Unit 1: Standards, Goals, and Objectives

Project Description

Overview

In this activity, you will collaborate with your cohort members to develop a comprehensive Literacy Guide that will help you apply the standards, goals, and objectives you’ve learned in this unit to practical classroom instruction. 

Assignment Purpose

The Literacy Guide will allow you to showcase your understanding of literacy standards and objectives while working as part of a team to create a detailed and practical resource for classroom use. The collaboration with your cohort will simulate real-world teaching environments, where educators often work together to align their instruction to learning standards. 

Assignment Instructions

1. Collaborate with Your Cohort: Begin working on your Literacy Guide alongside your assigned cohort members. This is a group assignment, so active participation and contribution are essential. 

2. Ongoing Work: While you start working on this guide during Unit 1, Activity 1, you will not submit it until Unit 4. Please note that your work on this activity will show as “incomplete” in the system until your final submission in Unit 4, but this will not negatively impact your grade at this time. 

3. Final Submission: By Unit 4, you should have refined and completed your Literacy Guide. Submit your final Literacy Guide before the end of the module by sending your e-portfolio link to your Literacy Guide. 

Resources

• Module 6 Literacy Definition Guide

Important Deadlines

• You have 3 weeks to complete this activity with your cohort.

• Final submission is due in Unit 4. Be sure to submit before the end of the module. 

Key Points to Remember

• This is a group assignment; collaborate regularly with your cohort.

• Work on the guide throughout the first 3 weeks of the module and submit during Unit 4.

• Your final submission should be made by revisiting Unit 1, Activity 1 and uploading your completed Literacy Guide.

Notes:

• You will not be penalized for this activity showing as incomplete during the module. However, failure to submit the final Literacy Guide by the end of Unit 4 will result in a grade impact.

• To maintain academic integrity, you must cite any information, ideas, text, or images used in this activity by identifying the source.

Project Description

Overview   

Teachers are expected to help students meet standards set by their school, state, or nation. They do this by unpacking standards, which means breaking them down into what students need to know and how they will show they've learned it. This process involves looking at the verbs (like explain or compare) to see how students will demonstrate their understanding, and the nouns to see what content they should learn. This helps teachers plan lessons that cover all parts of the standard.

Learning objective

Candidates will unpack a standard to identify the knowledge and skills that students must demonstrate to meet standards.

What will you do?

1. During the Virtual Class, 

   • a. As a cohort, discuss your current understanding of the following terms:

     • Standards

     • Goals

     • Objectives (SMART)

   • b. Once your instructor has shared Moreland’s definitions with the cohort, discuss how these definitions will guide you as you do the following throughout this unit:

     • Identify and unpack a standard

     • Develop an overarching goal for unit and lesson plans

     • Create SMART objectives 

2. Independently, 

   • Obtain a copy of the school, state, country, or any other standards or curriculum framework for the content area and grade level in which you seek certification. In the absence of any, you can use the Common Core State Standards.

   • Select a standard requiring up to 5 lessons (i.e., a unit) for students to master successfully. If you are currently teaching, consider selecting standards or goals for the unit you teach or one you will teach during your clinical practice.

   • Make a copy of the Unpacking a Standard Template in the Activity Resources. Fill out each section of the template, which includes the following:

     • The standard (write out the entire standard, not just the name or number of the standard, and include the grade and subject area the standard is addressing)

     • Where does the standard come from? (Common Core State Standard, etc.)

     • The big ideas of the standard (What content the students will be learning)

       1. Example: The big idea is that matter exists in three forms: solid, liquid, and gas. 

     • How will students demonstrate that they have mastered the standard? (Pay attention to the verbs, such as explain, compare, and construct.) 

       1. Example: Students will compare the three forms of matter, explaining how a liquid, solid, and gas differ. 

     • What 21st Century skills will be taught in this lesson?

       1. Example: Students will learn to communicate with peers by working in small groups. 

     • One in-person and one online learning activity that you could implement to assist students in mastering this standard. 

     • A description of at least five assessments you will use throughout a five-lesson unit to assess the progression of mastery of the standard.

       1. This is an overview of possible formative assessments, such as an entry or exit ticket, a fist-to-five informal assessment, a 5-question quiz, etc.

   • Submit the link to your completed Unpack a Standard Template.

Candidate Assignment

• Completed Unpack a Standard Template

Note: All assignment descriptions are written for Proficient. You should carefully examine the criteria for an Outstanding score if you want to aim for Outstanding.

Project Description

Overview  

Observing other teachers can be an excellent way for teachers to learn. You can see what works well in the classroom and how students react to different teaching methods. You can still learn from these observations even if you teach a different grade. Some teaching methods can be used in any grade, while others may need to be changed to fit the needs of your students.

Learning objectives

• Candidates will observe and reflect upon one teaching lesson, analyze whether the teacher effectively conveyed the lesson objectives, and recommend ways to improve the lesson. 

What will you do?

1. Independently, Watch the teaching video from the Activity Resources.  *Each video you observe and reflect upon throughout the program is part of your field experiences.

   1. Read the lesson plan that aligns with the video.

      • As you watch the video, consider the following:

        • I. How well were the standards and/or lesson objectives conveyed to the students?

        • II. Did the lesson adequately prepare the students to meet the lesson objective(s)?

        • III. Will meeting the lesson objective help the students master the standard?

        • IV. How would you improve or adapt this lesson to meet the needs of your students?

2. Submit a written (1-2 pages) or recorded (2-3 minutes) reflection on the teaching video, focusing on one or more of the questions listed above.

Candidate assignment

• Written or Recorded Reflection on Teaching Video