Mini Project #2
EPS 490ASA
Jill McCue
Proposal and Analysis
Each year I teach a self-contained
science class for deaf or hard of hearing high school students. This year I am teaching Biology 1-2 to two
sophomore bilingual (they are from Spanish speaking homes) deaf and hard of
hearing boys. While I try to maintain a
high school work atmosphere and meet early high school state standards in
science the language/reading grade level of the class is 3.0 – 4.0. I require that an organized notebook be kept
of all work for each chapter.
My proposal involves the use of five portfolio
selections for each chapter and reflections on the students’ choices as an
additional assessment of the material they have learned. While I will continue to have the students
maintain notebooks of vocabulary, notes, questions from the book, labs,
worksheets, reviews, quizzes and tests, I will guide them in selecting five
pieces each chapter that were important to them. These pieces will include the piece they enjoyed the most, the
piece they learned the most from, the piece they are most proud of, the piece
that was most difficult for them and the piece that was most connected to
another class or other learning they have encountered. At the end of each unit I will give each boy
five yellow post-it notes on which they will write the five categories
above. They will select their pieces
and attach the corresponding post-it note to each assignment. The students will then be responsible for analyzing
their choices and reflecting on why they chose the entries that they did. One paragraph of explanatory/reflective
writing will be required for each selection.
These reflections will become part of their science portfolio. It is my intention that at the semester exam
the students will accumulate all chapter selections and reflections and after
analyzing their entries the students will write a reflective review of their
semester in Biology. This assessment would
take the place of the “regular” multiple choice/open ended question exam I
would normally administer. The
expectations for this final reflection will be discussed as well as a rubric
for evaluating their writing. I will
look for a comprehensive review of the semester’s concepts and a critical
evaluation of the types of pieces that were commonly selected each chapter and
what this says about their learning.
For example if a student discovers that throughout the semester the
entry they found to be most difficult was the beginning vocabulary for each
chapter I would expect that he would relate this to the difficulty he has with
language because of his hearing loss and the fact that science uses language
that is not found in normal conversation.
I hope that each student will detect patterns in their portfolios and be
able to verbally explain these. I am
considering making a copy of the Illinois science standards for each student so
that he can identify which pieces fit which standards. This component will be added if I find the
time at the end of the semester to teach about the standards and what they
mean.
I have decided to add this
portfolio/reflection assessment component to my science class because the
students maintain a notebook out of necessity for a grade not because they seem
of value to their education. When
teaching deaf and hard of hearing students one must teach English and writing
in every content area. The chapter
portfolio reflections will provide frequent opportunities to practice narrative
writing and proofreading. My students
love to use the computers and allowing them to type a formal reflection page is
motivating to them. It is also possible
to access the science state standards on line so that further computer use is
encouraged and rewarded. This portfolio
is an avenue for my students to share their work, progress and thoughts with
their parents. At each parent
conference I will have the portfolios available if any parents attend. These parents do not normally attend
conferences so at the end of each unit, 3-4 chapters, I will ask the students
to share their portfolio at home. I am
considering awarding extra credit if the parents write some type of
opinion/evaluation of their student’s work.
Improving my student’s use of technology is a goal of mine so I plan to
assist the students in scanning all of their entries and reflections and
burning a Biology 1-2 portfolio CD-rom for each of them. Second semester exam may be a Power Point
presentation showing their selections and expounding on the semester in review
and analysis of their choices. This proposal seems to involve authentic
evaluation of learning as the students use metacognitive skills to analyze
their entries. As they review their
selections for the semester exam they will not be memorizing facts that will be
forgotten, but reflecting on their learning styles, content of the course, and
personal strengths and weaknesses.
While this task may be more daunting than rote memorization of
information I am sure it will provide realizations and insight about themselves
and the study of Biology.
KWL Chart
|
Know |
Want to Learn |
Learned |
|
1. The students only keep up the Biology notebooks
because they are required to have one.
|
11. Will the students have to study as much as they
would for a comprehensive mult. choice, T/F, matching exam? |
|
NIA/Streamwood
High School
Curriculum
Mapping and Alignment
Grade: 9th and 10th
Subject: Biology 1-2
Teacher: Jill McCue
Items in red are components of proposal and are different from
previous years
|
Month |
Content/Topic |
Skills Needed |
Resources |
Assessment/Product |
State Standards (9/01-11/01) |
IEP Goals (9/01–5/02) |
|
Sept.
Oct. |
Everyday uses of Biology Safety equipment and
contract for use of tools Tools of Biology Measurement in science Scientific method Features of living things Cell structures Cell/tissue/organ/organ
system organization Osmosis/diffusion
processes Portfolio
introduction Computer lab
intro Kingdom/classification
history and system Introduction to animal
kingdom Features of animals Traits of sponges Traits/examples of
coelenterates Traits/examples of
flatworms Traits/examples of
roundworms Traits/examples of annelid
worms Traits/examples of
mollusks Traits/examples of
arthropods Traits/examples of
echinoderms Traits/examples of
chordates Traits/examples of
vertebrates Portfolio
selections and reflections Introduction of
rubric and state standards Computer use |
Realizing
relationship to life and past
knowledge Symbol reading Acknowledgment of responsibility for self Obtaining accuracy in
measurements Converting measurements Knowledge of decimals,
multiplying and dividing Sequencing Estimating and predicting Classifying Direction
reading/following Text reading and note
taking Recall/comparison of cell
parts and functions Reflecting on learning/metacognition Writing for a
purpose using Word/computer use Realizing the need for and
recalling groupings in everyday life Evaluating traits and
categorizing of items Recalling classification
levels Evaluating similarities
and differences in living things based on number of groupings shared Producing time line of
scientists who classified living things Evaluating pictures of
animals for traits specific to phyla given Comparing and contrasting
of animals by traits Text reading and note
taking Direction
reading/following Reflecting on
learning/metacognition Review of
previous selections to analyze selections Writing for a
purpose using Word/computer use |
Text
Work
text Pictures
of careers Microscope Metric
rulers Lab
equip. /supplies Computers Text
Work
text Lab
equipment Paper
objects Worm
lab supplies Animal picture books Computers |
Vocabulary matching Reflect and Review
questions Worksheets Lab write-ups and activity
sheets Testing Yourself chapter
reviews Sequence activities for
scientific method Measurement/scale drawing
practices Drawings of cells Labeling of microscope and
tools w/ yellow post it notes Chapter tests Notebook checks Group work checks Portfolio
reflections Vocabulary matching Reflect and Review
questions Worksheets Lab write-ups and activity
sheets Testing Yourself chapter
reviews Chapter tests Notebook checks Group work checks Portfolio
reflections Grouping paper objects activity Insect grouping lab Science equipment
classifying activity Classification mnemonic
and picture Building worm activity Comparing arthropods
activity Phylum identification quiz |
1.B.4a 1.C.4a 1.C.4c 1.C.4d 1.C.4f 3.A.4 3.B.4b 4.A.4a 4.A.4b 4.A.4c 7.A.4a 7.C.4b 7.C.4c 10.A.4a 11.A.4a 11.A.4b 11.A.4c 11.A.4e 11.A.4f 12.A.4b |
Review work to ask
clarification questions to complete homework. Complete homework and turn
in on time. Attempt work independently
before requesting help. Record work in planner. Read and follow multi-step
directions. Read a passage, use
context clues and importance before asking for assistance. Request help if grades
below a C. Use new vocabulary to
answer questions and participate in discussions. Use correct grammar,
punctuation, and capitalization when writing sentences. Decrease syntax errors in
sentences. Raise reading level. |
Assessment Analysis
This assignment has been quite rewarding for my
students and me. The portfolios and reflections
that my students have prepared for each of our four completed chapters were
viewed and evaluated by the parents of both students. This is the first time that I have been able to have any contact
with these Spanish-speaking families in two years!
The change that I implemented
involved teaching my Biology students to select five pieces from each chapter
that represented the following categories:
most proud of, most enjoyed, most difficult, learned most from and most
connected to other learning or class. A
paragraph reflecting on why they chose this piece and how it relates to their
learning is required for each selection.
This five-paragraph reflection is typed in the computer lab and
evaluated using the rubric that I created.
The portfolio selections, reflections, rubric, parent and student
response sheets and Illinois State Standards for Science are all kept in a
separate binder than other Biology work.
The students took their portfolios home for their parents to view
because neither family could attend parent conferences. The parents both responded on the parent
response sheet included in the binder and the students evaluated the portfolio
system. Our Bi-lingual Department secretary was more than happy to translate my
questionnaire into Spanish for the parents and the parent’s responses into
English for the students and me. I
began my analysis by revisiting the KWL chart that I had made to write the
proposal for the project. I completed
the Learned column and found that all of the information I wanted to know I now
know excluding the question about semester exams, which will take place in
January. All of the information that I
have learned during this project has been positive.
|
Know |
Want to
Learn |
Learned |
|
1.
Students only keep up their Biology notebooks because they are
required to do so.
2. Students do not reflect upon
progress or learn- ing during the semester until it is time for semester exams.
|
1.
Will the students be
more interested in maintaining the notebook knowing that they need the pieces
to select from for their portfolio? 2.
Will the students be
capable of reflecting on their learning and writing reflective statements? 3.
Will the students do
better on this reflective/summary type of exam than on traditional tests? 4.
Will the students be
willing to use study hall time to work in the computer lab on scanning and
word processing of portfolio? 5.
How much time do I need
to set aside for the computer scanning/typing of the semester portfolio? 6.
Will the parents see
the portfolios? 7.
Will the parents
respond to the opinion/evaluation form I will send home with the portfolio? 8.
Will the students be
enthusiastic about sharing/communicating with their families? 9.
Will the students be
deterred from expressing their thoughts knowing that their written language
is being evaluated? 10. Will the students retain the Biology content as
well as if they were taking a “standard” exam? 11. Will the students have to study as much as they
would for a comprehensive mult. choice, T/F, matching exam? |
|
I
In previous years that I have taught Biology I have required
the students to keep a science notebook that contained all of the work for the
year in a time organized format.
Students rarely revisited past chapters unless it was time for a
comprehensive exam. This project
provided me with the impetus to change this “notebook” system and to provide
the students with reflective writing practice.
After the students were taught how the rubric would be used to evaluate
their reflections and how the State Science Standards could be used in their
reflections I have seen a great change in the quality of their reflection
writing. I have observed the students
in the computer lab referring to the evaluation rubric as they compose their
answers. Below are examples from
Chapter 1 and Chapter 4/5 from both students.
I am copying their exact writing and grammar.
Student 1, Chapter 1 – “I enjoyed the measuring
workshop because it was easy. The
reason I enjoyed measuring because we were using the rulers and it was easy to
use and Mrs. McCue taught me how to measure for the workshop, only on the
paper. (This was a drawing of a floor plan and the students had to measure the
drawing and use the scale to figure the actual measurements. This student received a perfect grade on
this assignment.)
Student 1, Chapter 4 – “I enjoyed the R & R worksheet because it was kind of conflict for me. It was kind of conflict because I had to find out the answers to the question, and I had to look back in the book to find the answers. Most of the questions were hard for me so I asked for help. That’s why I enjoyed it. (This assignment involves answering comprehension questions from the reading. The student received