The Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Standard 2: Learning Differences

The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each leaner to meet high standards.

The artifact that best encapsulates InTASC Standard 2 is my Vocabulary Mini-Lesson

Rationale

The InTASC standards that best exemplify the included artifact are:

2(b) The teacher makes appropriate and timely provisions (e.g., pacing for individual rates of growth, task demands, communication, assessment, and response modes) for individual students with particular learning differences or needs.

2(c) The teacher designs instruction to build on learners’ prior knowledge and experiences, allowing learners to accelerate as they demonstrate their understandings.

2(e) The teacher incorporates tools of language development into planning and instruction, including strategies for making content accessible to English language learners and for evaluating and supporting their development of English proficiency.

2(g) The teacher understands and identifies differences in approaches to learning and performance and knows how to design instruction that uses each learner’s strengths to promote growth.

2(i) The teacher knows about second language acquisition processes and knows how to incorporate instructional strategies and resources to support language acquisition.

2(l) The teacher believes that all learners can achieve at high levels and persists in helping each learner reach his/her full potential.

A description of the artifact, when it was created, the purpose and process of its creation:

The included artifact was created as an assignment for Adolescent Development and Learning Needs: an essential class in the Education Development and Training program at University of Maryland University College. The Vocabulary Mini-Lesson was meant to teach pertinent vocabulary words to a small number of ELL students that can understand short conversations on simple topics. It was made apparent that students were reliant on familiarity of certain words and concepts, in addition to contextual and visual cues. This mini-lesson would prepare students for the upcoming lesson in which they would work with other students to write an essay. Knowing that visual and contextual cues were of the upmost importance, I chose to include many pictures in my mini-lesson. I timed the pictures to appear as I would say the words so the visual would remain with the students. I also wanted to use words students already knew, so I used familiar words as building blocks for the new. With this video, students would be better prepared for class discussion and would feel more comfortable participating and conversing with other students in class, since they would have to spend less time trying to understand new words.

How does this artifact demonstrate achievement of Standard 2: Learning Differences?

Part of what Standard 2: Learning Differences asks of teachers is to incorporate tools that are tailored for differences in learning and are designed to play on learner’s strengths to promote growth. This artifact demonstrates an achievement of this standard because the Vocabulary Mini-Lesson is meant to supplement a classroom lesson, meaning it should exist outside of regular class time. This item functions as pacing for individual rates of growth in specific students that would need extra support in language, and is a resource to support language acquisition in the English classroom; pre-teaching vocabulary that may be difficult for ELL students.

How has my understanding of the standard been affected by the creation of this artifact?

Through the creation of this artifact, my understanding of Standard 2: Learning Differences has been specifically shaped and chiseled to fit the needs of the English Language Learner student. When creating this assignment, I not only had to think about how to present this given information, but when to release it to students and how this would affect their understanding. I decided this video would help ELL students if they viewed it before the main lesson, though it could also be helpful as a review. I decided I would use words students already know to help explain new words and concepts, such as brainstorm, which I described as a storm of information happening in your brain. I used pictures of a brain and a storm to show the different components of the word, and how these smaller words work together to make something new. I did my best in this video to make sure students feel supported, letting them know that they can always come in for help if they felt lost. I want my students to know that I will always be there to help them reach their full potential, whether it be during class or after school for tutoring.

What are my strengths related to this standard? What do I need to improve on?

My first job at a school was as a para-educator, giving me an inside look at the daily routine of a special education student. I believe this gave me an advantage in creating this assignment because I was able to think about the patience required to effectively work with these students. I took that same level of patience I practiced as a para-educator and translated it into my Vocabulary Mini-Lesson, with the thought that ELL students that are struggling with vocabulary need a much slower pace to learn words than students that speak English as their native language. After re-watching the video, I think I did a great job piecing the vocabulary words together and slowly pronouncing syllables and concepts that accompanied each word. I tried to use examples that would help students remember the vocabulary words better than if they had just been given a definition.

Critique comes easy to me with this assignment, as I re-created this video multiple times before deciding on a finished product. I wanted to go slow to make it easier to hear and register each word, but I felt sluggish at times and thought, at times, my chosen pace would be more difficult to understand. I had also never heard what my voice sounded like on a recording or video and realized I drag some of my words when I am finishing sentences. Since making this video I have been more conscious of my speech patterns in class and how they might impact the delivery of lessons. Through assignments and projects like this mini-lesson, I hope to better develop my teacher voice.

Artifacts

Vocabulary Mini-Lesson:

Created for High School English, ELL Students

Vocabulary Mini-Lesson Worksheet: