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S a n t i a g o T W S | 1
Contextual Factors
My practice teaching is being held in the Luis Muñoz Marín Elementary School. This
school is located in the heart of the town of Ceiba, Puerto Rico. The school is part of the Fajardo
School District. At this moment, the school has 432 students enrolled, 32 teaching professionals
and 11 non-teaching professionals. Some parents donate their time working in the school lunch
room and cleaning. This school is one of the most important elementary schools in the area. Most
of the students that are enrolled come from the two living complex that are near the school. This
means that most of the students are living in low economics homes at the moments, and most of
them don’t have the technology to help them in their school work. Although, most of the students
come from these living conditions, parents volunteer time and are at the school most of the time.
Here in my practice, I am teaching English first grade. My main group is 1-3, but
throughout the day I also visit the other two first grade groups, and two kindergarten groups. My
classroom has the use of an air conditioning system, since most of the school classrooms are air
contioned. The classroom is composed by twenty five desks and the teacher’s desk. The
student’s desks are arranged in two groups of three rows and one main row in the middle of the
classroom. The teacher’s desk is located in the back of the classroom, right behind the middle
row. On the wall, the Department put up shelves where the teacher organizes the books that the
Department of Education brings in. Also, there are different materials the teacher uses when the
students don’t bring them to class. What I noticed is that, although there are some books on the
shelves of the classroom, there aren’t enough for the students and also they are not updated.
My group is composed of 5 girls and 12 boys; in total I have 17 students this semester.
Their ages round from 5 to 6 years old. The students have a problem of classroom management.
As I experienced, most of the students begin paying attention to the class but at some point they
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turn their attention to something else. As their teacher, I try to maintain control of the students
but sometimes it takes too much time of the class, and that can be a problem in their learning. I
have two documented students that are part of Special Education, although Mr. Rivera and I
believe that there are more students with disabilities. This concerns me that some parents haven’t
noticed that their child is having difficulties or possibly they don’t want to accept that. This can
be a problem, because if the student does need some special accommodation and I don’t know
their status then I cannot provide what they need.
All of these factors take consequences in my classroom. Combining all of the problems I
noticed in my classroom I have to take in consideration that most of my students are slow
learners, and that can put a halt in what I want to provide for them. I can’t compare my students
with the other two first grade groups because it can damage them. The other two groups respond
rather quickly to the lessons, whether my students take more time in each lesson. I have to find
ways to help them understand and grasp the material, and at the same time I have to lower their
learning skills. This is going to be a challenge that I know I am going to take down, and along
the way my students will grasp English better.
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Learning Goals
According to the Puerto Rico Core Standards, by the end of this Unit the students should:
Discriminate and identify sounds in pronunciation and speech especially those
that differ from their first language. (Listening)
Recognize sounds (phonemes) syllables, and spoken words.
Recognize the organization and basic text features. (Recognize the distinguishing
features of a sentence (first word, capitalization, ending punctuation)
(Foundational Skill: Phonemic Awareness and Phonics)
Following the standards, this thematic unit will focus on working with Phonemic Awareness.
These goals are going to be aligned with the needs of the students following the Department of
Education idea. Between units, the students should gain Phonemic Awareness and they should
fulfill the next goals:
Goal #1: After providing the sounds of each letter in the alphabet, 85% of the students
should be able to identify the beginning and final sound in basic words.
Goal #2: After providing the beginning and final sounds, students should be able to
pronunciation the phoneme in the correct way.
Goal #3: After providing phonemes and capital letter and lower case, 85% of the students
should be able to capitalize and write the words in the correct way.
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Assessment Plan
The learning goals of this unit were focused of working in the areas of speaking and
reading. The students will be evaluated in the Pre- Diagnostic Test, to see where the student
needs improvement. The students will be touching the areas of Beginning Sounds and Final
Sounds. Also, the students will be discussing what are Capital Letters and Lowers Case letters.
These areas are basic instruction for speaking and writing. The students will be working on
identifying the areas of phonics by exams, worksheets and class work. Throughout the semester
in various units, they are of phonics will be touched and at the same time the students will be
evaluated if they are progressing or not.
Assessment Plan Table
Learning Goals Assessment Format of Assessment
Adaptations
Learning Goals #1
After providing the sounds of each letter in the alphabet, 85% of the students should be able to identify the beginning and final sound in basic words.
Pre-Test: Diagnostic Test
Formative Assessment:
Worksheets & Class Activities
Post Test:Two Exams
Diagnostic Test: The students will be tested
in the areas of phonemes. They will
be presented with different words to see if they understand the concept of beginning
and final sounds.
Worksheets: The students will work
with different worksheet in class and also at home.
This is a way to see if the student is
understanding the material or not.
In the class activities, the students will be working in pairs and
also going as a challenge. That way
the students are helping each other
learning, but in a fun way.
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Class Activities: In these activities, the
students are using the material and at the same time they are
practicing what they are learning.
Exams: In these exams, the students
are measured to see if they captured the
material.
Learning Goals #2
After providing the beginning and final sounds, students should be able to pronunciation the phoneme in the correct way.
Pre-Test: Diagnostic Test
Formative Assessment:
Class Activities
Post Test:Two Exams
Diagnostic Test: The students will be
measured to see if they can pronounce the correct sound of the letter provided to
them.
Class Activities: The students will be given the letter and they are going to listen to the
correct way to pronounce it. After, the students have to provide the correct pronunciation. The
students are given the pronunciation and
they have to fill the blank of the words that start with that
sound.
Exams: The students are measured if they
know the letter by the pronunciation given
by me.
In the activities of filling the blanks, the
student is going to create the connection
between the pronunciation and
how to say the word the correct way.
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Learning Goals #3
After providing phonemes and capital letter and lower case, 85% of the students should be able to capitalize and write the words in the correct way.
Pre-Test: Diagnostic Test
Formative Assessment:
Worksheets & Class Activities
Post Test:Two Exams
Diagnostic Test: The students are measured
to see if they know words begin with capital letters and
which one has lower case.
Worksheets: The students will be
provided with the pronunciation and
they have to fill the blank with capital
letter or lower case.
Class Activities: In the date, the students have to correct to see
if it’s written the correct way, and to
see which word begins with capital or
lower case letter.
I adapted the use of Today’s date in the implementation of capital letter and lower case. The
students see this as a game, and are a good
way to keep presenting the topic.
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Design for Instruction
For this thematic unit I gave my students a Diagnostic Exam, ordered by the Department
of Education. In this test, the student was evaluated in the areas of speaking, reading, and
writing. The skills tested in the diagnostic test were the areas that are measured in the Core
Standards provided by the Department of Education of Puerto Rico. The area of phonemes is
extensive, but the department wants to see more if the students understand the pronunciation, and
basic text features.
In Figure 1, you can see that by the time of the diagnostic test 33% of the students were
skilled in the area of beginning sounds. From what I expected, to me 33% is good. Of course is
not a perfect number, but is a good beginning. In Figure 2, as you can observe in the area of final
sound, 100% of the students were skills. In this area, this is normal for a first grade group since
most of the students still understand what a final sound is. This test shows me were my students
need more work on.
33%
67%
Beginning Sounds
SkilledSkilles
Figure 1
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100%
Final SoundSkilled Skilles
Figure 2
After analyzing these charts, is clear to see that the students are going to have more
trouble understanding the area of final sound instead of beginning sound. This helps me see
where I can start and give them more time. I have to find activities that are more focused in the
area of final sound and follow the goals imposed in this unit.
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Thematic Unit Overview
Day Goal Objectives Activities Materials Disposition
Day #1
Beginning Sounds
Learning Goal #1
After Discussing
the beginning sounds M R B H T K S, 85% of
the students will be able to
identify the sound with the letter.
The students will listen to the sounds of
the letters. Also, the
students will identify
which are Capital
Letters and Lower Case. The students will observe the letter and
they will provide the
sound.
Board Markers Sentence
Strips
Creativity:By using
sentence strips, the students
use their creativity to have a more fun way to
learn beginning sounds.
Day #2Beginning Sounds
Learning Goal 2#
After discussing
the beginning sound M,
the students will be able to identify
what words
begin with M.
The students will observe pictures that
the word commences
with the letter M. The
students will provide the beginning sound. The
students will work on a worksheet, where they
have to color the picture who’s word begins with
M.
Sentence Strips
Board Markers Pictures Worksheets
Creativity:Students are
using colors to identify those pictures who’s word begins
with M.
Day# 3
Beginnin
g Sounds
Learning Goal 2#
After discussing
the beginning sounds M,
The students will observe
different pictures of words that
Sentence Strips
Markers Board Pictures
Diversity:Students are
reviewing their language skills
in this area.
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R, B, H, T, K, S, the students will be able to
identify the correct
pronunciation of
words that begin with the letters.
begin with beginning
sounds M, R, B, H, T, K, S. The students are going to match the
word with the picture and
fill the blank with the
correct sound.Day 4#
Beginnin
g Sounds
Learning Goals 1,2,3 #
After discussing
the beginning sounds, the
students will be
tested on their
knowledge on the
material.
The students will match
capital letter with it’s
partner lower case. The
students are going to fill
the blank with the correct letter that
presents the pronunciation of the word.
Test
Pictures
Creativity: The students are going to use what they
know in the test.
Day 5#
Beginnin
g and
Final
Sounds
Learning Goal 1#
After discussing
the beginning and final sounds L, A, J, G, F,
D, the students are going to identify where goes beginning and where final sound
goes.
The students are going to
identify what is beginning, middle and end. The
students are going to learn
the pronunciation
ofL, A, J, G, F,
D, the students are
going to repeat the
pronunciation. The students are going to
identify
Flash Cards
Sentence
Strips
Board
Markers
Diversity
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which one is capital letter and which is lower case.
Day 6#
Beginnin
g and
Final
Sounds
Learning Goal 2#
After discussing beginning and final
sound, the student will be able to
identify the correct
phoneme for
beginning and final sound.
The students are going to
observe words that
begin with the current
beginning and final sounds
they are working on. The students are going to identify the
beginning and final sounds
on the words. The students are going to play Bingo, marking the words the
teacher mentions.
Markers
Board
Sentence
Strips
Bingo Cards
Creativity
Day 7#
Beginnin
g and
Final
Sounds
Learning Goals 1,2,3#
After discussing
the beginning sounds, the
students will be
tested on their
knowledge on the
material
The students will match
capital letter with it’s
partner lower case. The
students are going to circle the
word that the teacher
provides. The students are going write the correct
capital letter and lower case of the sound that I
Exam Diversity: The students are
practicing their communicatio
n skills.
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provide.Day 8#
Beginnin
g and
Final
Sounds
Learning Goal 2#
The students are going to identify the correct sound for
the phonemes provided by me.
The students are going to listen to the
correct pronunciation of the letters. The students
identify which ones are Capital Letters and which are
lower case.The students
provide words that begin with the
phonemes we are working
on.
Sentence
Strips
Board Marker
Diversity
Day 9#
Beginnin
g and
Final
Sounds
Learning Goal 1#
The students are going to show which words
begin with the
beginning sounds they are working
on.
The students provide words
that begin with the
beginning sound we are
working class. The
students are going to play a game where they are going
to accommodate the letters in the correct category
(capital or lower case).
Board
Markers
Flash Cards
Sentence
Strips
Creativity: The students use
unique words to present the
beginning sounds.
Day 10#
Capital
Letter
Learning Goal 3#
The students are going to identify in which area the
The students are going to cut and paste the different
beginning and final sounds.
Scissors
Glue
Worksheet
Creativity: The students are cutting and pasting to show their skills and
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and
Lower
Case
letters go, if it is capital letter or
lower case.
They are going to place
them in the correct area if
they are capital letter
or lower case.
Marker
Board
understanding.
Activities
In the first activity, the students will be identifying the beginning sound M. The reason for this
particular letter is that at the beginning of the lesson the students were having difficulties
distinguishing between the beginning sound M and N. The students then will identify words with
pictures provided by me. By using pictures the students will create the link between the picture
and the word. The reason I decided to do this activity, is because the students by seeing what the
letter sounds like and the link between the word and the picture, the student will use the prior
knowledge in the future. For example, if in the test I use the picture of a mouse, then the student
will know the mouse begins with beginning sound M. The second activity, the students will be
observing different words and they will identify beginning and final sound. The words used in
the activity are words they use every single day. By using common words for them, the student
every time that he hears the word he will identify the beginning and final sound. In the third
activity, the students used writing to identify Capital Letter and Lower Case. In today’s youth,
much of them can’t distinguish between Capital Letter and Lower Case. This is a skill needed for
writing and reading. The students were provided with flash cards that contain Capital Letters and
Lower Case. The words on the board had the beginning sound in blank. The students needed to
paste in the word if it needed Capital Letter or Lower Case. By doing activities like this one, the
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students will learn what type of words contain Capital Letter and what other words contain
Lower Case.
Technology
In the area of technology, I believe that today’s youth depend too much on technology. In the are
of what I was teaching, I didn’t use technology because there was no real use for this. The
perfect way to present beginning and final sounds is by the teacher providing the sound. If the
teacher presents the sound in a fun way, then the student will be hooked from the beginning.
Also, there was a lack of videos I could have used for these areas. Yes, you can find videos
containing the alphabet, but what you really want is the sound, and in this part the technology
was lacking. I don’t object the use of technology, because in my other classes I use it, but in this
are it was not important.
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Instructional Decision Making
In this unit, there were not many changes to do. If I had to do a change if it was because
the teacher was absent then I was in charge to move the days of the classes, making the lessons
extend themselves. The first decision I took was to see where I could include this topic in the
units I would be working. In the new units provided by the Department of Education, the topic of
phonics is not included. This is a mistake and my first grade group needed practice in the area.
Each new unit I started, I had to plan in advance in what part I could include and practice
beginning and final sound.
The second decision I took, it was that I couldn’t give my students all the alphabet at
once. By giving them all the sound at once, the students could get confused and this could create
pools of confusion in their minds. I divided the alphabet in three parts. Of course I began with
the sounds I knew they were more in common with them. This way the students would go from
the simple to the complex. Also, by dividing the sounds in different groups, I would then see
which students were going to need more help in the area and which sounds they were having
trouble with.
One of the things I noticed when teaching beginning and final sounds, the students tend to
get bored after some time. This made me realize I needed activities that could make the students
enthusiast and more attentive to the lesson. By using words they were familiar, for example
Disney, Frozen, Elsa, and their proper names, the students would create a connection between
the sounds and the words. By creating this connection, the students now pronounce the sound
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first before saying the complete word. This helps to know that the students did understand the
sounds and how they work.
When discussing the area of Capital Letters and Lower Case, I would show them by hand
a way they could signal which was a Capital Letter and which one was the Lower Case letter.
Also, there were games I created for them to explain each area. By doing those games, the
students would get so excited they would ask for them every time. This activities would help the
students see that learning is fun and they could play and learn at the same time.
In the area of assessing the students to see if they were prepared for the exams, I would
review them in class, but also provide them with worksheets for their homes. This would create
the opportunity for them to practice at home and not only at school. Also, the activities they did
at home and also in class, were the same activities they would do in the exam. This way the
students would create a connection between class and the exam. If I would have used an activity
in the exam that I didn’t use in class, and then the students would had gotten confused and say
that they didn’t know the material. I want to evaluate the students if they achieved learning of the
lessons, or they just created a bottle that may crack and spill everything they put in there.
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Analysis of Students Learning
Whole Class
In order to know what the students know, there was a diagnostic test provided. In this
diagnostic test, the students were measured in the areas of beginning and final sounds. I
wanted to see if the students would complete the words by providing them with the
beginning and final sounds. After covering the material in the first unit, I tested the
students in the same areas like the diagnostic test. They were provided with the same
words. The decision for this, it was because I wanted to see if there was an improvement
in the area.
Beginning Sound
Final Sounds0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Comparisson of the Results Be-tween the Diagnostic Test and the
Unit Test
Diagnostic Test First Test
Figure 3
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In Figure 3 we can see that after the diagnostic test the students needed to be
targeted in the areas of beginning and final sounds. After the first test, the students scored
higher in the areas. This is evidence that the goals are being implemented and the
students are reaching the objectives. The goals target that the students reach a higher
level in both areas, and as we can see from the graphic there is a higher level of
understanding.
44%
19%
25%
6%6%
Analyzing the Percenteg of Students that Understood Be-
ginnig Sounds7 points 6 points5 points4 points2 points
Figure 4
From we can see from Figure 4 from 17 students, 44% from the students
understood the material obtaining in the exam 7/7 points. Only two students, those that
are the 6% didn’t understood the material or still have confusion. This helps me
understand if the objective and goals were reached in the group.
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25%
19%
13%
19%
19%
6%
Analyzing the Percenteg of Students that Understood Final
Sounds6 points5 points4 points3 points2 points1 points
Figure 5
From we can see in the figure 5 from 17 students, 25% of the students understood the
material provided in class. Only four students, who scored 2 and 1 point, didn’t reached
the goals for this unit. These students participate in class, but have the problem that they
don’t study at home. If they would continue with their studies, then the goals would have
reached them.
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Individuals
I selected two students who showed two different levels of learning. Since the law
protects the students, I decided to assign them a letter to identify them.
Diagnostic Test Unit Test Beginnig Sound Final Sound0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Analyzing Individuals
Figure 6
From what we can see in Figure 6, both students at the beginning started with the same
problems. As the unit progressed, student A progress is obvious, apart from student B.
The progress of student B can be seen, but is not in the same level as student A. After the
first unit exam, I provided individualized instruction to student B, and his level of
understanding went higher. The problem is that student B can participate in class
beautifully, but he is not receiving the same care at home as student A. This situation
blocks the mind of student B, hence the trouble at first. Both students showed progress
throughout this unit, and student A achieved the three goals explained at the beginning.
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Reflection and Self Evaluation
The goal for this unit was for the students understand the areas of phonics,
especially the areas of Beginning and Final Sounds. I’m positive that more than 85% of
the entire class reached the three goals established at the beginning of the unit. The
students were provided with enough exercises and activities to engage learning in the
area. Also the activities provided in the lessons, created an environment of creativity and
understanding.
At first it was hard trying to figure out how to provide the students with the
sounds, and sometimes I honestly couldn’t find a way to make it fun and enjoyable. Also,
to target those students that needed the most help in the area. At the end, is not
impossible to reach the impossible. It was a hard working road, but at the end the goals
were reached. The importance of the unit is that the students understand and they can take
their knowledge to future English classes.
For me, even though there were times I thought I couldn’t take my students
attention, I reached to them. In honest truth, I understand that I need practice and
refinement in my teaching skills. In order for my students to reach their full potential in
any material, I need to self-evaluate myself first and look for ways to help them fulfill
their learning. Also, I learned to help them connect with the help of minor details. For
example, by using picture to show them the beginning sounds and connecting them with
the word can make a great difference. This helps the students understand better and see
that learning can be that easy.
This thematic unit was not the easiest thing in the world, but the thruth of the
matter is that nothing is easy in this place. It takes time to figure out how you want to
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explain every single detail. It takes time how to teach the kids the material, and it takes
time to apply what you teach. Every single detail, decision, activity, worksheet was
created for the students to understand better the material and to reach the goals and
objectives the teacher wants. In the end, every step you take is another in that stair for
higher learning. The importance is that your students understood and are able to put in
practice the material they learned.
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Appendixes
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Name:______________________________________________
October 17, 2014 Theme: Beginning & Final Sounds
A D F G J L ___/28
Part I. Match the Capital Letter with its partner Lower Case Letter. (6 points)
M
LAJGFD
g
d
l
f
a
b
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Part II: Circle the words the teacher tells. (10 points)
1. apple fig jam
2. Elsa Disney fog
3. done dog dig
4. pig fig dig
5. love aunt live
6. air good jelly
7. father day sad
D
j
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8. pig sad fall
9. jelly apple juice
10. jolly jeep fig
Part III. Write the Capital Letter and Lower Case Letter of the Beginning Sound the teacher says. (12 points)
1. ______ ______
2. ______ ______
3. ______ ______
4. ______ ______
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5. ______ ______
6. ______ ______
Name:______________________________________________
September ___, 2014 Theme: Beginning Sounds
M H R S B T KPart I. Match the Capital Letter with its partner Lower Case Letter. (7 points)
M
M h
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RBHTKS
mskbrtd
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Part II: Write the Beginning Sound shown in the picture. (9 points)
1.
__ onkey
2.
___ ungry
3.
___ appy
4.
___ all
5.
___ un
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6.
___ ouse7.
___ an8.
___ ad
9. 10 ___en
Part III. Write the Capital Letter and Lower Case Letter of the Beginning Sound the teacher says. (14 points)
7. ______ ______
8. ______ ______
9. ______ ______
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10.______ ______
11.______ ______
12.______ ______
13.______ ______
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Name: ____________________________________
Beginning SoundsInstructions: Write the letter to show the beginning sound.
Bb Rr NnSs Kk Tt Mm
1.___om 7. ___un
2.___ et
3.___ iss
4.___rain
5.___oat
6.___an
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Name: ____________________________________________________
Beginning and Final Sounds ( Aa, Dd, Ff, Gg, Jj, Ll)
A. Complete the sound the teacher tells.
1. ____ather 7. sa____
2. ____ucky 8. of____
3. ____olly 9. do____
4. ____unt 10. schoo____
5. ____onut 11. fo____
6. ____elly 12. Els____
Name: ____________________________________________________
Beginning and Final Sounds ( Aa, Dd, Ff, Gg, Jj, Ll)
B. Complete the sound the teacher tells.
1. ____ather 7. sa____
2. ____ucky 8. of____
3. ____olly 9. do____
4. ____unt 10. schoo____
5. ____onut 11. fo____
6. ____elly 12. Els____
B I N G O
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Elsa off jam girraffe dinosaur
sad love jeep airplane donut
quest apple Jadnael Disney
Jim jolly dog lucky guide
fun queen laugh cod aunt
B I N G O
off dinosaur girraffe Elsa jam
sad airplane donut jeep love
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Disney quest apple Jadnael
dog Jim lucky guide jolly
aunt cod queen laugh fun
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