Lindsey Hancock Warden
Unit Planning
As I plan units for classroom use, there are two major methods that I utilize to most effectively plan instruction and support learners' journeys towards rigorous goals. The first method is based on a traditional unit plan, where activities are described for each day and students take a standard, multiple-choice assessment at the end of the unit. The second method is based in the Inquiry Design Model.
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Traditional Unit Planning
I often plan units in the traditional sense. After mapping out curriculum standards and texts, and brainstorming some thematic units for the years, I like to plan the first few units out so that they are ready to go when the school year begins. By drawing on my knowledge of curriculum, English literature, and other subjects, I design interesting and entertaining units for my students to enjoy.
This artifact depicts a typical unit plan that I have used in my classroom. This unit plan is aligned to the thematic long-term planning template on the previous page.
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My students in both school placements have always been very engaged with this unit because they get to read about two characters in this unit that they find very relatable. They also get to watch the filmed version of the core short story in the unit. By planning engaging instruction, I demonstrate knowledge of my learners.
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Additionally, this unit pushes students out of their comfort zones by incorporating fish bowl discussion. This draws on cross-disciplinary skills like speech and debate.
Inquiry Design Model
One practice that I implemented in my third year of teaching is the C3 Teachers Inquiry Design Model. This instructional method, which was first introduced to me as part of a professional development experience through the Smithsonian's Native Knowledge 360°, requires planning through a "blueprint," or "a one-page representation of the questions, tasks, and sources that define a curricular inquiry" (C3 Teachers). The blueprint allows teachers to envision and plan an entire unit based around a single compelling question that students will seek to answer through the unit's activities.
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IDM encourages students to explore information surrounding a given topic and form their own opinions, rather than merely consuming the opinions of the teacher. This instructional planning practice supports a major plank of my teaching philosophy, which is student-led learning.
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I utilize the inquiry design model primarily in my social studies classes, as in my IDM sample below, but I find that this style of instructional planning can easily translate to English Language Arts classes, as well.
Most importantly, the artifact demonstrates my ability to plan instruction that supports rigorous learning goals. The core of the IDM model requires students to use their learned knowledge and skills to answer a compelling question. In this sample, my students will determine what it means to live in a civilized society after juxtaposing Columbus's perceptions of indigenous people against texts that provide alternative perspectives.
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In this sample, I support every learner by planning three different methods of formative assessment. These assessments are open-ended, and designed to allow students to creatively demonstrate their knowledge and best work.
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The focus on featured readings and sources demonstrates my cross-disciplinary approach to learning. Though this is a history unit, there is still a very heavy focus on reading and writing.
Please click the slideshow below to view samples of student work related to this unit.
Brain-Targeted Teaching Unit Design
A practice I adopted based on my coursework at Johns Hopkins University is the implementation of brain-targeted teaching practices in my unit design. Mariale Hardiman (2012) notes that brain-targeted teaching "is a pedagogical framework that seeks to bridge research and practice by providing educators with a cohesive, usable model of effective instruction informed by findings from the neuro- and cognitive sciences." This model emphasizes six areas of teaching and learning as they relate to the brain, from establishing the proper emotional and physical learning environment to designing effective learning experiences (Hardiman, 2012). Please click on the slideshow below to read an overview of a brain-targeted teaching unit that I designed for use in my seventh grade reading classroom.
Reference:
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National Council for the Social Studies. The inquiry design model. C3 Teachers. Retrieved from: http://www.c3teachers.org/inquiry-design-model/
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Hardiman, M. (2012). Informing Pedagogy Through the Brain-Targeted Teaching Model. J Microbiol Biol Educ, 13(1), pp. 11-16.