Carrie Lee's Portfolio
InTASC* Standard 5:
Application of Content
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
EVIDENCE SUPPORTING STATEMENT
- SNOWBALL LESSON PLAN
- STUDENT SAMPLES
- SNOWBALL VIDEO
- GOOGLE SLIDE DECK LESSON
- APA References
- Publication Date: October 31, 2021
- Language: English
“The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues,” (CCSO, 2013)
The InTASC application of content standard is about knowing how to help the students bring the content into their own lives, homes, and communities, and to enable the learners to be able to utilize the tools and skills they practice in class with other concepts they encounter (CCSO, 2013). To put it simply, this INTASC standard is asking how well the teacher can connect the scholar’s understanding of what is learned in the classroom and applying it to the daily participation in life outside of the school.
Content is important, but when it lives in the bubble of the classroom it loses some of its power. The first step in being effective in tying the content to the learner is communication. Posting the objective is important for students too, “as they should know what they are trying to do” (Lemov & Atkins, 2015). This allows the learner to be an active participant in the process.
In life, critical thinking and discussion are two of the most common applications of English Language Arts content, touching nearly everyone’s life constantly. In education psychology, it is often recommended to “give students as many opportunities to practice critical thinking skills as possible” (Ormrod et.al., 2019). But to do that, we have to identify what the process steps are. Best outlined by Facione, “the skills are interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, explanation, and self-regulation” (2020).
Facione is the author of the 1995 book The Disposition Toward Critical Thinking heavily used in the education field, as well as internationally known for his work to define and measure critical thinking for the last 30 years.
Understanding the base components of critical thinking, like a checklist to go through gives the students the pathway to reach the objective of thinking critically. One of the best examples of the students putting this process to work was in the initial discussion we had as a class following the first reading of the 1962 short story “The Lie,” by Kurt Vonnegut.
At this critical stage of development, we know that social interactions are crucial to developing a positive self-image (especially the case after the COVID-19 closures), further, we know that students who engage in peer-group discussions are “much better at consciously reflecting on and explaining concepts effectively” (Berk, 2018). It is a perfect opportunity to embed some of the Washington State Office of Public School Instruction, (OSPI) commissioned and implemented social-emotional learning standards on social awareness (Social and Emotional Learning Benchmarks Workgroup, 2020).
In preparation for the lesson in this example, the day prior to this, we read the short story “The Lie,” by Kurt Vonnegut
aloud in class. Following which each student chose (at random) one of the exit slips with one of six possible prompts, and responds in writing. Answering a question carefully crafted to reflect the contents of the story and the student’s lives requires the use of those 6 skills of critical thinking, “interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, explanation, and self-regulation” (Facione, 2020).
In the sample provided, the questions are relevant to the students’ lives (see the first artifact), however, most real-world applications of critical thinking will also occur under less controlled circumstances. Usually, there are pressures, high stakes, relationships in play, or a person will receive pushback on their statements. That is how this lesson gives students practice in applying the skills of both critical thinking and discussion with a variety of people and on various topics in a way that simulates how conversations work in the world (see instructions & full lesson plan in the first artifact).
My application of the snowball approach to discussion provides the challenge of writing a response that is thoughtful, reasoned, text evidenced (where appropriate), and is 100% occurring between the students (Cross et al., 2014). This lesson exemplifies the application of critical thinking and discussion with peers. I merely facilitate the exchange. The samples in the second artifact illustrate the results were outstanding, as students said more in this discussion than they do in our online discussions! Achieving the goal 100% participation. The students even made suggestions for the next time we use this discussion method, to make it even more successful!
You can view that day’s lesson for yourself like a fly on the wall in the room, in artifact 3. Though not as impressive as being there, this illustrates the student’s application of the skills, meets the learning objective, and demonstrates the SEL learning targets.
In the artifact 4, you see the slides for that day, the standard tool used to visualize and organize our class time. Part of the predictable routine, that is available to the students to view after school as well.
