Justin Talley

Professor Heny
English Methods
5-11-17
Final Reflection

Views on Technology

In preparing for my future career as an educator, I have had time to consider different
ways that technology, specifically computers and the Internet, can either hinder or promote
both learning and a positive classroom environment. I think that technology use usually
enhances a classroom and, if managed by a proactive teacher, always makes a classroom more
efficient and relevant for todays students. It allows a teacher to bring in a wider variety of texts
to students than ever before and have them available for use by every student in the
classroom. And, perhaps most importantly, technology in the classroom allows a teacher to
prepare students for a digitally inclined 21st century, dependent on the Internet and its
information and communication capabilities.
For example, in the case of improving classroom efficiency, with the use of tools like
Socratic, Poll Everywhere, and Google Forms, educators can now get immediate class data and
assess students in a matter of seconds. They can project charts based on this data and model
their thinking process when solving some of the frequently missed questions on these
assessments. And specifically for the English Language Arts classroom, collaborating for group
assignments, peer feedback, and teacher feedback is greatly enhanced by Google Docs and its
ability to place a document in multiple hands, despite location.
In my Concept Based Unit Plan, I incorporated Google Docs in my lesson plans multiple
times in order to capitalize on the efficiency that its use brings. I modeled a few of the features,
such as commenting, making a copy of the document and sharing it with another student, in
order to be sure that my students were familiar with its use. Then, they used it as a tool for
peer feedback on their Storytelling project, and then again when we used it for teacher
feedback. I have attached part of this lesson plan to demonstrate this use of technology for
classroom efficiency.

1. [_25_mins.] Model and Think Aloud

.Intro 5 mins Okay, here we have one of my own stories. I didnt want to put
anyone else on blast by putting their paper up here so I decided to use my own
story that I wrote. I am going to go through the steps you guys will do on your
partners pieces on Google Docs.
First, you will want to share your piece on Google Docs using the blue button in
the right hand corner. You will type your partners email into the box and click
send to them.
Second, you will retrieve your partners link from your email and open up their
document.
Third, and this is super important, you will go to File in the top left corner and
then Make a Copy from the drop down menu. This will make it so that any of the
highlighting and underlining you do will be on a different copy and your partner
will still have a clean copy.
Between each of these steps, I will give students a minute to complete the tasks so
that they are ready to go right into peer review after my modeling and think aloud.
Think Aloud 20 minutes
First thing Im going to do is read the paper in full before even starting step one. I
will now read aloud my short story. Okay, now I have my peer review sheet. I am
going to follow along with these steps and mark up my paper. I love a couple of
these verbs right off the bat plodded, crunching, whizzing, crouched, pointed,
creeped. These are all very specific and I know exactly what the character or the
object is doing. Some images I like the fact that these are chain-link fences and
not just regular ones. That sort of specificity is really useful in picturing the story.
What did you guys like when I was reading it aloud? I expect students to have an
idea of what images and verbs they enjoyed, especially the cold shotgun and the
father with his finger to his mouth. I think these will be easy for students to pick
out.
Alright, step 2 lets find some expressive and reflective writing. This will be a
little harder because it is in the third person but Im sure we will be able to do it.
You know what Im noticing, guys? Because this is third person, there is very little
explicit reflection. The character, Justin, is reflecting but the narrator or the
speaker isnt. This story is unique in that way. So, with this story, lets underline
where the character is reflecting and put italics around the expression. Okay, hes
reflecting about the walks, lets underline that. Okay, so this first paragraph it is
implied that Justin is reflecting on his Father and their time in Goochland county.
Hes thinking about those lessons and what that meant to him and then we get the
expression from the actual story right afterward. I would underline the first
paragraph and put the rest in italics. Do you guys have any questions about this
step? Most of you guys are writing in first person so this shouldnt be an issue for
you all.
Third step, lets look for possible better images. I will point out one for you guys,
where he says John is bursting forth with excitement. But, what does that look
like? How is John bursting with excitement? Is he smiling? Jittery? A look in his
eye? These are things that the author can make more explicit with a better image
so Im going to comment on it. Do you guys have any questions so far?
Fourth Step, lets check out he was ready to pull the lever down How could we
improve the start to that sentence? I will guide students with this but we just went
over it last class so Im expecting some good possible solutions. If not, I will have
He readied the weapon, pulling the lever down with his thumb ready as a
possible solution. Good, now we can move onto our final step.
Last, Im going to leave my final comment. I may put something like: you have
great images and your story was clear in its organization and I had no trouble
following Justin in his thoughts and hunting trip. I might consider putting more
reflection in this piece so we can get more inside Justins head and how he feels
about this hunting trip.
Last, share your copy with your partner using the share button in the top right
corner.
 Are there any final questions? Okay, guys, get started. I will be here to answer
any questions and help you go through the feedback process.
2. Feedback Steps 30 minutes
Students will be following the steps on the peer review sheet and providing their
feedback to their partner. This will be a staggered process and students will be
encouraged to begin revising after receiving this feedback.
The teacher will be walking around to field questions about feedback and iffy
instances of expression/reflection, passive and to be, and imagery.

3. [_20_mins] Closure:
5 mins Debrief You all did wonderful today. I saw some marked up papers and
good comments. Your partners will have great feedback to go off of. Remember,
on the Storytelling document, I told you guys that you would need to have a
finished draft to me by the end of workshop next class. If you are behind on your
story, I highly recommend looking at this feedback and finishing it up or getting
really close this weekend before class.
One last thing, dont forget you had to find words you didnt know from the
stories a couple days ago Woman Warrior and Their Eyes Were Watching God.
This shouldnt take you but 20 minutes if you havent started but you guys have
had plenty of time so Im sure you guys already found words you didnt know.

Please reward your hard work today by pulling out your pleasure reading book
or finding one on my bookshelf. You guys have earned some reading time.

Views on Reflective Practice

There are many maxims and mantras on the futility of doing the same thing multiple
times and expecting the same results. And, as it happens, these bits of wisdom transfer to the
realm of teaching quite well. In my experience as a pre-service teacher, there has been nothing
more important to my growth than developing the habits of a reflective practitioner. We have
all made mistakes and had a lesson that left students unengaged, but the important thing is
that we take that lesson, consider where we went wrong, and improve our instruction in the
next lesson. Or, as research shows, we all have implicit biases that affect our judgement in our
daily interactions with those from diverse backgrounds, so we must be conscious of and reflect
on our day-to-day interactions with all students. Most importantly, if I am to be a truly
reflective teacher, I must impart these concepts to my students through my invested and timely
feedback so that they, too, can reflect and grow.
In my own experience in the Curry program, I have had the opportunity to become a
reflective teacher and better understand my own teaching style and play to my strengths and
try to improve my weaknesses. For example, I have discovered that my natural teaching style is
calm, and delivered in a casual tone. If I try to sound too zany or overly excited, it comes off as
inauthentic. So, instead, I communicate my excitement and passion for a lesson through the
content of my words, rather than my pace or tone. As for this Concept Based Unit Plan, I have
included evidence of reflective teaching through multiple opportunities for students to receive
both peer and instructor feedback. I have attached this evidence below. This particular example
is a mini-lesson and workshop combination that has students working on different revisions and
edits to their paper based on individualized feedback from me.

Beginning Room Arrangement: Students will be arranged in 4 different groupings, based on

individualized feedback shared with them via google docs. Students will know their group by
looking at the board and the number tents on each pod of desks.
[Changes in this arrangement that become necessary later will be noted in the plan]

1. [_10_mins.] Bridge/Hook/Opening to lesson: Do Now: discuss with your new group:

what have you learned about Storytelling these past few weeks? Who counts as a
Storyteller?

Students will be in 4 different groups based on my feedback and placing them together
so that we can have stations for specialized mini-lessons. Each group will discuss the Do-
Now.
The teacher will take attendance and listen in on conversations about Storytelling.

The teacher will ask for groups to share out about storytelling and the discussion
questions from the Do-Now. The teacher will gauge their understanding of the essential
questions and understandings from this unit.

2. [_5_mins.] Instructions
The teacher will explain how these stations are going to work. Each group has something
they need to work on and need to be taught. Teacher will start with group 1. Groups 2, 3,
and 4 will be reading their feedback and preparing for their instruction and working on
individualized feedback until the teacher gets to their table.
The teacher will also remind students that this individualized feedback is a part of their
rubric and that changes they make between their final rough draft and their final short
story will count for a good portion of their grade.

3. [60__mins.] Writing Instruction, Private Conferences, and Workshop

. 4 sets of 10 min Mini-lessons The teacher will be at each station for a maximum
of 10 minutes. Each station will receive a mini-lesson on a writing topic pre-
determined by the teacher. Groups not taught yet will work on their individualized
feedback and suggestions, read over their paper. Groups that have been taught
will work on their group feedback objective, helping each other if necessary. If
groups 1 and 2 start to finish their group feedback, they will be encouraged to
move on to the individualized feedback that they havent gotten to yet.
Between each station, students will be asked to get up and stretch their bodies and
their fingers to keep the blood flowing.
 Views on Assessment

Without assessment, I would be throwing instruction at the wall and just hoping that it
sticks. Assessment provides teachers with the information that they need in order to plan
adequate instruction that is properly scaffolded for the students readiness levels and
background knowledge. Comparing diagnostic and formative assessments, teachers better
understand how much their students have learned over the course of a unit. Assessment is
what tells a teacher whether they have been effective or not. On the other hand, students can
become bogged down in too many tests or seemingly pointless gauges of their learning.
Because of this, I try to strike a balance and I try not to include assessments that mimic the
required standardized tests that they already need to take. I try to make assessments that are
authentic tasks and that are differentiated as much as possible for each students growth. I
understand that this may not always be possible, but I will try my hardest to both gauge my
students learning and keep them engaged in the assessments that I assign.
In my practice so far, I have developed a few summative assessments, specifically a
literary song review and a storytelling personal narrative. Both of these tasks reflect a real-
world product that authors and writers create daily. And, in my rubrics, I included differentiated
elements where each student was responsible for focusing on a certain
grammatical/mechanical element of their paper based on feedback I had given them. To better
demonstrate my philosophy on assessments, I have included a summative assessment
description and rubric below.

Summative Assessment Description and Rubric

You, as Storyteller

Stories make up the foundation of our literate and social lives. We tell our friends and
family stories every day, even if we dont realize it. Unfortunately, we dont take enough time
to practice such an essential communication skill. Throughout the next couple weeks, we will be
exploring what makes a great storyteller (and what makes a great story). You will learn
techniques that everyday authors, speakers, and storytellers use in their literate lives and apply
them to your own writing. We will brainstorm story ideas from our lives and share them with
each other. We will support each other in making our stories come to life and then we will
share our final stories at the end of this unit, Day 9.

The Draft Pieces:

You will be responsible for your story to be halfway done by Lesson 6 for peer review.
We will help each other improve our writing together. It is essential, and a part of your final
grade, that you have your draft piece prepared.

You will be responsible for a complete rough draft due to me at the end of lesson 7. You
will have plenty of time to work on this draft in class, but it would behoove you to work on this
draft outside of class. If you dont turn in this complete rough draft, there is very little way for
you to receive a passing grade on this project.
The Final Task:
You will make a story based on your own life at a minimum of 4 pages (double-spaced,
Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1 inch margins) long. There is no maximum number of pages.
This story will be due at the beginning of Day 9 for presentations (see below)

The Presentation:
You will then share this story with the class at the end of the unit. You will not be graded
on your oral presentation. You will only be graded on the content of your story. This is meant to
be a low stakes way to get some practice presenting in front of your peers and to get to share
with each other the lovely stories youve created over the past few weeks. You will need to be
present for presentation day in order to receive 10% of your grade as an audience member.

PLEASE READ THE ATTACHED RUBRIC SO THAT YOU KNOW HOW YOU WILL BE GRADED AND
CAN WRITE YOUR STORY ACCORDINGLY

Writing Principles and Devices Incorporated (40%):

Exceeds Expectations (40%)
Student incorporated lessons
on figurative language and
authorial devices from
lessons learned this unit in a
masterful way. The students
story was greatly improved
by these devices and it
helped provide insight into
the characters and images
present in the story.
(Imagery,
expression/reflection, active
verbs, and plot structure)
Meets Expectations (28-39%)
Student incorporated a few
lessons on figurative
language and authorial
devices from lessons learned
this unit. The students story
was improved by these
devices and it helped provide
some more details into the
characters and images
present in the story.
Needs Additional Assistance
(0-28%)
Student did not improve
their story by incorporating
lessons on figurative
language or authorial devices
from this unit. If the student
did incorporate these lessons
they did not do so in an
accurate manner and needs
additional assistance in
understanding these
different techniques.

Polishing and Creativity (20%):

Exceeds Expectations (20%) Meets Expectations (14-19%) Needs Additional Assistance
(0-14%)
 Student has shown mastery
in their short story
organization through a logical
sequence of events, clear
transitions between
sentences and scenes.
Student also showed clear
thought and effort in creating
a personal narrative that
feels complete and in the
students own voice.
Student is proficient in
organization by creating a
relatively logical sequence of
events with mostly clear
transitions between
sentences and scenes. The
Student has shown thought
and effort in creating a
personal narrative that feels
mostly complete and is in the
students own voice.
Student makes multiple
mistakes in writing and
organization that makes their
story unclear and mostly
unintelligible, or student did
not complete short story at
all.

Draft Participation (20%)

Meets Expectations (20%)
Student has turned in all
draft pieces by the required
deadlines, per the
assignment descriptions and
teacher reminders.
Needs Additional Assistance
(10%-15%)
Student has missed one draft
deadline or turned in a draft
that was not ready for
feedback.
Not Received
(0-10%)
Student missed more than
one deadline or has turned in
incomplete drafts for most
deadlines for feedback,
rendering their pieces
incapable of commenting and
markup.

Grammar/Mechanics from Specific Feedback (10%):

Exceeds Expectations (10%) Meets Expectations Needs Additional Assistance
(7-9%) (0-6%)
Student has found and Student has found and Student shows a lack of
improved all grammatical improved most grammatical effort in responding to
and mechanical issues based and mechanical issues based teacher feedback by finding
on teacher feedback. on teacher feedback. and fixing grammatical and
mechanical issues or has
completely ignored feedback
altogether.

Audience Behavior (10%):

Meets Expectations (10%) Needs Additional Assistance Absent (0-2%)

(3-9%)
Student behaved Student did not behave This student was absent for
respectfully, especially by not respectfully during the oral the oral presentations.
 leaving, talking, or distracting presentations, but was
others during a presentation. present. Audience sheet was
Student completed audience partially filled out.
sheet

My Growth

2c. Provide students with a range of experiences with diverse print and electronic texts that will
guide students learning, writing processes, and writing development

My Counterpoint Seminar, a class intended to bridge the gap between undergraduate

English and pedagogy, has focused a lot on text pairings. I have had to consider new and creative
ways to get students engaged and motivated to tackle the challenging literature that will really
help them grow as readers and writers. When it comes to giving students models of great writing
for different purposes and audiences, I think I have grown a lot in my ability to find these texts
and make them interested in mimicking those authors styles.
In addition, as I attached above, my Concept Based Unit Plan included multiple examples
of best practice writing instruction. I pulled from Kelly Gallagher and Randy Bomer in
developing the writing instruction and feedback within the unit.
For evidence of my growth in this aspect of my teaching, please see the example pasted
above in the Reflective Teaching section and also see my text list from my Counterpoint
Curriculum Plan provided below. From the first example, it will be evident that I have provided
students with best practice writing processes and, in the second example, it will be clear that Ive
provided diverse texts for my students to explore and model.

Text Rationales

1. The Woman Warrior by Maxine Kingston

This text is a story of a female Chinese-American Immigrant that uses stories from her
culture and childhood to color her memoir. She compares herself to Mulan, as she
approaches unique challenges of being a Chinese-American Immigrant. This text will push
students to make connections between and analyze the simultaneous stories of fantasy and
Kingstons real life childhood. It will help them see a unique perspective on the world and
better understand how culture affects the way we perceive the world around us.

2. Songbook by Nick Hornby

This is a novel that is divided into chapters by the different songs that meant a lot to Nick
Hornby at different parts in his life. He writes his memoir by relating these pieces of art to
the moments in his life that they seemed particularly important or apt. This text will help
students value their own stories, even if they are insignificant and seemingly minute. It will
serve as an inspiration for their first major assignment: creating their own memoir which
can be as much fiction or non-fiction as they would like.

3. This Be The Verse by Philip Larkin (censored)

This poem drops a couple of F-bombs so I plan on presenting this work to students in a
censored form, as I cant justify keeping the strong language in when a proper substitute
can easily be found. This poem will get students thinking about how our identities are
formed with respect to our parents and cultures. They will have to analyze Larkins sarcasm
and seemingly pessimistic outlook on life and raising children. It will also help students
practice empathy by considering the different ways that many people can be raised and the
different perspectives that may be borne out of that childhood.

4. A Bronzeville Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks

This will serve as a transition work, with the help of Slow Poison, between our first two
units. A Bronzeville Mother is a poem that contains the story of a white woman in a
false paradigm that led to the death of a young black man. It will serve as a great piece to
analyze and prepare us for our unit on Civil Rights and the literature surrounding the
movement. It will also help us consider the structures and myths that some accept as fact
at face value without testing their real-life viability. This will help us consider what a
persons identity means in their culture and society.

5. Slow Poison by Ezekiel Kweku

This text will keep this same theme of racial identity and place it more into a personal
narrative form. It will function as a text pairing with A Bronzeville Mother and help
students see a form of the consequences of a racist society on peoples day to day lives. The
short story will help students practice empathy, as they consider the precautions that Black
Americans must take due to the current criminal justice system and racial bias.

6. Native Son by Richard Wright

While this text is largely fiction, it is a helpful lens to look through in considering the civil
rights movement in the United States. Students will be asked to empathize with Bigger
Thomas in his inescapable situation as a black man trapped in a poor section of his city.
They will have to analyze his questionable decisions and navigate the moral gray areas that
he finds himself in. They will have to decide how much they want to excuse and where they
draw the line on his actions and how his background influenced those decisions. It will also
serve as our first text to try to better understand the world that Richard Wright inhabited as
he imagined Bigger Thomas life.

7. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

This novel is a well-renowned piece of realistic fiction that asks students to analyze the
treatment of Janie (and black women in general) as compared to the male and white
characters within her story. It will also help them see the art of storytelling as the entire
novel is a story-within-a-story with Janie relaying her story to her best friend. We will
consider racial and gender criticism as we analyze this text and it will serve as a bridge to
considering the British gender and racial texts that we will cover in the next unit.

8. Speeches by Malcolm X
Malcolm Xs speeches will serve as a way to ground Native Son in the reality of the Civil
Rights Movement. It will mostly be a way for students to consider Malcolm Xs rhetoric as
compared to his identity and background. We will compare these speeches both to Bigger
Thomas narrative and the speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. Students will be asked to
consider what choices Malcolm X makes in his speeches to convince his audience of his
cause, black nationalism, and violence when necessary.

9. Speeches by Martin Luther King Jr.

MLK Jr.s speeches will help students consider Bigger Thomas actions in the face of MLK
Jr.s non-violent rhetoric. Are they compatible considering the different backgrounds
(education, identity, etc.)? They will also be asked to compare the rhetorical strategies of
MLK Jr. with Malcolm X and consider the question of who was right? And write on which
one seems more convincing to them and why.

10. Vietnam: An Anti-War Comic Book by Julian Bond

In a similar vein to MLK Jr. and Malcolm Xs speeches, students will be asked to analyze the
graphic and textual choices made in Bonds comic book. This text was used to convince an
African-American audience to denounce the Vietnam War. With that in mind, what
strategies does Bond use in order to reach that goal? How did this compare to Malcolm X
and MLK Jr.? This analysis will conclude our unit on the American Civil Rights Movement. It
will serve as a bridge in analyzing British Literature under a similar eye for race and gender.

11. Emma by Jane Austen

Emma seems to starkly contrast with the aforementioned texts but as a piece of realistic
fiction with a particularly strong young lady that has to traverse a male-dominated
society, it is clear that it directly follows Their Eyes Were Watching God quite well.
Emma will push students to consider whether Emma is a feminist text and ask them to
consider ways that Austen portrays female characters in an active or passive light. It will
also help students see that being a female in this society means different life choices
and aspirations. It will help students practice their empathy and their ability to analyze
art and life for feminist perspectives and gender equality.

12. The Wife of Baths and Knights Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Using their newfound analysis skills from Their Eyes and Emma students will be asked to
go way back to the 14th century to analyze texts that specifically deal with male and
female interaction. How does the knight portray females in an active or passive role?
Why does Chaucer create the Wife of Bath in her current form? How does her
background and past life help shape her tale and her current outlook on love and
 relationships? Students will need to practice empathy in order to analyze these texts
and will need a lot of scaffolding to overcome the archaic language.

13. Othello by William Shakespeare

As the quintessential Shakespeare play that deals with race, it seemed only right to
include Othello in this part of the unit. Students will put their analysis skills from the
previous unit to work here in a much more convoluted and difficult language to
traverse. They will be asked to consider how language and Shakespeares figurative
devices function racially within the play. They will also be asked to consider the
relationship between the myths/paradigms from A Bronzeville Mother and this text.

14. To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell

This text will require students to practice their skills in analyzing poetry both for devices,
purpose, and technique but also the speakers treatment of women. They will be asked
to consider the rhetorical strategies of the speaker as he tries to convince his mistress
to become a little less coy. They will have to use skills from analyzing MLK Jr. and
Malcolm Xs speeches, Emma and Their Eyes, as well as the skills learned from analyzing
A Bronzeville Mother and This Be The Verse. Each of these texts require specific
types of analysis and the skills of each of these texts will be transferred to To His Coy
Mistress.

15. Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft

I plan on introducing this text using its historical context and pairing it with Emma by
Jane Austen. Students will be asked to consider this text in relation to excerpts from its
companion text Rights of Man. They will be tasked with analyzing the language that
Wollstonecraft uses to make her case for the rights of woman.

3e. investigating, problem-solving and experimenting in the face of what is unknown or untried

In my field experience placement this semester, I was thrown multiple curve balls in how
to approach teaching my unobserved and observed lessons. I was asked to provide lessons that
dealt with anything that will help the students create websites and podcasts. This task was
broad and required a lot of deliberate researching and investigating on my part in order to decide
what aspect of these two huge products I would guide my students in learning.
For the website lesson, I found some information provided by the United States
Department of Education that gave information about how Internet users go about reading
websites. I learned that people read websites and print texts differently, so I found out the best
ways for my students to approach converting and formatting their research papers to websites
and included that in a mini-lesson. This was a lesson that didnt have a set idea of what to
teach or whats best for website creation, so I solved this problem by researching it and
experimenting without knowing what the result would be. It turned out well. Students were
engaged and their websites looked better than ever. I will attach this lesson plan below.
 For the podcasting lesson, I didnt do much outside research. Instead, I decided to
approach this problem using my own background knowledge. I am an avid podcast listener and,
while planning for this lesson, I reflected on what makes a good podcast. In my reflection, I
realized that all podcasts are dependent on anecdotes in order to better relate a concept to their
listeners. In Freakonomics, they take difficult economical concepts and insert them into easy-to-
latch-on-to anecdotes. So, thats how I approached this lesson. I tasked students with improving
their podcasts by thinking of some stories to hook their listeners. I will attach this lesson plan
below.
Website Lesson:

Materials Needed:
This is just a list of the materials you will need for this lesson to occur. In the Materials Appendix below, you will
include the actual materials or links to what you will be using.
Teacher Laptop
Student Laptops
Student Notebooks
Whiteboard & Markers
Instructional Steps (Procedures): Detail student and teacher behavior.
[Note: Any words that represent what I would say directly to students appear in italics.]

Beginning Room Arrangement: Students will be in desks spaced from each other. They will be working
individually for todays workshop format class. The teacher will be at the front of the room, controlling
the slides.
[Changes in this arrangement that become necessary later will be noted in the plan]

1. [_7_mins.] Bridge/Hook/Opening to lesson: Hey guys, Mrs. Deegan was kind enough to let
me take over for todays lesson. I hear you all are beginning some work on creating websites so
I figured Id give you all some insight on how to create good ones that will keep people
interested in reading what you have to say. So, I thought it would be valuable to check out
some truly terrible websites so we can figure out why they are just so awful to read. Please pull
out a piece of paper or your notebook so you can take down a few notes here.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/official-websites-that-need-to-be-stopped? Alright, I
have this list pulled up on the projector. I am going to slowly scroll through. I want you all to
write down any thoughts you have on things you hate about these websites. Afterward, we are
going to share these ideas as a class and see if we cant learn from their mistakes.

Big points to hit: distracting images/gifs, unsure about message/purpose, old

2. [_20_mins.] Alright, so when I was thinking about this lesson for you guys. I asked myself,
what is the most important things about writing on the Internet? I knew I wanted to give you
guys information that would transfer to anywhere on the internet, not just on this one project
that yall are doing. I did some research and I found some cool studies done and verified by the
Department of Education. They got people to look at a few websites and found out how they
were read.
You guys remember doing Drivers Ed? I remember when I did Drivers Ed they had
this video of drivers eyes and where they focused on the road. They used technology, probably
in the form of some glasses or headgear. It showed what parts of the map they looked, when
they were looking, and how often they looked. So a lot of it was on the speedometer, the signs
on the road, the lines on the road, and then the back and side mirrors. Well, they used similar
 technology for website readers. Lets check out some of the findings. I will now pull up this
website: http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/web-reading/
So, first, when people pull up a webpage they are automatically skimming. They are
looking for Key Words. Their eyes are skipping and skimming the content on the page. So, lets start a
list on the board. How can we make our writing easier for a reader to skim through? We dont want
them to give up and move on. We have to cater to their skimming. Ill be looking for responses that
make their writing and content more manageable (headings, bolding, smaller paragraphs, lists, bullet
points, etc.) Ill challenge contributors to expand on answers and why they think their response will
make their writing more manageable for readers.
Alright, we have a good list going for this challenge. Lets move on to the next challenge we
have to tackle. Check out these heat maps. Remember the drivers ed thing I was talking about? Look
where their eyes are going. What does that mean for us when we are creating our websites? Again, Ill
be looking for answers that make their content readable with this concept in mind. Ill be looking for
these especially: most important information at the top and left of the page; Short introduction, get
to the point and hook them early; hug that left margin of the page, dont center. This list will go on the
board, continuing from the last list.
Okay, we have one last point I want to cover before we dive into workshop mode and you guys can
start work on your websites. The DoEs research shows that readers will immediately leave a site if
they dont trust it. So, we need to make our websites look real and up-to-date so our information looks
fresh and reliable. This will be the same idea as the last two sections with opportunities to build the list
together. I will want them to list: modern looking, an about us/me/my work section, and using
professional fonts and colors.
3. [_25_mins.]
. During this time, students will work independently on their websites. Mrs. Deegan and I will
circulate the classroom and conduct private writing conferences. I will be looking for answers
to questions like: What notes did you take during my mini-lesson? Can I check out what you have so far?
What do you think would help make your website easier to read? (think about our lesson at the start of
class), etc. I will be gauging their understanding of the research that I presented to them and how they plan
to put that information into practice on their own websites.
A main issue with this class is their propensity to wander off-task. Ill be specifically looking for
students that need some extra direction in their work. Some things to keep my eye out for:
texting on their phones or scrolling on their phones an excessive amount, too little
typing/active computer use, too much off-topic conversation, and not being on the computer
at all. Once I initiate a conversation, I will evaluate what they have and try to give them one or
two concrete goals to focus on for the class period and check in with them later on.

4. [_8_mins] Closure: Alright guys, we have one more thing I want to do before we take our
break and then move into SSR. I just want you to take an index card and in five minutes
answer these two questions on the board (I will put them on the board before this) How do
people read websites differently from paper in real life? What are two things you plan on doing to your
website that will make it easier to read? Please place your name on the index card before turning them
into me or Mrs. Deegan.
Alright, Guys, thank you for a great lesson. Go ahead and take your break and come back
ready for SSR.

Attention to Individual Student Needs: (Differentiation):

There is one specific student, one of the ELLs in the class, that is extremely intelligent but requires extra
motivation and concrete steps before they begin any of their workshop projects. They are usually behind most of
the other students in the class. In order to address that issue for this project, he will be the first student I target
during my writing conferences. I will want to make sure to get him started early with some goals in mind.
One of the students in the class is particularly interested in Internet stars and content creators. He
finished his research project on Pewdiepie and other YouTube Stars just a few weeks ago. During my mini-lesson
and during my conference with him, Ill be sure to use vocabulary that will pique his Interest in creating a website
with an audience in mind. Hes already started to consider video thumbnails and titles. Its important that I
continue to foster this interest and hobby of his by using phrases like content creator and perhaps even pulling
up Pewdiepies website so we can discuss some of the techniques he uses to direct traffic to his social media
accounts and webstore.
Another student in the class is having issues securing a computer and bringing it to class regularly. I am
planning on him not having his computer today. Instead, I will provide him with a pencil and paper (if he doesnt
have that either) and have him sketch out what his website will look like using the information from my mini-
lesson. This will allow him to create a blueprint and show progress toward the objectives listed above while not
needing his computer.

Technology Use:
Student and teacher laptops and a website creation platform will be used during this lesson. This lesson is
specifically interested in making the students more well-versed in digital content creation. Specifically, they will
consider what they will need to do in order to make their writing more accessible to a digital audience. In order to
practice what its like to create digital content, they will be put into the actual practice of creating that content. I
firmly believe there is no better way to get better at creating a website than actually practicing creating a website.

How this lesson incorporates specific insights from course readings and/or class discussion:
Mainly, this lesson will draw from our Bomer readings from the Fall semester and the Tovani
readings from this semester. Both of these readings emphasize the mini-lesson and workshop
format of the English classroom. Specifically, Tovani pushes this instructional strategy because
of its ability to accurately and frequently collect formative assessment. It is essential to collect
and plan using these assessments when monitoring students progress toward meeting the
objectives and goals of a lesson/unit. Both readings also emphasize the importance of doing
English by actually reading and writing authentic texts and tasks. Lastly, I use an exit card or a
minute paper as recommended in our Mcgann reading. The exit slip is an efficient way to
collect student data, assess their knowledge, and communicate feedback to them by returning
the slips the next class period.

Materials Appendix:
Include the actual materials or links to what you will be using. If you are using a handout or a PowerPoint, or giving
a quiz, etc., these documents (or links to them) must be included. (see the list above)

. https://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/official-websites-that-need-to-be-stopped?

http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/web-reading/

Podcast Lesson:
Beginning Room Arrangement:
[Changes in this arrangement that become necessary later will be noted in the plan]
Students will be arranged in pods, based on their current unit groups. Each pod has from 4-5 students in
it. On each desk, there will be a note card. Written on the board will be the instructions: Put your name
and your answers to these questions on the index card: How often do you listen to podcasts or talk radio?
If you listen to podcasts/talk radio, which programs do you enjoy? In your experience, what makes a good
podcast or radio show?
Give your index card to Mr. Talley.

1. [__5_mins.] Opening to lesson: Students will come into the classroom and read the instructions
on the board, as they are already trained to do. Alright guys, come on in. Youll find some index
cards on your desk and instructions on the board. Mrs. Deegan and I are interested in learning
more about your experience with podcasts before you all start on your upcoming research
podcast.

2. [_10_mins.] Hook: Alright, it looks like everyone is wrapping up their index cards. So, there are
a lot of things that make a good podcast or radio show, as Im sure quite a few of you know. Give
me your ideas from your index cards about what you enjoy from a podcast and Ill put them on
the board. Here, I want students to give me anything and everything theyve got to answer this
question. Its truly open-ended and I want them thinking about different ways to enhance their
podcasts. I assume I will get answers like humor, good information, entertaining, etc. I will press
for students to answer anecdotes or stories. If they dont get there, I will say this: This is a
wonderful list. I see just one that I would like to add. I really love a podcast that tells a good
story. (Write Good story/anecdote on the board) I think that all of my favorite podcasts include
stories to explain the information they try to present. Which podcasts do yall listen to? This is an
OTR. Im interested in getting to know more about the students and more about their interests.
Then, Ill ask them if they think they use stories. If my favorites arent mentioned, Ill bring up
my favorites. I love Freakonomics and The Adventure Zone and every once in a while Ill listen to
This American Life. The Adventure Zone is a little bit of an exception because it is literally a
story, rather than an informative podcast. But, the other two provide research and information
and they based the facts they present in anecdotes, sometimes from guests that come onto the
show or stories from their own lives. For example, This clip is from Freakonomics and Im going
to ask you guys 2 questions after the video: What economic concept was he trying to get across
and how did he enhance the research? : I will now play this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEHilEXW_wY

3. [_30_mins.]
.12 minutes Independent Time: So now that you all know that stories and anecdotes
make research come to life for listeners, I think its important to take this time for you all
to get your creativity going. We are going to go into independent mode here for 10
minutes. You have a single objective. I want you to think about your research and what
you learned about your topic. Connect that research to a story you may be able to tell in
your podcasts. Its important that you come up with at least one story because you will be
sharing with your group. I recommend taking quick notes about your story to keep it
fresh in your mind when you tell it to others. Ill be walking around so let me know if any
of you have a creative block. I will use an online timer to keep 10 minutes.
. 10 minutes Discussion Time: I think we all have a story to share at this point. Raise
your hand if you are closest to the door. If you are raising your hand, you will share your
story first. Each person will have 2 minutes and then after the 2 minutes are up, we will
rotate storytellers clockwise.
8 minutes Whole Class debrief and closure: I was walking around and I heard some
great stories. Can we get some volunteers to share out an interesting story that they
heard from their group? I will pester, but they are an active class so I expect lots of
volunteers at this point, especially because theyll be sharing their classmates work
rather than their own. These stories will be the foundation for yalls podcasts and will
make the research that you all have done really stand out to your listeners. As you all
 move forward with this project, remember that both you and your partner will have
stories to tell and that your listeners will be interested in how both of your knowledge
bases, your researched information, the anecdotes you both have collected can mesh
together and interact. And, youll be doing that with the conversations and stories you
both have together. Thank you guys, I will now turn the rest of the class over to Mrs.
Deegan.

Attention to Individual Student Needs: (Differentiation):

Detail specific actions/materials you will use to differentiate instruction.
Students will be asked to engage with material that they are interested in and share stories that
every single student has expressed that they enjoy learning about. This lesson is differentiated by
considering all students interests and making sure that those interests connect with an
understanding that anecdotes make their research come to life within a podcast.
Technology Use:
Detail specific technology being used in the lesson with explanation for why it is being used.
This lesson uses laptops for access to podcast radio shows. Without access to the internet, podcasts would need to be
prerecorded and brought into the class. Instead, students are able to load up model texts and listen to a podcast of
their choice.
How this lesson incorporates specific insights from course readings and/or class discussion:
This lesson uses a mini-workshop model from Bomer by having students listen to a model text
on a successful and expert podcast and have them work independently to consider ways they
may approach using the same technique as the model text. This lesson also uses an entrance card
in order to diagnostically assess students understanding of storytelling and the power it wields
within a podcast or other oral media. This allows for me to better gauge how effective my
teaching was based on students ability to incorporate a story into their researched material.
Materials Appendix:
Include the actual materials or links to what you will be using. If you are using a handout or a PowerPoint, or giving
a quiz, etc., these documents (or links to them) must be included. (see the list above)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEHilEXW_wY

My Goals

2e. Develop a principled approach to responding to diverse students work and guiding editing
and assessment of their texts

I have gotten plenty of experience with diverse students in my field experience

placements in Charlottesville. I have worked with ELLs, Standards students, AP students, classes
of mostly African-American students, classes of mostly white students, etc. While I have this
experience with diverse learners and I am confident in my leading any classroom in the
Charlottesville or Richmond area, I have yet to have the experience of editing, providing
feedback, and assessing their work. I would like to get more experience with this in my student
teaching next semester. I would like to grow in my ability to consciously reflect on my own
biases and be sure that I am providing each student with the same quality of education and
high expectations.
 In order to accomplish this goal, I will need to double-check my feedback and
assessment of student work to be sure that it is consistent throughout. I will also need to
compare this feedback and assessment with my mentor teachers. I will also need to review
some of the texts that I have read over the past couple years. Specifically, I should skim or re-
read Teach Like a Champion, English Learners Academic Literacy and Thinking, and my texts
from content area reading. These steps should put me in the right track to grow more in this
aspect of my practice.

3. Participate effectively in shaping a learning community of peers/colleagues premised on

democratic values, shared goals, and a respect for differences

While I have a lot of experience in the classroom, I have yet to co-lead or solo lead a
class for a significant period of time. In this respect, Id like to grow in my ability to set
classroom norms, expectations, and routines in order to focus on learning and a positive
environment. I have done this on paper through my Classroom Come to Life project in my
Instruction and Management class. But, creating these elements for real students and doing it
practically is something that I have yet to tackle. With this in mind, I would like to grow next
semester by practicing these essential skills in the classroom.
Hand in hand with this goal is my ability to branch out among my co-workers and
mentor teacher. I would like to participate in the learning community among my peers and
mentors in order to grow my network and become a part of my schools community.
In order to accomplish these goals, I think it will be important to take initiative and be
involved in creating the classroom culture right from the start. It will also be helpful if I were to
go to extra-curricular events at the school and be sure to branch out amongst my co-workers. In
addition, I will need to review my Classroom Come to Life project, Teach like a Champion, and
my Middle and Secondary Classroom Management texts. Im excited to get out there and give it
my all next semester in order to become a better educator.