Components of a Unit Explained: Why the Unit is constructed in this fashion.
Evaluate each of the Components within the General Unit Structure or click the hotlinks on the alphabetical listing.
- Pre-Assessment (Prior to Unit)
- Ideally should be 10-20 questions in length
- Questions are broken down by the skills needed to achieve the end goals of the unit. This assessment does not earn a grade but is of high value to the student because it tells me and the student what areas the student has
- Should be aligned to the final Unit Summative Assessment but can not be the test exactly.
- Equations: Remove the units and proper variables and replace with a, b, c and ask the student to solve for each of the unknowns. This is to evaluate if the student has the math skill necessary before introducing content or context. For example KE=1/2mv2 is written as a=1/2bc2, solve for c.
- Concepts: ask questions about each of the prior knowledge concepts necessary to assess the level of mastery or deficiency for each concept. Ask questions of varying degree if you do not already have too many questions in the pre-assessment
- Misconceptions: ask multiple choice questions including two seemingly plausible versions of the misconception, the correct answer, and an incorrect variation of the correct answer. Also include the IDK (I don't know) option. Follow each multiple choice question with an area for the student to explain their thinking.
- Follow up with a student self evaluation that they have readily available from which the student drives their own selections throughout the unit.
- Teacher evaluates each content section when that content is taught. Pull small groups out if the content is not assessed in a warm up question
Day 1
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Expectations
- Clearly state your expectations of the students for the unit, the class period, and within each educational piece.
- Include weather pieces are optional or required
- Indicate which Learning Preference a piece reflects
- Include the deadline.
- If appropriate include weather the entire piece must be completed or if portions according to mastery are completed
- avoid duplicating information so that if you change a deadline on the website and not on the calendar there are no conflicts
Day 2-4
- Warm Up Questions
- Visible as students arrive
- 1-2 question assessment that either generates interest or evaluates retention and understanding of the previous class
- easiest if written on little pieces of paper for quick and easy grading and sorting that can be kept if needed for future reference.
- evaluates very concrete ideas
- open ended question or multiple choice asking the student to explain
- written so students can not only copy their neighbor
- written so the teacher can quickly ascertain student's understanding
- aligned to the test or directed toward a skill on the test
- teacher immediately evaluates the answers into groups of similar misconceptions in front of the class (perhaps while a student checks attendance). Do not publicly correct or praise students answers unless students are needed as "experts" during the class activity. This decreases copying and decreases fear of failure.
- no grade or only an accumulative completion grade to decrease the high stakes nature and increase the student effort without fear of failing.
Small Groups Tutorials
- Through out the class I call small groups of students to briefly work with me at the table on content in the daily lesson or to prepare for the next days activity. The small groups share strengths or weaknesses as revealed by the Unit Pre-Assessment or Daily Warm Up.
- Regularly remind students that all students are pulled out in small groups. Small groups are not just for those that missed a question. I am amazed how many times I must remind students before they realize my calling their name does not mean I am publicly announcing their failure.
- Offer a reward for quick movement to the Small Group Table otherwise students tend to linger. Encourage free communication at the table.
- Begin with praising what all the students did correct.
- "We need to visit this concept" instead of "you were all incorrect when you stated..."
- Ask students to explain in their own words the prior misconception after they show confidence in the correct path.
Student Small Groups
- Meaningful grouping is key to BP Learning. Groupings change according to the need of content. Group according to
- pre-assessment results per daily content, warm up question, learning preference, or personality profile
- Groups of 3 are ideal but not always possible.
- 4+ may lead to copying and non participation.
- 2 is difficult when students are absent or allows one student to run over another.
- small groups create more groups that may be difficult to visit all and may be difficult to have enough set ups for each
- larger groups creates less groups which may be more manageable for the teacher but may be less functional for students
Activity
- Generally, students complete an activity independent of the teacher so the teacher can work in pull out small student groups.
- Students complete the activities in small groups of similar student group according to the need of the content. Students can not always choose the learning preference of the activity as some activities do not lend themselves to all modalities.
- can be labs, online simulations, in class manipulatives, demos the students lead themselves for a small group, text book or online reading, worksheets, practice games
- The teacher can offer various different activities according to modality and learning preference and have the same out put or the teacher can offer 1 activity with varying forms of output.
Lecture
- There is definitely still a place for lecture in the BP Learning model but it must be balanced with other forms of learning input.
- Lectures should be given face to face from the teacher when given to all students. Video lectures should only be used when students are given the choice of learning preference or is the best choice for relearning. Short segments of video lectures from experts prior to large group discussion is also helpful if pertinent to the nature of the content delivery. Students will not be properly prepared for college if only video (omitting face to face) lecture is provided. While video lecture is a great learning choice, students must be able to learn from a real time lecture that they can not pause teaching students the skills of extract information real time.
Output
- Students must have some way to internalize what they have learned. They must do something with their new knowledge
- notes, concept map, practice, student created video, online class collaboration, activity, or lab.
- If students choose how they are learning then have all students complete the same output. Conversely, if student are all learning the content in the same style then allow students to choose their own output. Be weary of which path you choose according to efficiency of learning and your efficiency of grading. It will be a very long year if all assignments must be graded in 4 different ways.
- Students that do not complete the daily expectation of the "I will" statement have homework.
Closure
- The Closure Discussion might be the most important component of a successful class even more so in a Blended Preference class than a traditional classroom structure.
- Tie to the "I Will ","We Will" Lesson Framework. Ask students to, in their own words, remind the class of
- learning objective, lessons expectation, what students must do if they did not meet the expectation
- new knowledge based on today and prior knowledge they needed to draw from as well as misconceptions
- their real word application, link to other topics, memory aides or relationships discovered.
- gives the students the opportunity to discuss in groups then share out for the class
- reiterate the main points again, this time in their own words
- gives value to why and what they did during the class period
- restates the expectations and reminders of what must be done if not completed
- Click here for a Closure power point template
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Day 4 (Day 2, 3, 4 are interchangeable depending on the content and need for discover or instruction.)
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- I call small groups of students to briefly work with me at the table on skills assessed in the lecture.
- Students that do not complete the daily expectation of the "I will" statement have homework.
- Close with a whole group discussion of the daily topic, met and unmet expectations for today, and expectations for the next day.
Day 5
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