Learning Map – Part 3 Analyzing and Applying

Amber Spring

National University - ITL 608

August, 28 2020

Professor Balona
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Abstract

For this assignment, I got together with two classmates, Marya Colins and Pamela Specht,

to review each other’s lessons in which we provided strengths we saw and areas of

improvement. We also discussed our own lessons and reflected on how we felt they went

and what could be changed. This portion of the learning map is a reflection on how I will

analyze and use the evidence gathered from my lesson to improve my teaching practice,

and what I have learned about myself as an Inspired teacher!

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Learning Map Part 3 – Analyzing and Applying

Teacher: Amber Spring
Grade: 1st grade
CCSS Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.3.c- Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for
representing long vowel sounds

STAGE 3: ANALYZING/REFLECTING
What evidence of student learning have you collected?
I gathered evidence from my students through informal assessment by listening and
watching how students responded to questions in the lesson and by their level of
engagement. The students individual and partner work is evidence of the students having
a clear understanding of silent e. The activity required them to transform a word into a
new word and then draw a picture of the new word. Finally, the students completed an
exit ticket which asked them to look at two pictures and circle the picture that correctly
matches the word (example: picture of an ice cube and bear cub, with the word “cube”
written above the two pictures).

How will you analyze this evidence?

The evidence I have from this assignment will guide me on how to proceed with future
lessons. It will help me understand what percentage of the class is grasping the concepts
that I taught. If the assessments show that students are not understanding, then I know
that we will have to revisit the material and possibly make modifications. The oral
responses were analyzed in the moment to determine whether the student was grasping
the learning objective as it was being taught. It helped me determine if the students
needed more modeling and examples, or if they were ready to move on to independent
work.

What instructional decisions can you make as a result of your analysis of the
evidence?
One instructional decision I would change is to go over the assessment more thoroughly
with the students. I gave them instructions on how they would complete the exit ticket
and did the first one together with them. However, after looking at the assessments I
noticed that Tristan got one problem incorrect. I had to ask myself if this was because he
was rushing, because he did not understand the concept, or because of a lack of
vocabulary. He circled the picture of the pin under the word pine, instead of the pine
trees. I called him over and pointed to the picture of the pine trees and asked him what it
was a picture of. He said “trees” and I asked him if he knew which kind. He did not. This
showed me that he missed it because of his lack of vocabulary. Had I said what each
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picture was before the assessment if would eliminate this issue. This might be a common
issue with English Language Learners as well and can be prevented. I felt like there was a
good combination of UDL strategies, such as movement, video representation, teacher
and student modeling, writing, and drawing. Because the students grasped the concept of
silent e, I would probably move onto other skills in the standard such as vowel pairs.

STAGE 4: APPLYING
My Personal Reflection:
What new information did I get about my students in relation to their learning
preferences?
The new information I gained about my student was what each of their learning styles
are. I learned which students prefer to work independently versus those who prefer to
work in pairs or groups. By asking my students what part of the lesson they enjoyed the
most, I learned that they really loved the music video on silent e and being able to move.
One of the boys said he liked using the wand to help.

How will I use this information to plan my future instruction?

The new information learned about my students helps me know how to effectively teach
a lesson that will help each of them understand the concepts being taught. It will help me
create opportunities that motivate them and keep them engaged. Knowing their learning
styles and what they enjoyed about the lesson shows me how important it is to continue
to create multiple means of engagement, expression, and representation in all future
lessons.

How effective were my practices? What will I keep, what will I improve and what will
I discard?
After reviewing my lesson, there is not anything that I think I would discard. Something
that I could improve on is not saying “okay” so much and making sure I speak clearly and
do not use slang. I noticed I said “gonna” a lot instead of “going to”. These two things are
not really something that affected my lesson but are just things that I noticed I can
change. Otherwise I felt that my lesson was highly effective. The reason I think that my
lesson was effective was because I:

 Defined the expectations

 Set the purpose
 Provided opportunities for your students to recall prior knowledge
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 Prompted them by giving an example of a vowel so they could tell you the others
easily
 Used visuals and video to meet the needs of diverse learners
 Provided opportunities to question and make connections
 Encouraged participation and included movement-another strategy for
addressing different -learning styles
 Allowed time to respond which encouraged critical thinking
 Used a graphic organizer which helped students organize their work
 Asked students what they noticed which helped them engage in my lesson
 Provided appropriate guided practice with verbal verification and feedback
 Checked for understanding
 Used collaboration
 Enthusiastic and exciting style to engage learners

What new understanding do I have about my own teaching practices?

I learned the importance of giving clear instructions and checking for understanding. I
also learned how important it is to activate prior knowledge. The students needed a
reminder of which letters were vowels and what is a long vowel sound versus short
vowel sound. Had I assumed that they knew this from their previous grade level, and not
went over it, I may have caused confusion, and students might not understand the
concept.

What have I learned about myself as a teacher?

I have gained confidence and learned how capable I am of effectively teaching a lesson. I
was always nervous about knowing the standards and learning objectives. However, I
have learned how easy it is to set learning objectives when you unpack the standards and
understand the specific skills that need to be taught. I have learned the importance of
understanding and knowing what, why, and how I will teach.

As a professional learner, where do I need to continue to grow and strive for?

As a learner and future Inspired teacher, I can grow in the area of knowing more
strategies to help my English Language Learners, students with special needs, and other
students who are in need of modifications and accommodations. Because things are
constantly changing and lessons and time frames do not always go as planned, I need to
be able to adapt and show flexibility. Having a backup plan or additional resources and
activities to pull from is important. I feel like I am on the right track to providing positive
and effective learning experiences for students but have a lot more to learn about tiered
support, assessments, and more practice breaking down standards.

Video attachment of collaboration:

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Meeting Recording:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/78ZNEbH8tU5JZ7eQuEPUf_M7RYX_aaa81XAXrKVczR4W
DMqElucNhzpVnn77rc_l

Access Passcode: IY.??z7@