Presentation/Assigment

Candidate’s Name: Anastasiya Nesterchuk

Touro Candidate’s ID: T00022401

School: Touro College

Date: 07/25/2021 Room number: n/a Grade: Pre-K

Subject: Math

Type of Class: General Education

Lesson Topic: Counting to 5

Video name and link or Cooperating Teacher name:

Danielson Rubric Domain:

Domain 1e Designing Coherent Instruction • Learning activities • Instructional materials and resources • Instructional groups • Lesson and unit structure

Domain 3a Communicating With Students • Expectations for learning • Directions and procedures • Explanations of content • Use of oral and written language

HLP(s)

HLP 12 Systemically design instruction toward a specific learning goal.

HLP 16 Use explicit instruction.

HLP 20 Provide Intensive Instruction.

Include the following important data:

Briefly describe the classroom environment (e.g., number of students, seating arrangement, types of student-teacher interactions, classroom rules, behavior patterns and management, etc.).

For this classroom environment, the number of students present in the Pre-K class was twelve, with one teacher. The majority of the students came from eastern Europe and spoke two languages. Several of the students were born in American. Each student had their desk, with a chair and organizers required for classroom activities. The student-teacher interactions tended to be very positive, with the teacher going out of her way to provide individual attention to the students, particularly if they were misbehaving or otherwise breaking one of the class rules (hands to yourself, inside voice, raise your hand before asking a question). Management-wise, the teacher did an excellent job of keeping the students on task, knowing when it was necessary to give individual students more focused attention.

Lesson Objective(s) (measurable):

1. Be able to count to five.

2. Count out pieces of macaroni to correspond to the number in question.

3. Be able to write the numbers one through five correctly.

Resources:

Jacobi-Vessels, J. L., Brown, E. T., Molfese, V. J., & Do, A. (2016). Teaching preschoolers to count: Effective strategies for achieving early mathematics milestones.  Early childhood education journal,  44(1), 1-9.

Applicable Learning Standard(s):

PK.MATH.11. [NY-PK.MD.2.] Sorts objects and shapes into categories; counts the objects in each category. Note: Limit category counts to be less than or equal to 10PRE-K LEARNINGSTANDARDS20

PK.MATH.12. [NY-PK.G.1.] Describes objects in the environment using names of shapes and describes the relative positions of these objects using terms such as top, bottom, up, down, above, below, in front of, behind, over, under, next to

Resources:

New York State Next Generation English Language Arts and Mathematics Learning Standards. (2017, July 6). NYDOE. Retrieved September 29, 2020, from https://www.engageny.org/next-generation-learning-standards

Link with Prior Knowledge:

The teacher asked students to write numbers one to five on a piece of paper. By evaluating student’s work, the teacher was able to identify the level of their knowledge.

Resources:

Wang, A. H., Firmender, J. M., Power, J. R., & Byrnes, J. P. (2016). Understanding the program effectiveness of early mathematics interventions for prekindergarten and kindergarten environments: A meta-analytic review.  Early Education and Development,  27(5), 692-713.

Key Vocabulary with Definitions:

Counting: taking into account when reaching a total.

Number: an arithmetical value represented by a figure or word.

One: the lowest cardinal value.

Two-Five: Equivalent to the sum of one and one (and so on).

Resources:

Sarama, J., & Clements, D. H. (2006). Mathematics in kindergarten.  YC Young Children,  61(5), 38.

Materials and Resources (APA format):

· YouTube video with “Counting to Five.”

· A box of macaroni

· Piece of construction paper

· Crayons

Resources:

The IRIS Center. (2009). To meet the needs of the widest range of students, what should teachers consider when planning their instruction? Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/udl/cresource/q2/p05/

Motivation:

The teacher motivated the students by telling them that they would have fun with singing and dancing while they learned about the numbers 1-5. She began the lesson by playing the 1-5 numbers song, which was fun, and encouraging the students to sing along to the chorus.

Resources:

Nacher, V., Jaen, J., Catala, A., Navarro, E., & Gonzalez, P. (2014, November). Improving pre-kindergarten performance. In  Proceedings of the ninth ACM international conference on interactive tabletops and surfaces (pp. 163-166).

Lesson Plan Procedures (Include 1. Strategies used 2. Peer collaboration 3. Grouping 4. Modeling/Think aloud):

Strategies used: The teacher used the scaffolding strategy during this lesson. This involved breaking down the lesson into small parts, allowing them to learn in chunks rather than everything at the same time. For example, the teacher made sure that the students knew what the number one was, where it came in the sequence, how it was written, and how many macaroni pieces it involved (the students placed the appropriate number of macaroni in front of them) before moving on to the next number.

Peer collaboration: The students sang the 1-5 number song together out loud; besides that, the lesson was done individually.

Grouping: The students worked individually during this lesson.

Modeling/Think aloud: Prior to beginning, the teacher modeled all of the activities that occurred. The think-aloud technique was not used. Resources:

Grafwallner, P. (2019, April 19). A Framework for Lesson Planning. Retrieved December 07, 2020, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/framework-lesson-planning

Questions asked (at least 5): (Use your timestamped low inference notes. Cite the questions asked and evaluate them for DOK levels to indicate higher order thinking.)

1. Have you ever seen the numbers 1-5 before?

According to DOK wheel, it is a level one question (recall).

2. Which of these numbers comes first in order 1 or 5?

According to DOK wheel, it is a level two question (skill/concept).

3. Which number is larger, 3 or 2?

According to DOK wheel, it is a level two question (skill/concept).

4. Can you sing the numbers 1-5 song without missing a number?

According to DOK wheel, it is a level two question (skill/concept).

5. What is your favorite of these numbers and why?

According to DOK wheel, it is a level four question (extended thinking).

Resources:

Webb, N. L. (2002). Depth-of-knowledge levels for four content areas.  Language Arts,  28(March).

Medial Summary (Formative assessment):

For the formative assessment, the teacher asked the students to first write the numbers 1-5 in order on a piece of construction paper and turn it in to the teacher for evaluation. Next, the teacher asked the students to orally recite the numbers 1-5, checking for competency in that test. Finally, the teacher checked for accuracy of the student’s ability to read the numbers 1-5 randomly.

Resources:

Knowles, J. (2020, July 17). Teachers' Essential Guide to Formative Assessment. Retrieved December 07, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/teachers-essential-guide-to-formative-assessment

Differentiated Instruction (1. Leveled materials 2. Grouping strategies 3. Assessment 4. UDL/CRT applications):

1. This was a general instruction classroom, so all of the students used the same materials since there was no need for leveling or modification.

2. After the teacher collected the student’s drawings of the numbers 1-5, the three students who did not do so correctly were grouped together. They received individual instructions and were scaffold prior to moving on to the next steps in the lesson plan.

3. For assessment, the teacher asked all of the students to maintain silence so that they could concentrate. Next, they were required to write, read, and recite the numbers 1-5.

4. Throughout the lesson, the teacher worked to use soft, polite language at all times. Beyond that, no modifications were necessary based on the student’s culture or upbringing.

Resources:

The IRIS Center. (2010). Differentiated Instruction: Maximizing the Learning of All Students. Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/di/

Opportunities for Practice:

The teacher provided many opportunities for the students to practice throughout this lesson. They were able to practice counting out loud individually and as a group. They were able to place macaroni pieces to correspond with the numbers being discussed. They sang a song involving the numbers 1-5 and also wrote and read the numbers individually. These many chances for practice gave the teacher the chance to observe the students and provide extra attention to the ones who were struggling with the lesson.

Resources:

Ben-Peretz, M., & Rumney, S. (1991). Professional thinking in guided practice.  Teaching and Teacher Education,  7(5-6), 517-530.

Final Summary: (Lesson closing)

At the end of the lesson, the teacher asked each student to individually recite the numbers 1-5 as well as read them. The teacher helped extend the learning by asking the students to look for examples of these numbers when they went home and then come back and discuss them with the class.

Resources:

American Board. (n.d.). Lesson Closure. Retrieved January 04, 2021, from https://www.americanboard.org/ptk/lesson-closure/

Assessment (Summative):

The students were asked to write down the numbers 1-5 on a piece of paper and hand them to the teacher (for a second time, after further instruction). All of the students were able to complete this assessment.

Resources:

Garrison, C., Ehringhaus, M. (2013, Aug.) Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom. Retrieved December 07, 2020, from https://www.amle.org/portals/0/pdf/articles/Formative_Assessment_Article_Aug2013.pdf

Classroom Management:

The teacher worked hard to constantly ask questions throughout the lesson to ensure that the students understood what was being discussed. She also helped motivate them by singing the 1-5 song and getting very enthusiastic when they correctly performed their assignments. The teacher tended to separate students who were more active and loud, placing them in the front of the classroom so the teacher could pay closer attention to them.

Resources:

Marzano, R. J., & Marzano, J. S. (2003). The key to classroom management.  Educational leadership,  61(1), 6-13.

Attention to Multicultural Issues:

The teacher consistently worked to promote equity and tolerance in her classroom, with an emphasis on the importance of multiculturalism.

Resources:

The IRIS Center. (2012). Classroom diversity: An introduction to student differences. Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/div/

Description of Classroom Activities as related to the chosen Danielson Rubric’s Domain (Component and Indicator)

Timestamped evidence from low-inference notes, cite teacher/student communication.

Analysis

Activities: The teacher designed a lesson that had a coherent sequence, beginning with a brief assessment to determine each student's knowledge relative to the lesson and then teaching the students about the numbers 1-5 in terms of reading, writing, and reciting the numbers. After completing a summative assessment, the teacher was assured that the 12 students absorbed the knowledge being taught.

Domain 1e Designing coherent instruction

• Learning activities • Instructional materials and resources • Instructional groups • Lesson and unit structure

The teacher says: “Can each of you write down the numbers 1-5 on this piece of paper and hand it back to me?

The teacher asks all the students to pick up as many macaronies as 2 represents.

The teacher says: “Who knows how many macaronies would represent the number three?”

“Can everyone write the number four on a piece of paper and hold it up?”

“We are going to sing the song again the entire way through, ending on five.”

“I’m going to write down numbers on the chalkboard. Can you please say out loud what they are?”

“Can you place (random number from 1-5) pieces of macaroni in front of you?”

The teacher used a commonsense strategy of assessing existing student competence with regard to the numbers 1-5, performing the lesson with extra attention for the students who were struggling, and then conducting a summative assessment to ensure that knowledge was absorbed. This lesson plan flow was a coherent sequence that maximized the time the teacher had with the class while making sure they understood the lesson being given.

Description of Classroom Activities as related to the chosen HLP(s)

Timestamped evidence from low-inference notes, cite teacher/student communication.

Analysis

Activities: The teacher practiced polite and appropriate communication with the students while also encouraging them to respect each other. The teacher clearly explained how 1-5 were merely the first numbers and how the students would later be learning about more numbers, setting 1-5 up as a foundation. Finally, the teacher asked the students to think about these numbers at home, extending their knowledge and motivating them to learn more about 1-5 outside the classroom.

HLP 16 Use explicit instruction.

HLP 20 Provide Intensive Instruction.

The teacher says: “Who would volunteer to represent number 2 using macaroni?

A few students start screaming and fitting who will help a teacher.

The teacher says: “Remember that we are should respect each other and give a chance to participate. Now, Student O, please represent the number 2; others will help me next.”

The student O volunteers to place the correct amount of macaroni in front of him and does so accurately.

The teacher says: “We’re going to sing the number song one more time!”

The teacher says: “Now, you know how to count to 1 to 5, later we will be learning with you more numbers and it will help you. I want everyone to use those numbers at home and count a few things that you found interesting around the home. Tomorrow, we will share what we have found.”

The teacher taught respectful and collaborative communication, with an emphasis on being tolerant and multicultural. She also practiced this communication style while making sure to connect the lesson being learned to the curriculum as a whole, particularly as it relates to the math portion of the students learning.

What went well in the lesson with evidence (“glow”)

· Explain what you learned during the lesson, learning strategies/activities/assessments implemented in the lesson, and what you may plan to use in your future practice.

It was self-evident from the beginning of the lesson that the teacher was aware that she needed to ensure that some students got more attention regarding the numbers lesson; however, since it was early in the school year, she did not yet know which students were more likely to need extra attention. Often, this type of assessment can increase the efficiency of the lesson, leading to more learning (Everston et al, 2013). By performing an evaluation early in the lesson, the teacher helped pinpoint that issue, something that I plan to use in my future practice.

A second thing that the teacher did well as teaching and assessing multiple modes of learning about the numbers 1-5. The teacher did not stop at the student's merely being able to write the numbers 1-5; she also made sure they could recite the numbers in order and read them. By pushing this comprehensive understanding of the lesson, the teacher increased her students' chances of understanding it (Everton et al, 2013). This is something that I plan to use in my future practice, always finding creative ways to teach and assess the curriculum to increase the chances that it is absorbed.

Evertson, C. M., & Weinstein, C. S. (Eds.). (2013).  Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues. Routledge.

Suggestion for improvement with references (“grow”)

After the first fifteen minutes, it was clear that the students understood the concept of 1-5 and were able to apply it effectively. It is possible that the teacher could have expanded the lesson to include the first ten numbers since the students were doing an excellent job of learning. For myself, I would make sure to have more material planned for the lesson if it becomes clear that the students are catching on quickly and can be exposed to more material to facilitate higher levels of learning.

Separating the students into small groups might have been a good decision as well. It was clear that some of the students were embarrassed about singing the song, and this might have skewed the teacher’s perception of their competence with the lesson plan. By having the students in small groups, they would have felt more secure with the “sillier” parts of the lesson plan and come out of their shells a bit more than they did on their own (Evertson et al, 2013).