Running head: PLANNING, PREPARATION, INSTRUCTION, and ASSESSMENT 1

Planning, Preparation, Instruction, and Assessment of Learners

Lyssa Heath
Regent University

In partial fulfillment of requirements of UED 495, Fall 2019

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Introduction
Planning and preparation are some of the most important parts of teaching successfully.

Knowing where students’ level of understanding is on a topic and successfully creating a plan to

take them to the next step is a necessary skill for all educators. Teachers also need to be able to

implement that plan using effective instruction techniques that will draw a student’s attention

and enable them to better comprehend the material. After all the planning and teaching however,

reliable assessments are also needed, both to see students’ progression in learning and the

teacher’s ability to communicate the material effectively.

Rationale

For my first artifact, I included my Classify Angles Unit Plan. Though this unit only

lasted about a week, planning days for pre-assessments, learning activities, and post-assessments

ensures that the class stays on track with the school system’s pacing guide while still meeting the

learning goals. Second, I included the pre-assessment which was given right after the student

finished their PEMDAS (order of operations) assessment. I designed this preassessment to start

at the knowledge base of angles (what do they look like) to classifying them. From my review of

the data, I saw that all of the students correctly identified a straight angle even though they make

have labeled the image of other angles incorrectly. Since the straight angle is a straight line, I

believe the students used their prior knowledge of straight lines to correctly label this angle. I

also made sure to only briefly mention straight angles before moving on to other angles that the

students scored lower on. Third, I included my paper plate introduction to angles lesson because

it is a hands-on way to both learn the types of angles and how they are related to each other.

Next, I included my post-assessment and post-assessment data to see how the students
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progressed or not. I could also see which angles students answered incorrectly and which angles

seemed to be a weak point overall for the class.

Reflection of Theory and Practice

Planning is one of the key pillars of education. Knowing where you are going in an

instructional unit will help you to map your stops along the way. McTighe and Wiggins write

that, “Learning is enhanced when teachers think purposefully about curricular planning” (2012).

This is because learning is focused and defined to be as effective as possible. A major key in this

planning is pre-assessment. Since students learn by connecting new content with pre-existing

knowledge, it is necessary for teachers to know what background knowledge student already

have. “…pre-assessments help teachers determine where to begin instruction and provide

teachers with baseline data from which to plot students’ learning progress” (Guskey & McTighe,

2016).

An effective teacher also plans engaging and real-world lessons that help the student

learn the information in context. Learning about different types of angles is the goal; but seeing

angles as parts of a circle (paper plate activity) will allow the student to transfer their knowledge

to other subjects down the road. “If we don't give students sufficient ongoing opportunities to

puzzle over genuine problems, make meaning of their learning, and apply content in various

contexts, then long-term retention and effective performance are unlikely…” (Wiggins &

McTighe, 2008).

Combining effective assessments with thorough preparation and relatable instruction will

ensure that growth is seen both in the student’s understanding of the subject matter and their

ability to transfer that information to other learning experiences and apply it correctly in context.
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References

Guskey, T. R., & McTighe, J. (2016). Pre-Assessment Promises and Cautions. Educational

Leadership, 73(7), 38–43. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.regent.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&A

N=114581299&site=ehost-live

McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2012). Understanding by Design Framework. Retrieved October 5,

2019, from http://www.ascd.org/research-a-topic/understanding-by-design-

resources.aspx.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2008). Put Understanding First. Reshaping High Schools, 65(8),

36–41.