EDU 6990 Reflection Six Standard 2

Med. Program Standard 2:

Standard 2: Analyze learning to promote student growth

Courses Aligned with Standard:

EDU 6979

EDU 6528

Original Assumptions:

From the beginning of the course I was a novice teacher with some leadership skills. I led a 
Geometry Professional Learning Community (PLC), collaborated heavily with others in my 
math department over baseline exams, awards, etc. However, I felt that I lacked the full traits 
of being considered “a leader”. Over the course of the quarter I will admit I was a bit scared 
going into this program due to a possibly extreme learning curve especially not being in the 
University Place School District (UPSD). I was thankfully surprised over the support I received 
over the time by the class facilitator, Angie Franklin, and the rest of the classmates.

Learning Experience:

Based off of the standards I learned from Seattle Pacific University’s School of Education I felt 
I gained the most in:

Standard 2: Analyze learning to promote student growth.

Standard 4:  Engage in analysis of teaching and collaborative practices.

With my district’s Danielson Framework of TPEP I found that I did use most of what I was taught in 
my classroom already. The standards included were:

         1e: Designing Coherent Instructions

         4a: Reflecting on Teaching

         4d Participating in the Professional Community

         4e Growing and Developing Professionally

    During the course of the quarter I found that an accomplished teacher always reflects on their 
practices. They are ones that look back at their lessons, see how well it went, and how to alter their 
plans for the future. In this class I found that the reflective strategies have helped. Brookhart, S. M. 
(2016) pointed out that lessons that support higher-order learning are also likely to interest and engage 
students. So I focused my time reflecting on how I could structure my lessons to interest the students. 
During the first meeting with the rest of the UPSD cohort I found the coaching session to be quite 
useful. Working with Pat Perkins during the coaching session, I wanted him to focus the time on 
methods to engage my students and an area in which I struggled was questioning and discussion 
techniques. Hintz, A., Kazemi, E. (2014) pointed out that the goal of questioning and discussion 
techniques are what the teacher can listen for, ideas to pursue, and which to highlight in the lesson. His 
years of expertise helped shape my lesson on lesson 3.2, different types of angle pairs to promote 
discussion as well as making it relevant to students. While forming the lesson plan for me to teach, his 
knowledge of English pushed me to influence more vocabulary by incorporating different strategies 
into the lessons to benefit my students learning geometry.

   After taking what my coaching partner told me I taught my lesson to my students. The overall lesson 
went well, but I knew I could have done better. Before showing it to the cohort, I wrote down different 
ways I could have improved the lesson so the class could tell me if that component would have been a 
better choice  During the second cohort session I was placed with Conrado Julian, Vanessa Oh, and 
 Cleo Hagen. We reviewed each other’s lessons and gave critiques. I was glad to have teachers who did 
not know me too well to examine my lesson and give me critiques with less of a bias. The overall 
experience was useful as they gave more ideas on how to alter my lessons to engage more students and 
more questioning techniques. York-Barr et a. (2006) found that in groups, more resources are available 
and the participants gain significant improvements with their colleagues.

Reflection:

From this class I can now consider myself a more accomplished teacher and closer to my goal 
of being a leader. As I continue my future lesson planning I will make sure to influence more 
lessons that will engage students. For example, at the end of this unit that I am teaching on 
Transformations, my Geometry PLC and I will be giving the students a project I designed, 
“Transformations Logo Project” as a way to demonstrate to my students how geometry is used 
in everyday life in a creative way. This was also a way to keep students engaged. As William 
noted, “ high-engagement classroom environments appear to have a significant impact on 
student achievement” (p.81). I will also keep pushing myself to look for more questioning and 
discussion techniques for my lessons. As I continue to pursue my goals I will continuously look
 back on this class as it has been beneficial to how I reflect on my instructional practices.

Artifacts Listed in Reflection	Cohort Members in Reflection
Danielson Framework Lesson Plan Lesson from SMART board Transformation Logo Project	Cleo Hagen Conrado Julian Vanessa Oh Pat Perkins

Works Cited

Brookhart, S. M. (2016). Start With Higher-Order Thinking. Educational Leadership, 74(2), 10-15.

Hintz, A., Kazemi, E. (2014). Intentional Talk: How to Structure and Lead Productive Mathematical
Discussions. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

The Danielson Group. (2013). The Framework for Teaching Evaluation Instrument 2013 Edition. 
Princeton, NJ: Danielson, C.

York-Barr, J., Sommers, W.A., Ghere, G.S., & Montie, J. (2006). Reflective Practice to Improve 
Schools: An Action Guide for Educators.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

William, Dylan (2011). Embedded Formative Assessment. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

EDU 6990 Reflection Five Standard 10

Med. Program Standard 10:

Standard 10: Teacher leaders will understand effective use of research-based instructional practices.

Courses Aligned with Standard:

EDU 6526: Survey of Instructional Strategies

Original Assumptions:

To be an effective teacher leader you have to have knowledge of different forms of instructional 
practices that have been backed by multiple, reliable research sources. As Ausubel (1968) argues 
that the most important factor in influencing learning is what the learner is already competent in 
and the position of the teacher toward teaching according to what they do and do not know.

Learning Experience:

From the course I learned quite a bit on how to utilize instructional practices that would help 
students succeed. For example, I was not fully understood about the benefits of learning 
objectives and their place in reference in the classroom. Dean et al. (2012), it is noted that 
learning objectives, “should clearly communicate what students need to learn” (p.5). I definitely 
implement that into the classroom. Another classmate in the UPSD cohort informed me that exit
 tickets are an easy and useful method of seeing if the students can articulate the learning 
objectives. As Lalor note, “Including the goal in the learning experience allows the teacher to 
see the connection between what the students are going to learn and what they are going to do” 
(p.117). Even in the form of exit tickets it is extremely helpful. William (2011) finds, “exit pass 
questions work best when there is a natural break in the instruction; the teacher then has time to 
read through the students’ responses and decide what to do next” (p. 92). Being a math teacher I 
need students to know how to take proper notes. Pitler and Stone (2012)  on pages 198-200 gives
 a proper rubric on the design and implementation of note-taking. For example, when it comes to 
giving students teacher-prepares notes I rate myself a four out of four. All the notes I have on the
 screen are easily accessible at any point in time. However, with mathematics I rarely use multiple 
types of note taking formats so I rate myself a zero out of four for using the webbing model as well 
as the use of combination notes. I do allow students to change how they want to take notes. They can 
use their iPads or use a notebook. They can also alter how they take their notes with it having the table of 
contents at the beginning and be able tell me where each section begins. I would rate myself a three out of 
four. The ultimate goal in my instruction is to reinforce effort into the instruction. Dean et. al. (2012) states, 

“when teachers reinforce effort, they translate the belief that all students can learn into actions that can 
help make the belief a reality (p. 21). To help monitor how I can become a better instructor I create two 
Professional Growth Plans (PGP). In them I made plans to help reinforce effort in the classroom in a detailed 
way and to work on teaching note-taking skills to my students.

Reflection:

After going through the class. I have goals for myself that I have implemented this year. So far the note-taking 
PGP has been going somewhat successfully. The problem is with students not having the materials because of lack 
of financial means at home. For the other one I found it useful in my instruction. I will continue to utilize the PGPs 
in my instruction as a guide in order to help grow as an educator. Overall, this class has worked well with looking at
 different methods of instruction and how I could help myself and others work on being stronger educators.

Works Cited

Ausubel, D. P. (1968). Educational Psychology: A cognitive vie. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Dean, C. B., Hubbell, E. R., Pitler, H., & Stone, B. (2012). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for 
increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for supervision & curriculum development, VA.

Lalor, A. D. (2017). Ensuring High-Quality Curriculum: How to Design, Revise, or Adopt  

Curriculum Aligned to Student Success. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Pitler, H., & Stone, B. (2012). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. 
Alexandria, VA: Association for supervision & curriculum development, VA.

William, Dylan (2011). Embedded Formative Assessment. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

EDU 6990 Reflection Four Standard 9

Med. Program Standard 9:

Evaluate and use effective curriculum design

Courses Aligned with Standard:

EDU 6613

Original Assumptions:

      From the course I was unaware what went into designing a curriculum. What I did know was the 
importance that it met the standards presented for the grade level and subject. It also had to flow 
smoothly between each concept while building upon each other. As Lalor (2017) noted, “formal 
curriculum describes what students need to know, be able to do, and be like through statements in the 
form of national and local standards, content specific understandings and practices, district- or 
teacher-generated outcomes and objectives, and other types of learning targets” (p. 3). I did not fully 
grasp the amount of work and effort put into the curriculum.

Learning Experience:

      From what I gained in the course there was much more to it than I initially thought. As 
Martin-Kniep (1999 FROM LALOR)  found curriculum has several layers such as formal, operational, 
taught, assessed, and learned. Each one has its importance and intricacies. A curriculum has to follow 
certain areas of those layers to help the curriculum to being helpful toward student engagement and 
learning. After going through the course I was fortunate enough to evaluate the math curriculum, Big 
Ideas Math how to see how it faired with Lalor (2017)’s claims about good curriculum. For example, 
the standard, HSG-GPE.B.7, “use coordinates to compute perimeters of polygons and areas of triangles 
and rectangles, e.g., using the distance formula” (Common Core Standards Initiative, 2010, p. 78) is 
loosely used for a formative activity early in the first chapter. The task aligned to the standard, “Game 
Closet: Race for the Distance” did not assess students in figuring the lengths of polygons using the 
distance and midpoint formula. However, it was a good method of giving practice to my students. 
Looking at more standards, my class EDU 6613 looked at how the standards aligned with lessons or 
activities in the curriculum. I specifically looked at the first chapter which is the foundation to all of 
geometry. Enclosed is my analysis of the lessons and activities with their relation to the standards that 
it was with.

I went further into the curriculum and analyzed the entire geometry book. While looking through
 it I analyzed key areas of interest and concerns inside the vast digital tools and textbook. During
 the time I found topics that went with or against claims made by Lalor (YEAR). As William 
(2011) notes, “teachers must acknowledge that what their students learn is not necessarily what 
they intended, and is inevitable because of the unpredictability of teaching” (p. 75). There were 
areas in the curriculum where I could add on if I wanted to in order for students to have an 
enrichment or extension of the curriculum. I also found an emphasis of the formative 
assessments throughout each lesson. As Cowie & Bell (1999) note formative assessment as, 
“the process used by teachers in order to enhance that learning, during the learning” (p. 32). 
Enclosed is my complete analyze of the Big Ideas Geometry curriculum and how effective it is 
toward helping students master the concepts.

      

Reflection:

After going through the course I realized the amount of work designers of a curriculum go 
through. It is rather fascinating to see all the intricate details that have to be placed into it in 
order for it to be engaging, full of knowledge, and easy to use. This has also helped me see what 
committees look for when they are adopting a new curriculum. They look for how it meets their 
needs and how it matches what the district is wanting to accomplish. As I continue to grow as a 
teacher I hope to be placed in roles where we look at new mathematics curriculum to help students 
achieve mastery in mathematical subjects.

Works Cited

Cowie, B. & Bell, B. (1999(. A model of formative assessment in science education. Asssessment in 
Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 6(1), 32-42.

Lalor, A. D. (2017). Ensuring High-Quality Curriculum: How to Design, Revise, or Adopt  

Curriculum Aligned to Student Success. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Martin-Kniep, G.O. (2006, April). Asessing worthy outcomes. Presentation for the Assessment 
Liasons Program, Albany, NY.

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, & Council of Chief State School Officers. 
(2010). Common Core State Standards for Mathematics: Expressing Geometric Properties with 
Equations. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/Math/Content/HSG/GPE/

William, Dylan (2011). Embedded Formative Assessment. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

EDU 6990 Reflection Three Standard 11

Med. Program Standard 11:

Utilize formative and summative assessment in a standards-based environment

Courses Aligned with Standard:

EDU 6613

Original Assumptions:

      Education is important to students. It provides them a view of the world and how they can make an 
impact on it. As a teacher I am responsible to get students to understand key issues that they can 
overcome. Working in the specific subject of math, my goal is for students to be able to critically think
 deductively and inductively with a major emphasis on problem-solving skills. To check to see if 
students understand the material is through the use of assessments. Whether it is formative or 
summative the uses are to analyze what students know and how as a teacher I can effectively teach my 
students. From this course, Standards-based Assessment I was given a main goal, to “utilize formative 
and summative assessment in a standards-based environment.” From that class goal I am to think how 
far I have come from when I started the course to the end.

      

         My views on standards-based assessment have been a bit misguided. Whenever I have heard the 
term used it has been in connection with a school wide grading system. I was unaware of the use of the 
term toward formative and summative assessments. During the duration of the class I was opened up to
 new ideas to how I can help my curriculum become better to teach students with. As Lalor (2017) notes, 
“formal curriculum describes what students need to know, be able to do, and be like through statements 
in the form of national and local standards, content-specific understandings and practices, district- or 
teacher-generated outcomes and objectives, and other types of learning targets” (p. 3). By adding 
formative and summative assessments into the curriculum it allows for teachers, like myself, to give 
students an education with a curriculum that properly focuses on student learning.

Learning Experience:

         From the course there are two goals. The first is for the person to, “develop a sense of assessment 
vocabulary and conversation”. After taking this course I have learned the importance of developing more 
conversations with my students as well as the use of the curriculum’s vocabulary. I first want to make sure 
all activities are aligned with standards. “Standards that are taught and assessed are the standards that are 
the focus of instruction and are evaluated during the unit of study” (Lalor, 2017, p. 35). After analyzing my
 curriculum I found I have to add in formative assessments that assess student understanding of the 
vocabulary and content in multiple areas. It also has to be engaging to the students. As Williams (2011) 
points out, “high-engagement classroom environments appear to have a significant impact on student 
achievement” (p. 81).

         The second goal is to, “define and implement a strong understanding of sound classroom assessment 
practice and experience within an authentic classroom context.” After taking the class I learned that it 
means to have proper formative and summative assessments. One area I focus deeply on are formative 
assessments. As Lalor (2017) points out, “formative assessment serves as a check for understanding” (p. 82). 
With my formative assessments that I have used in my geometry curriculum I now learned I should create a 
variety of formative assessments. Lalor (2017) finds that feedback comes in a different forms are in peer 
conferencing, creates small-group discussions, students seeing if they are aligned using rubrics and checklists. 
Most importantly is the feedback is descriptive toward each student. In the Figure 1 is my learning progression 
for a particular unit in geometry. The green squares represent different formative assessments used in the class. 
From left to right each formative assessment helps me figure out how my students are progressing and what they 
need if they have not mastered the concepts. As Williams (2011) states, “the processes are: finding out where 
learners are in their learning, finding out where they are going, and finding out how to get there” (p. 45). With 
each of the formative assessments they have different methods of assessing students but also giving me as the 
teacher ideas on where the students need to go next. For example, I have a Kahoot game planned for my students.
 It is a fun and interesting method to assess the understanding in my students. With that I will have to look at the 
rest of the curriculum to ensure they are getting proper formative assessments that will help them succeed. As 
Nitko (2001) notes that performance assessments are those that will require students to demonstrate achievement 
by a variety of methods. In those formative assessments I can have my students solve in different methods.

Figure 1

      

Reflection:

Overall the class has been helpful. The ideas presented by the instructor and the fellow classmates have 
been helpful in finding new methods to proving students with stronger, research-based instruction. As Silver,
 Berckemeyer, and Baenen (2015) note, “By having students solve problems, students practice authentic 
learning rather than merely memorizing” (p. 92). Through problems within the formative assessments such 
as the ones presented in Figure 1 my students will be given an authentic education. I also have learned how 
to create a better conversation with my students toward them understanding the curriculum. Since the school 
year is starting soon I will work to look through how I have taught in the past with the curriculum and 
construct new progression of tasks using formative and summative assessments. After taking this course I 
know my students will receive a stronger education.

Works Cited

Lalor, A. D. (2017). Ensuring High-Quality Curriculum: How to Design, Revise, or Adopt  

Curriculum Aligned to Student Success. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Nitko, A. J. (2001). Educational Assessment of Students (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, Nj:

Prentice-Hall

Silver, D., Berckemeyer, J. C., & Baenen, J. (2015). Deliberate Optimism: Reclaiming the Joy in

Education. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

William, Dylan (2011). Embedded Formative Assessment. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.