102086- ASSIGNMENT 2 student ID: 19188094

PART B

INTRODUCTION

One activity, according to Loreman, T. Deppeler, J. Harvey, D. (2011) of professional teachers is to:
“take the curriculum they are mandated to teach and translate that curriculum into meaningful
learning activities that are relevant and accessible to all students in a class.” Those teachers who are
able to include the curriculum in this fashion are said to have applied in ‘universal design for
learning’. Through coding analysis of the LOTE Lesson Plan, using the NSW Quality Teaching
Framework (Ladwig & Gore 2007), four areas have been identified for improvement. These are:
Higher Order Thinking, Substantive Communication, Social Support and Cultural Knowledge. The
literature also supports the modifications made to the chosen lesson plan and highlight why those
particular dimensions were lacking in the LOTE Lesson Plan.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES USING NSW QUALITY TEACHING FRAMEWORK

1 Intellectual quality
1.1 Deep knowledge
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: information is provided by either teacher or student as well as addressing
5 central ideas of the lesson. There is evidence of this in the LOTE lesson plan. Students
improve their vocabulary and listening skills in German and use prior knowledge of words.

1.2 Deep understanding

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: occurs when students discover relationships, solve problems and draw
5 conclusions in sustainable ways. The LOTE Lesson Plan does this by allowing students to
correct their own work in accordance with the transcript with the teacher guiding them.

1.3 Problematic knowledge

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: potentially conflicting and multiple forms of knowledge are confirmed and
5 open to interpretation.The LOTE lesson plan uses the resources of a news article and a TV
news report to make students think about conflicting reports. However, there is not
evidence of problem-solving apart from learning new vocabulary.

1.4 Higher-order thinking

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: relates to when higher thinking skills relate to questions and class content. The
5 LOTE Lesson Plan does not meet these specific criteria. There is no evidence of students
using old concepts to create new ideas. There is some use of background or prior knowledge
in terms of vocabulary but nothing in the lesson asks students to create something new
form this prior knowledge.

1.5 Metalanguage
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: Metalanguage relates to when there is debate in class about how language is
5 used effectively. The LOTE Lesson Plan makes use of recapping ideas about “capital letters,
umlauts, etc” as well as “pronunciation rules”. Students are given questions in German
relating to the recording and are allowed to clarify with the teacher about the meaning of
the questions.

1.6 Substantive communication

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: when there are sustained and reciprocal interactions. In the LOTE Lesson Plan
5 there is no evidence to suggest sustained and reciprocal interactions in the lesson. The
teacher and students appear not to communicate very much during the lesson.

Quality learning environment

2.1 Explicit quality criteria
1–2–3–4– Comments: when students are frequently reminded of the expectations. The LOTE lesson
5 plan gives the teacher the opportunity to explain specific criteria required of their work.

2.2 Engagement
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: when students are genuinely interested in the work and participating. The
5 students would be engaged in the LOTE lesson as there are opportunities to work as a class
watching the TV report and in pairs identifying areas for improvement.

2.3 High expectations

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: when students of varying abilities are expected to participate. The LOTE lesson
5 plan encourages all levels of ability in German. The first task is for students to test their
vocabulary knowledge. The resources used may not suit all ability levels.

2.4 Social support

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: Social Support relates to when students and teachers cooperated and
5 collaborate through mutual class respect. There is little evidence to suggest the teacher
and students work cooperatively throughout the lesson. The teacher gives limited
guidance when helping students mark their own work.

2.5 Students’ self-regulation

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: Self- regulation is when the lesson continues with minimal disruption and
5 students demonstrate autonomy. This appears to be successful in the LOTE Lesson Plan as
students are given time to listen to the dialogue as often as they need to, time permitting.

2.6 Student direction

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: Student direction is when students are given the opportunity to control
5 different sections of the lesson. By marking their own work and discussing in pairs,
students taken control of an aspect of the lesson. This is achieved in the LOTE Lesson Plan.

3 Significance
3.1 Background knowledge
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: Background knowledge relates to when students make connections between
5 prior, cultural and personal knowlegde. There is evidence in the types of resources chosen
for the lesson that relate to students connecting with their knowledge of popular culture
and media.

3.2 Cultural knowledge

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: Cultural Knowledge acknowledges when the traditions, beliefs, skills,
5 knowledge, languages, practices and protocols of diverse social groups are valued in a
meaningful way. There is no evidence of cultural knowledge in the LOTE Lesson Plan.

3.3 Knowledge integration

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: when logical links and made between different topics. In the LOTE lesson plan,
5 students make connections between listening and responding in German.

3.4 Inclusivity
1–2–3–4– Comments: when all students’ contributions are taken seriously and valued and when the
5 classroom is a positive environment. The teacher makes students work in pairs towards the
end of the lesson. They are paired in no particular order.

3.5 Connectedness
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Comments: when learning is transferred beyond the classroom. Students in the LOTE class
5 will be able to use their skills of the language to converse with other German speakers.

3.6 Narrative
 1–2–3–4– Comments: when the use of stories is incorporated in the lesson. The resources of the LOTE
5 lesson plan tell different stories in German. The teacher makes students tell each other
about areas of improvement so in a way they are telling a story about their current
knowledge of German.

Identifying Areas for Improvement

QT model
1) Higher Order Thinking 2) Substantive Communication
3) Social Support 4) Cultural Knowledge

Lesson Plan-LOTE

Topic area: German Stage of Learner: Stage 4 Syllabus Pages:

Date: 7/05/18 Location Booked: Lesson Number: /

Time: 1 hour Total Number of students: 20 Printing/preparation

German newspaper article
German television news report
Transcript of tv news report
KAHOOT QUIZ
STORYBIRD
POWTOON

Outcomes Assessment Students learn about Students learn to

 demonstrates understanding Collect worksheets  the importance of  deduce meaning from

of the main ideas and
supporting detail in spoken
texts and responds
appropriately
 applies a range of linguistic
structures to express own
ideas in writing
 demonstrates understanding
of communicating using
various ICT resources
 designing German Language
stories as a book to give to
parents
from students understanding the context and prior
intention of the knowledge of subject
Kahoot results- saved speaker/s and the matter when listening
for later comparison context in for main ideas.
interpreting  identify specific
Powtoon in groups meaning information, eg by
based on vocabulary.  the importance of identifying
the logical statements as true or
Storybird digital book-
development of false, answering
to be printed for ideas in questions in English
parents constructing text or German, choosing
 the importance of the correct word.
class debate in a  select and
safe environment incorporate modelled
 the importance of linguistic structures in
using ICT to own writing.
communicate ideas  express ideas and
in a foreign provide additional
language details in a series of
linked sentences, eg
using conjunctions
such as und, aber,
oder.
 Time Teaching and learning actions
5 mins Introduction by the teacher to the class through a game of KAHOOT using school ipads. Students login and answer
questions to see how many points they can get. The questions are based on class rules and expectations. Such as, “if
I wish to speak, i…a) put up my hand, b) yell, c) do nothing” and other like: “what signal can I use to get the teacher’s
attention in the classroom? 8 questions in total so as not to lose focus on the main points of the lesson.

10 mins Practise the accurate transcription of familiar and unfamiliar words from the text: read out ten or more key words
from the news report, one by one. Then go over them, paying attention to capital letters, umlauts etc, and
10 mins recapping pronunciation rules. Ensure students know the meaning of all new vocabulary. Then ask what they think
the text will be about.

Ask students to practise accurate transcription of familiar and unfamiliar words from the text. The class is split into 4
groups. The teacher provides a list of 10 or more key words from the news report and puts them on the board in
random order as well as a sentence which is linked to the key word. Students have to link each key word with one of
the sentences. Then they create a group powtoon using the key words and sentences. Powtoon must be an
interactive travel website for a German cultural capital eg. Cologne, Hanover, Dusseldorf, Berlin etc.

10 mins Students should be given the questions in German relating to the recording they are about to hear. They should
read them through, asking for clarification of vocabulary as they do so. They may then be able to anticipate more
5 mins details of the dialogue they are about to hear. They should also look at the title. Look at the formation of the
questions,and encourage students to suggest the grammatical construction that might be appropriate in the
answer.

10-15 Students are told to listen to the dialogue once from beginning to end, to ascertain length and get an overall
mins impression. Then they can play it again, as often as they like within the overall time limit, and write answers to the
questions. They should be encouraged to write answers in rough first. If possible, individual headphones should be
used, but the teacher could play the recording centrally, pausing and repeating as appropriate.

Students should check their work, ensuring that their answers make sense and are grammatically accurate.
Meanwhile hand out a transcript to each student, face down.
5 mins

5-10 mins Students mark their own work for comprehension, under the teacher’s guidance, using the transcript as an aid.
Students highlight appropriate phrases on their transcript. (The teacher takes in the work to assess the language.)
10 mins
Students create a German story using Storybird online using school ipads. These stories must include German words
and the teacher is there to help with German vocabulary. Before commencing, the teacher shows the students an A-
grade example of a student’s work using Storybird. Students can use their own answers and the transcript to
develop the story. The are allowed to access a German Dictionary online to help with tricky grammar and
vocabulary.

5 mins In pairs students identify one or two areas that they could improve.

10 mins Students are split into two teams for a debate in German of the news reports they have studied. Each group
nominates 4 speakers for positive and 4 speakers for negative. The debate centres around the positives and
negatives of the German news reports. This allows students to use the vocabulary they have learnt and put that
knowledge into categories of positive and negative arguments.
How am I measuring the outcomes of this lesson?

Learning Outcome Method of measurement and recording

 demonstrates KAHOOT scores for each student (saved for later comparison to
understanding of assess improvement).
communicating ideas
using ICT resources Design storybird in German to be presented to parents once
completed.

 demonstrates Listen to German news report to understand main ideas

understanding of the
main ideas and Use key words to create a short Powtoon.
supporting detail in
spoken texts and
responds appropriately
 applies a range of Respond to questions in German about the television news report
linguistic structures to
express own ideas in Class debate about positive and negative views of news report.
writing
PART C

ACADEMIC JUSTIFICATION OF MODIFICATIONS

In 1994, Betts claimed that “multimedia creates rich learning environments where kids really thrive.”
Through general observation of students and their levels of engagement and input, it is apparent
that they work more effectively when presented with ways to use technology whether it be on their
laptop or ipad. The teachers who incorporate ICT use in their classroom seem to be more successful
and less in danger of being “talked over” or disrupted. ICT use is currently part of the Australian
Curriculum through the “ICT General Capability” assessment. Therefore, ICT plays a vital role in
teaching in the 21st Century classroom and that is why ICT elements have been included in the
modified LOTE Lesson Plan.

Curriculum is key to teaching and learning in schools. It can be divided into two broad areas: ‘core
curriculum’ and the ‘elaborate curriculum’. The core curriculum related to the basic and essential
areas of learning the content. The term ‘elaborate curriculum’ corresponds to all aspects of the
curriculum that are not ‘core’. Marsh (2014) states: “It is important to ensure that no matter who the
student is, elements of both curriculum divisions are included in order to allow for a rich educational
experience based on solid foundations and the traditional scholarly disciplines.” The chosen LOTE
Lesson Plan does appear to be based on “core curriculum” but lacks sufficient attention to
“elaborate curriculum”. For example, the LOTE Lesson Plan achieves the main outcomes of
demonstrating an understanding of the main issues and applying linguistic structures to writing.
However, there is no evidence to suggest including some elaborate curriculum areas such as Cultural
Knowledge as well as Social Support. The modification relating to this dimension is in the form of a
Powtoon created by each group as a German Travel Website. This expands the students’ cultural
knowledge as they have to research a German city or area of interest to create their “Travel
Website.” ICT can be used to expand students’ opportunities to learn. It can also contribute to
problem-based learning and the integration of curriculum content such as the storybird in German
as an individual assessment. Finally, the class debate allows teachers and students to communicate
ideas and support each other in engaging learning which contributes to the dimensions of Social
Support and Substantive Communication.

Depending on experience, teachers will tend to use a small number of techniques with which they
have had direct experience. For example, the chosen LOTE Lesson Plan uses only a handful of
learning activities such as a German news article and tv report plus transcript. These activities are
narrow in scope and could be more effective if the teacher made the lesson slightly more engaging
and interesting through the use of ICT. This is the main reason why I have added an engaging
introductory activity as well as the use of ICT programs to the existing LOTE Lesson Plan. The
modifications, for example, the use of storybird, make learning far more engaging for students and
help them be creative and original. This contributes to Higher Order Thinking as it provides students
with the opportunity to problem-solve whilst creating a storybird as well as think abstractly about
their target audience of their project.

Marsh (2014) contends that it: “should have introductory activities, developmental activities and
concluding activities.” Unfortunately, the LOTE Lesson Plan prior to modification does not follow this
sequence of introductory, developmental and concluding activities. The beginning of the lesson is
most important. It is a major factor in shaping the motivation of students. The Kahoot activity at the
beginning of the modified LOTE Lesson Plan is designed to clearly explain procedures and rules of
the classroom and adds value to “Substantive Communication” and “Social Support.” Gini
Cunningham (2009) states: “When lessons flow sequentially, always reviewing prior knowledge and
then constructing deeper understanding based on new concepts and skills, learning is relevant,
organised and comprehensible.”

The modifications made to the LOTE Lesson Plan are justified through the NSW QT Framework
(Ladwig and Gore 2007) and the separate analysis template below which was developed by
Loreman, Deppeler & Harvey (2011), in their book: “Inclusive Education; Supporting Diversity in the
Classroom.” For example, analysis in blue:

 A central unit issue or problem (yes- the central problem is explained in the lesson plan)
 An opening grabber or motivator (no- no evidence found in LOTE lesson plan)
 Lessons that are linked to a central idea (yes- translation linked to increasing knowledge)
 Richly detailed source material (no- no evidence found in LOTE lesson plan)
 Culminating projects (yes- student activities are scaffolded)
 Varied lesson formats (yes- students listen to, write and view material)
 Multiple assessments (no- no evidence. Only one means of assessment in LOTE lesson plan)
 Varied modes of student expression (yes- students can speak and write in German).

CONCLUSION

There were several areas of the LOTE Lesson Plan which were evaluated as strengths and four areas
which were identified as scoring low and in need of modification. The modifications suggested would
help improve the chosen lesson plan and achieve higher scores related to the NSW Quality Teaching
Framework. Modifications reflect the current technology requirements as demonstrating ICT
General Capability as included in the Australian Curriculum. The academic justification through
means of checklist evaluation and literature review supports the modifications made to the LOTE
Lesson Plan and the analysis tools and research have influenced those modifications.

*Link to learning portfolio: https://candiceceglar.weebly.com

REFERENCES

ACARA Website (2018) https://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum

AITSL (February 2011) “Australian Professional Standards for Teaching”.

Betts, F (1994) “On the Birth of the Communication Age: A Conversation with David Thornbury,”
Educational Leadership, 51.

Cunningham, G. (2009) “The New Teacher’s Companion: practical wisdom for succeeding in the
classroom”.

Goldenberg, C. (2008) Teaching English Language Learners: What the Research Does and Does Not
Say, Georgia Southern University.
Howard, T. (2003) Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Ingredients for Critical Teacher Reflection, Theory
Into Practice, Vol 42, No. 3, Ohio State University.

Ladwig & Gore (2007) “NSW Quality Teaching Framework”.

Loreman, T. Deppeler, J. Harvey, D. (2011) Inclusive education: Supporting diversity in the classroom

Marsh (2014) Marsh’s becoming a teacher/Maggie Clarke, Sharon Pittaway 6th ed. Pearson.

Richards, H. Brown, A. Forde, T. (2007) Addressing Diversity in Schools: Culturally Responsive

Pedagogy, Teaching Exceptional Children 39 no.3 Wilson Company.

Verdelhan, M. Dominique, P. Girardet, J. (1991) Le Nouveau sans Frontieres: Methode de Francais,

Cle International.