Standard+2.1++Knowledge+of+learners+and+learning

//**Reflection - AASL Standard 2.1: Knowledge of learners and learning **// As a media specialist it is important to design instruction based on state and national standards that includes student interests, needs, information processes, assessments and evaluation tools to ensure that the needs of all learners are met, and that student achievement is the main focus. In ISTC 667 Instructional Design we used the Pebbles in the Pond instructional method to design a lesson on teaching research skills. For my lesson I chose to do a collaborative research project with a special educator at the fifth grade level on Native Americans. The Pebbles in the Pond method includes an analysis of student needs and evaluation of their prior knowledge. In addition, this method also allows the instructor to outline the goals, standards, objectives and to identify possible problems that need to be addressed for the students to be successful. To ensure success assessment and evaluation tools along with suggested remediation methods are included for the instructor as well as the students to ensure completion of the task. I found this method to be quite successful while collaboratively teaching the Native American Research Project. By taking this initial plan and tweeking certain parts over the past two years based on student feedback as well as instructor evaluation, this project using the Big6 Research Process is now done each fall with the fifth graders at our school. I also anticipate that this plan will be a good tool to use with two new fifth grade teachers at our school this year, since it has proven to be successful in the past. In addition to using instructional plans in a media base curriculum it is also important to use other instructional strategies that meet the needs of all students including special education and ELL students. In our REED 620 Children’s and Young Adult Literature class we explored various instructional strategies to teach using picture books. Some of these strategies included methods such as visualization, comparison and contrast as well as using wordless picture books. I found the use of wordless picture books to be quite effective since we have had an increase of ELL students in our school in the past couple of years. Wordless picture book lessons have allowed all students to find a common ground with literature, and have also served as a great tool to allow students to collaborate. While collaborating the students ELL students improve upon their English language skills and all of the students develop better reading strategies such as their understanding of literary elements and inference skills. The artifact that I have chosen to demonstrate how wordless picture books can be used to support diverse learning needs is a summary of an activity that we did while taking this class. I have used this summary to develop lesson plans throughout the year which not only introduces this form of literature to our students but also assists in improving their language as well as reading skills that are being taught in the regular classroom setting. Besides enhancing learning within the regular classroom setting a media specialist can also make curriculum connections for students if they are aware of what is taught in the other special classes like art, music and physical education. Since these special classes are offered to meet the interests as well as the needs of the students to ensure the development of a well rounded learner, it is important that media specialists use these opportunities as well to teach across the curriculum. As an alternative evaluation process offered in our county, teachers are allowed to collaborate and develop a unit of study that focuses on teaching across the curriculum. One such project that I participated in included collaborating with the music teacher to teach a fable unit to first grade students in our school. This project not only tied in music standards as well as media standards but also reinforced what was being taught in the regular classroom in the reading series as well as an author study that was being done on Arnold Lobel. Since the music teacher was working on songs that related to Aesop’s Fables, I built background by reading aloud and using videos found in United Streaming that presented the fables to the students. In addition, we also discussed and took notes about what made up a fable and what types of characters are used in fables. Once the students background knowledge was built about fables, the music teacher continued to direct the students in performance numbers and I worked with the students on writing their own fables. The overall objective was to have an exhibition night in which the students would perform as well as show their movies that they created using Photo Story to produce their own fable. During the exhibition the students would also have the opportunity to also explain what they had learned throughout this unit of study. The artifact that I have provided is a student created movie that tells the fable that they wrote and created as a group. This project was quite successful and I mainly contribute its’ success to the fact that it was taught across the curriculum and involved teaching strategies that related to Gardner’s multiple intelligences thus having a direct impact on diverse learning styles.



**First Grade Fable Project Student Video Click Below to Play**

media type="youtube" key="PJ-wG_gk93I?hl=en" height="260" width="359"