Evaluate the teachers’ use of high-leverage practices by discussing how the teacher implemented checking student understanding during and at the conclusion of lessons. I teach art at an elementary school with approximately 530 students. I only teach art to students in kindergarten through 5th grade. This 5th-grade art class has 21 students aged 10 to 12. Out of this class, 12 are Caucasian, 6 are African American, 1 is Biracial, 1 is Asian, and 1 is Hispanic. Seven of the students in this class participate in our district's gifted program. The students qualify for the gifted program in various ways, so the abilities and personalities of students in the gifted program vary greatly. I plan art to integrate lessons with science and social. Students know that art instruction is important to their quality of life and that I expect them to work cooperatively to study and experience art. There are 2 instructional challenges with this class: lack of experience in formally studying, interpreting, and evaluating art on their own and lack of supporting details in analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating art. My primary instructional goal was for students to use cooperative group skills to discuss and write a critique of a work of art sponsored by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and understand the historical significance of the WPA and the work of art. Additionally, I wanted students to compare their critique of the artwork to that of the professionals at the Smithsonian and present their findings and critique to the class. These goals were appropriate for my students because they were based on my state's standards in visual arts and aligned with the 5th-grade social studies and language arts curriculum. I ensure fairness, equity, and access for all students. Students were studying high-quality work by male and female artists from diverse ethnicities. I encouraged contact between students and the teacher, used cooperative learning, used active learning techniques, provided prompt feedback, emphasized time on task, communicated high expectations, and showed respect for diverse talents and ways of learning. I used a variety of procedures and teaching strategies to promote student interaction with me and with each other. I chose to have students work in groups so they could cooperate to complete the project. Most students had finished the description step in their packet, so I used whole-group instruction to clarify the next analysis step and demonstrated the process with the artwork. I used small groups to foster student participation in the description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of art and to have students interact with me as I assessed where they were in the project. Specifically, I selected teaching strategies about multiple intelligences that addressed different types of learners. The SMART Board and computer showed the instructional goals and the day's agenda. The students had been working in groups, and most had finished the descriptive section, so I used the whole group moment to remind students they should be moving on to analysis and gave them a visual reminder of the procedures and strategies for the day. As a team member, students were expected to exert high effort and perseverance toward goal achievement. In addition, as individual groups were studying art, I moved around the room to monitor and facilitate learning in every group. I ensured student support by providing appropriate materials, rigorously monitoring student participation, giving individual and group assistance, and talking with my students in an informal and friendly tone. The SMART Board had steps I constructed to make it easier for all my students to reach. My classroom was set up following the ITI, Integrated Thematic Instruction, principles using soft lighting and muted colors to not distract students from the learning process. This was evident using a table lamp and the absence of bright colors on the walls. Behind the SMART Board were words from the state Art Education Standards K-5. I engaged students in meaningful discussions concerning art's definition, description, and evaluation. I found the strategy of using cooperative learning teams was effective in advancing student understanding of concepts and processes and developing positive attitudes towards learning. They knew that once they completed their group critique, they could open their Smithsonian packet and compare answers to the experts' answers. I made anecdotal notes during group work, administered and reviewed exit slips, reviewed group study-guide responses, had students individually complete a chart that compared and contrasted their answers with the Smithsonian experts' critique in the sealed envelope in the group packet, and had groups share their results with the class.
Evaluate the teachers’ use of high-leverage practices by discussing how the teacher implemented checking student understanding during and at the conclusion of lessons.
I teach art at an elementary school with approximately 530 students. I only teach art to students in kindergarten through 5th grade. This 5th-grade art class has 21 students aged 10 to 12. Out of this class, 12 are Caucasian, 6 are African American, 1 is Biracial, 1 is Asian, and 1 is Hispanic. Seven of the students in this class participate in our district's gifted program. The students qualify for the gifted program in various ways, so the abilities and personalities of students in the gifted program vary greatly. I plan art to integrate lessons with science and social. Students know that art instruction is important to their quality of life and that I expect them to work cooperatively to study and experience art. There are 2 instructional challenges with this class: lack of experience in formally studying, interpreting, and evaluating art on their own and lack of supporting details in analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating art. My primary instructional goal was for students to use cooperative group skills to discuss and write a critique of a work of art sponsored by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and understand the historical significance of the WPA and the work of art. Additionally, I wanted students to compare their critique of the artwork to that of the professionals at the Smithsonian and present their findings and critique to the class. These goals were appropriate for my students because they were based on my state's standards in visual arts and aligned with the 5th-grade social studies and language arts curriculum. I ensure fairness, equity, and access for all students. Students were studying high-quality work by male and female artists from diverse ethnicities. I encouraged contact between students and the teacher, used cooperative learning, used active learning techniques, provided prompt feedback, emphasized time on task, communicated high expectations, and showed respect for diverse talents and ways of learning. I used a variety of procedures and teaching strategies to promote student interaction with me and with each other. I chose to have students work in groups so they could cooperate to complete the project. Most students had finished the description step in their packet, so I used whole-group instruction to clarify the next analysis step and demonstrated the process with the artwork. I used small groups to foster student participation in the description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of art and to have students interact with me as I assessed where they were in the project. Specifically, I selected teaching strategies about multiple intelligences that addressed different types of learners. The SMART Board and computer showed the instructional goals and the day's agenda. The students had been working in groups, and most had finished the descriptive section, so I used the whole group moment to remind students they should be moving on to analysis and gave them a visual reminder of the procedures and strategies for the day. As a team member, students were expected to exert high effort and perseverance toward goal achievement. In addition, as individual groups were studying art, I moved around the room to monitor and facilitate learning in every group. I ensured student support by providing appropriate materials, rigorously monitoring student participation, giving individual and group assistance, and talking with my students in an informal and friendly tone. The SMART Board had steps I constructed to make it easier for all my students to reach. My classroom was set up following the ITI, Integrated Thematic Instruction, principles using soft lighting and muted colors to not distract students from the learning process. This was evident using a table lamp and the absence of bright colors on the walls. Behind the SMART Board were words from the state Art Education Standards K-5. I engaged students in meaningful discussions concerning art's definition, description, and evaluation. I found the strategy of using cooperative learning teams was effective in advancing student understanding of concepts and processes and developing positive attitudes towards learning. They knew that once they completed their group critique, they could open their Smithsonian packet and compare answers to the experts' answers. I made anecdotal notes during group work, administered and reviewed exit slips, reviewed group study-guide responses, had students individually complete a chart that compared and contrasted their answers with the Smithsonian experts' critique in the sealed envelope in the group packet, and had groups share their results with the class.
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