Summary
The purpose of a lesson is to achieve a measurable goal by the end of class. Choosing appropriate end goals shares the same importance as how a teacher plans to achieve such goals. In order for a teacher to be able to prove their ability to create well-structured lessons, they must show strong comprehension of each.
Proficiency Criteria
Adapts as needed and implements standards-based units comprised of well-structured lessons with challenging tasks and measurable outcomes; appropriate student engagement strategies, pacing, sequence, resources, and grouping; purposeful questioning; and strategic use of technology and digital media; such that students are able to learn the knowledge and skills defined in state/local standards. (1)
Methodology
Building an effective lesson starts with understanding and utilizing effective concepts and methodologies. Shared below are two crucial concepts used to create cohesive and thorough lesson plans. These are the foundation of every lesson, ensuring a widespread understanding of the desired topic as well as the ability to apply such knowledge to whatever task a student might face.
Bloom's Taxonomy
Bloom's Taxonomy is a method for creating an understanding of a topic by using a hierarchical order of cognitive skills which correspond with a student's level of understanding. When creating a lesson, a teacher can refer to bloom's taxonomy to break down their lesson into distinct segments according to the 6 steps below. As a lesson progresses, the lesson should slowly work up the pyramid until the pinnacle is reached, which ideally should signify a complete understanding of the intended topic. Furthermore, Bloom's taxonomy can be used to structure how a teacher presents a task to the class using action verbs that align with each step. This makes an incredibly useful tool when creating in-class activities or worksheets. A teacher can directly see which step of bloom's taxonomy they are addressing by examining the used action verbs of a task. As you look through my artifacts throughout this portfolio, pay attention to the action verbs and how I use them to work up bloom's taxonomy.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Universal design for learning is a framework used to create a diverse and equitable learning experience. At the heart of the framework lie 3 main questions of learning: Why? What? and How? By using these questions as the focus behind constructing our lessons and conducting our teaching, we can create well-rounded curricula while attending to every learner's needs. Below are the guidelines used to follow the UDL.
Evidence
Standards-Based Lessons
Following state-mandated standards and local curricula can create a cohesive path for your class to follow. This ensures a teacher is presenting relevant and important topics to a class, as well as preparing students for any final graduation requirements which assess content knowledge. Below is my lesson plan used for my Engineering Principles Hydraulics class following the state standard HS-ETS4-4(MA).
Measurable Goals
Well-structured goals are the foundation of successful lessons. If at the heart of a lesson are goals that are not specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, or time-based, that goal can never be identified as reached. This is the concept of setting "S.M.A.R.T. Goals". By following this structure, a goal will always have the criteria needed to identify if that goal is met. Without this, a lesson could never be taught, for in the end, there would be no way of telling if the goals of that lesson were ever met solely because the goals themselves were written poorly.
Formative Assessments
Formative assessments are a fantastic way to gauge a classroom's understanding of a topic as well as how effectively they achieved the measurable goals set by the teacher. Throughout my student teaching, I utilized many forms of formative assessments including, google forms, and end-of-class worksheets. Some of this is discussed in the proceeding sections, but directly below is a worksheet that complimented my hydraulics lesson as the students' "exit ticket".
Resources
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). CAP Guidelines. Retrieved January 06, 2021, from https://www.doe.mass.edu/edprep/cap/guidelines.html