Section Three:

Teacher Candidate Artifacts

Introduction

Section two of this portfolio discusses the Teacher Candidate Background Experiences.

This is an important section because it highlights my successful experiences that relate directly to

the teaching profession. In section three I will display some of the artifacts I have acquired

throughout my time at Medaille College. These artifacts are important because they show my

achievements that have occurred during the various courses I have taken. They place an

emphasis on the main teaching competencies which are planning, instruction, and assessment.

Section three also builds on my skills in technology, classroom management, accommodations

and modifications, and my ability to make learning fun and professional at the same time. These

artifacts will also be connected to the many standards and best curriculum practices. An

emphasis will be placed on how these artifacts are both important, and connected to the

professionalism associated with both the Canadian and United States government.

The curriculum and professional standards that will be connected are Interstate New

Teacher Assessment Support Consortium Standards (INTASC Standards), NYS Code of Ethics

for Educators, NYS P-12 Common Core Learning Standards, NYS Learning Standards, DOE

Claims and CAEP Standards, ISTE Standards for Teachers and/or Students, International

Literacy Association Professional Standards (ILA), CEC Standards, Ontario Curriculum

Standards, and Ontario Teacher Ethical Standards. It is important to ensure that as an educator

we maintain our professionalism when aligning our lessons with the recommended standards and

curriculum. The following artifacts will be highlighted as part of section three Teacher

Candidate Artifacts. The ELED Assessment & Instruction Plan, School Violence & Child Abuse

Training Certificates, A DASA completion certificate, an IEP Analysis, a Character Trait

Lesson Plan, The Math Trails Assignment, a Math Lesson Plan, and a SMART Notebook

presentation that showcases my skills with the software.

I hope you as the reader takes the time to go through each artifact to read about how it

has allowed me to become a qualified teaching candidate. These artifacts allow me to showcase

my abilities in literacy, math, and technology while being able to stay within the curriculum

standards and follow the required policies. My certificates and training shows my ability to be

aware so the challenges that may occur while in the classroom. It is my ultimate duty to keep my

students safe while in the classroom.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Artifacts & Rationales

Artifact #1: ELED Assessment & Instruction Plan

The Elementary Education (ELED) Assessment & Instruction Plan allowed me to work

one on one with a student (with parental permission) at the elementary grade level. This lengthy

assignment showcases planning, assessment, and instruction based off the various stages of this

assignment. I feel that this assignment allowed me to work through many forms of assessment

while making the necessary adjustments to allow the student to succeed. The importance of this

assignment was to become familiar with assessments such as Running Records, Donald Bear

(2008) Spelling Inventories, High Frequency Words Assessment, and The Interest Inventory.

Becoming familiar with these assessments is important to becoming a qualified teaching

candidate because each of these are used in the classroom. The more exposure and experience I

have with these, the more prepared I will be when it comes time to conducted them with an

entire class. I feel that this assignment showcases my ability to both conduct the assessment and

create a plan of instruction going forward which allows the student to grow as a learner. I was

more than capable of providing this student with a plan based off the results from the

assessments administered. When translating to the real classroom I will be familiar and able to

make plans for each of my students going forward. These plans will expose them to the material

necessary to improve as a learner. It is important as an educator to be aware that student's will be

learning at different levels and in different ways. Monitoring the development of word-

recognition ability is one of the most important tasks of teachers in the primary grades

(McKenna and Stahl 2015). In the primary grades it is essential for educators to make the

necessary adjustments because the impact on student learning is higher when in the

developmental stage of their life. I feel the ELED Assessment & Instruction Plan has allowed me
to showcase my abilities to work with the main teaching competencies in planning, instruction,

and assessment. Thus, making me a more qualified and ready teaching candidate.

Connections to Standards

INTASC Standards

Standard #1: Learner Development. The teacher understands how learners grow

and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and

across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and

implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.

Standard #6: Assessment: The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of

assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the

teacher’s and learner’s decision making.

Standard #7: Planning for Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports

every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas,

curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the

community context.

NYS Code of Ethics for Educators

Principle 2 Educators create, support, and maintain challenging learning

environments for all. Educators apply their professional knowledge to promote student learning.

They know the curriculum and utilize a range of strategies and assessments to address

differences. Educators develop and implement programs based upon a strong understanding of

human development and learning theory. They support a challenging learning environment. They

advocate for necessary resources to teach to higher levels of learning. They establish and

maintain clear standards of behaviour and civility. Educators are role models, displaying the
habits of mind and work necessary to develop and apply knowledge while simultaneously

displaying a curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. They invite students to become active,

inquisitive, and discerning individuals who reflect upon and monitor their own learning.

NYS P-12 Common Core Standards

CCS.ELA.Literacy.RF.3.3: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills

in decoding words.

Ontario Teacher Ethical Standards

Care: The ethical standard of Care includes compassion, acceptance, interest and insight

for developing students' potential. Members express their commitment to students' well-being

and learning through positive influence, professional judgment and empathy in practice.

Ontario Curriculum Standards

Reading Familiar Words 3.1 automatically read and understand many high-

frequency words, some words with common spelling patterns, and words of personal interest or

significance, in a variety of reading contexts (e.g., the same word in different graphic

representations such as: on charts or posters; in shared-, guided-, and independent reading texts;

in shared- and interactive writing texts; in personal writing and the writing of their peers).

DOE/CAEP Claims

Claim 2: Medaille College graduates meet the needs of diverse learners through

effective pedagogy and best teaching practices

[Back to Table of Contents]

ELED Assessment and Instruction Plan

Brandon Porga

Medaille College

EDL 650

Mary Beth Scumaci

April 2, 2020
I. Basic Data

A. Student Name: B

B. Student Grade & Stage of Development: Grade 3 & Stage 2: Confirmation and Fluency

(Chall, 1983). The permission slip is attached in Appendix A. This student is 8 years old.

C. Types of Assessment Analyzed:

1. Interest/Attitude Inventory (Porga, 2020, Adapted from Mckenna and Stahl 2015)

2. High Frequency Words Assessment (Lucy Calkins, 2008)

3. Primary & Elementary Spelling Inventory (Donald Bear, 2008)

4. Running Records- Level R & U (Fountas and Pinnell, 2017).

II. Summary of Assessment Documents

A: Interest/Attitude Inventory (Porga, 2020) (See Appendix B)

The interest/attitude inventory has a Likert Scale concept where students circle their

preferred level of response to the question. There are 4 total options for the student to choose

from. The far left represents the happiest of responses. Moving towards the far right which

represents the most upset response. There is a total of 27 questions. 23 of them have the Likert

Scale format where students simply circle their response. The remaining 4 questions are short

answer and require the student to fill the answers in themselves. The first 20 questions are used

in calculations to determine the students attitude towards reading. The calculations are used to

get a representation for the students interests in reading for both fun, and for academic purposes.

McKenna and Stahl (2015) describe that it these assess the general reading attitudes of your

students. This can be done for used to assess the attitudes of each student in a classroom. I think

this is important because it will give teachers background knowledge in regards to the reading

interests of our students. This can help us determine what type of books to have in our
classroom. They will be geared towards the interests of the students. For the purpose of this

assignment, this inventory was administered to one student and it allowed me to have an insight

towards what to expect. I was surprised to see B's enthusiasm when I asked her to help me with

this assignment. She was excited for me to come over and work through the assessments with

her. However, due the COVID-19 circumstances we had to complete the assessments over

Facetime. It made me nervous about her current excitement because schools are closed. When I

was a grade 3 student I looked forward to every Professional Development day I got to be away

from school. The last thing I wanted to do was think about school. B was in fact more excited

than before because she has not had the opportunity to be at school. She saw this assignment as

an opportunity to develop her education given the current situation of not being able to go to

school.

I know that B is a big fan of Disney Princesses which made it easy for me to create an

interest inventory surrounding Snow White. I first explained to her that any of these assessments

have no direct reflection on her academic skills. The interest inventory is to gauge her interests in

reading and there is no right or wrong answer. Since we did this over Facetime, I had previously

dropped off a copy of the interest inventory in her mailbox. I read the questions from my copy to

her. She then would circle her response on the copy she had been given. She went through these

questions with ease and did not need any further help from me. Often times she would stop and

think for a couple seconds about her experience with reading. For example the question that asks

"How do you feel about getting a book for a present"? She stopped to think. I imagine she was

putting herself back into a situation where she received a book as a present. This leads me to

believe that all her responses are authentic.

 After our first meeting I was able to score the interest inventory and make decisions on

how to move forward with the rest of the assessments. I have come to the conclusion that B

enjoys reading for both recreation and academic purposes. However, he reading interest for

academic purposes is largely greater than her reading interest for recreation. She scored in the

26th percentile for recreation with a score of 26 out of 30. Her academic score of 35 out of 40

lands her in the 88th percentile for academic. Overall she has a full scale rating of 61 which

scores her in the 61st percentile. For a grade 3 student this ranks near the top which shows me

that she enjoys reading. When it comes to academic reading she scored a 4 in 7 of the possible 10

questions. McKenna and Stahl (2015) describe that the results are helpful in recommending

books that are likely to engage students interests. I used question 15 "How do you feel about

learning from a book"? And her response of a 4 to determine she enjoys non-fiction books. She

also happened to be eating chocolate which made it easy for me to select the story "All About

Chocolate" for one of her running records. This is also an "R" level book which is seen as mid to

high grade 3. Her interest in reading allowed me to believe she would be ready for this challenge.

B high score of academic reading made me wonder if he interests would ever transition from

school to home. Although she did not score low in the recreational reading section, it was

marginally lower than the academic section. McKenna and Stahl (2015) explain how these

inventories can be used on a pre and post basis to document progress. I would not mind

administering another interest inventory to her in a year or two to see if her reading interest has

expanded to more recreational. Her interest inventory left me intrigued to see how she managed

with the rest of the assessments. I enjoyed going over the interest inventory with B because I feel

it helped us develop rapport that will influence and authenticate the remainder of the assessments

I administer to her.
 B. High Frequency Words Assessment (Calkins, 2008) (See Appendix C)

I first administered the high frequency words assessment. The purpose of this assessment

is to determine the number of high frequency words a student knows. This relates directly to the

students ability to fluently relate and comprehend a story. I did this because needed to see her

overall recognition with the high frequency words. Bear (2004) explains that becoming fully

literate is dependent on fast, accurate recognition of words in texts, and fast, accurate production

of words in writing so that readers and writers can focus on their attention to making meaning.

This assessment is part of becoming fully literate as it deals with high frequency word

recognition. When participating in this assessment B seemed comfortable and happy with her

overall success. This assessment is administered one after the other. If the student scores at

minimum 17/25 you move onto the next list. These words then will translate to her overall

reading success. McKenna and Stahl (2015) describe that high-frequency words are ones that

occur most often in English. This is important because her knowledge of these words will

translate to her overall reading comprehension and skills. Even though B is a grade 3 student I

still decided to start at list A. I did this I feel it would allow her to build confidence as she moves

through each list of words. A research study from Cornell University conducted by Frost,

Christiansen, and Monaghan (2019) explains that high frequency words benefit both speech

segmentation and grammatical categorization of the words surrounding them. In simpler terms it

shows that the students familiarity with high frequency words impact their knowledge of other

words in a reading. B's overall knowledge of the high frequency words list help her recognize

words that could be unfamiliar to her.

As previously mentioned, I decided to start on words list A. This ended up being an easy

task as Bflew the first set of words and easily scored 25/25. This comes to no surprise because
this list features common words that are learned in early grades. The first couple lists proved to

be a simple warm up for her. She scored 25/25 on lists A to D. When it comes to list E, the only

word she missed was "their" because she pronounced it as "there". As a grade 3 student this is a

common mistake because the words are often pronounced in the same way due to slang. Just

because the word is miss-pronounced does not mean she doesn't know the difference between

them when it comes to the purpose in a story. Word list F proved again to be a fairly easy task. B

managed to score 24/25. The word she missed happened when she pronounced "same" as

"some". This came as a surprise to me because she got other words with a long vowel at the end

correct. This could have simply been a visual mistake by mixing up the "a" with the "o".

Through all of these lists I have yet to see a struggle from her. While I was switching between

different papers she mentioned "this is easy". I was impressed to see her enthusiasm during this

assessment. We then moved onto list G. To my surprise, she scored 25/25 on this list. They are

some tough words in this section such as "they're and beautiful". She managed to sound easily

sound out each word correctly. The final list is H, she scored 24/25. I have to say I was

thoroughly impressed and pleasantly surprised at her ability to move fluently through each list

with minimal trouble. I say surprised because in my field experience I unfortunately often work

with students in grades 4 and 5 who I believe would struggle with list C. This proves her

knowledge with high frequency words is incredibly high. She shows limited area of

improvement because the words she mispronounced are simple mix ups rather than a major gap.

I would have liked to go through a list again to see if she made these same simple mistakes. If

she did, I could direct her to slow down and focus on the patterns in the word.

Throughout each of these lists I would ask B if she found them easy or hard. Her reply to

every single list was "easy". This shows that she is comfortable with all of the high frequency
words. My original plan was to go through the lists word by word while covering up the rest of

the list. This would allow her to focus solely on that one word. However, due to this conference

being over Facetime she was able to look at each word. It proved to be no difficult task as she

scored a total of 197/200. McKenna and Stahl (2015) mention that monitoring the development

of word-recognition ability is one of the most important tasks of teachers in the primary grades. I

chose to administer the high frequency words assessment to gain a better understanding of her

knowledge. Her knowledge surrounding high frequency words will have a direct positive impact

on her reading comprehension. It is known that the less time the brain spends focusing on high

frequency words, the more time it will focus on comprehension. Overall, I was very pleased and

also surprised with her ability to flow through each list with ease.

C. Primary and Elementary Spelling Inventory (Bear, 2008) (See Appendix D)

1. Primary Spelling Inventory: As mentioned before, I planned on doing the elementary

and upper level inventories. Due to the students lack of success at the elementary level I decided

to go back and administer the primary spelling inventory. In the appendix you will notice my

hand writing for the primary, and her hand writing for the elementary. This is because I did not

have the opportunity to go pick up her writing version due to the current circumstances. I had her

hold up her responses to the camera and I copied the way she had them spelled. The next

assessment I decided to administer is the Donald Bear Primary spelling inventory. This

assessment is used to identify the stage of spelling the student falls into. From here, teachers can

plan on how to improve the student in the area(s) they lack. This list consists of 26 words. The

words start off easy and get gradually harder as you move through the list. I first told B to not

worry about the words I am going to ask her to spell. I simply reminded her that it is no big deal

if she spells a word(s) wrong. This seemed to make her feel more comfortable because she was
soon ready to write. I decided to administer this assessment to her because it is important to see

the students level of spelling. McKenna and Stahl (2015) say that as children learn about written

words, their attempts at spelling reflect this growing sophistication of their knowledge of

orthographic patterns. This assessment will give me a good understanding in regards to B's

knowledge of orthographic patterns. In simpler terms, this assessment will allow me to determine

her spelling strengths and weaknesses. I can then determine what to work on with her moving

forward.

When administering this assessment to B I followed the provided directions which state

that I orally say her the word. I then followed the word with the given phrase, and then said the

word again. This gives her time to think about the word and put it into a given scenario with the

phrase provided. I also mention to her that if she needed to hear a word or phrase again do not

hesitate to ask. She did not ask me to repeat anything. I moved through the list. I looked through

it quickly and noticed she scored 22/26 B did not seem to struggle through the words at all. She

looked confident and quickly wrote down each response. For this section she misspelled the

words "spoil/spoile", "chewed/choed", and "clapping/claping". These mistakes land B in the

within word pattern level. More specifically, she is in the middle stage. Bear (2004) describes

that within word pattern spellers can think about words in more than one dimension. He also

mentions that this takes place in second and third grade. B is in third grade which means she is

right on level when it comes to her spelling accuracy. It was interesting to me that she did not

struggle in one specific category. For example, the final 3 categories she scored a 6/7 which

shows that she has developing skills in these categories and is not yet fully there. Since she

spelled 22/26 correctly I was able to move onto the elementary spelling inventory.
 2. Elementary Spelling Inventory

When moving onto the elementary spelling inventory I first asked B if she needed a

break. She replied with a "no thank you", we then moved into the assessment. This inventory

was more of a struggle for her as she scored 15/25. She struggled extremely when it came to the

syllables and affixes section. This tells me that she is not yet ready to move onto the next level

because these words are a challenge for her. Other than misspelling all of the words in the

syllables and affix section, she made similar mistakes to her primary level spelling inventory.

Once again she spelled "spoil/spoile", and "chewed/choed". Another word she misspelled prior

to the syllables and affixes section is "carries/carres". I found it interesting that her spelling of the

words was less proficient compared to her recognition of the high frequency words from the

previous assessment. Once again B appears to be in the within word pattern stage. McKenna and

Stahl (2015) describe that within the word pattern stage students consistently spell words with

short vowels correctly, begin to show sensitivity to patterns in words, make distinctions between

short and long vowels, and use long vowel markers, although not always correctly. I can use the

information gained from these assessments to further instruct B and move her into the syllables

and affixes section of the spelling inventory.

She shows great strength in the early stages of both these assessments. Her weaknesses

start to appear as we move through the inventory and get into words that contain syllables and

affixes. Bear (2004) describes that toward the end of the within word stage, students examine

other low frequency vowel patterns and ambiguous vowel sounds that are difficult to categorize.

Based off B's results I feel that this is where she needs the most assistance going forward in

order to develop as a good speller. As a teacher, I can give B a list of words that have these

characteristics for her to practice. One thing I find interesting is the chart on page 16 in Donald
Bear (2004) "Words Their Way" book. The chart highlights common words that are spelled

wrong in this stage. B spelled both spoil, and chewed incorrectly. These words are both

highlighted in the chart on page 16. It leads me to believe that with some practice she will able to

leave these mistakes behind and move forward to the next stage of spelling.

D. Running Records (Fountas and Pinnell, 2017) (See Appendix E)

1. All About Chocolate: The next assessment I administered to B is the first running

record. According to McKenna and Stahl (2015), running records are coded notations of text

reading, used as a vehicle for error analysis. I use the running record codes to analyze B's reading

capabilities. Her interest inventory showed me that B enjoys reading. This led me to believe that

she is above her average reading level. I decided to start with the story All About Chocolate

because I know B enjoys chocolate and non-fiction books. This is an R levelled book. According

to the A-Z learning correlation chart (2019), the level R is mid grade 3 in terms of difficulty.

Prior to reading, B looked at the book and mentioned "I think I'm going to enjoy this book

because I love chocolate". This made me feel a sense of comfort because I have successfully

predicted the interests of a grade 3 student. In actual fact, who could really go wrong with

chocolate at any age or grade level.

During the reading of this book B managed to read through it with few errors. B read this

story with extreme fluency. The only time she struggled was when it came to some of the

tougher words in the story. I know that these are seen as tough words because the author took the

time to provide word segmentation in brackets after the tough word. For example machete (mah-

SHET-ee). During these times B would turn to the camera and say "I don't know". I would

encourage her to sound it out and use the segmentation for help. Most times she again ask for

help, I would then tell her the correct pronunciation of the word. Throughout the reading B
maintained calm and confident. I say this from what I could see in reference to her body

language and facial expression. She rarely seemed to look confused, and moved fluently through

the book. In total B had 8 errors and 2 self corrections. This left her with an overall accuracy rate

of 99%, a self correction rate of 1:5, and 94 words per minute. Rasinski & Padak (2005) provide

a chart on the learning a-z website that has the average words per minute on it. It is called the

fluency standards table. B is a grade 3 students and read this story at 94 words per minute. This

puts her above average of grade 4 students as their words per minute is set at 90-140 for the end

of grade 4. According to this chart, B read All About Chocolate at a grade 4 words per minute

level. At the end of the reading she told me "I really liked reading that story and learning more

about chocolate". I am extremely glad that B was happy with the first book I have chosen.

Ultimately she is volunteering her time to me so I should try my best make it as interesting as

possible for her.

When it comes to B's comprehension of the story. Her reading accuracy was again

reflected in her ability to complete the quiz and the story re-tell. She scored 8/10 on a quiz that

even I thought was challenging. She was able to correctly identify the questions that had key

terms from the story. This again highlights her ability to comprehend the story. When it comes to

the story re-tell she was able to provide me some specific details that captured what the story was

about. For example she says "Chocolate comes from cocoa beans and it was very popular". (You

will notice in the appendix the different handwriting used for the story re-tell. B's mom

who was holding the phone during these assignments felt it was easier for her to write what

B said when re-telling the story). To me, that highlights one of the main ideas from the story.

She also mentions the step by step process that it takes to make chocolate. This is impressive

because there are many steps in the process. I'm glad that B was able to move through this story
with minimal trouble. It shows me she is an exceptional student. The next story she read was is a

level U book. This is seen as a lower grade 4. Look to the photo below for an image of B

completing All About Chocolate. *(She said she wanted an actual picture and gave me the

permission to use her face in my report)*

2. How Bees Make Honey: The second story B read for the running records assessment

is called How Bees Make Honey. This story is again a non-fiction book because I know that B

enjoys learning while she reads. With the ongoing uncertainty that surrounds the future of bees, I

figured it would be good to educate the next generation on their importance to the environment.

According to the A-Z learning correlation chart (2019), this story is a U levelled book. B is in

grade 3 and the level U is considered to be read in grade 4. Given her success with the previous

running record book, I believe that B should be able to read at this level.

During the reading I feel that B struggled a little bit. I say this because as the reading

went on she stopped trying to sound out tough words and instead would ask me for help. This

could have been her first time reading up a level in grade. For example the word "fertilization",

instead of spending the time to look at the word characteristics she said to me "I don't know", I

then helped her with the pronunciation of the word. She ended up scoring 96% on this story. She

had a total of 41 errors and 8 self corrections. This results in a self correction rate of 1:6. Her

average words per minute for this story was 77, which is slightly lower than grade average. This

shows that B took a little longer to read through this story due to it being more challenging for

her. I made notes during her reading that her fluency level was lower than the previous story.

This information comes directly from the running record form. I also noticed that most of errors

fell into the visual category. An example of this is when she mistakes "need/needed" and

"thyme/theme". Her score of 96% puts her at the higher level on the instructional level. Reading
Rockets (2020) describes this level as being challenging but manageable for the reader. I feel this

description is accurate to the feelings I had during the reading. B found some of the words

challenging but was able to work through it and complete the story. I think that B also enjoyed

reading this story, but not as much as the chocolate story. After reading I asked her if she

enjoyed the story and she replied "Yes, I did. I learned more about bees that I had not known

before". This shows she learned more but she does not display the same excitement level as

before. B was also able to comprehend the story fairly well.

B scored 7/10 on the comprehension quiz. Again, I feel these comprehension quizzes are

tough. She missed some questions that highlighted very specific details in the story. For example

she missed the question "The flavour, colour, and thickness of honey is dependent on...". I was

surprised that she scored so well on this quiz with the amount of errors she had. It shows her

ability to comprehend the material is not reflected in her ability to read fluently. When it came to

the story re-tell B was again able to give some specific details in regards to the story. (In the

appendix you will notice my handwriting for the quiz and story re-tell. I was not able to go

back over and drop off the quiz to her. I wrote down what she said during our on camera

meeting). During the story re-tell B mentioned details such as "Bees bring nectar back to the

hive in order to make honey". To me, that is one of the main details from the story.

Overall, I believe that B is a strong reader. McKenna and Stahl (2015) explain that

running records can be used as an authentic process to measure children's reading. In this case I

used the running records to measure B's reading. Throughout the readings she demonstrates

fluency, and comprehension skills. These are 2 of the 5 pillars of literacy developed by the

National Reading Panel (2000). These pillars are should be used in every effective reading

program.
III: Instruction Plan

Standards:

CCS.ELA.Literacy.RF.3.3: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills

in decoding words.

Ontario-Curriculum-Grade 3 Language-Writing; Spelling Unfamiliar Words 3.2: spell

unfamiliar words using a variety of strategies that involve understanding sound-symbol

relationships, word structures, word meanings, and generalizations about spelling (e.g.,

pronounce a word as it is spelled: Wed-nes-day; make analogies to rhyming words; apply

knowledge of short-vowel and long-vowel patterns; 3. Applying Knowledge of Language

Conventions and Presenting Written Work Effectively 2. Using Knowledge of Form and Style in

Writing cluster words by visual similarities; follow rules for changing base words when adding

common endings: hope/hoping, slam/slammed; use memory aids such as visualization)

Objective: The student will be able to match the correct long vowel patterns with the

corresponding word.

Assessment: The student will be provided with both a fill in the blank sheet and cut out

cards that have vowel patterns associated with it. The student will match the correct vowel

pattern that applies to the given set of letters to complete an entire word.

When it comes to the 5 Pillars of Early Literacy, I believe that B has the opportunity to

be developed in each one. In terms of phonemic awareness I think B is lacking because she

struggling during the Donald Bear spelling inventory. I use the 5 Pillars of Early Literacy (2000)

to make the following recommendations. In this assessment I say many words and it was her job

to spell them. This measures the word patters and speech sounds that make up words. I

previously mentioned in my report that she needs help in this area. Phonics highlights the
student's ability to match sounds to letters or groups. I also feel B can improve her vocabulary.

This is where I would like to focus this instruction plan on. Her fluency and comprehension

strengths are shown in her ability to successfully read above grade level in her running records.

She also scored above average on the comprehension quizzes associated with the stories.

According to the stages of reading development by Chall (1983), B should currently be

reading simple, familiar stories with fluency. I feel that based off the assessments I have

conducted B is already well past her level on the stages of reading development. I have

conducted 4 assessments with B (Interest Inventory, High frequency words, Spelling Inventory,

and Running Records). The interest inventory highlighted B's excitement to read. It showed me

that she would probably do well on the next assessments because of her experience. B showed

exceptional skills when completing the high frequency words assessment. She scored a total of

197/200 which shows that she is familiar with most of the high frequency words. She also did

well at her grade level for the running record assessment. The only time she seemed to struggle a

little bit is when she read a story that was out of her grade level. This shows me that overall B is

a strong reader and with more practice as she gets older she will be able to continue to move up

the levels. When it comes to the Donald Bears Spelling Inventory, B seemed to struggle. She

scored 22/26 on the primary inventory which allowed her to pass. She then scored 15/25 on the

elementary inventory which meant it was too hard for her. Both times she had difficulty when

reaching the within word pattern stage, then continued to struggle when moving to the syllables

and affixes section. Based on these results I can say that B needs the most help in phonics which

will also impact her vocabulary. Although these do not seem to be impacted her ability to read

and comprehend, I still believe she needs help when spelling these tough words. It will help in

the long run when coming across them in future readings.

 In order to help B excel in expand her vocabulary I will plan to do a word study activity

with her. Donald Bear (2004) describes that word study increases specific knowledge of words-

the spelling and meaning of individual words. I feel a word study lesson with words in the long

vowels and harder suffixes will allow B to move into the next phase of her development as a

good reader. The more she expands her vocabulary, the more fluent she will be able to read. In

class we often discuss how vocabulary is key to fluency. Students need to be able to understand

the word in order to process it and move onto the next. Stopping and thinking about words delay

fluency and in turn impact comprehension. More specifically, this lesson will also focus on letter

patterns.

For my anticipatory set I will first explain to her the purpose for why we are going to do a

word study about long vowels and suffixes today. It is because in order to become a more fluent

reader we need to expand her vocabulary and phonics knowledge. I will tell her that phonics help

match sounds to letters or letter groups. When I was conducting the Donald Bear (2008) spelling

inventory, she had trouble breaking words down into syllables. Donald Bear (2004) explains that

word study helps deal with student error surrounding letter patterns (snaik instead of snake). This

is what happened when conducting the spelling inventories. B often spelled (train/trane) and

(fortunate/forchnet). I have found an app from the "App Store" that helps with long vowel word

patterns. According to the App Store (2020) it is designed specifically for students who fall into

the within word pattern stage of Donald Bear spelling inventory. This is exactly where B falls. I

will allow her to play around on the app for a couple of minutes. Children love technology and it

will activate her prior knowledge before learning more about long vowels. I will then direct B to

an anchor chart. This chart will be available for reference throughout the lesson for reference.
Ultimately, I want B to continue to grow as a student and expanding her vocabulary is the key to

doing that.

I will use the gradual release of responsibility throughout this lesson. According to

Vygotsky (1978) much important learning by the child occurs through social interaction with a

skilful tutor. I will first model how to look at long vowel patters and how the impact the

pronunciation of a word. I will read off a list of words that have these characteristics. I will place

emphasis on the long vowel portion and she can listen to how it impacts the sounding of the

word. For example the word "carries" I will emphasize the "ie" sound. I will also model the

activity I have planned for her. My plan is to have multiple cut outs of different sounds. It will be

her responsibility to create words using the letters I have prepared for her. This will allow her to

visually and orally construct words the proper way.

When it comes to the "we do" section of instruction I will assist B in constructing these

different types of words. This is part of student engagement because she be directly engaged in

the learning process through hands on activities. She will try on her own to create words and I

will be there to assist her by placing the different cut outs in the proper order. This also places an

emphasis on scaffolding learning as I provide supports (me, the app, the anchor chart) and

gradually take them away. For the "you do" portion of this lesson I will have B construct her

own words based off the vowel patterns we have just practiced. I have created a fill in the blank

sheet where she will fill in the vowel patterns missing in the corresponding words. The more

practice she has the more proficient and familiar she will become. McKenna and Stahl (2015)

explain that making words is a spelling based decoding activity where children learn to think

about letters in words by manipulating letters in a spelling task. I feel like this would be

beneficial for B because it is deemed as appropriate for students in third to sixth grade. I would
 also like to go back and perform the Donald Bear (2008) elementary spelling inventory to

determine if she has perfected the within word pattern stage and can now move onto the

syllables/suffixes stage. It is important that she first perfects one stage before moving on and

learning the next.

Materials For Lesson

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 IV. Reflection

I often get asked what grade I would prefer to teach. The truth is that it doesn't matter to

me. I would just appreciate the opportunity to educate the future of our world. B is a grade 3

student which is about the middle of our 1-6 certification. Before actually conducting the

assessments required with this assignment I would have to say I was nervous. It was my first

time working 1on1 with a student. I also have never met this student before so I didn't know

what to expect in terms of attitude and engagement. I wasn't sure if this was going to be an

experience where the student went through the motions or actually gave me an authentic

experience. I would definitely say this was an authentic experience and B was a willing

participant. Her extreme enthusiasm in these assessments was rewarded through a McDonalds

gift card. Her mom sent me a picture but it also includes her brother in it so I did not include it in

this assignment for confidentiality purposes.

When looking at the assessments I was definitely overwhelmed. I say this because they

consist of multiple pages and it seems like a lot when looking at it. I think our time spend in class

looking through the various assignments definitely played a positive role when it came time to

conduct. I was able to activate my prior knowledge and administer the assessment in similar

fashion to in class. The assessments all have their own role in terms of determining the success

of the student. Due to B's struggle in the Donald Bear spelling inventory I decided to put much

emphasis on that particular assessment. It definitely made me more familiar with its impact on

determining the level of the student and where to move forward from there.

I can say that one of my strengths is definitely interacting with the student. I feel that she

was comfortable throughout the assessments and that was one of the things that was important to

me going into the assessment. I provided her with books that sparked her interest and ultimately

produced authentic experiences from. I also feel comfortable with Marie Clay and her high
frequency words assessment. Although it is a simple assessment and B scored very well, it still

gives a good understanding in regards to where the student is at. My familiarity with the 5

literacy pillars from class also enhanced my ability to provide an instruction plan that I believe

will help B get to the next level.

When it comes to my weaknesses I would definitely say I need some more practice at

running records. When she was reading the first story she was very fast and fluent which made it

hard to keep up. If she made a mistake I would then have to go back and fix it. Although it can

be difficult to get a grasp of at first I believe it is essential to knowing our students. I think the

more I try running records, the more I will be able to memorize the codes and do it without

thinking. I guess it's just like anything in life where practice makes perfect. This assignment

overall can be viewed by people as long an unnecessary. However, in my opinion I appreciate its

importance to giving us the experience we need as future teachers.

On a final note, I would again like to emphasize my appreciation for B and her ability to

help me conduct this assignment during these tough times. We met via Facetime a couple times.

I first dropped off a box with the interest inventory, stories, quiz, story re-tell, and her copy of

the high frequency words lists in it. I was able to pick it up a couple of days later and start to go

over her responses. You will notice some different hand writing due to either convenience for the

student or me not being able to get the form to her due to the current circumstances. They are

highlighted above throughout the paper. I look forward to administering these assessments in the

future to a class full of young bright learners.

[Back to Table of Contents]

 Artifact #2: School Violence Prevention and Intervention / Identification and

Reporting of Child Abuse and Maltreatment Certificates.

When working with children it is important to have the proper certifications based on the

situations that may come up while in the classroom. Being able to prevent and intervene are

major parts of a teachers tool kit. The safety of my students is the most important thing when it

comes to being in the classroom. Students should not have to worry when arriving at school.

They should feel comfortable and welcome while in my care. I place a large emphasis on

classroom management and my students wellbeing. Increasing student feelings of safety at

school (e.g., by reducing victimization, improving the overall school and neighbourhood safety

climate) is likely to represent an effective strategy for promoting classroom engagement (Cote-

Lussier & Fitzpatrick, 2016). The safety of the students has a direct impact on their overall

performance as well. I decided to include this as an artifact because I feel this is something that

is important to both myself and the parents of the students in my classroom.

When leaving your children at school for the day I'm sure the parents expect the outmost

respect and safety will be provided for their child. I place a large emphasis on myself as a person

and myself as a teaching candidate to always provide the most amount of safety for everyone

involved. As part of the MSED Program at Medaille I was able to complete both of the

workshops highlighted. I feel they increase my capabilities to become a qualified professional in

the field of education.

Connections To Standards

INTASC Standards

Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice The teacher engages in ongoing

professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the
effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the

community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.

Ontario Ethical Standards

Trust: The ethical standard of Trust embodies fairness, openness and honesty. Members'

professional relationships with students, colleagues, parents, guardians and the public are based

on trust.

NYS Code of Ethics for Educators

Principle 5: Educators collaborate with parents and community, building trust and respecting

confidentiality. Educators partner with parents and other members of the community to enhance

school programs and to promote student learning. They also recognize how cultural and

linguistic heritage, gender, family and community shape experience and learning. Educators

respect the private nature of the special knowledge they have about students and their families

and use that knowledge only in the students’ best interests. They advocate for fair opportunity for

all children.

TEAC/CAEP Claims

TEAC/CAEP Claims 1-3

Claim 1: Medaille College graduates know the subject matter in their certification area(s)

Claim 2: Medaille College graduates meet the needs of diverse learners through effective

pedagogy and best teaching practices M.S. ED. ELEMENTARY PORTFOLIO 38

Claim 3: Medaille College graduates are caring educators.

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]
 Artifact #3: DASA Completion Certificate

DASA is known as the Dignity for All Students Act. It is more than important to treat

everyone involved with the outmost respect and dignity. This Act is designed to provide students

that is free of both harassment and discrimination. I could not agree more with everything this

Act aims to achieve. It is essential to provide an environment that encourages both safety and

comfort for all students. In part of my teaching philosophy I mention how I aim to treat each

student with equity rather than equality. Students have different needs and it is important to meet

all of these needs while in the classroom. When completing this training opportunity it also

opened my eyes and made me aware to things I have not seen before. I feel this has a direct

impact on my readiness to become a successful teaching candidate. The exposure to certain

discriminatory comments and forms of harassment allows me to be both prepared and proactive

if a certain situation arises.

While in the classroom the students are under my care and supervision. Acquiring this

certificate only adds to my skills in classroom management. This aims to allow my students to

feel comfortable, safe, and welcome while in the classroom. I also believe in educating the

students about treating fellow students with dignity and respect. This allows me to incorporate

this into the curriculum while educating students on how to be good citizens. I have decided to

include this as an artifact based on the overall importance I feel it plays in allowing students to

be safe in my classroom. Without safety, it is difficult for learning to take place. As a teaching

candidate I feel my philosophy and skills allow students to be prepared and willing to learn in the

classroom.

[Back to Table of Contents]

 Connections To Standards

INTASC Standards

Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice The teacher engages in

ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice,

particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other

professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.

Ontario Ethical Standards

Trust: The ethical standard of Trust embodies fairness, openness and honesty.

Members' professional relationships with students, colleagues, parents, guardians and the public

are based on trust.

NYS Code of Ethics for Educators

Principle 5: Educators collaborate with parents and community, building trust and

respecting confidentiality. Educators partner with parents and other members of the community

to enhance school programs and to promote student learning. They also recognize how cultural

and linguistic heritage, gender, family and community shape experience and learning. Educators

respect the private nature of the special knowledge they have about students and their families

and use that knowledge only in the students’ best interests. They advocate for fair opportunity for

all children.

TEAC/CAEP Claims

TEAC/CAEP Claims 1-3

Claim 1: Medaille College graduates know the subject matter in their certification area(s)

Claim 2: Medaille College graduates meet the needs of diverse learners through effective

pedagogy and best teaching practices.

Claim 3: Medaille College graduates are caring educators.

[Back to Table of Contents]

 Artifact #4: IEP Analysis

Being able to analyze an IEP is a quality that enhances my ability to becomes a qualified

and prepared teaching candidate. In the classroom there are going to be students who have

exceptionalities and are in need of an IEP (Individual Education Plan). Being able to analyze and

understand the IEP allows me as an educator to provide this student with the supports they

require to succeed while in the classroom. As part of my teaching philosophy I believe in treating

students with equity rather than equality. Part of equity is treating each student the way they need

to be treated. This applies when it comes to students with an IEP. There might be things they

need that are considered as extra in the classroom. I am more than willing and able to provide

them with these supports.

When it comes to analyzing the IEP I feel that it showcases my ability to provide for each

and every student in my classroom. I take great pride in being able to achieve a learning

environment for everyone involved. It is important to provide these students with the least

restrictive environment. I feel this IEP analysis showcases my readiness to become a qualified

teaching candidate. Recognizing the various sections of the IEP also allows me to be prepared

and incorporate it into my lesson plans throughout the day. It is important to review and examine

the factors that aid students with disabilities in attaining these goals (La Salle, Roach, and

McGrath , 2013) . Goal achievement is essential to the success of students who are on an IEP. I

believe that my personal values and belief in students will give them the greatest opportunities to

succeed in my classroom.

[Back to Table of Contents]

 Connections To Standards

INTASC

Standard #7: Planning for Instruction The teacher plans instruction that supports

every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas,

curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the

community context.

Ontario Teacher Ethical Standards

Care: The ethical standard of Care includes compassion, acceptance, interest and

insight for developing students' potential. Members express their commitment to students' well-

being and learning through positive influence, professional judgment and empathy in practice.

NYS Code of Ethics for Educators

Principle 1 Educators nurture the intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and

civic potential of each student. Educators promote growth in all students through the integration

of intellectual, physical, emotional, social and civic learning. They respect the inherent dignity

and worth of each individual. Educators help students to value their own identity, learn more

about their cultural heritage, and practice social and civic responsibilities. They help students to

reflect on their own learning and connect it to their life experience. They engage students in

activities that encourage diverse approaches and solutions to issues, while providing a range of

ways for students to demonstrate their abilities and learning. They foster the development of

students who can analyze, synthesize, evaluate and communicate information effectively.
 Council For Exceptional Children

1. Maintaining challenging expectations for individuals with exceptionalities to

develop the highest possible learning outcomes and quality of life potential in ways that respect

their dignity, culture, language, and background.

TEAC/CAEP Claims

Claim 2: Medaille College graduates meet the needs of diverse learners through

effective pedagogy and best teaching practices

[Back to Table of Contents]

 IEP Analysis

Brandon Porga

Medaille College

Maureen England

April 10, 2020

 For the duration of this course I have been working with Keenan Michael Ellis and his

IEP. His disability is classified as a learning disability. More specifically, Keenan lacks reading

comprehension skills. Keenan shows strengths in math and spelling but needs to continue to

develop his skills in reading. He loves physical education class and also enjoys working with

numbers during math. He mentions that soccer is his favourite sport. It's good to see that he is in

good physical health. Keenan is able to dress and cleans himself. He is fully able to do

household chores such as cleaning his bedroom. His grandpa also mentions that Keenan is good

help at home. Unfortunately, he struggles when it comes to expressing certain behaviours at

certain times. This includes a difficulty when transitioning to new tasks. This sometimes results

in high levels of aggression. It is noted that Keenan needs to improve his reading comprehension

in all genres, and also his socialization with peers.

It is noted that Keenan demonstrates anxiety in circumstantial situations which makes

him become angry at times. When it comes to school, he shows strengths in both math and

spelling. He understands word patterns such as ch/sh sounds. Keenan does well working

independently and in group situations. It is during transitions where he can become anxious and

angry. He also needs to work on his reading comprehension skills. At school, it is noted that

Keenan would benefit from sitting close to the teacher. He also would benefit by choosing his

seating partner because this would reduce his anxiety and therefore reduce his angry situations.

His needs in reading make his participation in the general curriculum difficult. This is because

most time is spent in outside supports to help his reading skills develop. Therefore, he misses

other in class activities that apply to the general curriculum. It is noted that Keenan has a

behavioural intervention plan attached to his IEP. This will help when unforeseen circumstances
arise. There are also modifications and accommodations that can be made to help Keenan

succeed in the classroom.

When it comes to accommodations and modifications there are a couple than can be

made to help Keenan in the classroom. The first is to sit him near the teacher and have him

choose who he sits near in order to reduce his anxiety. I think that Keenan should be seated near

the teacher if it helps him feel comfortable in the classroom. When it comes to choose who he

sits near, I feel this would need to be a mutual decision between both Keenan and the student he

chooses. I think it is a good idea as long as the other student agrees to it. Sitting with a friend and

close to a teacher could help ease his anxiety during certain situations. Another accommodation

that Keenan has is the use of a calculator during math and science classes for calculations.

Keenan also has two testing accommodations. The first is extra time. The extra time on the test

will give him the opportunity to read through the questions and have time to comprehend what

the question is asking. Kettler (2005) describes that extra time is used to overcome impai

impairments such as processing speed or fluency. In this case the extra time would be used to

make up for Keenan's trouble with reading comprehension. The second testing accommodation is

having him take his test in a group of 6 people or less. This would help ease Keenan's anxiety

that may arise during a testing situation. It can make him feel more comfortable when writing.

Keenan also receives services that take him out of the class to help his reading.

Keenan has services that can lead to increased production in the classroom. One of these

services is integrated co teaching and it applies for all of his courses. I think this benefits

Keenan because he will be able to first hear the instructions from the teacher. He can then hear

the instructions again from the special education teacher. This also allows him to be part of a

least restrictive environment because he is still in the classroom with his fellow peers, rather than
exiting the class for extra help. This can increase his ability and chance to comprehend what is

needed. Having a co-teacher in the classroom can also provided Keenan with a quiet working

place. This is because he can first be with the entire class for the lesson, when work is distributed

he can sit with the special education teacher. In my experience in the classroom this seems to

work. Some students are even excited to go work with the other teacher. They are able to receive

the help they need based off the assignment. Keenan also has a counsellor.

Keenan goes to counselling for 30 minutes once a day on a 5 day cycle. This helps him

talk about his feelings related to death. These issues are not suitable for the general classroom

and are best to be discussed with a professional. I think that this is beneficial to Keenan because

it gives him the chance to take a breath and step away from the class. At times the classroom can

be loud which can cause his anxiety to increase. I also believe that this is something he can look

forward to because he does it each day on a consistent basis. He can look forward to leaving the

class while not worrying about school for the half hour time slot. He can come back to the class

refreshed and ready to focus on new material. Another service listed is the use of a computer as

assistive technology for math and science classes. This is similar to his accommodations as

mentioned above. I believe the calculator is useful to Keenan because it will allow him to

quickly punch in numbers and come up with answers. This can help his overall confidence

because he is already skilled in math. There is a list of goals that align with Keenan's needs.

There are goals highlighted on Keenan's IEP. The first one is about reading and his

ability to recount stories. The IEP states that Keenan will be able to state the main idea, central

message, lesson, or moral of the story. The aim of this goal is 80% success over a 2 month

period. It will be monitored by teacher worksheets. I feel this goal does match with Keenan and

his overall needs. It clearly states he needs help in comprehension and this goal will help him get
practice in that area. The second goal listed is about his interaction with his peers. The IEP states

that Keenan will communicate and interact in a positive manner with peers for 3 minutes. This is

also measured by 80% success over 2 months. This goal will be monitored by observation

checklists on a weekly basis. I feel that this goal also lines up with his overall needs. Keenan

needs to work better when interacting with his peers. It mentions that sometimes he becomes

angry. Having this goal will give him the opportunity to advance his social interaction skills. The

third and final goal on Keenan's IEP deals with his negative emotions at school. When Keenan

experiences a negative emotion he will need to use a coping skill to maintain appropriate school

behaviour. This will be measured at 75% success over a 2 month period. It will be monitored

through behaviour charts. I feel this goal also lines up with Keenan's needs. It mentions how he

uses a counsellor to help him with his emotions. If he is able to find ways to cope with his

emotions at school it could help benefit his overall success. I think that the goals provided on his

IEP are all beneficial to his needs. I think another way to help Keenan during his reading would

be for him to take point form notes when reading. He can refer to these notes after reading to

come up with what he believes is the main idea. I think this will help because after reading he

might have many thoughts in his head. The point form notes can narrow the thoughts and help

him with his comprehension. Once he shows he is stronger is this category the notes can then be

taken away as he moves through the process. There are other educational strategies that can help

Keenan succeed in reading comprehension.

An education strategy that I would use in the classroom to help Keenan with his reading

comprehension would be story maps. Swanson and De La Paz (1998) describe that story maps

are graphic organizers with story elements used as headings on a teacher made worksheet. This

would help Keenan follow along during reading. The headings can be used to prompt Keenan to
locate key information from the story. Swanson and De La Paz (1998) also explain that story

maps improve students comprehension following its use in general education classes. This is also

beneficial because of its use in a general education class. Keenan will be able to practice and

improve his comprehension without having to go to an outside resource. To prepare myself for

Keenan to enter the classroom I would definitely have to find his reading and comfort level. By

doing this I would be able to see what steps to take when improving his overall comprehension

skills. I also think that modelling would benefit Keenan. Showing him how to find the main idea

when comprehending the story would go a long way to improve his overall skills.

Overall, when it comes to IEP analysis I believe it is best to read through the students IEP

a couple of times in order to fully understand their needs. IEP's provide teachers with necessary

background information to help students who need it. My philosophy as a future teacher is equity

over equality. This means that we treat each student as they need to be treated. Rather than

placing all of our students at the same level. It is important to look through and analyze the IEP

because it will give us the directions we need to make this student feel comfortable in our class.

La Salle, Roach, and McGrath (2013) describe that it is important to review and examine the

factors that aid students with disabilities in attaining these goals. This means that the IEP plays

an important role for these students. As teachers, IEP analysis is a necessary task. It is important

to focus on the individual needs of the student. This allows us to avoid assumptions because the

information is provided to us. In Keenan's IEP it highlights specific information that can help his

comprehension. Without reading the IEP, I could have made an assumption that raises his

anxiety levels and creates a bad situation. I think that IEP's are an excellent and necessary

resource that we can use to help our students succeed in the classroom.

[Back to Table of Contents]

 Artifact 5: Character Trait Lesson Plan

This lesson plan comes from my EdTPA that was supposed to occur in EDU 503.

However due to certain unforeseen circumstances it was unable to be followed through. I still put

work into this plan by evaluating the students interests and classroom traits. This plan is day 1 of

a 3 day learning segment. Lesson planning is an essential part of becoming a qualified teaching

candidate. Throughout my time at Medaille I am lucky enough to have completed many lesson

plans that allow me to showcase my skills in the planning competency. I think it is extremely

important to plan because plays an impact throughout the school day. It is important to know

what is going to happen next as we move through different subjects. I also believe it allows for

smooth transitioning. Students who are on a IEP or 504 plan also have their accommodations and

modifications highlighted on this lesson plan. I am a person who likes to stay organized and I

feel a lesson plan is a good way to that. The lesson plan also ensures standards and curriculum is

being met through the duration of the lesson. It is important to follow the curriculum and stay on

task when following the standards highlighted by the associated government.

A lesson plan also shows my ability to be creative when offering a variety of assessments

for the different types of learners in my classroom. This ensures I am able to keep the students on

task while placing an emphasis on learning. Results indicated that teachers’ adherence and

quality increased with both implementation planning and participant modeling (Sanetti,

Williamson, Long, & Kratochwill, 2018). Planning also increases the students comfort level

because they can expect what will happen without any surprises.

[Back to Table of Contents]

 Connections To Standards

INTASC Standards

Standard #3: Learning Environments. The teacher works with others to create

environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive

social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.

Standard #5: Application of Content The teacher understands how to connect

concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and

collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.

Standard #6: Assessment. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of

assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the

teacher’s and learner’s decision making.

Standard #7: Planning for Instruction The teacher plans instruction that supports

every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas,

curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the

community context.

Ontario Teacher Ethical Standards

Care: The ethical standard of Care includes compassion, acceptance, interest and insight

for developing students' potential. Members express their commitment to students' well-being

and learning through positive influence, professional judgment and empathy in practice

NYS P-12 Common Core Learning Standards

CCS.ELA.LITERACY.RL.2.7: Use information gained from the illustrations and

words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
 CEC Standards

3. Promoting meaningful and inclusive participation of individuals with

exceptionalities in their schools and communities.

NYS Code of Ethics for Educators

Principle 1 Educators nurture the intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and

civic potential of each student. Educators promote growth in all students through the integration

of intellectual, physical, emotional, social and civic learning. They respect the inherent dignity

and worth of each individual. Educators help students to value their own identity, learn more

about their cultural heritage, and practice social and civic responsibilities. They help students to

reflect on their own learning and connect it to their life experience. They engage students in

activities that encourage diverse approaches and solutions to issues, while providing a range of

ways for students to demonstrate their abilities and learning. They foster the development of

students who can analyze, synthesize, evaluate and communicate information effectively.

Ontario Curriculum

Ontario-Reading-Grade 2-Understanding Form and Style.

2.1 identify and describe the characteristics of a few simple text forms, with a focus on literary

texts such as a fairy tale (e.g., plot, characters, setting), graphic texts such as a primary dictionary

(e.g., words listed in alphabetical order, simple definitions accompanied by picture clues or

diagrams), and informational texts such as a “How to” book (e.g., materials listed in order of use,

numbered steps, labels, diagrams)

ILA Professional Standards

Standards 2010: Standard 3Assessment and Evaluation

 Candidates use a variety of assessment tools and practices to plan and evaluate

effective reading and writing instruction.

DOE/CAEP Claims

TEAC/CAEP Claims 1-3

Claim 1: Medaille College graduates know the subject matter in their certification area(s)

Claim 2: Medaille College graduates meet the needs of diverse learners through effective

pedagogy and best teaching practices.

Claim 3: Medaille College graduates are caring educators.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Subject and Lesson Topic: ELA-Literacy- Identifying Inside and Outside Character Traits

Grade Level: 2 Lesson Duration: 35

minutes

Central Focus of the Learning Segment

The central focus is an understanding that you want your students to develop. It is a description of the
important identifiable theme, essential question, or topic within the curriculum that is the purpose of the
instruction of the learning segment (Making Good Choices, 2016).

The central focus of this learning segment is to identify inside and outside character traits using
text evidence.

Knowing Your Learners

Using Prior Knowledge
What do you know about your students’ prior academic learning as it relates to the central focus? (edTPA
Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 2a)
- According to the Grade 1 standards, students were required to describe the characters from a story.
- Students have been exposed to the story Mr. Tanen's Tie Trouble in previous weeks. They will be familiar
with the characters.
- Students have been using graphic organizers in other lessons and find it helps them with their
understanding.
- Students have briefly discussed character traits in other stories this school year.
- I have been told that the students feel an anchor chart is a good reference to look back on.

How will you use this knowledge to inform your instruction? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 3a)
- Since I know that my students have been exposed to character traits in grade 1, I decided to expand this
lesson to introduce more information regarding character traits. More specifically inside and outside
traits.
- Since I know that my students have been reading Mr. Tanen's Tie Trouble, I decided to continue with this
story.
- Since I know that my students have been using graphic organizers in other lessons, I have decided to
include one to help them organize their responses.
- Since I know that my students have briefly discussed character traits in other stories, I have decided to
use discussion to build off their previous talks.
- Since I know that my students feel an anchor chart helps their learning, I have decided to create one for
this lesson.
Using Student Assets
What do you know about your students’ personal, cultural, and/or community assets as they relate to the
central focus? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 2b)
- The students in this class enjoy coming to school.
- The students are active members of their community and enjoy helping others.
- The students enjoy describing their friends traits to others.
- The students in this class enjoy working together when playing outside on the playground.
- The students in this class bring active learning to the table as they enjoy participating and engaging in
lessons.
- The students school is located in a lower income neighborhood.

How will you use this knowledge to inform your instruction? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 3a)
- Since I know my students enjoy coming to school I have decided to choose a book that relates to school.
More specifically it relates to building a new playground. The students in this class enjoy playing on the
playground.
- Since I know my students are active members in the community I have decided to choose a book that
involves helping out community members.
- Since I know my students enjoy describing their friends, I have chosen to do a lesson that can help them
expand their knowledge on traits.
- Since I know this class enjoys working together on the playground I have decided to choose a story that
involved the playground.
- Since I know this class displays active learning I have included participation and discussion aspects to the
content.
Curriculum Standards

CCS.ELA.LITERACY.RL.2.7: Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or
digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

Objectives Assessment Modifications to

Using Bloom’s Taxonomy, include Using formal and/or informal Assessments
statements that identify what assessment tools, how will you If applicable, explain how you
students will be able to do by the evaluate and document your will adapt assessments to allow
end of the lesson and are aligned to students’ progress on each of the students with specific needs to
the standards identified above. objectives? demonstrate their learning.
(edTPA Task 1, Prompt 5b)
Students will be able to identify - Discussion/Turn & Talk.
the characters from the story Mr. Together, students will create a
Tanen's Tie Trouble. list of the characters from the
story Mr. Tanen's Tie Trouble.
- Students will be expected to
identify all of the characters from
the story.
- Students will volunteer to name
one character each until all of the
characters have been listed.
- I will write each character on the
board.
Students will be able to identify - Students will use the organizer
the difference between inside and provided to identify which traits
outside traits. are inside or outside.
- Students will be given a sheet
that have 7 inside and 7 outside
traits on it. Along with a cutout of
a person.
- Students will write the inside
traits inside the cutout.
- Students will leave the outside
traits on the outside and highlight
them in red.
- This will be taken up as a class.

Academic Language Demands Instructional Supports

(edTPA Task 1, Prompt 4c) Strategies teachers provide to help learners
understand, use, and practice the concepts (edTPA
Task 1, Prompt 4d)
Function Identify I will help my students use the language
Looking at your standards function by modeling how I identified traits
and objectives, choose by using the student volunteer. I have also
theone Bloom’s word that provided the students with an anchor chart
best describes the active to use for reference.
learning essential for
students to develop
understanding of concepts
within your lesson.
Vocabulary Traits, Inside traits, I will help my students understand and use
Key words and phrases Outside traits vocabulary by pre teaching the vocabulary. I
students need to be able to will explain to them what a trait is. I will also
understand and use explain the difference between inside and
outside traits. I will stop throughout the
lesson and reading to provide examples and
definitions.
Syntax My students will I will support my students to use syntax by
Describe ways in which structure their providing them with the graphic organizer
students will organize response based off the handout to place their responses in. The
language (symbols, words, graphic organizer students will organize their language in the
phrases) to convey provided. The handout provided.
meaning.
organizer will have 10
inside and 10 outside
traits listed. 7 Inside
traits will be place
inside the character. 7
 Outside traits will
remain outside the
character and will be
highlighted to show
the difference.
Discourse My students will use I will support my students to use discourse
How members of a discourse by turning by giving them the opportunity to turn and
discipline talk, write, and and talking to display talk with a partner. The turn and talks will
participate in knowledge their understanding. then move into class discussion. I will
construction and They will support my students to use discourse by
communicate their
communicate their having the anchor chart available to them. I
understanding of the
concepts
understanding by will also model the correct discourse during
sharing their answers the anticipatory set for the students to refer
of the inside/outside to.
trait organizer
provided.
Instructional Process Accommodations and/or
Modifications and/or
Supports
Anticipatory Set/Motivator The Youtube video will give
a brief introduction to the
- I will start this lesson by telling the students that today we will students.
be focusing on character traits. A character trait can be both
inside or outside. I will model to show the
- I will show a short 2 minute video about inside and outside students examples of how to
character traits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKE_F_l5FzQ find inside and outside
- I will ask for a student volunteer. Using the student I will model traits.
to the class how I can examine both the inside and outside traits.
- I will use my knowledge of the student do explain their inside
traits. I will say "This student is very kind because he/she always
says hello when coming into the classroom".
- I will use their appearance to describe their outside traits. I will
say "This student has brown hair".
Instructional Procedures The character traits anchor
- I will introduce character traits to the students. I will explain chart will help my students
how traits can be both inside and outside traits. Outside traits are understand the difference
physical features. This includes hair color, clothing, height... between inside traits and
- Inside traits are the emotions a character shows throughout the outside traits.
story. This can include happy, sad, angry, excited...
- I will introduce the anchor chart to the students and provide I will model an example of
them with some examples of character traits and how they can be how to identify a character
identified. trait.
- I am going to model how I can find both inside and outside traits
while looking at the cover of Mr. Tanen's Tie Trouble. "Mr. Tanen The graphic organizer will
seems to look confused based off his facial expression". help my students organize
- I will review the anchor chart created and tell students to keep their responses.
these features in mind as we read through the story Mr. Tanen's
Tie Trouble. The turn & talk will support
- When reading. I would like my students to think about the students to think through
anchor chart and how it applies to Mr. Tanen's Tie Trouble. and build ideas together.
- We will read-a-loud Mr. Tanen's Tie Trouble as a class.
1. Stop when Mr. Tanen is faced with a difficult decision and
model "Mr. Tanen is confused because he is deciding what
to do with the playground".
2. Stop when Mr. Tanen decides to sell his ties for the new
playground and model "Mr. Tanen is generous because he
sells his ties in order for the students to get a new
playground".
3. Stop when Mr. Tanen notices his ties acting as a ribbon
around the new playground and model "Mr. Tanen is
excited to see all his ties around the new playground".
- Now that we have read the story, I would like you to turn and
talk to your partner to try and list all of the characters we meet
when reading.
- "Good job with discussing your thoughts to your partner, I would
now like you to volunteer and share a character from the story"
- I will list the characters on the board as the students share
answers. This will avoid repetition.
- "You all did a great job identifying the characters in Mr. Tanen's
Tie Trouble"
- Now, I will hand out the worksheet that involves inside and
outside traits.
-"I would like you to highlight the 7 outside traits and write the 7
inside traits inside the character. Remember to refer to our
anchor chart for support".
- Students will have 7 minutes to work on this assignment. I will
come around to answer any questions they have.
- The graphic organizer will be taken up as a class.
Closure I will support my students
- I will take up the answers to the organizer as a class. by taking up the answers as
- Students will have the opportunity to come up to the class and a class to ensure everyone is
write the new trait on our anchor chart using red or green on the same page.
marker.
- I will review the anchor chart on inside and outside traits and I will review the anchor
explain to the students how we can find both inside traits using chart to support my
emotions and facial expressions. We can find outside traits by students learning and
examining the person. ensure they understand the
- I will explain to students we will be picking up tomorrow where difference between inside
we left off to expand our knowledge on character traits. and outside traits.
Tomorrow, we will be applying our knowledge to the story Mr.
Tanen's Tie Trouble.
List all materials and/or technology tools required for the lesson.
Key instructional materials must be attached. These materials might include such items as class
handouts, assignments, slides, and interactive white-board images.
- White Board
- Marker
- Anchor Chart
- Mr. Tanen's Tie Trouble Story
- Character Trait Graphic Organizer With List
 - Computer Access For Youtube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKE_F_l5FzQ
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE TRAITS

NAME:
Please write the "inside traits" inside the character given.
Please highlight the
"outside traits and leave them outside the character.

 Helpful
 Thoughtful
 Athletic
 Slim
 Height
 Careful
 Happy
 Funny
 Hair Color
 Fast
 Eye Colour
 Clothing
 Smart
 Friendly
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