| Designing Coherent Instruction |
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Effective teachers use their knowledge of students, content and pedagogy to design instruction that is purposeful, organized, logical, and clear.
My ability to design instruction that meets these criteria at the macro level is demonstrated through the Course Syllabus I wrote for a unit study of Korean history and culture. My awareness of environmental elements that contribute to effective learning is demonstrated in directed Reading Response 6 for chapter 6: The Design of Learning Environments, by Bransford et. al. I applied my growing comprehension of how people learn and the environmental elements that promote meaningful learning by designing a webquest titled The Stories in History that incorporates these features at all levels. During the course of the unit students engage in activities that lead them toward multi-faceted understanding, frequent reflection on their learning, thinking, and information processing, and connecting their content area learning to content standards. The theoretical foundations for the unit are explained in the Rationale on the TEACHER INTRODUCTION page of the webquest. The Stories in History unit study requires a significant time investment, the Rationale explains that this time is merited because the kind of thinking the students engage in during this time is proven to be effective for maximizing learning that lasts. Activities in the PROCESS and CONCLUSION portions of the unit study progress sequentially, with sub activities provided to build needed knowledge and process skills. In particular, extensive support is given to develop research and group process skills. These skills are identified in the learning objectives, reflected on throughout the unit, and assessed at the end. My understanding of the value and means of integrating technology into instructional design is demonstrated in directed Reading Response 11 of chapter 9 in Bransford: �Technology to Support Learning� and an extensive review of instructional websites in Application Activity 11 using five criteria for optimizing technology integration that are derived from the research described in Bransford. |
| Standard I- The teacher designs instruction appropriate for all students that reflects an understanding of relevant content and is based on continuous and appropriate assessment. |
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| The beginning teacher knows and understands:
1.19k the importance of designing instruction that reflects the TEKS; 1.20k features of instruction that maximize students� thinking skills; 1.21k the importance of planning lessons and structuring units so that activities progress in a logical sequence; 1.22k how materials, technology, and other resources may be used to support instructional goals and objectives and engage students in meaningful learning; 1.23k the benefits of designing instruction that integrates content across disciplines; and 1.24k the importance of engaging in continuous monitoring and self-assessment of instructional effectiveness. |
| The beginning teacher is able to:
1.19s plan instructional activities that progress sequentially and support stated instructional goals based on the TEKS; 1.20s select instructional resources that support instructional goals, enhance student achievement, and engage students in learning; 1.21s use varied activities and instructional groupings to engage students in instructional content and meet instructional goals and objectives; 1.22s allocate time appropriately within lessons and units, including providing adequate opportunities for students to engage in reflection and closure; and 1.23s provide students with opportunities to explore content from many perspectives. |
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| Reflection and Evidence |
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