Charlene Wilder

CI 5306

Title of Selection:
Danielson Framework
Domain 3: Instruction
Domain 3 of the Danielson Framework focuses on the instruction that the teacher uses to
engage the students in learning. The artifact I chose to include in my showcase portfolio as my
Domain 3 artifact is a lesson plan I created in CI 5363, Strategies for Improving Secondary
Learning. In this class, I learned different strategies I could use as an educator to make my
teaching more effective and improve student learning. As one of my assignments, I had to create
a lesson plan using jigsaw as the instructional method, and I had to identify how the lesson plan
fit within certain components of Domain 3 of the Danielson Framework, specifically: using
questioning and discussion techniques (3b), engaging students in learning (3c), and using
assessment in instruction (3d).
One of the requirements of this assignment was that I had to list a series of questions that
I would use as a formative assessment during the facilitation of this lesson. This fits with the
Danielson Framework component 3b that states The teacher uses a variety or series of questions
or prompts to challenge students cognitively, advance high-level thinking and discourse, and
promote metacognition. Some examples of questions I posed in this lesson plan that I feel meet
the criteria of component 3b are: (1) What do you think are some ways business owners,
managers, investors, and other use to analyze financial statements?, and (2) Do you think
financial ratios are a fool proof way to analyze financial statements? Danielson Framework
component 3b also states that these questions should be Questions of high quality that cause
students to think and reflect, to deepen their understanding, and to test their ideas against those of
their classmates; be cognitively challenging and have multiple correct answers to multiple
approaches. Some of the questions that I asked that I feel meet this criteria are: (1) When you
compare the results of the current ratio from this year to last year, and the year before, what do
those results tell business owners, creditors, or investors?, and (2) Would you invest in the
company you investigated? Why or Why not? And, to help students reflect on and improve their
skills in working together in a group, I also included questions such as: (1) What are three ways
that we can improve our group in the next collaborative group lesson, and (2) What are three
things we did really well in our group during this collaborative group lesson?

Charlene Wilder
CI 5306

Another requirement for this assignment was that I had to explain how the lesson was
learner-centered. Danielson Framework component 3c states The activities and assignments are
the centerpiece of student engagement, since they determine what it is that students are asked to
do. Activities and assignments that promote learning require student thinking that emphasizes
depth over breadth and encourage students to explain their thinking. I feel that this lesson is
learner-centered and meets the requirements of the Danielson Framework component 3c because
the students have to do the research themselves in this lesson to determine: what financial ratios
are, how to calculate the financial ratios, and what the results of the financial ratios tell the
business owner, investors, and other users. Then, the students have to apply the knowledge
gained in their research to calculate the financial ratios of a real companys set of financial
statements, analyze the results, and prepare a website presentation explaining what the results of
those calculations mean.
Lastly, I had to create an analytic rubric to use as a summative assessment for this lesson
that aligned with the student learning objectives and had expectations that were clearly defined.
Danielson Framework component 3d states It is essential that students know the criteria for
assessment. Valuable feedback must be timely, constructive, and substantive and must provide
students the guidance they need to improve their performance; students should be able to assess
their own work against established criteria. The rubric I created had six categories that students
could use to assess their own work: organization, mechanics, use of financial ratios, accuracy and
presentation of financial ratios, narrative description of financial ratios, and summary and
conclusion. I listed the exemplary criteria first so that students would begin with reviewing the
highest expectations, followed by above average, adequate, and below average. I think the
criteria for learning in the rubric I created are clear and understandable; however, I would remind
the students of the characteristics of high-quality work throughout the learning process, and
observe the students during the learning process to ensure that they have developed these
characteristics. I feel that this can be done by monitoring student learning, giving timely
feedback, making corrections when needed, and by offering help, support, and encouragement to
students to help them meet the expectations required for exemplary work.