Review of English IB 2nd Semester HCOA July 2010 Ron Charlotte Jeri-Lyn

Content Strengths 1)Good content that’s easily approachable for 9th graders Weaknesses 1) Most lessons only have one activity 2) Little or no student initiated discussions/activities/projects 3) Lessons lack depth 4) There are no structured writing assignments 5) Many of the GPS are not addressed Recommended Changes 1) Increase the quantity and depth of activities to ensure mastery 2) Incorporate student generated activities/discussions 3) Include a writing component in each unit (besides discussion board 4) Ensure that lessons meet GPS GPS Not Covered ELA9RL1-2 &3; ELA9RL2d; ELA9RL3; ELA9RL3; ELA9RL5B; ELA9RC1; ELA9RC2; ELA9RC3b; ELA9RC4c; ELA9W1; ELA9W2; ELA9W3; ELA9W4; ELA9C1a&c; ELA9C2; ELA9LSV1g-j; ELA9LSV2

Instructional Design Strengths 1) Course structure is easy for students to navigate Weakness 1) Lacks a syllabus and course objectives 2) Does not incorporate strategies for taking EOCT 3) Overall design lacks rigor 4) Affords limited student –student & student-teacher interactions 5) Affords few opportunities to utilize critical thinking skills 6) Multicultural education is not addressed 7) Little to no technology is incorporated into the class 8) There are no student initiated activities/project Recommendations 1) Create a syllabus that addresses all objectives of the course 2) Incorporate an EOCT study unit for test preparation 3) Increase course rigor to better develop critical thinking skills 4) Offer opportunities for student-student interaction & student initiated activities 5) Incorporate multicultural education into units 6) Afford opportunities to utilize technology (for both the teacher and students)

Student Assessment Strengths 1) Teacher offers both formative and summative assessments in units Weaknesses 1) Summative assessments fail to address higher order critical thinking skills 2) There are no writing components included in summative assessments 3) Many formative assessments (quizzes) only address recall skills, not high order application and are limited in frequency. 4) Formative assessments (activities and quizzes) fail to provide opportunities for diverse learning styles. 5) All assessments are objective (multiple choice, matching etc.). There are no projects (either group or individual). Recommendations 1) Create assessments that require critical thinking skills. 2) Address the writing GPS by incorporating a writing component into assessments. 3) Provide more than one formative assessment for each lesson to ensure mastery before summative assessments. 4) Create both formative and summative assessments that address diverse learning styles and incorporate both individual and group activities and projects.

Technology and 21st Century Skills Strengths 1) Instructor tries to incorporate alternative instruction modes such as power point. 2) Instructor tries to encourage using the internet for researching vocabulary. 3) Instructor incorporates a discussion board for student and teacher discussion Weaknesses 1) Little to no student - student and student-teacher interaction is observed. 2) The instructor does not utilize the discussion board to its maximum potential. 3) Does not teach web/internet skills, nor does it incorporate them into the class. 4) Does not provide enriched course materials through technology that would capture students’ interest (podcasts, video clips, etc.). 5) Does not require students to experiment/learn new technology through projects and activities. Recommendations 1) Utilize the discussion board to facilitate students’ and teacher’s discussions. 2)Incorporate technology into instruction, class activities and assessments.

Final Thoughts This course provides interesting material , but today’s students are technology driven. Incorporating more technology into the units would capture students’ interest and afford learning opportunities for diverse learners. Meeting all of the GPS for this semester and providing study skills for the EOCT would aid in ensuring mastery of this course. Critical thinking skills are a must! The discussion board is a wonderful tool that if appropriately utilized could aid in developing critical thinking skills.