Section III: Instructional Planning and Implementation

Artifact 2: Pic-Tac-Tell

TESOL Domain & Standard:

- Domain 3 Planning and Managing Instruction. Candidates know, understand, and use
standards based practices and strategies related to planning, implementing, and
managing ESL and content instruction, including classroom organization, teaching
strategies for developing and integrating language skills, and choosing and adapting
classroom resources.
o Standard 3.a. Planning for Standards-Based ESL and Content instruction.
Candidates know, understand, and apply concepts, research, and best practices to
plan classroom instruction in a supportive learning environment for ESOL
students. Candidates serve as effective English language models, as they plan for
multilevel classroom with learners from diverse backgrounds using standards
based ESL and content curriculum.

For this artifact, I gave each student their own set of Pic-Tac-Tell cards so that way they
would have their own set to refer back to. Before students began working on the activity, I
modeled the activity with the whole class so they could hear the language I was expecting them
to use when they would later work with their peers and so they had a better idea on what they
were doing for the activity (providing them with verbal directions as well as written directions).
After modeling the activity with the class, students began to work individually on their cards.
First students were instructed to think about the academic vocabulary written on the front of
their cards, and then after giving the words some thought, they started writing/drawing their
thoughts on the back of the cards. After individually working, I had my students pair up with a
partner of their choice. I let my students choose a partner of their choice because it reduced the
academic anxiety my students face in the classroom. By working with a partner of their choice,
the students were more comfortable and could complete the activity more effectively. After
students discussed the academic vocabulary with their partner and added their thoughts to their
partners card, I had the students pair up with another partner group to continue their discussion
of the academic vocabulary. This had students interacting with more than one peer, and
provided them with other viewpoints/thoughts on the new vocabulary. Since each student was
given their own set of cards, they have been able to use those cards to review their academic
vocabulary for this unit by making groups of 3 cards to connect the vocabulary to each other.
This activity illustrates how CLD students were able to think about, talk about, and
document their contributions during the lesson in many ways. The students worked individually
to think about and document their own thoughts about the new academic vocabulary on their
own Pic-Tac-Tell cards. Then the students partnered up with a classmate to discuss the academic
vocabulary and document each others thoughts on their respective cards before discussing the
vocabulary with other student pairs. Throughout the lesson, CLD students were actively thinking
about and documenting their thoughts about the academic language and they could contribute
those thoughts with their peers through multiple interactions.

Section 3 Artifact 2 Caption 1

 Finally, this artifact supports what I wrote in Section 3 of my platform because in Section
3 I discussed the importance of giving students choices in the classroom to keep them engaged.
When my students were completing this activity, I gave them the choice to choose who they
paired up with, which made them more comfortable with and engaged with using the academic
vocabulary during this activity. This activity also had students incorporating their past knowledge
to make connections with the new academic vocabulary being presented, which is another key
topic I discussed in Section 3 of my platform for activating student learning.

CREDE Standards for Effective Pedagogy

After reviewing my artifact, I think that it closely aligns with the Instructional
Conversation aspect of the CREDE Standards for Effective Pedagogy. I would rate myself as
integrating on the Standards Performance Continuum for multiple reasons. First, I modeled the
activity with my students so they could see and understand the academic language talk I was
expecting them to use when they discussed the vocabulary words with their partners, and so
they had verbal instructions for how to complete the activity. Also, the activity has students
using academic language as they complete all steps of the activity. Finally, while the students
were working with their peers, I went around to each pair group listening to their discussions
and asking questions that required higher order thinking to respond and through their
responses, they had to defend their thoughts on their connections between the new academic
vocabulary words and their previous academic knowledge.
I can use this artifact in my future work with CLD students as a way to introduce new
academic vocabulary and as a method to help CLD students with discussing academic vocabulary
in their L2 with their peers. This activity is very flexible and can be used with CLD students who
have emerging L2 skills or are fluent in their L2. Also, this activity could be used as a review
activity if each student is provided with their own set of cards so they can work individually or in
pairs to make connections between the vocabulary words when reviewing.

Section 3 Artifact 2 Caption 2