Internship Reflection – Week 7

April 17, 2011 at 8:14 am · Filed under L1: Learner Centered, L2: Classroom/School Centered, L3: Family/Neighborhood Centered, L4: Contextual Community Centered ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

STANDARD L META-REFLECTION—KNOWLEDGE OF LEARNERS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT IN SOCIAL CONTEXTS. Devote a paragraph related each of the following four elements. L1: Learner-centered knowledge through a variety of culturally responsive, developmentally, and age appropriate strategies. (Answer how you differentiate instruction to best meet the needs of diverse learners.) L2: Classroom/school centered knowledge through learning, knowledge, and skills connected to classroom and school communities. (Tell how your instruction fosters social wellbeing through cooperative learning and other group activities.) L3: Family/neighborhood centered knowledge through informed by collaboration with families and neighborhoods. (Tell how you utilize family and communityresources, mentors, etc. to facilitate learning.) L4: Contextual community centered learning to promote responsible citizenship for an environmentally sustainable, globally interconnected, and diverse society. (Answer how you relate lessons to community needs and resources in order to teach environmental stewardship and an appreciation for cultural diversity.)

L1: Learner-Centered Knowledge

Although the school where I am interning is not highly diverse racially, the students come from a variety of backgrounds and walk into the classroom with their own set of experiences that make them all individuals. As a teacher, I try to consider each student and his/her skill levels, abilities, and background when I prepare a lesson. I have found that collaborative learning strategies, when the teacher chooses groups intentionally, are beneficial for almost every student in the classroom. Students work well with students of different ability levels and help one another through the learning process. It is important to note that the teacher chooses the group for these learning experiences. For example, in one American Politics and Global Issues (APGI) class, there is a student with Asperger’s Syndrome who must be partnered with select individuals from the class in order to ensure that he will succeed in the group and will have a quality learning experience. Furthermore, collaborative learning is a strategy that works well for many students from different ethnic backgrounds because their heritage revolves around having a strong community and working together. Many students in my classes have weak reading skills. While these students may prefer to abandon reading altogether, I know that they will benefit more if they work on their reading skills and seek to improve. Thus, I allow them to work in reading groups where they can practice reading skills as a group and have a support team as they work through text, whether it is an article, a primary document, or the textbook. Many of my students who have IEPs or 504 plans do not require extensive modifications and accommodations, more time is all that they need in order to complete an assignment; however, I do not want all of those assignments to pile up on them, so I am keep those students in mind when I plan units and the spacing between larger assignments, so as not to overwhelm them. In addition, I try to plan lessons that accommodate the different learning styles and teach in a way that is attentive to the students in order to help them engage with the material. Some students will do the work and succeed by simply reading the textbook and answering questions; however, the majority of students will not retain the information that they read and wrote down from a lesson like this. I try to plan lessons that will appeal to students visually with posters, movie clips, and PowerPoints; audibly with podcasts and audio clips; and kinesthetically through role-playing, demonstrations, and movement.


Artifact from L1: Personal Reflective Paper

L2: Classroom/School Centered Knowledge

Cooperative learning and group activities are very common in my teaching. It is rarely necessary for me to interrupt a group because they are not being respectful of the other group members, but once in a while students need the reminder. Normally, students excel when working in groups, not only in getting the task accomplished, but also in showing that they are community contributors who respect and are considerate of their peers. Due to the lack of ethnic diversity, students will joke about skin color and make associations based on skin color during group work time. When this happens it is normally between friends and is not in a racist context; however, I take this very seriously and make sure that my students know that those jokes are not respectful and are not allowed in our classroom – even if it is just between friends. This is not a big issue and it only arises because of the lack of ethnic diversity in the school, but it has the potential to hurt, even if it is unintended. One thing that my students do well and that I enjoy when groups do presentations during Jigsaws is that the rest of the class “claps them up” as my students call it. The class applauds for the group as it is walking to the front of the room to present the lesson as a way of encouraging one another. They also clap at the end of every presentation and I am no longer the one who initiates the applause. While this may seem simple, every single student receives a source of encouragement during any round of presentations. It is a goal for the Tahoma School District to instill the Habits of Mind in its students, using cooperative learning and small groups allows students to practice these habits. For example, Thinking Interdependently, one of the Habits of Mind, means the student “builds on other people’s thinking; works collaboratively” (Tahoma School District). Students can learn about interdependence on their own, but they cannot practice the skill if they do not work in groups. This is a Habit of Mind that has been modeled in the Humans and the Environment CBA that my APGI classes are currently working through. Students are working together in groups to prepare a lesson to teach some of the fourth grade students in our district to promote sustainability and teach the younger students how they can help improve a sustainability issue here in the community. The APGI students have had to work with one another to determine the issue they want to teach, how to present the lesson in ways that will engage small groups of ten year-olds, and how these ten year-olds can help be part of the solution. Since the students will actually be teaching these lessons to fourth grade students, they want their groups to succeed and really care about being successful in their groups. They behave maturely and put forth their best effort, which helps the entire group throughout the planning process.

Artifact from L2: Classroom Management Plan

L3: Family/Neighborhood Centered Knowledge

One of the things that is often neglected and that I would like to change at the high school level is the amount of family involvement in a student’s learning. My mentor teachers forward any emails from parents to me and allow me to handle those emails since I am now the one running the classroom, and I welcome that interaction with parents. Most of these emails that come in are simply questions about grades and how to pull a student’s grade up in my class. As my APGI class was working through the editing process of their research papers, parents were the ones that did the editing for their students, instead of friends. There were some rare exceptions that had to be made because some parents of students do not speak English. I chose for the parents to edit these papers because they will often take this process more seriously than other students and because it helps them become involved in the learning process and for them to see what their students are learning and producing. It is easier for their to be parental involvement at the younger level, but it is just as important for those communications lines to remain open and continue into the secondary level.
In an upcoming unit for APGI we will be modeling a whole unit around The Game of Life. This will be done at a level that is appropriate for a class or high school seniors and will focus on different topics that they will need to know about as adults. This unit will revolve around involvement from other members of the community. For example, some people who teach a course on finances to other adults will be coming in and during one class. Some local landlords will come in and explain how the process of renting a house or an apartment works and what these students can do to be good tenants, All of these are skills that students need to have; there is not a better way for them to learn about these things than from experts from the community.

Artifact for L3: Diversity

L4: Contextual Community Centered Learning

The community is more than just the local neighborhood. Recently, oil and American dependence on it has been a large topic in my APGI classes because we were discussing American Foreign Policy. During this time we discussed America’s need for oil and why we continue to get involved in Middle Eastern conflicts. Although it is not the only reason that America remains involved in the Middle East, our need for that specific resource is a critical part of our foreign policy. Both my American Studies and APGI classes have been involved in environmental and sustainability CBAs during my internship. These CBAs model that students understand the need to be good stewards of our resources and to live in ways that are more sustainable. The American Studies class made blogs that discussed different industries and how the industry is making progress toward being more sustainable in addition to providing action plans for people to help make this industry more sustainable. Students in APGI are in the middle of a CBA in which they are taking their knowledge of sustainability, adding to that knowledge through research, and teaching that knowledge to fourth grade students from our district. These students are not only providing the fourth grade students with knowledge, but they are also providing activities for the students to participate in to help be more sustainable. For example, some students will be given seeds to plant trees when they go home, others will be starting small vegetable gardens to take home, and some will go around to the storm drains at the elementary school to discourage dumping and contaminating the water.
It is important for students to be appreciative of diversity and different cultures so they do not miss out on any new and unique experiences. While most students say they appreciate diversity, lessons that have been sensitive to this topic have proven beneficial. During the unit on the Middle East in APGI, students learned about Islam and the Islamic jihad. One of the goals of this unit was for my students to understand that Muslim people are real people too, who are trying to live their lives just like we are. Some students made comments about Muslims being terrorists to their neighbors when this unit first started. I was quick to tell the entire class that comments like those are completely unacceptable and not true. We talked about how why some Muslims believe in jihad and where it comes from in their holy texts, giving students the chance to see why people continue to fight. We compared Islam to other religious beliefs so the students were able to make connections with the unfamiliar to the familiar. During a lesson on Women in Islam, students read a magazine article about a Muslim woman in France who was denied citizenship because she wore her veil for religious purposes. This spurred some anxiety in the students who believed that the woman should be able to wear her veil if she wanted to, a comment that some students would not have made at the beginning of the unit. Throughout this unit, students were not only learning about the Middle East, they were developing an appreciation for cultural diversity and showed empathy toward people from different cultures.

Artifact from L4: American Education

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Internship Reflection – Week 6

April 16, 2011 at 6:23 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , ,

Week 6: Reflection
As you continue to observe a number of different teachers, consider how responsive these teachers have been to the moods or interests of their students. Have the teachers been treating the various students differently in terms of grouping, time allocation, tasks, standards, expectations, etc.? How has this been influencing your own instructional decision-making?

In a classroom of thirty students or more, teachers have the difficult task of managing a classroom and at the same time meeting the individual needs of each of their students. Most students do not require accommodations or modifications and work well with almost anyone in the classroom; however, almost every class has students that do have more needs than the other students. Through observations of my mentor teachers and other teachers at my placement school, I have observed how different teachers treat students differently. Since every student is different, treating all students the same is not fair and is not how most teachers manage their classes.

Accommodations and modifications can make lesson planning more of a challenge than it already is. For example, in one of my internship classrooms includes a student with Asperger’s Syndrome. Creating groups for a cooperative learning lesson must be very strategic to ensure that this student is placed with peers who will help him along the way and make sure that he is treated with respect. It is unfortunate that the student cannot simply work in a group with anyone in the class, but some students will simply tear him down if they are placed in the same group. This is something that I had to learn about dealing with very early on in my internship; fortunately, my mentor teacher is always on the lookout to make sure her student is doing well. In addition, there are other students that do not have formal IEP’s or 504 plans but still require extra consideration from their teachers.  I have observed teachers who simply know their students well enough to know that even though the student does not have a formal IEP or 504 plan, that student still requires some accommodating. In one of the classrooms I observed I saw a teacher who often allowed a girl to take extra time to complete assignments even though she did not have an IEP or 504. The teacher explained to me that this girl is a hard worker and really tries at school but still needs the extra time. Sometimes students slip through the cracks and do not receive the formal help that they probably need. One of my mentor teachers explained that it is difficult for high school students who have not been put on an IEP or 504 to get one in high school. In those cases, it is simply up to the teacher to use his/her best judgment to help that student however he/she can.

As I continue to observe teachers and receive advice from them on how to work with students, I am constantly being reminded that while procedures and expectations need to be made clear for every student, sometimes life in the classroom is not really such a set formula. Due dates are constantly being adjusted due to field trips, surgeries, illness, and a vast array of other reasons. Instructions that were covered with the entire class are not always clear enough for a couple of students who will need extra time and clarification. Fire drills, assemblies, half-days, announcements, test days, and other interruptions intrude into the time that had been previously allotted for learning. Regardless of what is causing a disturbance in student learning, whether it is from inside the student or an outside factor, all students deserve to learn and I, as their teacher, need to make sure that each student is given every chance to learn. It does not matter what type of interruption is wedging itself between a student and learning, it is my goal to work with each student to achieve the desired learning goals.

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Extracurricular Activity: Boys Soccer Spirit Spotlight

April 13, 2011 at 6:29 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , ,

Boys’ Soccer Spirit Spotlight Event
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
7:00 pm

     The leadership class at Tahoma Senior High School has made it a goal to try and bring as large of a crowd to one home game, competition, or event for every club and activity. Whether it is a football game, choir concert, golf match, or the spring musical, each activity gets a chance to shine in the spotlight. On Tuesday, April 12, the boys soccer team’s home game was a spirit spotlight event. Students from leadership class were at the game an hour early to set up for the free barbecue to help draw in spectators.  While the students at THS are generally encouraging and supportive of one another, it was different to watch them at an evening activity. When the entire lacrosse team showed up before their practice, the rest of the students became excited and everyone was conversing with one another. The atmosphere at the soccer game was much more casual than in the classroom. A hand-full of teachers, including myself, were at the event and the students did not hesitate to talk with any of us, even though we were the adults. It was an exciting chance to spend time with the students on a more casual basis when I was not the one in charge or making the decisions. A small group of leadership students were in charge of setting up the barbecue, preparing the food, and cleaning up. They knew what was expected of them at the event and I did not have to give any instructions. Instead I was there as a support cause, both for the soccer team and the leadership students. I think that the time spent at extracurricular activities is beneficial because it is a chance for me to step back and be more relaxed around the students. Classroom management is not running through my brain and I can take more time to learn about who the students are than I can in the classroom. While leadership class is a fairly casual environment, I think that time was especially valuable for the students who showed up from my social studies classes. These students saw me in a different light than they do during the school day. It is not that one environment is better than the other, this event simply allowed them to see me in a casual situation. The night even ended on a great note for the soccer team, they won!

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Internship Reflection – Week 5

April 2, 2011 at 9:33 am · Filed under S1: Content Driven, S2: Curriculum Standards/Outcomes, S3: Integrated Content Areas ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Reflection: Week 5
Devote a paragraph relating your use of student-based evidence to each of the following three elements. S1: Content driven so students develop understanding and problem-solving expertise in the content area(s), using reading, written, and oral communication and technology. (Answer how you develop student understanding through your teaching.) S2. Aligned with curriculum standards and outcomes so students know the learning targets and their progress toward meeting them. (Tell how you share the learning targets with your students.) S3. Integrated across content areas so students learn subject matter that integrates mathematical, scientific and aesthetic reasoning. (Answer how students demonstrate their learning using reading, written and oral communication, and technology.)

Tahoma Senior High School (THS) is dedicated to student learning. Staff development days are dedicated to improving staff skills to better student learning. The school district has adopted Arthur L. Costa’s “Habits of Mind” as part of the requirements for students to develop during their classroom experience. THS wants its students to be capable of using a variety of technologies and started a Digital Backpack Project for students to be able to bring their own laptops and netbooks to school. These practices coincide with the state’s standards and help to integrate student learning across curriculums. Students in the classrooms where I am interning are developing knowledge of social studies that are in line with the curriculum standards and also incorporate subject matter from other content areas.

S1: Content Driven
Student understanding is a vital part of the learning process. In my social studies classes, student understanding is accomplished through multiple methods. The administration at THS encourages teachers to use best practices in their teaching to ensure student learning. For example, direct instruction is an effective best practice if used appropriately. Instead of using direct instruction every day in class, jigsaws, cooperative learning, and other best practice instructional methods are used. In psychology, students spent time learning about the brain by working in groups to learn about one specific part of the brain and then teaching the rest of the class about that section. After all of the lessons, the entire class knew about each part of the brain. The student’s did not simply do a PowerPoint presentation; they created a mini lesson that included a student involvement activity to immerse their peers in the content being presented. Students used the social studies department’s netbooks to do their research; every student was working on a netbook or laptop during this project. Students helped share their information with the class using the projector and document camera, some even used video. In American Politics and Global Issues, students read articles from The New York Times Upfront magazine for students and listen to podcasts from NPR and other news broadcasts to learn about current events around the world. Another way to develop understanding is through the use of “Checking for Understanding Strategies.” Teachers at THS have been equipped with a chart of these different strategies and are encouraged to use them on a daily basis in their classroom as a way to evaluate how much students understand throughout a lesson. These strategies allow teachers to evaluate if the class is prepared to move on to the next lesson or if more time must be spent on the content. Students are developing skills in the classroom that will be benefit them throughout their lives; these skills are a result of studying and learning social studies content in a variety of ways.

S2: Aligned With Curriculum Standards and Outcomes
It is a common trend for high school students to think that the work they are doing in class is busy work; students need to know what the objectives are during class so they see a purpose to the work they are doing. While teachers give assignments point-values, those points do not answer the reason why the work must be done. In American Politics and Global Issues there are specified locations for students to look to see the key concepts that they will be learning that day in addition to the Habit of Mind they will be exercising and the thinking skills required to complete the work. All of these pieces give purpose to the work the students do. For example, currently the students are learning about the Middle East. The thinking skill required for the students on Friday, April 01, 2011, was “finding facts and sequencing.” The Habit of Mind the students were developing was “remains open to continuous learning,” and the key content/concept was to become educated on how women of Islam are treated throughout the world. The students do not only have to look at a whiteboard to learn about the learning targets for each day. At the beginning of each class I take the time to tell them the agenda for the day, what they will be doing and why they will be doing it. While studying the brain in psychology, students spent multiple class periods examining how neurons function. When I introduced an assignment to the students on neurons on a day after I had already used direct instruction to teach them about the topic I explained to them that our brains need to hear information more than once to store it in our long term memory. They already knew that knowing about neurons was important; they needed to know that more time was being spent on the topic to help them retain the information.

S3: Integrated Across Content Areas
The social studies field allows many opportunities for subject matter from different content areas to be incorporated into student learning. Psychology is one example that clearly incorporates both the social studies field and science. Students must understand how the brain works in order to understand why people behave in certain manners. While studying the brain, students were expected to learn about its different parts and how information travels throughout the brain. Students looked at pictures of the brain and diagrams of the endocrine and nervous system to discover how our bodies function. Students in American Politics and Global Issues use reading skills to gain a thorough understanding of the articles that they read about current events in the Middle East. They use pre-reading techniques like looking at the subtitles, captions, and pictures to make educated guesses about the content of the articles. In addition, they use primary documents like a cable sent to President Carter in Washington DC from U.S. Ambassador William Sullivan. Students studied this document to better understand how the United States makes its decisions about its foreign policy. Students also study economics in American Politics and Global Issues and are required to use their math reasoning skills to understand how the economy works, which influences the country’s international relations. Technology is a helpful tool with all of this because the students have access to current information like the cost of oil and up to date information on current events. Students are also able to share the information that they gain with the public by setting up blogs about environmental issues, like the students in American Studies did for a CBA earlier during my internship. Social studies is a content area that cannot truly be understood without also using science, math, reading, and writing.

In sum, students at THS are pushed to learn because of the approach the school takes to learning. The faculty and staff are aware that students learn better when best practice techniques are used in the classroom and when the students know what they are seeking to learn. Technology is incorporated into all of this because the world demands those skills. In the social studies classroom students use skills from so many other content areas that they are used to using math and science in the social studies class. They understand that they need to use reading skills in social studies in order to comprehend the information being taught. When teachers use effective techniques, the use of technology and incorporating other subject areas can be done in a way that is seamless for their students.

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Teacher Observation #1

April 1, 2011 at 3:00 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , ,

Observation with Mr. Hanson

Science Teacher/Outdoor Academy   Mr. Hanson is one of Tahoma High School’s science teachers; he is also one of the creator’s of Tahoma’s Outdoor Academy. Global Academy is a course for sophomores that combines PE, science, and English into one day with the same entire class. Mrs. Muller quickly suggested that I spend some time watching Mr. Hanson when I was discussing the need to observe some teachers who were not in the social studies department. I visited Mr. Hanson in his classroom one day after school was over and asked for his permission to observe him teaching. We agreed that my observation would be on Thursday, March 31, 2011, during my planning period at the end of the day. Mr. Hanson was going to be in charge of all ninety Global Academy students that afternoon. Since Global Academy is unlike most high school classes, I was eager to watch Mr. Hanson in that class.

The students all found their seats at 1:05 with the ring of the bell and Mr. Hanson did not delay on getting their attention. Global Academy is in the lecture hall during their large group time, the students sit at tables in groups of four, all facing down to the front where Mr. Hanson is sitting at the document camera with a blank piece of paper ready to go. The students pulled out their calendars as Mr. Hanson discussed the schedule for the week after Spring Break, which was when they were to have the science HSPE test. Mr. Hanson discussed the types of questions that are on the test and told them which ones he will help them prepare for. The students spent forty-five minutes working on the 2008 version of the science WASL before Mr. Hanson went over the problems with the class. Not only did he give them the answers, but he also provided the percentages of how many students answered the question right and what the most common wrong answer was. On short answer questions, Mr. Hanson went over what students needed to include in order to receive all of the possible points for that question. At this point Mr. Hanson told his students, “by far this is the best advice I can give you,” and they were all highly attentive to what he had to share. When Mr. Hanson finished going over a question he did not allow the students to ask questions specific to their answer, just general clarifying questions that were beneficial to the entire class. After the class finished reviewing the test, the students passed their tests forward to three students in the front row, a very effective procedure for a class of ninety.
Throughout the entire period, Mr. Hanson held the attention of his students. He paused and waited if students started to talk while their neighbors were the ones who hushed them. Global Academy is divided into three teams and the students receive points throughout the day for a variety of reasons, behavior being one of them, which motivates students to be attentive. When it came to working on the practice HSPI, Mr. Hanson motivated his students to work hard on the assignment because it is a way for them to gauge their preparedness for the test in two weeks. The students are required to pass the science HSPI in order to graduate, so they feel pressured to do well on it. With that motivation already there, Mr. Hanson told his class that each student will receive 20/20 on the test just for completing it and turning it in that day.
Mr. Hanson and the other teachers in Global Academy have built a very strong community within the class which makes Mr. Hanson’s classroom management practically invisible this far into the school year. The students know what is expected of them, work hard to succeed, and encourage one another along the way. Earlier on the day that I observed, the class held its own coffee house for students to read poetry. The entire class was involved in decorating, making food, and organizing the coffee house. At the end of the day while I was in the classroom, specific students received awards for their contributions. The entire class applauded for each student receiving an award and celebrated the success of their peers.
My observation with Mr. Hanson was a beneficial experience. Mr. Hanson provides his students with a lot of information and details so they know exactly what is going on; this is something I feel that I need to work on after seeing Mr. Hanson’s example. Mr. Hanson did not have to spend a large amount of time asking students to behave because they knew what was expected from them. I think the community that Mr. Hanson and the other teachers built in the classroom also promotes student learning because students are comfortable in the classroom and know that they are accepted by everyone there. Whether I teach a course like Global Academy or not, I will definitely incorporate some of the techniques that Mr. Hanson uses.

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Internship Reflection – Week 4

March 27, 2011 at 11:13 pm · Filed under L1: Learner Centered, L2: Classroom/School Centered ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Reflection: Week 4
Review the textbooks and curriculum resources that your mentor teacher has to support his/her teaching. What seem to be the general beliefs about the best methods of teaching? Is the expected role of a teacher a transmitter of information, a group facilitator, a resource person, a source of intellectual stimulation, a coach, a social worker or counselor, a task master, or some other role? What roles are learners expected to play? How has this been influencing your first teaching experiences as an intern? Do you feel that this is in agreement with your philosophy of teaching?

The social studies department at Tahoma High School (THS) utilizes a variety of different resources to support the teaching within the department. My two mentor teachers are both a part of this department and use a wide variety of resources. Textbooks are a tool in both of my mentor teacher’s classrooms; they are not used every day by either teacher. Instead, outside resources are utilized. For example, both of my mentor teachers have adopted units from the Choices Program for social studies teachers. In American Politics and Global Issues, we have been working on a unit from this curriculum called Shifting Sands: Balancing U.S. Interests in the Middle East. My mentor teacher and I have altered the unit to fit the class’s needs and have included additional notes on Islam and articles about the recent protests in Middle East. In American Studies, students recently participated in a mock debate over the idea of Lend Lease using the Choices Program’s Between World Wars: FDR and the Age of Isolationism material. Both of my mentor teachers also use a lot of technology in the classroom. Students in Mr. Peter’s classroom are constantly working on their researching skills using the Internet on the social studies department’s netbooks. Mrs. Muller also uses films from The Annenberg Foundation instead of relying on direct instruction all of the time. These films are well made and cover the information in depth. In addition, teachers in the social studies department share their own knowledge and resources with one another. This is helpful for teachers taking on courses they have not yet taught but their peers have. While each teacher places his/her own twist on things, it is useful to have a foundation to build from.

During my experience at THS during the staff development days before the school year started, the principal went over recent research in education and discussed how THS teachers are expected to incorporate best practice teaching methods in their classrooms. Mr. Peters and Mrs. Muller use cooperative learning on a regular basis, have opportunities for reflections, use entry tasks, and are constantly checking for understanding. From attending staff development meetings, it is clear that THS makes it a priority to use teaching methods that have been found to be successful by current research.

Teachers are expected to take on multiple roles in the classroom. In my reflection for week three I discussed how my mentor teachers take on the role of coaches as they support and encourage their students to succeed in academics. Both teachers also take on the role of group facilitators, a role that they choose for themselves because they choose to incorporate so much cooperative learning in their classrooms. Students are often working in groups and rely on Mr. Peters and Mrs. Muller to help facilitate what is going on. Mr. Peters and Mrs. Muller also act as counselors in their classrooms. They have both shown me that they are deliberate about investing in the lives of their students, showing the students that teachers do care about their students. By doing this, the teachers have gained the trust of their students and the students then seek guidance and advice from Mr. Peters and Mrs. Muller, about academics, college, and other aspects of their lives. In the midst of all of these roles, Mr. Peters and Mrs. Muller still take on the role of being a source of intellectual stimulation. One thing I find so exciting about the social studies field is that there really is something for everyone in it. Teachers can help students find what interests them and encourage them to pursue that interest for further learning. In addition, Mr. Peters and Mrs. Muller encourage intellectual growth by using different types of lessons and probing at the students’ interests by sharing new knowledge. In the midst of all of the roles that the teachers take on, students must act as sponges that absorb the knowledge. They are responsible for actually taking in the information that their teachers share with them. Mr. Peters and Mrs. Muller’s students must act as social scientists. They use researching skills, writing, reading, and technology to take charge of their own learning. These students are not sitting in a desk working silently for ninety minutes at a time; instead, they are collaborating and discussing their learning with their peers, which often makes for a noisy classroom.

There is often a stereotype that a social studies classroom is boring: full of students memorizing the names and dates of important people and dates in history. My mentor teachers and their classrooms are examples of how this stereotype is not always true. These examples continue to make my experiences as an intern full of new learning. I am constantly learning new ways to teach lessons to the students because of my mentor teachers. My classroom management skills are improving based on how I have seen my mentor teachers model classroom management techniques in a wide variety of circumstances. I appreciate how Mr. Peters and Mrs. Muller care about their students not only in academics, but also in life, they want their students to succeed academically and in the rest of life. This all falls right in line with my philosophy of teaching. I believe that teachers and students need to be on the same team to help students learn. Learning cannot take place to its full capacity with just a teacher or just students; it needs both teacher and students working alongside one another. I also believe that a teacher cannot be as effective in the lives of his/her students if he/she does not know his/her students. It is important that teachers show their students that they care about their students as individuals. When students know that they are cared for in a classroom, they will put more effort into the work being done in that classroom. All of this makes for a classroom that is inviting and promotes learning.

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Internship Reflection – Week 3

March 20, 2011 at 8:58 pm · Filed under L2: Classroom/School Centered ·Tagged , , , ,

Week 3: Reflection
The interaction between one teacher and 20-30 students in the context of a lesson is a special type of patterned interaction and communication, but it is not unlike the patterned interaction that occurs in several other organizational settings. What do the classroom interactions of your mentor’s classroom remind you of, if anything? In what ways are these interactions similar to interactions that you have observed or experienced in other settings? Does this similarity have any implications for your future career as a teacher? What might they be?

A teacher is to his/her students as a coach is to his/her team. From my experience in the classroom with Dave Peters and Darcie Muller, the two teachers take the time to make sure the students have the information that they need in order to succeed in their education, just like coaches make sure their athletes know what they need to do in order to succeed at their sport.

For example, yesterday the Introduction to Psychology students started presentations that were mini lessons on different parts of the brain. Each group was supposed to teach the class about its section and then have an activity for the students to participate in to help their understanding of the topic. There had been many large chunks of time in class for the students to prepare these lessons and many of them used time outside of class to work on them as well. One group volunteered to share their lesson first, so Mr. Peters let them go first. Unfortunately, the group’s presentation was unsuccessful. The information that they shared with the class was solid information, but limited to just a brief paragraph from the textbook. The group’s student involvement activity was a crossword puzzle on the entire brain that the group had found online, it did not focus on the topic the group was teaching and the students were unable to complete the puzzle. In addition, the group was missing the parts of the project that they were supposed to turn in to Mr. Peters and me. As I was watching this all happen and trying to imagine how the rest of the lessons were going to go, I watched Mr. Peters step in as a coach does after his team has performed poorly at a game after practicing for weeks. Instead of speaking poorly about the group, Mr. Peters’ said to the class, “Let’s stop here and make this a learning opportunity instead of bringing another group forward.” From there, Mr. Peters walked the entire class through what the first group had done well during their lesson. After that, he walked through step by step what the groups need to make sure they have in order to be successful on the project. When a team is performing poorly during a game, or even during a practice, the coach does not simply watch with disappointment and let them suffer. A good coach provides correction. Even though the psychology class knew the assignment, it needed to hear the plan again, just like when a team needs to have the game plan repeated.

Seniors at Tahoma Senior High School must complete the mandatory STEP Project in order to graduate. The social studies department is in charge of overseeing the seniors through this project, which begins during the student’s junior year. Mrs. Muller has coached her seniors through the process all year long. She keeps a running calendar of due dates on the whiteboard in the front of the year and makes sure the students know what is expected of them. When athletes join a team, they are given a list of the expectations including a calendar of game days. Due to the extensive length of this project, the students often lose motivation to complete the requirements once second semester begins. Providing inspiring speeches that re-motivate a team is another part of a coach’s job. Mrs. Muller has a saying that she uses with her students: “most mountain climbers do not die trying to make it to the summit of Mount Everest; they die coming down the mountain. Don’t let yourselves die coming down.” These students have worked for so long and so hard to earn their high school diplomas that Mrs. Muller does not want them to miss out on graduating because they failed to complete their STEP Project. Through Mrs. Muller’s small motivational speeches, she shows them that she cares about their success and that she believes in their ability to finish strong; just as a coach believes in his/her team and its ability to achieve.

As I continue along with this internship I can see how it will be important for me to adopt some of the roles of a coach with my students. The students need to know that as their teacher, I want them to succeed in both academics and in life. I will be responsible for making sure that the game plan is clearly laid out for my team. Sometimes, the students will need extra practice time so they can perform their best. At other times, students will need some encouragement and support. Students face a lot of pressure, both in and outside of school, and those stresses will not be left at the door when they walk into my classroom. There will be days that the students will need me to coach them through the day because they are not on track with the game plan or because they are just having a rough time with things. One of my goals as a teacher will be to make sure students see our class as a team; that we will work together so everyone can be successful.

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Internship Reflection – Week 2

March 15, 2011 at 2:03 pm · Filed under L1: Learner Centered, L2: Classroom/School Centered, L3: Family/Neighborhood Centered, P2: Reflective/Collaborative/Professional Growth-Centered, T4: Technology ·Tagged , , , , ,

Week 2 Reflection:
By now, you have had the opportunity to observer many different lessons, either with the same, or different, groups of students. What characteristics of these lessons have been memorable, intriguing, or surprising to you? Why has this been the case? What characteristics do you deem worthy of emulating as you develop your own teaching style?

Psychology, leadership, American studies, and American politics and global issues. These four social studies courses are so different from one another and it is beneficial for my internship to experience so many different social studies courses. My mentor teachers have both taught the whole gamut of social studies courses offered at Tahoma High School, some by choice and some because there was not anyone else to teach them. This has taught me to be mentally prepared to teach the whole spectrum of social studies courses. Fortunately, interning with two teachers and having four different subjects to prepare for gives me the opportunity to see a wide range of lessons.

Jigsaws are a teaching tool that Mr. Peters enjoys using in his classes. The social studies department at Tahoma has multiple netbook carts to share and Mr. Peters has a set of laptops in his classroom. When a jigsaw assignment is given, students will use the laptops and netbooks to research their topics to prepare for the jigsaw. Mr. Peters has found that instead of having the students teach their lessons in small groups and rotating, the students do better presenting their lessons in front of the class. This way he can also help correct or add information so the rest of the class understands everything and gets the information they need. In psychology, the students are preparing a jigsaw lesson to teach to the class on different parts of the brain. They have been researching in groups and will present their lessons beginning on March 17. What makes these jigsaws different from regular class presentations is that the students have to make it like a mini lesson that a teacher would do. The class has learned that students retain more information when they participate in their own learning, so that is what will be happening during this jigsaw. The students have been working hard on their research and are getting creative in their lessons which will make this an exciting learning experience. I think that this method of cooperative learning is beneficial for the entire class. It also builds research skills as the students use the Internet to find credible sources for their information. While I am student teaching I will have access to the netbooks and laptops, but I know that I may have to modify this lesson if I get a teaching position at a school that does not have the same resources.

The American Studies students have just finished up a CBA (Classroom Based Assessment) that I think was done very well. Once again, the netbooks and laptops were utilized for the students to build blogs through Puget SoundOff. This CBA reflected sustainability in different industries that the students picked themselves. The students researched their industries and built their blogs which they shared with the rest of the class. I was impressed with the students’ skills in designing their blogs; a couple of groups incorporated video, some of which were made by the students themselves! While the blogs were group grades, students were also responsible to make comments on their classmates’ blogs for individual grades. However, the information they shared is now open to viewers of the Puget SoundOff (2007) site which “provides youth with a forum for discussion, artistic expression and action as a way to empower and encourage you to have a strong voice.” This project is worthy of emulating because the students are taking a stand on an industry that is important to them. Each blog contains an Action Plan that the students design in order to help make our world more sustainable. The students not only research information but they also provide a solution. After listening to their presentations on their industries I find myself thinking more carefully about things. This assignment shows students that they can impact their communities.

Not every day is filled with exciting new lessons in every class. Students still work from the textbook occasionally, study maps, watch videos, and take notes while the teacher lectures. These are not bad lessons though; I believe that there is a balance to be found in the use of each type of lesson. Since students have different learning styles, teachers need to use a variety of lesson types to meet the needs of all the students. This is a skill that I hope to develop as I continue on this journey. I already know how I learn best, but that is not the same as many of the students in my classes. The lessons that I have observed have incorporated a lot of technology and have provided students to model their knowledge in ways that are as creative or as straight forward as they choose. When the students get to make their own decisions with their learning, they show ownership of it, which is exciting to watch.

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Internship Reflection – Week 1

March 8, 2011 at 1:56 pm · Filed under L2: Classroom/School Centered, P2: Reflective/Collaborative/Professional Growth-Centered, Uncategorized ·Tagged , , ,

Student Internship
Week 1 Reflection

“Every bear counts!” “We’re all Tahomies in the bear den!” “One school.” These phrases are seen and heard all around Tahoma Senior High School (THS) where tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students fill the hallways with “bear pride.” Posters are displayed throughout the school and in the student commons there are display cases filled with student work, club information, and information and pictures of the student of the month. This positive atmosphere does not end in the hallways though, classrooms are not only filled with posters about their subject but they too demonstrate pride for the bears with posters and plenty of blue and gold. It doesn’t matter if someone is in the main building, in the gym, in the 100 pod, or out in a portable, a visitor will know that he/she is at THS.

This first week as a student intern was full of positive experiences. The positive atmosphere is not only because of the décor that emits school pride, it is a result of the student and staff as well. In the mornings while students mingle with friends, finish up homework, and eat breakfast, those that recognize me say hello and good morning. Albeit I am struggling to learn all of their names, I feel welcomed onto their turf. The office staff has been extremely helpful at helping me get everything I need and giving me directions. Mr. Duty, the principal, and Mrs. Anderson, a counselor working toward her principal certification, hosted a meeting for the four student teachers who will be at the school during the second semester to welcome us and discuss observations. They were very helpful and Mrs. Anderson will be working closely with us interns, observing and giving us feedback throughout the year.

My time as an intern will be split in two different classrooms. Mr. Peters and Mrs. Muller are both forward-thinking people and work to build quality communities within their classrooms. Both teachers make it a point to greet the students and talk about topics other than class as they come in and sit down. Students feel comfortable with Mr. Peters and Mrs. Muller. I have seen students come in outside of class time to talk with these teachers about life, frustrations, and exciting events. I believe this happens because of the environment that Mr. Peters and Mrs. Muller have cultivated in their classrooms and it is something that I hope to emulate. Laughter is also something that is shared in these classrooms. It is not just the students who laugh either, Mr. Peters and Mrs. Muller engage in the humor of the classroom.

Week one of my student internship did not end on Friday afternoon at 2:45. While most students went to class for a normal school day, 260 students and around fifty adults (staff members and outside adults) traveled about an hour away to Camp Arnold for the school’s annual leadership retreat. This retreat is run almost entirely by students. The Leadership Retreat Executive Board is a small group of students who work all year long to plan the retreat and train the counselors and dorm leaders who are also students from THS. High energy describes the retreat from beginning to end. Students build stronger relationships with their peers and share who they are during council and dorm times. Meals are loud and filled with students chanting and participating in meal time activities that often involve eating unpleasant combinations of food. Councils plan short skits that range from students impersonating staff members to making their own versions of reality shows like American Idols while incorporating leadership or the school’s “One School” motto. With student leaders in charge of all of these activities, the only job adults have is to participate alongside the students, even during the skits. Everyone is on a first name basis at camp, regardless of one’s status as student, teacher, or administrator. The weekend ends with a closing ceremony and open-microphone time when students can share what they have learned, why they love leadership retreat, and for the seniors—how sad they are to be leaving Tahoma when they graduate.

Although the Leadership Retreat left me even more exhausted after my first week than usual, the weekend only made for a better experience. It was a great opportunity to get to know some of the students in my classes much better and it showed me how much the faculty and staff at THS care about the community at their school. Students are not just expected to come to THS to learn, they are part of a community that includes students, teachers, principals, librarians, bus drivers, janitors, and every other person who helps make this school function. Although THS is not perfect – there are often only enough textbooks for classroom sets instead of issuing them to students, the hallways are too crowded, and more disciplinary action has been taken due to drugs than anyone is proud to admit – this school is a place that cares about encouraging learning and encouraging people.

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EDU 6135: Meta Reflection and Professional Growth Plan

December 9, 2010 at 9:40 pm · Filed under L3: Family/Neighborhood Centered, S2: Curriculum Standards/Outcomes ·Tagged , , , , ,

          It is difficult to begin describing all of my learning from this course because I have gained so much in just one quarter. There is the logistics side where I have learned how to use the Seattle Pacific University (School of Education, 2007) Lesson Plan Template, navigate through the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs), their Components, and Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) for the social studies; as well as organize a lesson plan to fit into Madeline Hunter’s Instructional Theory Into Practice plan or Bruner’s Discovery Lesson plan format. Then there is the learning that I have gained through new experiences. For example, planning and teaching mini lessons, watching my colleagues give mini lessons, providing those colleagues with feedback, and reflecting on the feedback I received to revise and make my own lessons better. Throughout this learning process, the goal of this course, General Teaching Methods, was to meet Seattle Pacific’s Residency Certification Competencies II and III in addition to Washington State’s Certification Standard S2. However, through this course many of the standards have been touched on, all in the effort to improve my ability to be an effective teacher through competence, character, service, and leadership.

Competence

          General Teaching Methods has been an opportunity for me to continue to become a more competent teacher. To be a competent secondary teacher, one must know “about effective secondary teaching practices… plan, deliver and evaluate lessons appropriate for secondary students… [and have the] ability to use technology for instruction and assessment” (T. Williams, course lecture, November 29, 2010). The four miniature lessons that each of us taught over the quarter gave us the opportunity to gain competence. I used these opportunities to try different instructional methods that I have learned about in the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock’s (2001) text, Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement has been a valuable resource in my lesson planning. The authors include a variety of instructional techniques that are all backed by research to improve student learning. This same text was even referenced in the teacher in-service meetings I went to during the September Experience. In creating my lessons, I often used techniques from this book, including note taking, homework, practice, nonlinguistic representations, cooperative learning, setting objectives, and advance organizers (Marzano, Pickering & Pollock, 2001). The variety in these lessons helps to meet the different types of learning styles to help all students learn.  
     Setting objectives and sharing them with students puts everyone at the same place at the beginning of class; this allows for everyone to learn the objectives together and is an important tool to ensure learning. Those objectives all came from the EALRs and GLEs in my lessons. Standard “S” part ii is “aligned with curriculum standards and outcomes” (School of Education, 2009, p. 44). My competence has improved because not only am I learning how to ensure that students learn what is desired in the objectives, but to also make sure those objectives are derived from the EALRs and GLEs, which are concepts students are supposed to be learning. In addition, it is not enough to teach to the standards unless there is assessment along the way. The SPU Lesson Plan Template includes a column for formative and summative assessments to be included along the way. Formative assessments took place in all four lessons, including many strategies included in Ellis’ (2001) Teaching, Learning, & Assessment Together: The Reflective Classroom. Summative assessment is where I gained the most knowledge and hope to gain more. Wiggins and McTighe (2005) suggest using a model called GRASPS for summative assessments because they tie learning to real life application. Students demonstrate their learning in a way that is relevant to the specific content area. Summative assessments intimidated me at the beginning of the quarter; however, after planning a summative assessment for my Showcase Unit Plan as well as one for the reading and writing course I took this quarter as well, I feel better prepared for creating summative assessments. I know now that as I make summative assessments I will continue to revise and improve them after I watch how they work with actual students.
          Teachers also need to be competent with technology because they are expected to teach those skills to students. The miniature lessons allowed us to show that we were “informed by technology” (School of Education, 2009, p. 44), which is part iv. of Standard “T.” Two of my lessons required my students to conduct some research for historical skits and for a debate, instead of giving the students packets or relying on textbooks, I utilized using the Internet for research. The first time I tried using the Internet for research, my peers gave me some great instructive feedback that it is difficult for students to be successful doing Internet research without giving them some suggested websites, especially when they are required to only use credible sources. I mentioned this feedback in my bPortfolio reflection, Lesson 2: The Bill of Rights. Feedback from my peers proved to be valuable throughout the quarter, whether it was in regards to my use of technology or other parts of my lessons.

Character

          Developing character as a teacher will take time. However, I will enter the classroom with the firm belief that every student can learn and that every student deserves the opportunity to learn. This journey at SPU has been part of my character development. Standard “P” section ii includes a description that says “all students benefit from the professional growth of their teachers (School of Education, 2009, p. 44). I hope that my students will experience that very statement. As a component of the SPU Lesson Template, teachers are to plan how to provide accommodations and modifications for students who require them. This is an area where I specifically intend on growing as I continue making lessons. I believe that I can design lessons that meet the needs of students of all levels; however, I need more practice as I am exposed to a larger variety of needs. In the first miniature lesson that I taught I showed a Schoolhouse Rock video on the Preamble (http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=30OyU4O80i4&feature=related) with the intent of providing ELL students and other students with modifications copies of the lyrics of the video when we watch it as well as placing students closer to the screen for the playing of the video, if they were not already. It is important to me that all students have the opportunity to learn, but how I ensure that my classroom allows for this to happen is an area that I will continue to improve on, especially when I begin my internship. Classroom management is another area that will influence my classroom behavior that I hope to improve on. My peers who were my students during the miniature lessons all behaved well; I was not forced to use any classroom management skills. Dixie Dastis, a professor I had a course with in the summer of 2010, told us that the best classroom management is unseen (personal communication, summer 2010). One of my goals as a teacher will be to develop a classroom management strategy that allows the students and the teacher to enjoy being in the classroom together and where learning can effectively take place, regardless of the academic, physical, cultural, or any other differences that may be experienced in the classroom. In addition, it will be important for me to continue to study in my field. This will happen by being an informed citizen and by continuing my education in the social studies field. As difficult as it may be while I am teaching in a classroom, I hope to further my social studies education in the academic world. My students will see how I value education and that learning is a lifelong endeavor.

Service and Leadership

          The teaching profession is about investing and serving in the younger generations. Part of my philosophy of leadership is that real leaders are servant leaders. I hope that as a teacher I will model both service and leadership in the classroom. The SPU School of Education website (www.spu.edu) explains that the MAT program will instill an “appreciation of cultural and individual diversity,” and “advocate for education as a helping profession supported as shaped by the Christian worldview of [SPU].” Not only will I be serving my students, but their families as well. None of the families represented in my classroom will be the same, but I will seek to serve each family. Throughout the quarter we discussed how we can involve families in the learning. My miniature lesson on the Boldt Decision was going to be a debate. To involve families in this lesson, I wrote an email that I would send to parents a week before to briefly describe the assignment and what I would like their role to be. Instead of placing the parents in a position of pressuring their students to get the grade or constantly be checking up on them, my goal was to make parents a support cause for their students. I told the parents that I would like them to encourage their students and give them reassurance as they may be nervous for the formal debate. Family involvement is part of Standard “L” part iii. “family/neighborhood centered” (School of Education, 2009, p. 44).
          Service and leadership continue on from the family and into the classroom. Further, Standard “T” parts ii. “intentionally planned,” and iii. “influenced by multiple instructional strategies” are part of serving the students and modeling leadership. It is not beneficial for students to have a teacher who is not going to be deliberate in his/her lesson planning or who only recognizes one style of learning when there are multiple styles. Dr. Scheuerman often tells our cohort that teaching is a calling. The SPU School of Education website (www.spu.edu) explains that the MAT program will instill “appreciation of cultural and individual diversity,” and “advocate for education as a helping profession supported as shaped by the Christian worldview of [SPU].” Understanding of teaching being a calling, and recognizing that all students have different backgrounds and stories, means that the teacher will be sensitive to each student. As I get to know my students I will be able to think carefully about how lessons will go in my class and if the lesson will actually allow for all students to learn. If what I have planned is going to prevent learning from happening, I will redesign the lesson to a plan that will ensure student learning among all students. This is another reason why practicing lessons with my peers has been beneficial: they were able to tell me what I did that did not work well so I know what to stay away from and vice versa. Another skill that will help students learn better is the teacher’s ability to present lessons in a logical order. When I was teaching my four miniature lessons I ended up teaching them in an order differently than the way I ended up placing them in my unit plan because of the way that will make the most sense for students as they learn. This is another reason why it is important to design the entire unit ahead of time. Another skill that I have learned is to incorporate the community into the learning. This means that whenever there is the opportunity to bring in a professional who has an expertise in a topic my class is studying, I will allow students to hear what that professional has to say. As I continue to improve my teaching skills and learn more about managing a classroom, I will be able to serve my students more, but for now I will use the skills that I have gained so far to serve and model leadership to my students.

Professional Growth Plan

          My time at SPU will be coming to an end in just a couple of quarters, yet my journey on becoming a professional educator is not anywhere near its end. I still have a lot to learn to become the master teacher I hope to become. Fortunately, the Residency Certification Standards provide a map for me to refer to for improvement. Within the SPU Residency Certification Competencies I think I have room to improve on competency II: challenging and responsive curriculum. Within my miniature lessons I am not sure that my lessons posed enough of a challenge for my students. I worked hard to accomplish my objectives, but I want to make sure I am challenging my students along the way. I believe this will actually happen in the upcoming quarters when I have a social studies methods class and in my internship. My mentor teacher is definitely a resource to make sure I master this competency. It is logical for this to be a process – learn how to meet the objective and then learn how to make the curriculum more challenging for students. Feedback from my mentor teacher and the observer from SPU assigned to observe my work will help me to assess my success at this competency. They will be able to help me evaluate my lessons to decide if they have met the EALRs, GLEs, and objectives while posing a challenging curriculum. I am confident that I can master this competency with the guidance of master teachers.
          Formative and summative assessments performed by my students will be another way that I will be able to assess my teaching and the students’ learning. Challenging lessons need to be offered; however, the lesson also needs to be sensitive to learners of different skill levels. Standard “T” mentions the need to plan lessons for all students. Even challenging lessons will need to be possible for students who require accommodations or modifications. Formative assessments along the way will be a way for me to ensure that all of my students are learning as we progress through the unit.
          Deepening my skill and practice as a teacher is important so that I can serve my students to the best of my ability. Technology and the resources available change so quickly that I am concerned that the tools I learned to use in my technology elective will not be relevant when I actually have a classroom of my own. During my September Experience though, I saw how one school is utilizing instructional coaches in technology. These are former teachers who work with current teachers to help them find the most appropriate technologies for their lessons. I hope to utilize these types of coaches when I am a teacher. In addition, it will be important for me to stay current on instructional methods and research. This will not be an easy task; however, a resource like the National Council for the Social Studies is one way that I can stay current on instructional methods. School districts also provide in-service meetings for teachers to better their instruction.
          Becoming a teacher is an exciting process. Sometimes it is intimidating because of the requirements, state standards, lesson planning, and internships, but it is for a great purpose. I am excited to be continually challenged to increase my content knowledge and my teaching abilities. Even more than that, I am excited to build a classroom environment where students enjoy being and want to come and learn. The journey will not always be easy, but I believe it is a worthy cause that I was created for.

References

Ellis, A.K., (2001). Teaching, learning, and assessment together: The reflective classroom. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Marzano, R.J., Pickering, D.J., & Pollock, J.E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

School of Education (2009). 2009-2010 Residency teacher certification handbook: Service, leadership, competence, character. Seattle: Seattle Pacific University.

School of Education (2007). School of education downloadable forms. Seattle Pacific University. Retrieved from http://www.spu.edu/depts/soe/forms.asp.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (Expanded 2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

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