5. Instructional Delivery

This is a project I completed that demonstrates a lesson that would be used for a Flipped Classroom. I created this lesson as if I were to assign this video to a first grade classroom. The students would watch this video prior to coming to school to learn about the concept in the video. Then, in class, we would solidify their understanding of the concept and guide any misunderstandings or confusion. It contains a lesson of learning how to tell time on an analog clock. It is aimed toward first grade students who are ready to learn how to tell time through the flipped classroom method. It also includes a quiz that students would take after learning more about telling time.

Through creating this lesson, I was able to understand the method of the flipped classroom. I also learned a lot about how to create a video in this way with many graphics and visuals to help with understanding. One of the performance indicators met by my flip project is 5N, which says, "Uses technology to accomplish differentiated instructional objectives that enhance learning for each student;" Several parts of my flip project make use of technology, such as using Prezi to present the material, putting together images to support the presentation visually, and screencasting the lesson with audio to then gather as a video for students to learn from. One of the knowledge indicators met by my flip project is 5C, which states, “knows how to implement effective differentiated instruction through the use of a wide variety of materials, technologies, and resources;” Since students can watch the presentation as many times as they want and pause and go back, students of different abilities can understand the video and use it as a resource to look back on and to better understand the lesson. Another one of the knowledge indicators met by my flip project is 5F which says, “Knows strategies to maximize student attentiveness and engagement;” Since I made the video interesting and visually stimulating, students will be attentive. The video is also not too long, so students will not grow bored or lose attention throughout the video. Students are also called to be engaged because there is a problem for them to solve within the video. Another performance indicator that is met by my flip project is 5P which says, “Uses student data to adapt the curriculum and implement instructional strategies and materials according to the characteristics of each student;” since I used a google form as a quiz, I am able to look at student’s responses as data. I can then adapt instructional strategies after seeing which questions students got wrong more than others. This helps me see what needs to be changed in the curriculum or in the teaching so that students can understand that part of the concept better. I can also see which students didn’t understand a concept through their wrong quiz answers and adapt according to each student.

Creating this flip project helped me grow as a professional. By having to create a lesson for my potential classroom through the method of the flipped classroom, I was able to learn and understand the flipped classroom method better. It also made me have to consider what lesson I wanted to teach and how by also focusing on a specific Illinois Learning Standard. I learned how to formulate a visually engaging video to keep a student’s attention and consider what a student would understand from this video and take away from it. This assignment was very practical and helped me grow in my ideas for my future classroom and how I will want to teach. It opened my eyes to what it takes to create a lesson for students using the flipped method and what time, dedication, and creativity go into planning it.

This is a detailed lesson plan for a lesson that I taught while I was student teaching in a sixth-grade social studies class at Timothy Christian Schools. The lesson centers on why historians consider ancient Sumer a civilization. Throughout the lesson, students learned the characteristics of a civilization. They also were given a note sheet as a resource and as a guide to keep them involved and engaged in the lesson. The lesson involved technology which, more specifically, was a Padlet that students filled out about what they thought a society would need in order to be considered a civilization. There were a variety of teaching strategies used, such as involving students in a Think, Pair, Share, integrating technology, having direct instruction and class discussions, and using a note sheet.

This artifact shows that I have met multiple teaching standards. One is Knowledge Indicator 5B which states that the competent teacher, “understands principles and techniques, along with advantages and limitations, associated with a wide range of evidence-based instructional practices.” By using different instructional practices during this lesson, I have met this indicator. It also shows I have met 5C which says that the competent teacher, “knows how to implement effective differentiated instruction through the use of a wide variety of materials, technologies, and resources.” I have met this indicator because I used different materials and technologies such as involving students in a Padlet, Think, Pair, Shares, and giving guided notes. Finally, it also shows I have met Performance Indicator 5N saying that the competent teacher, “uses technology to accomplish differentiated instructional objectives that enhance learning for each student.”

Through creating this artifact, I learned how to effectively integrate technology into lessons. It is important that when students have technology available to them, that we look for ways as educators to use that technology for academic reasons which will engage students in their learning. I learned how to clearly explain expectations for the use of technology while also using a variety of teaching strategies in order to keep the eighty-five-minute lesson interesting and engaging.