3. Planning for Differentiated Instruction

Rationale, Standard Connection, Self-Evaluation

This artifact is my Geography of the United States Unit Plan. For my social studies methods course taken in Spring of 2019, I created a 4^th grade unit plan that was formed by using Understanding by Design (UbD). UbD is focused on developing a unit plan with a main goal in mind of, helping students obtain the knowledge and skills needed to transfer into other disciplines and the real-world. Students will be introduced to this unit using the trade book, The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller. This book describes the 50 states of America and how they all have a place and a purpose; the theme of this unit is based off of this trade book. This unit plan is centered around the Illinois Social Science Standards, Social/Emotional Standard, English Language Arts Common Core Standards, and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies Themes were identified and chosen with specific objectives in mind for the students. The activities and assessments were all created in accordance with these standards. All the activities in this unit plan are differentiated to provide the best learning opportunities for all students. Each of the activities were designed with best practice and the standards allowed me to focus on the big ideas and goals I want my students to learn.

The Illinois Professional Teaching Standards knowledge indicator 3A states, the competent teacher “understands the Illinois Learning Standards curriculum development process, content, learning theory, assessment, and student development and knows how to incorporate this knowledge in planning differentiated instruction.” When designing my activities and assessments, I made sure to first determine what standards align with my chosen trade book. I also determined what standards would best meet my students’ goals for learning. The goal of this unit was to teach my students information about the knowledge and skills they will need to transfer into other disciplines and the real-world. The goals of students will be met with assessments and activities, the unit includes differentiation for all activities. The Illinois Professional Teaching Standards performance indicator 3L states, the competent teacher “creates approaches to learning that are interdisciplinary and that integrate multiple content areas”. The focus of this unit plan is for students to take the information they learn and apply it to other areas of their life outside the class itself. The unit also focuses on helping teachers to assess the understanding and knowledge of students who are taking those skills and applying them to other disciplines.

Creating this unit plan helped me learn how to create a well-thought-out unit plan design, along with meaningful teaching practices. This unit strengthened my understanding of how to differentiate any activity for the students. Using Understanding by Design, aided me to realize that planning an instructional unit for the students is much more than providing assessments and activities for the students to complete. This project has taught me effective skills about planning, researching and creating a well-developed unit plan.

Rationale, Standard Connection, Self-Evaluation

For my class, ASPED319 Remediation of Language and Communication Disorders taken in Summer of 2019, I created an Aphasia PowerPoint presentation to display to my colleagues which I have also provided my presentation notes for. One of the requirements for this course was to create a specific communication disorder lesson plan. A colleague and I completed a lesson plan on the communication disorder Aphasia. There are various types of Aphasia but the main result is damage to the brain which effects language. To create this lesson, my colleague and I researched best practices, accommodation and modifications for students who have Aphasia. With this information, we were able to create a well-constructed lesson with appropriate adaptations for the student.

Creating this lesson plan allowed me to gain knowledge of how to implement differentiation for individual students. The Illinois Professional Teaching Standards knowledge indicator 3C states, the competent teacher "understands cultural, linguistic, cognitive, physical, and social and emotional differences, and considers the needs of each student when planning instruction". This lesson plan displays my knowledge in understanding individualized needs for students and my ability to implement those individual needs appropriately.

Prior to creating this lesson, I was able to look back at my PowerPoint presentation and presentation notes to refresh my memory on Aphasia. I also did more research on the communication disorder before continuing with creating my lesson. This research allowed me to dig deeper into what Aphasia is, what specific needs students need and how to identify those needs. By knowing how to identify and implement individualized instruction to my students I will be able to provide them with the knowledge to be successful.