Textbox 1.1.

1 Community, District, School Contextual Factors That Influence Instruction From the Contextual Factors Chart, choose one factor that you believe will have the most impact on student learning from within each of the following three categories: community, district, and school. a) Identify your chosen community factor. Based on your chosen community factor, identify one possible instructional strategy and one learning activity that you could use in your classroom to further student learning. Provide a rationale that explains how the identified strategy and activity connect to the chosen factor. b) Identify your chosen district factor. Based on your chosen district factor, identify one possible instructional strategy and one learning activity that you could use in your classroom to further student learning. Provide a rationale that explains how the identified strategy and activity connect to the chosen factor. c) Identify your chosen school factor. Based on your chosen school factor, identify one possible instructional strategy and one learning activity that you could use in your classroom to further student learning. Provide a rationale that explains how the identified strategy and activity connect to the chosen factor. a) ne factor I believe will have the most impact on student learning from within the community is children living in single parent families. !ccording to the contextual factors chart, it is about "#.#$, which could be considered a high percentage. In my clinical, I have observed many times where a child living in a single parent home versus a child living in a multifamily home has had a huge impact on the child. %hen things are sent home, papers almost never get signed or returned bac& to the teacher on time for the children living in single parent homes. I have also observed lac& of interest in school for some of the children coming from single parent homes. From this observation, I believe constant interaction and involvement for that child or children is extremely important. Based on this factor, one possible instructional strategy that I could use in the classroom to further student learning could be interactive instruction. 'any times throughout my clinical, I observe my cooperating teacher incorporating interactive instruction to &eep her students engaged and interested. Participation is very important because you want all of your students to feel as if they are a part of the class, and you want to be sure that they are truly learning and understanding content. In order to help them achieve this feeling, you should encourage participation throughout all activities. 'y corresponding learning activity to further student learning would be creating a class census data of the people in everyone(s family. I would first explain that in order to &now how many people are living in a particular country or region, the government ta&es a census. I would pass sheets of paper around with everyone in the classroom(s name on it. I would then explain to them they will be ta&ing a census on each of their classmate(s families by as&ing them how many people are in their family )including themselves*, and how many are male and female. nce everyone gets the information, we will then chart the data as a class. I will call up volunteers to chart their information on the +mart Board. !t the end, we will discuss our findings. ,his strategy and activity connect to this community factor because !-- students will be involved, while learning about the importance of a census and how &nowing how many people are in a family )in a community* is very helpful because of the ma.or role it plays in the decisions made for everyone within the community. b) ne factor I believe will have the most impact on student learning from within the district is ethnic brea&down. !ccording to the chart, the ma.ority of the students in this district are Caucasian. Based on this factor, one possible instructional strategy that I could use in the classroom to further student learning could be interactive instruction using a group discussion. ,he use of a group discussion can be very beneficial because you will be able to &now and better understand the point of view of each student on certain issues. +tudents will be actively involved in the discussion, allowing constant interaction between peers and the teacher. /very so often, my clinical teacher will have what she calls a 0community meeting1, where she leads a class
1

discussion on a present issue that continues to occur in the classroom. I find this to be very helpful because it calls for participation from everyone in the group. ur learning activity would simply be a class discussion on what our classroom rules should be. ur number one rule would be treating others with respect. I would emphasi2e the importance of all of the students treating one another, as they would want to be treated. %e would discuss that everyone is the same even if our s&in color is different, and that we are all friends. ,his strategy and activity connect to this district factor because within an ethnic brea&down, you may see that the percentage of one race is much larger compared to the other ones. %ithin the classroom, there may be a larger number of a certain race in the room, and it could be intimidating for students of another race. ,here may be students in the classroom who have come from a school district where the race of all the students were !sian or maybe white. In previous clinicals, I had noticed some division among the students, so to brea& any tension or to remove any sign of racial problems, a class discussion at the beginning of the year would be very beneficial. c) ne factor I believe will have the most impact on student learning from within the school is the differences in achievement scores. Based on this factor, one possible instructional strategy that I could use in the classroom to further student learning could be self3monitoring, which has proven to be successful on many occasions. ! corresponding learning activity would be to &eep an achievement .ournal. %e would discuss how schools have students ta&e tests, and use the scores to see what areas need to wor& and areas where students have the most confidence. I would then explain to students that they are going to &eep a .ournal about their own achievements in the classroom after ta&ing a test. Preceding each test the class ta&es, students will complete a .ournal entry about how they felt about the test they too&. ,hey will write what they thought they did well on and where they needed improvement. 4sing this information, students can see what they need to wor& on in order to improve. ,his strategy and activity connect to this school factor because it is good for teachers to &now how confident students feel about tests they have ta&en, in order to help them do better in the future. ,his would definitely be beneficial in the end because once students &now what they need to wor& on personally, they can do what is necessary to improve, which can help improve school achievement scores overall. If students can improve before tests li&e a benchmar& test or P!++, there will continue to be a higher percentage of areas students are confident in, compared to areas where students have the least confidence.

Textbox 1.1.2: Classroom Demo ra!hics and "no#led e of Students

From the Contextual Factors Chart, choose one factor that you believe will have the most impact on student learning from within each of the following two categories: classroom demographics and &nowledge of students. a) Identify your chosen classroom3demographics factor. Based on your chosen classroom3demographics factor, identify one possible instructional strategy and one learning activity that you could use in your classroom to further student learning. Provide a rationale that explains how the identified strategy and activity connect to the chosen factor. b) Identify your chosen &nowledge3of3students factor. Based on your chosen &nowledge3of3students factor, identify one possible instructional strategy and one learning activity that you could use in your classroom to further student learning. Provide a rationale that explains how the identified strategy and activity connect to the chosen factor.

a) ne factor that I believe will have the most impact on student learning from within the classroom demographics is language needs. !ccording to the contextual factors chart, four students receive +peech and -anguage +ervice. Based on this classroom demographics factor, one possible instructional strategy that I could use in the classroom to further learning could be peer3supported instruction. ! corresponding learning activity could be Buddy +tudy. 5uring my observations, I have noticed a number of students who struggle with vocabulary and spelling6pronouncing words. By using Buddy +tudy, each student gets a chance to choose their own vocabulary words that they need wor& on spelling, recogni2ing, and even saying. ,hey also get help from peers, which will help both children because they will be learning from each other(s list as they test their partners on his6her words. Buddy +tudy is an activity that is done daily, so each student is exposed to their chosen words on a constant basis. ,his strategy and activity connects to the chosen factor because language is very important, especially for children at young ages. %hen students come into your classroom with language needs, the best way to help them is to continue to expose them to words. !ctivities such as buddy studies are beneficial because students are repeatedly exposed to the same words, which will gradually help them develop the necessary language s&ill)s*. b) ne factor that I believe will have the most impact on student learning from within the &nowledge of students is prior learning6experiences. !ccording to the chart, three students have had 7 years of 8indergarten. ,his means that they may already have prior &nowledge or prior experience with a certain topic. !s the teacher, I want to ensure that all of my students are on the same page and that everyone understands the material. Based on this factor, one possible instructional strategy that I could use in the classroom to further learning could be direct instruction. I see a lot of this in my cooperating teacher(s classroom. +he uses this strategy as a way of involving each child as the students construct &nowledge. ! corresponding learning activity could be a 83%3- chart, which is used to &eep note of what students &now, want to &now, and learn, before, during and after a lesson. !t the beginning of a new lesson for each sub.ect, I would pass out a 83%3- chart. /ach student would fill out what they &now and want to &now about the lesson that is about to be presented. !t the end of the wee&, they will fill in the 0-earned1 column or section in their chart. By doing this at the beginning of a new lesson, I can see what my students already &now about what I am going to teach and things they may want to &now. I can use this information to figure out what I need to review and6or reteach. ,his strategy and
3

activity connects to the &nowledge3of3students factor because it is important for teachers to be aware of what students have already experienced or learned in previous grades. ! teacher(s goal should be to help students improve. In order to help ma&e improvement, teachers have to &now what their students already &now. 8nowing students( prior learning6experiences can also help teachers decide how to teach material. ,he previous way a student was taught may not have been as useful, so teaching a new strategy may be the solution.

Textbox 1.2.1: $%ailable &esources to 'nhance Student (earnin !fter completing the Instructional and +upport 9esources Chart, answer the following. a) +elect two resources from the completed chart and describe how you would use each in your classroom to support student learning. b) +elect a particular characteristic that you listed under 8nowledge of +tudents in the Contextual Factors Chart. 5escribe how a resource, different from the two listed in :uiding Prompt !, could enhance student learning based on the particular characteristic selected.

a) ,wo resources from the Instructional and +upport 9esources Chart I would use in my classroom to support student learning would be instructional materials )printed instructional and resource materials* and instructional technology. Instructional materials such as level boo&s and professional boo&s can be found in the teacher boo& room. It is important for teachers to utili2e this resource because not every student is on the same level. I would definitely use the teacher boo& room as a good resource because there I can find level boo&s I can use during guided reading groups or boo&s I can use for Big Boo& lessons. ,hese boo&s will play a ma.or part in helping my students improve in reading and comprehension. %ithin the teacher boo& room, there are also professional boo&s that I could help strengthen or even improve my teaching s&ills so I can be a better teacher for my students. +hould I come across a problem with behavior, for example, I can find a boo& about behavior management and loo& for suggestions. Instructional technology is evident in many classrooms. %ithin the school, you can find a computer lab, a laptop lab, +mart Boards and IPads. ,hese resources will definitely come in handy as a way to support student learning in my classroom. ,he computer lab and laptop lab can be used for conducting web ;uests, research pro.ects, or classroom activities. I would use the +mart Board for a center station, interactive ;ui22es, classroom activities, and interactive lessons. IPads have a variety of uses. I can ta&e attendance, &ey in grades or even use it in center station for my students. +ince you can download apps on IPads, I can find educational apps to incorporate into my lessons. Instructional materials and technology are wonderful available resources that can help aid student learning. b) I believe that other resources, such as educational websites, can enhance student learning based on the many different learning styles of each child. /ach child in a classroom learns differently. +ome learn better by hands3on, while others prefer hearing
4

information. !s a teacher, it is your .ob to reach each child by incorporating many strategies and methods in your lessons< this is where educational websites can be a big help. ,here are many websites such as ,eacherPay,eachers or blogs written by a specific grade(s teacher. %ithin sites li&e these, you can find many alternatives to lessons or different ways to teach a lesson. +ince you &now that all of your students learn differently, it will be helpful to incorporate different strategies within your lesson so you can cater to each child(s learning needs. 'any websites such as Internet"Classrooms or 5o7-earn provide a plethora of activities and lesson plans that can help you in your lessons. 'any of these sites provide free help and suggestions, which is a plus= %ith all of the educational websites available, it is beneficial to use such a resource when you have students with different learning styles.

,extbox >.7.7: +tudent Interest Inventory Based on the compilation of information from the students( interest inventories, analy2e one example of how this information would influence an instructional decision you would ma&e in your classroom. b) 4sing one student(s completed interest inventory, analy2e how you would use one item from the inventory to promote the student(s engagement and learning.
a)

a) Based on the compilation of information from the students( interest inventories, this information would benefit instructional decisions I would ma&e in the classroom. 8nowing what areas my students are interested in and what their favorites are, I can use this information and somehow incorporate it into the lesson, and really ma&e them feel as if they are a part of the lesson. 'y interest inventory focused on their opinions toward reading. If my students are not interested in reading, I will find ways to ma&e it engaging to them and ma&e them have a love for reading. 9eading is important because it is a basic s&ill that needs to be learned in order to master other s&ills. 8nowing how they feel towards reading, I can easily manipulate lessons help them gain a love for reading or continue to grow in reading. ,his, I believe, can truly ma&e a difference when it comes to teaching a lesson. b) ne item I would use from one of my student(s interest inventory to promote his or her engagement and learning would be that she li&es it when someone reads to him or her. 8nowing that this student li&es to be read to, I will be sure that I incorporate reading into our schedule, even after we have done the read aloud and Big Boo&. ,here will always be some type of free time within a school day, so if all wor& has been done, I can pull out a boo& and read to the class. %e can ma&e it a routine to read a chapter a day from a chapter boo& after lunch )should time permit*. 9eading is an important part of a child(s life because this is a necessary s&ill once they begin writing. 8nowing what type of boo& a student li&es is also important when promoting engagement and learning. If he or she en.oys funny boo&s, then those are the type of boo&s that should be read, along with other types. I would pic& boo&s that have good messages and even boo&s that may go along with a lesson in one of the sub.ects. ,his way, the child is doing what he or she loves while learning at the same time. %hile reading, using expression and being animated is a good way to &eep my students( attention, and &eep them interested in what is going on in the story. ?ust by ta&ing into account one thing that interests your students and incorporating it in a lesson can ma&e a BI: difference in how they receive the overall ob.ective.

Textbox 1.2.): Communicatin #ith Students and Families

a) b)

5escribe one example of how your method of communication addresses the demographic differences in the classroom. 5escribe how your method of communication fosters interaction between you, your students, and their families.

a) Because there are so many different demographic bac&ground needs in the classroom, I wanted to find a ;uic& way to get to &now each of my children, instead of relying on demographic stereotypes. I sent home a 0:etting to 8now @our Child1 survey. ,he survey as&ed parents to share their child(s favorites and information they would li&e for me to &now about their child. %ithin the survey, parents were as&ed to share personal things about their child that would help me reach them as a learner. ,his survey goes beyond addressing demographic differences in the classroom because it allows me to &now who my students as individual learners and any special needs they may have. +ome parents shared information such as their child needing to be challenged, their child has a speech impediment, their child is very shy and ways to help their child in the classroom. !s I teach, this information will come in handy. b) 'y survey that I sent home was a way for me to understand each child better through information shared by parents. It opened the door for parents to communicate with me directly, and it set the stage for future conversations. I wanted to &now how I could meet each child(s needs as a learner, so who better to as& than the parents. Parents shared information such as what their child(s favorites are and what way their child learns best. I also learned a little about each student(s li&es and disli&es. %ith the information parents have shared, I can manipulate lessons in order to help students meet their learning goals each time. I now &now a little bit about each of my students, which can help me as I begin to ta&e over teaching responsibilities.

1 0

Textbox 1.2.*: &ules and +rocedures

a) b) c)

5escribe one example of a classroom rule or procedure. /xplain how the rule or procedure facilitates instruction, enhances student learning, or impacts the learning environment. 5escribe one example of a technology rule or procedure. /xplain how the rule or procedure facilitates instruction, enhances student learning, or impacts the learning environment. 5escribe one example of a behavior management rule or procedure. /xplain how the rule or procedure facilitates instruction, enhances student learning, or impacts the learning environment.

a) nce classroom rule or procedure that may impact the learning environment could be what is expected during morning arrival. nce students arrive to the classroom, they are expected to come in ;uietly and place boo& bags on the hoo&s in the bac& of the classroom. nce they do that, they are as&ed to put their folders in a bas&et on a table and then sit down to begin their morning wor&. Aone of the children arrive at the same time because some come by car and others come by bus. ,here are still students wal&ing in the classroom when the students who are already there, have begun wor&ing on their morning wor&. If students who wal& in late are not abiding by the procedure and come in loud and disruptive, that can cause those who are already wor&ing on morning wor& to lose their focus and get off tas&. ,his is why it is important for students to come in ;uietly and ta&e care of all business before sitting down and completing morning wor&. b) ne technology rule or procedure that may enhance student learning could be using their card with their password and username information each time they log in. By logging in each time with their username and password, students are becoming familiar with the &eys on the &eyboard. By the end of the year, students should &now where the &eys are on a &eyboard because they have had many opportunities to use it. By the time they have reached "th grade, they will have had a good bit of practice using &eyboards and typing in information, which students will see a lot in higher grades. !lso, through the use of passwords, children are taught the importance of privacy. ,hey are told not share their passwords with their friends or allow friends to use their information to log on the computer. Privacy using a password is even important in college, so it is important that teachers start implementing the importance of &eeping such information to oneself at a young age. c) ne behavior management rule or procedure that may facilitate instruction could be when a child ma&es a good choice. In my clinical, I have observed students ma&ing good choices, and for that, he or she received a +tarbuc&. nce he or she receives a certain amount of +tarbuc&s, he or she will be able to attend a celebration at the end of each nine3wee&s. ,his is a good incentive to use because this will encourage students to want to do their best throughout the day. If the teacher sees a student on tas& during a lesson, she will pass out a +tarbuc& to that student. %hen the other students see, they want to get one too, so they straighten up and the teacher can continue with the lesson. It is always good to have an incentive for students in order to &eep their negative behavior at a minimum.

Knowledge of Students and the Learning Environ ent ! "as# 1 10