DESIGNING EFFECTIVE LESSON PLANS
Project Overview
This project will provide lateral entry teachers in a Learning Theory class the opportunity to apply their new knowledge of various topics, including student-centered learning, motivation, multiple intelligences, learning styles, lesson plan design, and classroom assessment techniques. Lateral entry teachers meet the No Child Left Behind criteria of a four-year degree and a minimum number of content area hours and bring valuable work and life experience to the classroom; however, they do not have formal training in teaching and learning through an education degree. Thus, it is essential that the learning activities in these classes provide them with the knowledge and tools to be effective teachers and with application opportunities that allow them to design plans and policies they can immediately use in their own classrooms.
Upon completion of this project, the students in the EDU class will explore some published lesson plans and create an effective lesson plan for their grade and content area for actual use in their classroom and to share with other students in the EDU class Blackboard (or other Learning Management System) website. In addition, students will have the option of publishing on a public lesson plan website and/or submitting to the local school system’s ACT Coordinator for posting on the school website ACT Lesson Plan Site. This project can also be adapted to allow various options for publishing lesson plans including using a public Lesson Plan sharing Wiki site or a school Web site.
Student Learning Objectives
For this RWLO, the student will be able to:
· Explore and evaluate some lesson plan resources currently available through the internet.
· Design a lesson plan that
o Meets the learning goal(s) and competencies outlined in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for the grade and subject area;
o Addresses at least four multiple intelligences;
o Requires student use of technology;
o Assesses student learning, formally and/or informally;
o Includes student-centered learning activities;
o Provides a reteaching option.
· Collaborate with a classmate in the evaluation of currently published lesson plans and in the evaluation of a newly designed lesson plan.
· Collaborate with a mentor for professional feedback of the lesson plan.
· Submit the lesson plan. This could be on the course Blackboard or other LMS website or to a public lesson-sharing site such as http://www.wikiplanbook.com
Procedure
Time: In-class time: approximately 90 minutes (includes exploration of lesson plans available on the web and a beginning plan for the Lesson Plan Project)
Out-of-class time: approximately 2 hours (includes completing the Lesson Plan Project document, electronically communicating with classmate and mentor for evaluation, and submitting the final project to the Blackboard site)
This assignment plan works well with a web-enhanced class (90 minutes on land and 90 minutes of online time plus additional homework).
Materials: Notes on topics previously covered, including student-centered learning, motivation, multiple intelligences, learning styles, lesson plan design, and classroom assessment techniques; student directions and handouts; computer with internet access and word processing.
Prerequisites: Knowledge and understanding of student-centered learning, motivation, multiple intelligences, learning styles, lesson plan design, and classroom assessment techniques; ability to use the internet.
Implementation: This RWLO can be used either in a classroom setting in a computer lab or out of class through use of Blackboard and other electronic resources and communication.
Steps:
1. Allow students to select a partner, preferably with the same grade and subject area for exploration and collaboration.
2. Provide instructions and documents, including the Lesson Plan Exploration Form (two per team) and the Lesson Plan Project Form (one per student).
3. Provide time for students to complete two Lesson Plan Exploration assignments with a partner.
4. Provide time for students to begin working on their Lesson Plan Project in class. Provide informal initial feedback on topic / plan overview and electronic support throughout project time, as requested/needed.
5. Provide student with time to complete the Lesson Plan Project, to receive feedback from partner and mentor, and to submit Lesson Plan Remind students to save documentation of feedback from partner and mentor.
Content Material
Student Directions:
· With your partner, explore some lesson plans that are currently available on the internet. Look for lesson plans for your grade and content area. Using the Lesson Plan Exploration Form, identify and evaluate at least two lesson plans using at least two different websites. Some options include the National Teacher Training Institute, the Lesson Plans Webpage, and the Wiki Plan Book. You may find other options as well, including the Lesson Plan Resources of your local school system. Be sure to identify the website, the date, and the title of the lesson plan as these pages are updated/changed often. With your partner, evaluate the effectiveness of the plans and submit two completed Lesson Plan Exploration Forms.
· Review your North Carolina Standard Course of Study or competencies from your state at http://www.educationworld.com/standards/state/index.shtml (or other site) Identify learning goals/competencies you would like to address in your lesson plan assignment.
· Create a lesson plan by completing the Lesson Plan Project document Be sure you and your partner design lesson plans on two different topics covering different learning objectives.
· E-mail your Lesson Plan Project form to your partner for feedback. After considering suggestions, make any revisions. Partners should e-mail feedback.
· Send your Lesson Plan Project to your assigned mentor at school (or alternate location) requesting professional feedback. Make any revisions as necessary. Please save documentation of any feedback.
· Upload your final Lesson Plan Project to the Lesson Plan Showcase section of the Blackboard, other LMS or . And/or publish your Lesson Plan Project to the Wiki Plan Book so you can contribute to a public site that also provides lesson plan possibilities for you
Referenced URLs:
· Lesson Plans from the National Teacher Training Institute
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/ntti/resources/lessons/index.html
· Lesson Plans Webpage
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/
· Wiki Plan Book
http://www.wikiplanbook.com
· North Carolina Standard Course of Study
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/ncscos
**Click on appropriate curriculum area.
**Click on the latest approved version of the curriculum.
**Scroll down to the grade level curriculum.
**Click on the appropriate grade level for your subject area.
This will list the learning goals and competencies.
Be sure to see the links on the left for additional resources.
· The employee webpage for your local school system also provides Lesson Plan Resources. Many of these resources are for employees only.
Assessment
EFFECTIVE LESSON PLAN PROJECT ASSESSMENT
All parts of the project should demonstrate understanding of learner objectives and sound instructional strategies and should meet professional standards.
YES NO
Student completed two Lesson Plan Exploration Forms ___ ___
- in collaboration with partner ___ ___
- using two different websites ___ ___
Student e-mailed Lesson Plan Project to partner by deadline ___ ___
Student provided feedback to partner by deadline ___ ___
Student e-mailed Lesson Plan Project to mentor by deadline ___ ___
Student modified plans based on professional feedback ___ ___
Student submitted Lesson Plan Project to Blackboard site
by deadline ___ ___
Lesson Plan Project was complete, including ___ ___
- title ___ ___
-author ___ ___
-grade and subject ___ ___
-NC SCOS goal/competencies ___ ___
-Essential Question ___ ___
-Time needed ___ ___
-Materials needed ___ ___
-Teacher Input ___ ___
-Student-Centered Learning Activities
(4 MI’s addressed) ___ ___
-Student technology component ___ ___
-Assessment technique ___ ___
-Extension/reteaching possibilities ___ ___
Lesson Plan effectively addressed the
learning goal/competencies ___ ___
Student satisfactorily completed this project: ___ ___
Comments:
If not satisfactorily completed due to any areas marked no above, recommendations for improvement:
Links to Course Competencies
This RWLO meets the following course competencies:
· Identify and plan effective learning experiences for students’ different
intelligences and styles of learning.
· Utilize knowledge of developmental domains in planning and writing appropriate instructional goals for students.
· Plan, implement, and assess instructional goals and learning objectives using appropriate instructional resources and models.
· Demonstrate an understanding of the effects of choices and actions on others when designing instructional goals and learning objectives.
In addition, INTASC Standards 1-9 will be addressed:
1. Content Pedagogy
2. Student Development
3. Diverse Learners
4. Multiple Instructional Strategies
5. Motivation and Management
6. Communication and Technology
7. Planning
8. Assessment
9. Reflective Practice: Professional Growth
Supplementary Resources
· INTASC Standards
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/pbl/pblintasc.htm
· Multiple Intelligences
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/education/ed_mi_overview.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences
· Teaching with Technology
http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/archives/technology.shtml
· Lesson Plan Exploration Form (attached)
· Lesson Plan Project Form (attached)
LESSON PLAN PROJECT
Use as much space as needed.
LESSON TITLE:___________________________________________
AUTHOR: ________________________________________________
GRADE: __________ SUBJECT: __________
NCSCOS Goal/competencies addressed in this lesson [Curriculum]:
ESSENTIAL QUESTION FOR THIS LESSON:
SUGGESTED TIME:
MATERIALS NEEDED:
TEACHER INPUT:
ACTIVATING STRATEGIES: STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING ACTIVITIES--
**must address at least four multiple intelligences
**must include student use of technology
ASSESSMENT/SUMMARY STRATEGIES: How do you know the students mastered the competencies?
POSSIBILITIES FOR EXTENSION OR RETEACHING ACTIVITIES:
LESSON PLAN EXPLORATION FORM
Submit one form per lesson per team / minimum of two lessons to be evaluated.
Partner Names: __________________________________________
__________________________________________
Date: ____________________
Website: ________________________________________________
Lesson Title: _____________________________________________
Brief overview of lesson:
Learning objectives clearly stated? Yes No
Comments:
Lesson includes appropriate and
meaningful student-centered activities? Yes No
Comments:
Learning activities address at least 4 Yes No
Multiple Intelligences?
Comments:
Lesson includes some type of student Yes No
use of technology?
Comments:
Lesson includes assessment of learning Yes No
(formal or informal)?
Comments:
Would you use this lesson plan in your classroom?
Why or why not?
Recommendations
Recommendations for Integration: This lesson can easily be adapted to fit education courses in traditional education programs (not classes for alternative licensure). A modified version may also be used in Introduction to Education courses. Students in other content area courses (history, science, language arts, etc.) who plan to complete an education degree and teach may create a lesson that covers the content they need to know for the content area course.
Back-up:
Instructor should have copies of handouts and instructions that are posted on the Blackboard site in the event that the server is not available. The instructor should also print, in advance, copies of several different lesson plans for a variety of subject areas in the event the internet server is down. Note: The internet sites may change as some websites rotate lesson plans, especially as new plans are developed.
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