Lesson 2 Self-Assessment for ED 215R

Name: Alyssa Toetz

Literacy Objective: The students will be able to use the informational text
feature, table of contents, in order to help them to locate information and
answer questions they have more efficiently while reading.
Balanced Literacy Component: Strategy Group
Date: November 12, 2014
School/grade level/ number of students: Canterbury/ 2nd grade/4 students
Name of Cooperating Teacher: Logan Zwaska
Planning and preparation:(AEA:Conceptualization,DiagnosisWTS:1,2,3,4,5,7DISP: Respect)
Clearly identify the range of literacy development of the learners in your classroom and
describe how you planned to address that range throughout your lesson plan. Thoroughly
explain how an effective theoretical model such as Holdaway or Vygotsky guided you as you
planned your lesson. Explain what worked well in your plan and what you would have
changed/did change and why.

The range of literacy learners in my second grade classroom was mid first
through third grade. I planned to address that range by working with a small
group of learners who struggled with the particular strategy of asking and
answering questions using informational text. I also planned to address their
needs by remodeling the strategy and also planned for the students to
practice individually using their own informational books which would allow
myself time to vary my support level for each student. The theoretical model
of scaffolding by Vygotsky served as my main guide while planning my
lesson. I set up my demonstration and practice portion of my lesson in a way
the modeled the first two stages of the scaffolding model. I started with the
first stage of I do, you watch through planning my thinking out loud in
my lesson plan. This allowed me to plan my specific modeling thoughts so
the students could watch me as I modeled how to look through the pictures
in a book in order to develop questions, as well as how to use the table of
contents to help answer questions. I applied the second step of scaffolding, I
do, you help through planning for the students to think of questions to
record on a post it to add to the I Wonder side of the chart while we continue
to look through the Tornado book together. I then incorporated the third step,
You do, I help by planning for the students to practice recording questions
and answers using their own informational books and the I Wonder/ I
Learned chart. Since it was a strategy group, I planned to stay with the
students to guide and give support at an individual level. I used the last step
of You do I watch in the performance portion of my lesson by planning for
the students to share their questions and answers they found with the group
at the end. A strength of my planning was writing out my think out loud
points and questions to get the students involved in the process. This was a
great way to help me prepare my thoughts through writing and recording
them in my plan. One thing I would have changed in my lesson plan is to
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create individual copies of the Tornado book so each student could have their
own copy while we worked through developing and answering together. I
also would have planned to stop on each page during the picture walk and
ask students if they had a question or wondering and record that question as
a group, this way students would have had peer models as well.
Classroom environment: (AEA: Coordination, Integrative Interaction WTS: 1,2,3,4,5,6 DISP:
Respect, Responsibility, Collaboration, Communication)

Explain how you set up a positive learning environment and encouraged student participation
in the learning. How did you focus student attention throughout the learning experience to
engage them productively in the learning the lesson objective? Evaluate your interactions
with the students and their interactions with each other.

I was able to set up a positive learning environment that encouraged student

participation by gathering the children to a table in their classroom and
presenting the Tornado book with excitement to spark the students interest
in the text. I focused student attention by setting clear expectations of how I
wanted to focus on asking and answering questions when reading
informational books, and stated the learning objective of how using the table
of contents is a useful feature when trying to find information. I was also able
to focus student attention by getting the students involved in the process
through adding their own questions from the Tornado book to the I Wonder
side of the chart, and then having the students practice using their own
informational book of their choosing. During this portion, I was able work
with students individually and help guide students who were struggling to
use the table of contents while answering their questions to further enforce
the learning objective. While I was working with students I noticed one
student who had difficultly getting started, I really took the time to remodel
how to begin by looking through the pictures to develop any wonderings or
questions to record on a post it note. As students were sharing at the end of
the lesson I noticed their excitement to share their answers with their peers.
They were smiling and asking if they could share more than one.
Instruction: (AEA: Communication, Coordination, Diagnosis, Integrative Interaction WTS:
1,2,4,5,6,7,10 DISP: Respect, Communication)

Thoroughly explain how you taught this lesson to meet your literacy objective. Evaluate your
implementation of your plan in relation to student learning/performance and the theory. Did
it have the effect you intended? Were the needs of your literacy learners met? Explain what
you found most difficult in teaching this lesson. What changes would you make if you
repeated this lesson? Why?

I taught my lesson through following Vygotskys theory of scaffolding, I do

you watch, I do you help, you do I help, you do I watch in order to meet my
literacy objective. I first modeled the thinking and process I wanted to the
students to use when asking and answering questions while reading. I then
allowed the students to help by adding their own questions they had while
looking through the Tornado book together. After, the students were able to
practice using their own books as I continued to help and guide students
through the strategy (you do I help). This portion of the lesson allowed me to
take the time to meet individual needs through remodeling for the student if
necessary or through simply guiding their thinking in the direction I wanted it
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to go by asking them why do you think you might find your answer under
that content heading. Finally, I was able to watch the students share their
questions and answers they developed using their own book (you do I
watch). Through first modeling (I do you watch) the thinking and using the
picture walk to develop questions I noticed the students eager to share their
wonderings about certain pictures as we flipped through the Tornado book.
Following the theory of I do you help really encouraged the students to be
involved in the process. They were able to share a question they had and
also helped me to find answers to the questions that they contributed on the
I Wonder/ I Learned chart. I felt my lesson had a strong effect, which was
seen through the students eagerness to participate and also their
excitement when sharing their findings at the end. Also, when students
shared their findings at the end they all shared the content heading they
found their answer under which really demonstrated their ability to use the
table of contents successfully. One change I would have made was during the
picture walk portion of the lesson to be more group-centered. Instead of
having students develop a question of their own I would have developed
questions as group through stopping on each page to record them together,
this would have been a great way for the students to model their
understandings for their peers.
Assessment: (AEA: Diagnosis, Integrative Interaction WTS: 1,2,3,7,8,9 DISP: Reflection)
Explain how you knew if the students learned what you taught them. What did you learn from
listening to student responses, examining their work or listening to their interactions? What
were your assessment procedures and how well did they inform you about student attainment
of your lessons objectives? To follow-up this lesson, what would you teach next? Why?

I was able to assess if students had learned what I had taught them through
their shared question post its and participation while looking through the
Tornado book together. I was also able to assess student understanding when
I asked them about what they noticed I was doing as we asked and answered
questions together. This gave me the opportunity to listen to students and
see if they really connected and understood why and how to use the table of
contents. I noticed a lot of the students understood to go back and look
through the content headings because it is quicker but were unsure how to
decide what heading the information they need might fall under. While
students were completing their individual I Wonder/ I Learned charts I
noticed all students turning back to their table of contents page after they
had formulated their question, although I did provide extra support for two
students when they were looking through content headings for their answer.
As students were sharing their findings on their I Wonder/ I Learned chart I
noticed they all shared the content heading they found their information
under which was great to hear. Overall, I feel my forms of assessment gave
me multiple opportunities to gage student understanding. Students had a
strong understanding that the table of contents is a useful tool when trying
to find information. To follow up this lesson I would teach about another
informational text feature, the glossary, and how it is a useful resource when
trying to understand a new word. This would be great continuance of
teaching the students about useful informational text features they can use
while reading.
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Professional responsibilities: (AEA: Communication, Integrative Interaction WTS:

1,2,6,7,9,10 DISP: Respect, Responsibility, Reflection, Collaboration, Communication

Explain how you will apply what you learned from the feedback you received on this lesson to
teaching future lessons.

I will apply the feedback of having the picture walk portion of the lesson be
more guided because it was a strategy group. When working with small
groups in the future I will make sure to plan the guided portion of the lesson
to be more group centered, this way the students can serve as models for
their peers too. I will also apply the feedback of making a connection to the
students lives through planning a specific connection to talk about at the
beginning of the lesson in order to spark students interest in what I am
about to teach them.
Reflection: (AEA: Diagnosis WTS: 9 DISP: Reflection)
What did you learn about teaching an effective literacy lesson from this teaching experience?
How will it affect your planning for future teaching of literacy? Explain how this lesson
demonstrates your growth in ONE Wisconsin Teaching Standard and ONE Alverno Education
Ability. (Make sure to state the WTS and AEA in your own words in your explanation.)

I learned that in order to teach an effective literacy lesson, even if it is a

small group, it is important to be well planned and prepared in advance.
Through teaching a strategy group I learned the importance of making the
lesson interactive so the students are not distracted by their peers who are
not apart of the small group lesson. I also learned it is important to be
specific when giving instructions, for example when I recorded my lesson the
second time I made sure to state for the students to record one question
and answer to share with the group at the end of the lesson. When planning
lessons in the future, I will remember the importance of recording specific
instructions so the learning remains focused and timely, and to also be
specific about the type of behavior and understanding I am looking for when
assessing student learning. Through my second lesson, I have shown growth
in Wisconsin Teaching Standard 4, which emphasizes the importance of using
a variety of teaching strategies to encourage successful student learning. I
was able to plan a lesson for a small group of students who needed extra
support when asking and answering questions using informational text. I
taught my lesson in a small group setting so I was able to not only give
individual support as needed but to also closely monitor the level of support I
was giving based off the students understanding. This literacy lesson also
demonstrated growth in the Alverno Education Ability of Diagnosis, which
encourages observing student behavior in order to facilitate the right amount
of support during the learning process. While planning my lesson I had to
specify the type of assessments I would use and what specific behavior and
understanding I would be looking for, then while teaching my lesson I really
had to take note of the student behaviors I was observing so I could scaffold
the appropriate level of support for each student.