Planning for Instruction

1. Planning for Instruction

2. Levels of Planning • Top-down design, like building a house • Curriculum/Course of Study/Scope and Sequence -- timeframe: year/quarter • Unit Plans or Modules -- timeframe: week(s) • Lesson Plans -- timeframe: daily

3. Course of Study • A document that prescribes the curriculum, by grade level, for a state, county or individual school district, for example -- • New York State Mathematics Learning Standards • New York State Core Curriculum • Local District Curriculum or Scope/Sequence • Textbook

4. A Unit • A unit is a carefully planned set of learning experiences that are designed to address one or several goals and objectives over time (Brahier, 2000). • May take several class periods or even several weeks to complete. • May correspond to a chapter in the textbook.

5. Planning a Unit Plan • Start with a rough sketch of topics and the expected time to complete. • Final plan contains a set of daily lesson plans, carefully sequenced to develop the goals and objectives of the topic.

6. Example - Rough Sketch Unit Plan (Linear Functions) • Introduction: explore real life functions (1 day) • Expressing linear functions as tables and graphs (2 days) • Exploring linear functions on the graphing calculator (1 day) • Equations that describe linear functions (2 days)

7. Example continued - Linear Functions Unit Plan • What is the slope of a line? (1 day) • Discovering slope-intercept form (1 day) • Linear vs. non-linear functions (1 day) • Putting it all together - Four represent-ations of a linear function (2 days) • Note: Adjust time to student learning pace.

8. Unit Planning Questions • What do I expect students to know and be able to do by the end of the unit? (goals/ objectives) • What types of experiences have they already had with this topic? (pre-requisite knowledge) • What are the key concepts/skills that students will encounter and need to understand in the unit? (goals/objectives)

9. More Unit Planning Questions • In what order should the key concepts be introduced? (sequencing) • What experiences should students have to help them learn these concepts? (lessons, activities) • How many lessons will it take to accomplish the unit goals? (sequencing/ timing)

10. More Unit Planning Questions • What materials/resources will I need to support the lessons? (tools, technology) • How will I know if the students really understand what I want them to after completing the unit? (assessment) • Once the unit is complete, what is the next logical step for student learning? (sequence)

11. Unit Plan • Using NY State Mathematics Learning Standards, identify specific Performance Indicators • Identify new knowledge and skills • Describe class/student activities • Describe assessment methods

12. Lesson Plan • A document that details the objectives and activities for a class day. • Fits into the larger-range unit plan, flows logically from the previous day and prepares student for future lessons.

13. Components of a lesson plan: • Goals and objectives • Materials • Opening/motivation/bell-ringer/anticipatory set • Procedures for instruction • Closure/extensions • Evaluation/assessment • Reflection (after lesson taught) • See examples in the book

14. Lesson Plan Overview • What do you want your students to know, do, appreciate, discover … as a result of this lesson? (Goals and Objectives) • How are you going to accomplish this? (Procedures for Instruction) • How will you know if you have accomplished your goals? (Evaluation/Assessment)

15. Developing the Plan • Choose a topic (in the context of the Unit Plan) • Research the topic • List your goals/objectives • List your materials/resources • Design your procedures for instruction • Design your evaluation/assessment

16. Choose a Topic • In consultation with your sponsor teacher • In consultation with your team • Using your curriculum guide

17. Researching the Topic • Find relevant textbooks, internet lesson plans, teacher resource guides, journals • Discover a variety of appropriate techniques to introduce the topic • Select teaching aids & materials, including computer/calculator and visual aids as appropriate • Identify a variety of teaching strategies to aid in engaging all students

18. Goals • Goals are general outcomes about what a student should be able to accomplish as a result of participating in a lesson, a series of lessons, a course, or even an entire curriculum (Brahier, 2000) • Big-picture statement of student learning outcomes -- • Serves a the basis for unit/lesson planning • Activities and assessments should flow from the goals

19. Examples of Goals - • The student will use algebra in solving real-world problems. • The students will develop an understanding of the application of functions. • The student will develop a positive disposition toward the study of math.

20. Objectives • An objective is a very specific statement of what a student should know, be able to do, appreciate or feel • Examples - • Given the original cost of an item and its sale price, the student will calculate the percent sale discount. • Given a compass and straightedge, the student will draw an angle and construct its angle bisector.

21. Cognitive Objectives • Mental: • Knowledge (conceptual understanding) • Skills (procedural knowledge) • Concepts (conceptual understanding) • Applications (problem solving)

22. Bloom’s Taxonomy - 6 Levels • Knowledge - basic recall • Comprehension - understanding • Application - use concept in new situation • Analysis - take concept apart • Synthesis - integrate several ideas • Evaluation - judge the value of ideas

23. Which is it? • Given a quadratic equation, the student will solve it using the quadratic formula. • Given a set of data, the student will determine whether the mode, median or mean is the most appropriate measure of central tendency for that set and justify their answer.

24. Which is it? • The student can define the term locus. • Given a cereal box, the student will find the surface area and volume.

25. Affective Objectives • Emotional - feel or appreciate • Examples - • The student will appreciate the relationship between exponential and logarithmic functions. • The students will display interest and curiosity when solving mathematical problems.

26. List Your Learning Objectives • Write them in terms of student behavior/ performance • Be specific • How will you know if the objective is being met?

27. Instructional Objective: The student will identify shapes. Performance Objective (assessment): Given a set of 10 shapes (circles, triangles and squares) the student will correctly classify them. Levels of Specificity

28. The student will find areas of rectangles. Given five rectangles, the student will compute the area of each by measuring their base length and height with a ruler and computing the product using a calculator or paper and pencil. Sample Objective

29. List Materials/Resources • Equipment/supplies? • Overheads? • Handouts? Worksheets? • Note amounts • Plan ahead!! (takes time) • reserve lab, equipment • Collect/organize supplies • photocopying

30. Write your procedures for instruction • Introduction to the lesson • Instructional procedures for the lesson (teaching moves) • Transitions • Summary/closure • Possible extensions -- optional activity/teaching idea

31. Introduction (Bell Ringer) • How can you grab the students’ attention and spark their interest? • Choose a motivating or focus activity -- could be a story, game, interesting question, news item, real-world application, or relation to previous lesson • Tell class the goals + objectives for the day • Activate prior knowledge or review pre-requisite skills

32. Instructional Procedures • Note: instructions to the teacher • The heart of the lesson • Step-by-step description of that teacher and students will do • Detailed enough so that a substitute teacher could follow it

33. Hints on procedures • Make instructions specific • List important terms & definitions • List key questions to ask • Draw diagrams • List examples you want to use • Describe student or group activities, including detailed instructions

34. Transitions • Recognize the connection between parts of the lesson • Assist students in moving from one activity to another • Example -- “Let’s see how the game we just played relates to number theory” instead of “Now open your book to page 367”

35. Summary (Closure) • Important feature of a strong lesson • Serves as a logical wrap-up activity • Provides closure to lesson • Opportunity for assessment, asking questions, journal entry, one final problem • Review what you’ve done today and what you expect students to do for the next class, instead of “Your homework is page 237, 1-21 odd, see you next class.”

36. Summary continued • Bridge to next topic (make connections) • Possible extensions (if time allows)

37. Assessment = formative Useful feedback to determine progress Are students getting it? Ask questions, observe, board work, journals Evaluation = summative Evaluation of performance Used to determine a grade Exams and quizzes Assessment vs. Evaluation: What’s the difference?

38. Design your assessment/ evaluation • Imbedded in instruction, teacher observation, and checklists • In class products • Reporting out to class/board work • Quizzes, tests and homework • Longer-term projects

39. Assessment • Plan for assessment - tied to goals/ objectives • Share expectations with students -- rubrics, checklists, peer review • Share assessment results with appropriate stakeholders -- students, parents, grade-level team, administrators • Use results: to evaluate students as well as to improve instruction and programs

40. Reflection • After teaching the lesson, reflect on: • Did I accomplish my goals/objectives? • What worked well? • What didn’t work so well? • What have I learned about myself as a teacher or about my students? • If ideas for changes come to mind, write them down now (modify lesson plan) • This is a learning process - expect to have to make adjustments

41. Post-reflection • Discuss with colleagues • Share lesson plans • Share great ideas, motivators, activities, etc. • Collect/save ideas in a resource file

42. Caution • Another person’s lesson plan may not be appropriate for you (your style, personality, etc.) or your students (their background, ability, motivation, etc.) • You only “own” a lesson after planning it, teaching it, reflecting on it, and then re-teaching it. • A well-planned set of lessons is the cornerstone of coherent, meaningful units.

43. Questions/Discussion