Destiny Ramos

EDUG 506
September 24, 15
In which of the following cases of cell division is the amount of genetic material
halved? I know I learned. I was taught this in 8 th grade, then again in 10th grade. I
should know this; I took AP Bio! I stared at my CSET practice test, horrified by the
question. Would the entire subtest mock me with questions that I should know the
answers to? I dont hate Science, in fact I find it fascinating, but I could never retain the
information I learned. I felt a sense of pride at my 6 th grade promotion after my science
teacher announced me as one of very few students in his teaching career to be invited
to his science club each year from 3rd to 6th grade. The majority of my science teachers
were engaging, which was helpful since I had to pay close attention to the academic
language that progressively became more difficult. You wouldnt know I secretly feared
science until you saw my test scores. I just could never recall what objectives I
accomplished throughout the unit. If my learning experiences were hand-on, creative
and fun why am I unable to access what I learned in my academic and career success?
Maybe the problem was that my science lessons were fast paced and full of interactive
activities. I never had the time to reflect or generate questions to check for
comprehension. When I pass this subtest and move on to advance student teaching, I
will support my students, in science, by creating effective lesson plans, building on prior
knowledge and engaging my students; and will help them achieve college and career
readiness.
Implementation of subject matter content standards can be extremely

overwhelming if taken as a whole, but when lessons are planned from a large scale to
specific activities it becomes more manageable. Part of the difficulty I faced in science
was the content is the academic language and making the content meaningful. For
difficult academic subjects such as science, I will build on what the student already
knows. Taking the constructivist approach means I help students construct knowledge,
building up their comprehension, rather than asking the student to acquire the
knowledge without asking them to use their previous knowledge.
To create a successful, engaging lesson for my students I will make
detailed lesson plans. Lesson planning is an important component of making lessons
accessible for students for several reasons. The main purpose of lesson planning is
creating organized, intentional instruction. As a child I often fell victim to one of the twin
sins Wiggins and McTighe describe in Understanding by Design. The sin is an activity
based lesson. In the excitement of a hands-on activity, I easily forgot the main ideas I
was being introduced to. I will use backwards mapping because allows me center
activities around state standards and objectives. It begins with identifying the state
adopted common core standard and works into a specific lesson plan which is
essentially what TPE 9.2 asks for alignment of curriculum. The second step,
determine acceptable evidence, is an example of TPE 9.4 Candidate plan[s]
appropriate assessments to monitor and evaluate student learning. Burden and Byrd
identify three main parts to an effective lesson: Introductory activities, developmental
activities and closing activities. The introductory answers the question Why am I
learning this and capture[s] student attention and interest, and set[s] the stage for the
following activities (Methods for Effective Teaching: Chapter 4, 2012). The

developmental activities include the content with several different types of instructional
strategies such as lectures, questions, discussions, group work and videos. (Burden &
Byrd). The last component of lesson planning is the closing activity. This last component
will summarize the lessons content and summarizes the main points of the lesson.
This is important because it gives the children time to reflect and determine the
generalized version of the objectives that they will utilize in future academic and career
achievement. Following the models presented by Wiggins & McTight and Burden &Byrd,
lesson planning will hold me accountable for student learning.
One of the most difficult qualities of an accountable teacher is learning how to
properly engage and motivate your students. Burden and Byrd suggest sequential use
of several different types of strategies that takes into account student attention spans
and to accommodate students unique learning. The content will become memorable
when the students learn through a variety of methods that keeps them actively engaged
in the lesson. I will mimic positive attitudes and constant student advocacy that I
witnessed growing up. TPE 5 discusses student engagement and states that by asking
stimulating questions and challenging student ideas, the classroom as a whole will
have a more positive attitude towards learning themselves (State of California 2013). I
will capture students attention, then support retention and comprehension by
challenging the students to reflect on the objectives and key points. Additionally, the
essential question(s) I form in my lesson plans will help the students identify a global
application of the skills and information they are mastering. I will show student advocacy
by following Vygotskys Zone of proximal development, meaning I will go beyong what
a student already has achievedbut also what is the [next] in the course (Vygotsky, of

academic achievement. My lessons will challenge students to go beyond the classroom

and innovated ways they can show what [they] did with assistance today continues to
be their contribution to society they achieved by themselves tomorrow.
Taking the CSET my desire to pass was fueled by the desire to help students
look science in the eye and know what they are looking at. My students will not only
build a strong understanding of the subject, but will also know how to apply their
knowledge and experiences to real life situations. As for me, I will see my former
nemesis as an ally.

References
Burden, P.R., & Byrd, D.M. (2013). Methods for effective teaching: Meeting the needs
of all students (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc
State of California Teaching Performance Expectations. (2013). Curriculum and Reader
(Multiple Subject).
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Interaction between learning and development. In Mind
in society: The development of higher psychological processes (pp. 79-91).
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press