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Competency 4e

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30 views

Competency 4e

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api-575450234
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Ruth Lopez-Castro

TCH_LRN 401 – Haller

Competency 4.E Reflection

The purpose of Competency 4.E is to ensure candidates can demonstrate that they can plan and

differentiate for multiple language proficiency levels to give all students access to grade – level content.

As a future educator it is crucial that I can and will ensure all students are supported. I have chosen to

reflect on two different assignments that serve as evidence that represent how I have achieved this

competency. One piece of evidence I will be discussing is the Identifying Language Demands assignment

I created in TCH_LRN 413. The second piece of evidence I will reflect on is a Writing Lesson I created in

TCH_LRN 322. Both these assignments indicate my achievement of competency 4.E.

The Identifying Language Demands assignment from TCH_LRN 413, required me to think and

reflect on a lesson plan I previously created. This reflection allowed me to use my critical thinking to

identify the language functions of my lesson, opportunities to practice the specific language function,

and identify additional language demands that students will need to understand such as vocabulary,

syntax, and discourse. In order to accurately identify language functions, I reflected and analyzed the

lesson plan and my experiences. While completing this assignment I asked myself, what will students do

with the language? What is the objective? How can students practice using the language in multiple

ways? What do the students need to understand? In asking myself these questions, I have learned that

identifying language functions and demands are extremely important for students, but especially for

English Language Learners. Specifically, in order for language learners to reach higher levels of

proficiency, they must acquire the functions and forms that make up the language. In conclusion,

content teaching and language teaching go hand in hand, because students need both to succeed.
The second piece of evidence that supports my achievement of this competency is the Writing

Lesson I created in TCH_LRN 322. In this writing lesson I asked myself, how can I differentiate the lesson

to ensure it is accessible to all students? What will I do if students are struggling? What will I do if the

assignment is too easy for students? How can I ensure all my students will have the support they need

to understand the academic language? How can I focus on language proficiency levels? While reflecting

on these thoughts, I thought of Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s different theories. These theories show that

students learn in different ways because although they contain similarities, they are also very different,

like students are as a well. These theories reminded me of the importance of differentiating lessons. In

order to provide students with the best teaching methods suitable to them I must understand my

students thinking.

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has helped me achieve this competency and complete

the Identifying Language Demands assignment, because it demonstrates the multiple means of

engagement, representation, action and expression. Through this I have learned that students need to

be taught language functions. In order for educators to properly teach language functions, we must

plan, differentiate, and use materials that are specific to the needs of every student. To differentiate my

lessons, I can provide alternative representations, translations, and link ideas to student’s native

language. Although I am pleased with this assignment, my understandings, and reflection, I still ask

myself what could I do differently to better my own education to better support my students? I would

like to analyze and reflect on how different types of language (academic and social) require different

plans and materials.

Through my advanced practicum and courses, I can clearly see the impact of the classroom and

diversity on student learning. For example, during my advanced practicum, I had an ELL who was

uncomfortable in her table group because she was the only one who didn’t speak English. This was
brought to my attention by the students work and their mother. Simply moving her near another

Spanish speaking student she exceled and now she is comfortable sitting by other students than just the

ones who speak Spanish. Additionally, during my advanced practicum I had many opportunities to plan,

modify my lessons, and to teach lessons. Therefore, I feel I have achieved competency 4.E.

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