Carrie Lee's Portfolio
INTASC* Standard 7:
Planning for Instruction
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF STATEMENT
- Pre-Socratic Seminar Discussion
- Decode - Ready to learn Activity
- APA References
- Publication Date: November 1, 2021
- Language: English
“The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context,” (CCSO, 2013)
The INTASC planning for instruction standard is about knowing the content and being purposeful in planning the activities to meet the learning goals, then preparing the students to meet those goals (CCSO, 2013). This standard is about being cognizant of the road ahead, and guiding the students to build the skills needed in the proper order. Taking into consideration the range of abilities and individual contexts of the learners in the classroom.
Planning for instruction isn’t just about the teacher planning what they will do, or what the lesson is, or the unit around the corner. It is the careful consideration of the student’s knowledge, how to activate it, then facilitate their building on that foundation, so that they are prepared to participate in the learning activities requiring the deeper knowledge. Differentiating that experience as well so that all students are challenged to grow. It is far more strategic than it might appear at first glance.
Sometimes, this planning for instruction is about procedures, and how the classroom functions. From the practice of turning homework in or organization and the accessing of resources. The first step in creating a procedure is taking the time to introduce the students to it and set up their access, the added investment of time in the repeated practice of accessing these tools will result in efficiency with consistency. “Strategic investment…turn procedures into routines by rehearsing and reinforcing until excellence becomes habitual” (Lemov & Atkins, 2015). The goal being, to create familiarity through practice that will result in smoother instructions and time saved in the future.
Other times, planning for instruction is about building the capabilities of the students in preparation for the next step. Through the constructivist learning theory, where knowledge is built, I try to see not both the immediate and larger picture to be sure that the students are achieving the target that is required to build upon down the road (Berk, 2018) Socratic seminars are one such type of activity where students are increasing the challenge and accountability of the standard discussion they have experienced. In order for them to be able to effectively participate they have to become familiar with the practice, then prepare to participate. Then the students can follow the format because they have the tools and skillset to do so.
The Common Core English language arts speaking and listening standards for 9th-grade students require discussion on a variety of topics and demonstration of analytical. thinking (Common Core Standards Initiative, 2010). A Socratic seminar activity aligned best with that learning target while simultaneously embedding the Washington SEL benchmark 5A “demonstrates a range of communication and social skills to interact effectively with others” (Social and Emotional Learning Benchmarks Workgroup, 2020).
The students were already familiar with teacher-led discussions, but they needed more instruction and preparation to be ready to meet the expectations of a student-led Socratic seminar. I followed the guide a fellow 9th-grade teacher had shared from an article, instructing the teacher to “choose a rich text that offers cross-content and real-world connections…Create prep work based on learning objectives and student data… prep work allows them to feel confident going into the Socratic seminar” (Davenport, 2016).
Having already selected “Harrison Bergeron” a short story by Kurt Vonnegut, I began planning the “prep work” or the activity that would scaffold students to the level needed for the seminar (Vonnegut, 1975). The activity that serves as preparation for the students is a digital discussion board with a series of text related open-ended questions requiring evidence-based discussion (using sentence stems). This activity simulates, in writing, the type of participation required for the Socratic seminar using Padlet (a free access digital bulletin board tool). Each student is also responding to a peer in a meaningful way, with the same guidelines. The student participation rate of 90% (a number that is largely impacted by quarantine absences) in this discussion demonstrated the mastery needed to move to the step requiring the introduction of the procedure of the Socratic seminar. Artifact one is a snapshot of the many successful student contributions and interactions on the Padlet board discussion assignment just preceding the Socratic seminar.
Artifact two is a video clip demonstrating my best example of planning for instruction as I establish the technical routines in class. This procedure perfecting student learning activity is performed by the students in the first week of school, to form the foundation for technology access later. The assignment itself is a guided exploration of resources used regularly and having the student practice visiting the digital resources and confirm accessibility. Practicing procedures this way creates efficiency through allowing students to be familiar with the process and the tool itself before it is used in a learning task (Lemov & Atkins, 2015). The learning activity and sample worksheet itself is a self-correcting visual scramble puzzle, so all students know when they are successfully finished and can submit their worksheet.