Standard+2

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 * Standard 2**

The teacher understands how children with broad ranges of ability learn and provides instruction that supports their intellectual, social, and personal development. Evidence 1: ** **
 * Teachers know how children grow. **
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Rationale 1: ** Developed for yearbook staff members (grades 9-12) in the publications course, this unit plan was created to teach students the features of programs to be used in the creation of our yearbook. Daily activities for this plan included video tutorials and practice sessions using PhotoShop and InDesign software. Because all students learn differently, it was important to integrate the video tutorials into this lesson. The advantage of having the training videos located in an accessible location for all students was that any student could watch any video at any time. They could also rewind and replay any portions of the videos necessary to master a skill in the software program. In additional to using the tutorials to learn the features of the program, I was also available to the students for one-on-one guidance if needed. The benefit to myself as an instructor for implementing this teaching technique is that it freed me up to help students one-on-one when needed. Those students who understood the concept right away were able to move on and work at their own pace. Students enjoyed this method of instruction as well for those same reasons. If they were struggling, I could help them out, but if they had mastered a skill and ready to proceed to the next tutorial, they were able to do so. At the end of the unit, all the yearbook students had mastered the skills necessary to create the yearbook with the aid of the tutorials. KSD:
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Knowledge: ** 2.K.1 The teacher understands how learning occurs -- how students construct knowledge, acquire skills, and develop habits of mind – and how to use instructional strategies that promote student learning for a wide range of student abilities.

This unit plan made it simple for students to learn features of software programs through the use of tutorials. Using tutorials allowed students to review any concepts for reinforcement whenever they needed.


 * Skills: **2.S.1 The teacher assesses individual and group performance in order to design instruction that meets learners’ current needs in each domain (cognitive, social, emotional, moral, and physical) and that leads to the next level of development.

Using tutorial videos, students worked at their own pace. If an individual student was struggling, I could help them out. If the entire class was struggling, we could watch the video together and point out important steps, as well as practice together.


 * Dispositions:** 2.D.2 The teacher is disposed to use students’ strengths as a basis for growth, and their errors as an opportunity for learning.

Those students who mastered the skills were encouraged to assist classmates who had not yet mastered the skills. Students who were struggling reworked the practice problem to discover where they were finding difficulty.