also think that another teacher with more skills could have taught them more. In
the case of this unit, I will look at the data positively. However, I will re-teach this
unit again and strive for better results.
The pre-assessment data shows that they didnt have any prior knowledge of
job filling out job applications. All six students received a 0% on the preassessment. After the instruction ensued, all of the students improved at an
average differential of 58.3%. The lowest percentage increase was WY and AH
with an increase of 40%, which still show great improvement. The highest

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percentage increase came from YW, who increased his score by 80%. The
students daily assessments increased over the time of the unit as well. This is
displayed in table two on page 21. It is my belief that I can increase each of these
students scores if I taught the lesson again. The good thing about my teaching
position is that I have the freedom to re-teach and review more than my coworkers, who teach in a content area.
When I looked at the results of the assessments by race, I noticed that the
African Americans Scores were half of the Asian scores. I believe this is due to the
amount of time the Asian student spends with his father on academic activities
after school. My African American students tend to have unstructured time when
they come home from school. This difference can make for a wide gap in the
amount of knowledge my students retain. Although my class is a small sample
size I believe these cultural differences made an impact on my data. It was a
fairly even split of scoring in regards to students disability category, the students
with Autism scored an average of 60%. The students with an Intellectual disability
scored an average of 56.6%. Again, there was no specific scoring pattern that
stood out based on disability category.
One effective strategy was giving the students immediate feedback during the
lessons. Questioning the students while the lesson was going on allowed me to
assess the students progress on a individual level, while giving my students oneon one support at the same time. It allowed me to further question the students
that needed it, while at the same time allowed other students to not become
bored with repetitive questions. Students require authentic, immediate feedback

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EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING

that gives them the opportunity to correct their errors and practice again in front
of their instructor. In other classes the students may have to wait a long period of
time to get feedback.
Another instructional strategy used in this lesson was the use of technology. I
loved allowing my students to watch a video on trades and careers. I remembered
it from when I was in elementary school and now I could connect it with the use of
YouTube and the ability to use it in the classroom. My students are motivated by
the use of technology in the classroom. They were also motivated by the use of
music to relay the information to them.
One implication of instruction that helps my students is the caring relationships
I have built with them and their families. I strive to engage my students from the
moment they enter my classroom. My students tend to spend any unstructured
time in the classroom with me. My school has an extended passing time on
Thursdays between periods two and three. By the time the second period bell
rings to end the period, my students are waiting for me to allow them access to
the room. This time helps set the standard to be focused once the bell rings for
the next period. I have learned that I must strive to have my students prepared
the minute they walk into the door. They also require something to do, because
they get antsy if instructions are not given to them immediately.
I have been a person that accepts my shortcomings. I still have a lot to learn
when it comes to teaching my students with disabilities. My mentor teacher Mrs.
Burton has been there to encourage and teach me to be a better educator, not
just a special educator. She is the type of person that never seems to get tired of

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EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING

being their for the students. She rarely takes a day off because she feels that the
educations of our students will be sacrificed if she takes time off. There are days
that my students come through the door and I wish I had more time before I
engage them. Mrs. Burton is always there and ready to engage them. I an proud
to work with her, because she will help me become a better teacher. I also
collaborate with other case managers around the building. They help me the
mounds of paperwork that is needed to manage the students on my caseload. I
believe collaboration should be considered a fundamental aspect of teaching. I
dont know how many mistakes I would have made if I didnt have someone to
guide me through this challenging field of teaching. My plan is to collaborate
across the board with many teachers here at Reservoir. This school and
community of people have made me a better person, and a better teacher. I will
also collaborate with general education teachers to increase my content
knowledge in subject areas that my students take as part of in their daily
schedules.
Two areas of improvement that came as a result of this unit are curricular
content knowledge (CEC Standard 3) and assessments (CEC Standard 4). I feel
that the two years I have worked in the ALS Program have truly taught me a lot
about students with disabilities, but there is so much more that I need to learn.
Since Ive been teaching, I have always worked with students with Emotional
Disabilities. I felt very comfortable dealing with the behaviors that come as a
result of working with such children. However when it comes to students with
Autism and Intellectual Disabilities, I feel Im learning something new everyday. I

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will seek professional development trainings when they are provided by the school
system. I tend to use these days now as mental health days to unwind. The whole
idea of assessments is still new to me. I dont have much experience using them
or the data that they produce. Overall, I have been introduced to them, but I must
seek being proficient with using them and sharing the results to better educate
my students.
I am really please with the results of this unit and project. I must continue to
make my lessons better and reach my students academic needs. The students Im
assigned to teach dont have much more time in the school system. I must make
everyday count as if its the last. For many of them, Reservoir will be the last
school environment they will attend.
Appendix A

CreateandEditMyOwnLessonPlans
[BacktoMyLessonPlans]

ClickontheEditlinktoaddcontenttoorchangeasectionofthelessonplan.

Informationandinstructionsareavailableforeachsectionbyclickingonthe
button.

FillingOutAJobApplication
LessonOverview|UnitDescription|LessonDescriptionforDay|StateStandards
Goals|Methods|WrapUp|Assessment|Materials

LessonOverview
Edit
Title:FillingOutAJobApplication
Author:dionchapman
Subject:Other
GradeLevel(s):912
Duration:40minutes
BacktoTop

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EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING

UnitDescription
Edit
Thestudentswillbeabletoidentifythepartsofaresume.
BacktoTop

LessonDescriptionforDay
Edit
Inthislesson,studentswillexplorethecomponentsofajobapplication.Theywillthenseeasampleofajobapplication
thatisfilledoutincorrectly.Thelessonwilllastapproximately30minutes.
BacktoTop

StateStandards
Edit

MarylandCareerDevelopmentFramework
Standard2:CareerAwarenessStudentsshallusetheMarylandCareerClustersandcareerpathwaysincludingCareerand
TechnologyEducation(CTE)programsofstudyinordertounderstandtheirrelationshiptoeducationalachievementand
lifelonglearning.
IndicatorB.Understandtheconnectionsamongeducationalachievement,lifelonglearningandcareeroptionsacross
careerpathways.
Grades912
1a.Assesspast,present,andfutureinformalandformallearningexperiencesthatconnecttoone'slifegoals.
2a.Prioritizeeducationalachievementareasneedingimprovementanddevelopaplantoobtainproficiencyofone's
personalandcareergoals.
2c.Usetechnologytoaccess,store,manage,analyzeandcommunicateinformationtoenhanceandimprove
achievement.

BacktoTop

Goals
UnitGoals:Edit
1.Studentswillbeabletoidentifycorrectandincorrectinformationtogoonajobapplication.

LessonGoals:Edit
Studentswilllearnhowtofilloutajobapplicationcorrectly.
BacktoTop

Methods
AnticipatorySet:Edit
IwillhavethestudentscompleteaPersonalDataSheetthedaypriortothislesson.Thissheetwillincludethestudents:
name,address,dateofbirth,telephonenumbers,currentschool,andparentscontactinformation.
TodeterminepriorknowledgeIwillhandeachstudentasampleincorrectjobapplication.
Iwilldividetheclassintotwogroups.Iwillthenaskthestudents,"Howmanyerrorsdoyouthinkthesampleapplication
contains?"Iwillgivethemabout4minutestoestimatethenumberoferrorsandwritethenumberontheboard.The
studentswillbeabletomarktheapplicationwithahighlighter.Thegroupwiththecorrectnumberwillwinaprize(suchas
stickers).

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Iwillthenbrieflyaskthestudentshaveanyofthemappliedforajobbefore.Haveanyofthemfilledoutajobapplication.
Thisprocesswillinclude:
Havethestudentsdivideintotwogroups.
Instructthegrouptolookovertheincorrectjobapplicationandidentifyandcirclealltheerrorsontheapplication.
Countthenumberoferrorsthatthestudentsfind.
Iwillwalkaroundandlistentogroupsandguidethemasnecessary.
Iwillaskforareportonthenumberoferrors.Mygoalistoseewhichgroupdiscoveredthemosterrors.
Iwillthengiveouttheprizes.
IntroduceandModelNewKnowledge:Edit
Iwilldistributeeachstudentthe"HowtoFillOutaJobApplication"handoutandbrieflydiscuss.Studentswillrefertothe
handoutwhilecompletingtheassignment.Discussthegradingscaleonthebackofthehandout.
IwillthenaskthestudentstocorrectthesampleapplicationonanewblankapplicationasIdemonstrateitona
transparencyontheoverheadprojector.
ProvideGuidedPractice:Edit
Iwillaskthestudentstonowputtheirinformationfromtheirpersonaldatasheet,ontoablankjobapplication.
ProvideIndependentPractice:Edit
BacktoTop

WrapUp
Edit

Iwillsummarizethelessonandaskthestudentstotellmewhatsincludedinajobapplication?
BacktoTop

Assessment
Formative/OngoingAssessment:Edit
ThestudentswillcompletetheJobApplicationTest.
Thequestionsonthistestinclude:
1. Whenyoupickupordropoffanapplication,youshouldbepreparedfor
an__________________________________.
2. Whenpickingupanapplication,youshoulddressappropriatelybecause
first_________________________________.
3. Readtheentireform_______________________.Knowwhatisbeing
asked___________________________fillingouttheform.
4. Answer________________________questionsontheapplicationform.
5. Whensomethingdoesn'tapplytoyou,write_____________________________.
6. Use______________________inkortypetheapplication.
7. Whatwordshouldyouavoidputtingontheapplicationwhenaskedaboutadesiredposition?
8. Alwayslistthemostrecentemployer_______________.
9. Identifyoneacceptablereasonforthequestion,"whydidyouleaveyourlastjob?"
10. Onceyoufilloutanapplication,itisabinding/legaldocument;anymisinformationcouldbegroundsfor
____________________________.
Summative/EndOfLessonAssessment:Edit
Thestudentswillidentifywhatinformationgoesonajobapplication.
BacktoTop

Materials

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EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING

OtherResources

Edit|
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Delete
Acompletedsampleincorrectjobapplicationforeachstudent.
Highlighterpens,oneforeachgroup
Pencilforeachstudent
BlankJobApplication
OverheadProjectorandatransparencyofajobapplication
andadifferentcoloroverheadpenforeachgroup
Transparency
Acopyof"HowtoFillOutaJobApplication"foreachstudent.
AblankcopyofaJobApplicationforeachstudenttofillout.

http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/create.php?op=edit&pid=45198 - top

Appendix B

CreateandEditMyOwnLessonPlans
[BacktoMyLessonPlans]

ClickontheEditlinktoaddcontenttoorchangeasectionofthelessonplan.

Informationandinstructionsareavailableforeachsectionbyclickingonthe
button.

ResumeWritingPart2
LessonOverview|UnitDescription|LessonDescriptionforDay|StateStandards
Goals|Methods|WrapUp|Assessment|Materials

LessonOverview
Edit
Title:ResumeWritingPart2
Author:dionchapman
Subject:Other
GradeLevel(s):68,912
Duration:40minutes

30

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BacktoTop

UnitDescription
Edit

Studentswillidentifythepartsofaresume.
BacktoTop

LessonDescriptionforDay
Edit

Thisisthesecondlessonofthree.Itispartofalargerunitthatfocusesjobresumes.Itwillidentifywhataresumeentails,
thecomponentsofaresume,howaresumeisarranged,andchronologicalorder.Thislessonwillextendthestudents
knowledgetounderstandhowimportantresumesareandthatmanyimportantdocumentsareplacedinchronologicalorder.
BacktoTop

StateStandards
Edit

LinktoCommonCoreStandards:
Domain:CollegeandCareerReadinessAnchorStandardsforLanguage(612)
Standard:ConventionsofStandardEnglish
ClusterObjectives:2.DemonstratecommandoftheconventionsofStandardEnglishcapitalization,
punctuation,andspellingwhenwriting.
c.Spellcorrectly
BacktoTop

Goals
UnitGoals:Edit
1.Studentswillidentifythepartsofaresume.

LessonGoals:Edit
1.identifythesevencomponentsofaresume
2.identifytheacronymtorememberthecomponentsofaresume

BacktoTop

Methods
AnticipatorySet:Edit
Sharelessongoalsandobjectiveswithstudents:thattheywilllearnaboutresumes,thepurposeofaresume,andtheseven
componentsofaresume.Iwillaskthemwhytheythinkit'simportanttolearnhowtowritearesume,andwhat'sincludedin
aresume.
UsingYoutubewithprojection,Iwillpresentmusicalvideofrommyearlychildhoodcalled"ZackofAllTrades"with
LutherVandross.Afterthevideo,Iwillaskthestudentstobrainstormonthevideostopic,jobs.Aftera34minutesession,
Iwillengagethestudentsinaclassdiscussiontoorganizeandcategorizethedifferentideasraisedbythestudents.Iwould
thensummarizethediscussionandhighlightthemaincategoriesandideasthatemergedduringthebrainstormingsession.

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EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING

Iwillthenpassoutasetofthreepapers.Eachsetwillincludeabirthdayinvitation,anadvertisementforpizza,anda
resume.AtthistimeIwillhaveaPowerPointPresentationprojectedonthescreen.Iwillthenshoweachslideandaskthe
studentstoholdupthetheirchoicethatmatcheswhat'sonthescreen.Thestudentswillthentellmewhatitsshowing.
IntroduceandModelNewKnowledge:Edit
Presentthestudentwithnewinformationappropriatetothelesson,highlightingthevariouscomponentsofaresumeandthe
correctvocabulary.
Theteacherwillaskthestudentsfourquestions:
1. Whatisaresume?Paperthatstatesinformationaboutmeandmyjobexperience.
2. Whoneedsaresume?Peoplewhowantajob.
3. Whydoyouwriteone?Totellemployersaboutyourself.
4. Whoistheresumefor?Employers
Theteacherwillthenplacescutoutsofnumbersontheboardandexplainsthattherearesevenmainconceptsofa
resume.ThenIwillaskifanyoneknowsanyofthecomponents.
Iwillthensharewiththestudentsthesevencomponentsofaresume.
Iwillthenplacethelettersontheboardnexttothenumberthatgoeswiththecomponent.(POWERAH)
1. P=PersonalInformation(name,address,phone#,school)
2. O=Objective(whatIwanttodoforthisjob)
3. W=Workexperience(pastworkexperience)
4. E=Education(whathighschoolyougoto)
5. R=References(whocansaygoodthingsaboutyou)
6. A=Activities(clubsandinterest)
7. H=Hobbies(whatelseyouliketodo)
ProvideGuidedPractice:Edit
Transitionstatement;Nowwearegoingtoputupanexampleofeachofthesevencomponents.
Theteacherwillhandoutvisualswithexamplestostudents.
Teacherwillcalloneachstudenttocometotheboardandplacethevisualnexttothecorrectcomponent.
Theteacherwillthenasktheotherstudentsiftheanswertothequestionwascorrect.
Theteacherwillreviewtheinformationontheboard.

ProvideIndependentPractice:Edit
Theteacherwillaskthestudentstoindependentlymatchthesevencomponentsoftheresumetotheirdefinitionsattheir
desk.
Iwillthengiveeachstudentacopyoftheassessment.Studentswillcutoutandpastethedefinitionsintothecorrect
componentarea.
Iwillthencollecttheassessment
BacktoTop

WrapUp
Edit
Iwillthenreviewthelessonbyasking;
1. Whatisaresume?
2. Howmanycomponentsarethereinaresume?
3. Whataretheletters(acronym)thatgowitheachcomponentoftheresume?
4. What'sthefirstthingthatgoesonaresume?
Homework:
Teacherwillgiveeachstudentapersonalinformationandobjectivesheettocompleteathome
BacktoTop

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EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING

Assessment
Formative/OngoingAssessment:Edit
Observeandencouragestudentparticipationinclassdiscussion,askingandansweringquestions,andvolunteering
commentsandideas.
VisitstudentsasIwalkaroundtheclassroomandprovidedirection,correcterrors,andaffirmsuccesses.
Didstudent'sresponsesanswermyquestions
Summative/EndOfLessonAssessment:Edit
Attheendofthelesson,collectthestudent'sworkandseeingifthedefinitionsmatchthecomponentsofaresume.
Didthestudentsaccuratelyidentifythecomponentsofaresume?
Didthestudentscorrectlymatchtheacronymwiththedefinitions?
BacktoTop

Materials
Video&AudioResources
ZackofallTrades
Edit| Delete
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVmvhk_QW0
OtherResources
Assessmentonresumecomponents

Edit| Delete
HardcopyofPPT

Edit| Delete
Thiswouldbeadittoofthepowerpointpresentation.
PersonalInformationSheet

Edit| Delete
Thisisadittoforthestudentstowritetheirpersonalinformation
PowerPointPresentation

Edit| Delete
Theslideswillbethreevisualaidesofabirthdayinvitation,anadvertisementforpizza,andaresume.
ScissorsandGlue

Edit| Delete
Thestudentswillusethescissorstocutoutthecomponentsoftheresumeandgluethemnexttotheproperlabel.
Visualstobeplacedontheboard
Edit| Delete
Thesewillbevisualstobeplacedontheboard.
o numbers
o letters
o components

http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/create.php?op=edit&pid=37910 - top

[Type
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EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING

Appendix C

CreateandEditMyOwnLessonPlans
[BacktoMyLessonPlans]

ClickontheEditlinktoaddcontenttoorchangeasectionofthelessonplan.

Informationandinstructionsareavailableforeachsectionbyclickingonthe
button.

ResumeWritingPart3
LessonOverview|UnitDescription|LessonDescriptionforDay|StateStandards
Goals|Methods|WrapUp|Assessment|Materials

LessonOverview
Edit

34

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35

EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING

Title:ResumeWritingPart3
Author:dionchapman
Subject:Other
GradeLevel(s):68,912
Duration:40minutes
BacktoTop

UnitDescription
Edit
Thestudentswillidentifythepartsofaresume.
BacktoTop

LessonDescriptionforDay
Edit
Inthislesson,studentswillexploreandlearnmoreaboutthecomponentsofaresumeandchronologicalorder.
BacktoTop

StateStandards
Edit
LinktoCommonCoreStandards:
Domain:CollegeandCareerReadinessAnchorStandardsforLanguage(612)
Standard:ConventionsofStandardEnglish
ClusterObjectives:2.DemonstratecommandoftheconventionsofStandardEnglishcapitalization,
punctuation,andspellingwhenwriting.
c.Spellcorrectly
BacktoTop

Goals
UnitGoals:Edit
1. Studentswillidentifythecomponentsofaresume.
2. StudentswillidentifyfromthepartsfromtheacronymPOWERAH.
3. Studentswillidentifywhatchronologicalordermeansandplacecalendaryearsinorder.
LessonGoals:Edit
1. describethesevencomponentsofaresume.
2. describeorplacecalendaryearsinorder.
BacktoTop

Methods
AnticipatorySet:Edit
Iwillsharethelessongoalsandobjectiveswiththestudents:thattheywilllearntoidentifythelettersintheacronym
POWERAHstandfor.Theywillthenlearnaboutchronologicalorderandhowitappliestoaresume.
IntroduceandModelNewKnowledge:Edit
Iwillreviewfromyesterday,theacronymPOWERAH.Iwillthenstateforthestudentseachofthesevencomponentsand
thedefinitionthatgoeswithit.

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EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

P=PersonalInformation
O=Objective
W=WorkExperience
E=Education
R=References
A=Activities
H=Hobbies

ProvideGuidedPractice:Edit
Theteacherwillexplainthatwearegoingtotalkaboutthe"P","O","W","E","R","A",and"H"fromtheacronym
POWERAH.
1. Atthistime,theteacherwillalsodisplaythecomponentsontheboard.
2. Teacherwillreviewthewordchronologicalorder
3. TeacherwillexplainthatonaresumethecomponentsofaresumecanberememberedwiththelettersPOWER
AH.
4. The"P"isPersonalInformation
5. The"O"isObjective
6. The"W"isWorkExperience
7. The"E"isEducation
8. The"R"isReference
9. The"A"isActivities
10. The"H"isforHobbies
Theyarelistedinchronologicalorder.
1. Teacherwillplace"YearsVisual1"ontheboardinarandom,mixeduporder.Iwouldexplainthatthemost
currentyeargoesfirst.(2013),followedbythenextmostrecent(2012).Iwillthenasktheclasswhichonegoes
next,anssoonuntilitiscompleted.
2. Iwillhandoutapictureoftheevolutionofthebicycle.
ProvideIndependentPractice:Edit
Development/Procedures
1. Theteacherputs"YearsVisual2"ontheboardinrandomorder.
2. Explainthatthemostrecentyeargoesfirst,thenthenextone.
Transition/Assessment:
1. Teacherwillhandout"ChronologicalOder#1"tothestudentsandexplainthatitstimetodoitontheirown.
2. Completefirsttwodatestogether,thencompletethelastfourontheirown.
3. Collectwork

BacktoTop

WrapUp
Edit
Theteacherwillasks;
1. Whatarethecomponentsofaresume?
2. Whatdoesthewordchronologicalordermean?
Homework/Enrichment:
1. Complete"ChronologicalOder#2"forhomework
BacktoTop

Assessment
Formative/OngoingAssessment:Edit

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EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING

Provideongoingassessmentthroughoutthelesson.
Observeandencouragestudentparticipationinclassdiscussion,askingandansweringquestions,andvolunteering
commentsandideas.
Visitstudentsaroundtheclassroomandprovideactivitiesandprovidedirection,correctanyerrors,andaffirm
successes.
Summative/EndOfLessonAssessment:Edit
Attheendofthelesson,Iwillcollectthestudentsworkandevaluatetheirwork.
Didstudentsaccuratelysequencetheyears?
Cantheyshow/explainchronologicalorder?
Canthestudentsgivemeanexample,fromthem,ofsomethingthatcanbeplacedinchronologicalorder?
BacktoTop

Materials
WebSites
Evolutionofthebicycle
Edit| Delete
http://lexpower.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/1000pxbicycle_evolutionensvg3.png
Thissheetshowstheevolutionofthebicyclefrom1818tothemid1970's.
OtherResources
ChronologicalOrder1

Edit| Delete
Onthissheet,thestudentwillidentifythechronologicaldatethatsomeoneworkedataparticularjob.
ChronologicalOrder2

Edit| Delete
Thissheetwillaskthestudenttoplacetheyearsinorder,frommostrecentyear.
Pencils

Edit| Delete
Towritewith
POWERAHvisuals

Edit| Delete
ThisdittowillshowtheacronymPOWERAH,thatwillexplainthecomponentsofaresume.
YearsVisual#1

Edit| Delete
Thissheetwilldisplayyears2005through2016.Thestudentswillcuteachyearoutandplacetheminanyrandom
orderontheirdesk.
YearsVisual#2
Edit| Delete
Thesesheetswilldisplaytheyearsinsetsthatincludetwocalendaryears.(Example20062007,20072008,2008
2009).Thesheetswillbecuthorizontallysothattheyearswillincludeasetofnumbers.

http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/create.php?op=edit&pid=37914 - top