Download File - Mary Beth Morrison

NBPTS Proposition 1
Artifact
This is a Case Study I wrote for UNE 721.
Case Study: Part I and II
Student Profile
James is in my Physical Science/Chemistry class for Juniors and Seniors who have not
passed the Connecticut Academic Performance Test. I have worked with him since the
beginning of the semester. He is in the twelfth grade and on December 9th will be 18. His
primary language at home is Creole-Haitian. He has been diagnosed with ocular albinism with
macular hypoplasia and bilateral nystagmus. He is legally blind and has a history of asthma.
Bilateral nystagmus means that both eyes move involuntarily. Macular hypoplasia means that
his retina is underdeveloped making it hard for him to see in detail. He is knowledgeable about
his visual difficulties and does not let this impact his social interactions with his peers.
James has average abilities in comprehension skills, long-term memory retrieval, and
verbal reasoning. But he has difficulty with speed and accuracy when scanning and with
sequential tracking of visual information and decoding. Consequently, his assignments require
accommodations. His present cognitive abilities and academic levels are within age appropriate
expectations. However, a concern is that he lacks motivation and does not complete his work.
One of his goals stated in his Individual Education Plan (IEP) is that he inform the
teacher when his seating arrangement is inadequate or of any other adverse conditions which
inhibit him from seeing or understanding so that they can be corrected. He is to utilize alternate
methods for obtaining notes or board work and order Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic
(RFB&D) books and materials independently. James has expressed interest in going to college
and these are steps he can do now so that he can develop self-advocacy. So far this year, I have
not seen him practice any self-advocacy skills. I have initiated brief conversations and asked for
his email address to send him links to helpful websites. He has responded well to these
interactions, I think, because I talked to him in private.
His accommodations state that he is to have a large print text, extra time for tests, projects
and written work, orally read tests and a study guide. I don’t think I have done a very good job
in providing him with all that he requires. I have relied on my co-teacher, who is a special
education teacher, to make sure his IEP is being followed and now that I have the opportunity to
really study it, I think our response is lacking. James doesn’t have a large print text, nor do we
read the tests to him. My co-teacher asked me to set up a space in an auxiliary room for this
accommodation, since we have many students who need this accommodation, however, she
hasn’t taken the students there during test time even though the space is ready to go.
We do provide him with extra time. He does have preferential seating. We do cue his
behavior. We do provide him with notes and study guides. He does get help in the resource
room each day and I think they review directions with him there. He has access to a regular text.
There are no computers in the classroom other than my own. However, a computer has been
made available to him during his high school career according to my co-teacher and he has
chosen not to use it because it would set him apart from his peers. Our curriculum demands that
he participate in labs and write lab reports, that he do a moderate amount of reading, that he
listen to lectures, and participate with his peers in group work. Very little homework is given.
We try to do most of our assignments in the classroom.
Our classroom is a typical science one with lab stations and tables. Students sit in pairs at
the tables. We have adequate lighting and one narrow window although on the far side of the
classroom there are skylights. So I don’t think sun glare is a problem for James in my classroom.
Currently, we are not working with many dangerous chemicals during labs because the eye wash
doesn’t work. It was noted in the IEP, that James is easily distracted and there are some
environmental factors in my classroom that have been a concern. The fan is loud and blows
constantly. There is no control for this. It used to be cold in my room, but now the heat has been
fixed, and I can control it, so that is no longer of a concern. The room is the smallest of any of
the 16 science classrooms however, and with 23 students in the classroom it is crowded.
Students must sit very close together. James doesn’t seem too distracted in my class however.
My biggest concern is that he sometimes disengages and puts his head down. He may be tired or
perhaps visually participating is exhausting for him.
Choice of Model
I have chosen to use the dynamic instructional design (DID) model to serve as my
“foundation for the creation” of my lesson plan (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2011, p. 51). The
DID model encourages flexibility in the instructional design process as information from
formative assessments is gathered throughout the delivery of the lesson. As information is
gathered by the teacher on the students understanding, the teacher can respond appropriately.
Continuous corrections and improvements in each step are encouraged.
The first step is to know the characteristics of my learner, James. As stated previously,
his present cognitive abilities and academic levels are within age appropriate expectations. It is a
surprise to me that his second language is English however. I didn’t realize this until I closely
examined his records. His records show that he received a C in ninth grade science, so he has a
good foundation for this class. From his IEP and conversations with my co-teacher I believe I
have a good understanding of his needs and a clear picture of James as a learner.
The second step is to state my objectives, and the steps continue with establishing the
learning environment, identifying teaching and learning strategies, identify and selecting
technologies and performing a summative evaluation. I have decided to follow my unit on ionic
and covalent bonding with a unit on carbon compounds, an incredibly important unit in
Connecticut. First students will understand the importance of covalently bonded carbon
molecules, inorganic and organic, and then we finish the unit with polymers (chains of carbon).
I used the template for my lesson plan provided by the text entitled Teaching and Learning with
Technology by Lever-Duffy and McDonald (2011) at
http://ablesson2.pearsoncmg.com/LessonPlanner.jsp included below.
Lesson Plan
Basic Information
Lesson Title: Inorganic Carbon Compounds
Area of Study: The subject area is science, specifically physical science with a focus on
chemistry.
Teacher Name: Mary Beth Morrison
Grade Level: This lesson is designed for eleventh and twelfth graders who have not passed the
tenth grade Connecticut Academic Performance Test.
Duration of Instruction: Students will have one to two 45 minute class periods to complete this
project.
Academic Standards
The essential question is “How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of
materials?” The enduring understanding is “Due to its unique chemical structure, carbon forms
many organic and inorganic compounds” (Connecticut Department of Education, 2005).
Objective
The expected performance is that students will be able to explain how the structure of the carbon
atom affects the type of bonds it forms in organic and inorganic molecules. After a series of
lessons on the structure of the atom and bonding of molecules, we will specifically study the
structure of the carbon atom and how it covalently bonds to other elements to form various
inorganic and organic molecules. This lesson is specifically about inorganic carbon molecules
including graphite, diamonds, and buckminsterfullerene (bucky balls). Students will conduct a
web quest in which they produce a document indicating the information they have acquired.
Rationale Statement
I designed a web quest so that all of my students would be actively engaged in the lesson. In the
web quest students will be involved in searching for information that will aid them in learning
about inorganic carbon compounds. I incorporated podcasts in the web quest for visual and
auditory learners. The print size can be increased for the visually impaired. James will benefit
from the large print size on the computer screen and on the web quest itself and from the
auditory aspect of the podcasts. For kinesthetic learners we will be building paper models of the
tetrahedron and bucky ball, much as the scientists do in last video. Students will work in pairs
on the web quest, and then as individuals as they build their models, satisfying intrapersonal and
interpersonal learners.
Many orders of questions from Bloom’s Taxonomy were covered including knowledge and
comprehension, and analysis questions on the web quest questions 1-6. I covered synthesis and
evaluation in questions 7, 8, and 9. Application of the knowledge is covered in building the
paper model of the bucky ball, the construction activity which follows the web quest.
Introduction
What do the soccer ball and chemistry have in common?
Activities
1. Web quest conducted in pairs in the computer lab.
2. Build a model of the tetrahedron and bucky ball out of paper.
Materials and Resources

Computer lab

Copies of the web quest. Some in 16 font for visually impaired.

Copies of the models to cut out and tape.

Scissors and tape.

String to hang bucky balls from the ceiling.
Instructional Adaptations
Printed materials need to be in 16 font. Most of the podcasts are oral as well as visual. I have
many students who are ELL students who will particularly like the visual representations and the
model construction. And James will appreciate that he can enlarge the print on the computer
screen and that all printed material will be in 16 font for him. James has a hard time cutting and
I anticipate will have difficulty with the model building so my co-teacher or I can help him with
that.
Ongoing Assessment
Formative Assessment: As I circulate around the computer lab and the classroom, I will ask
questions which will indicate to me whether students are understanding the information. I
continually check informally for understanding and stop to help those who need help.
Summative Assessment: Students will hand in the finished web quest worksheets and we will
hang up the models of bucky balls that they construct.
End-of-Lesson Assessment
The best method I use for assessing the effectiveness of my lesson is to ask the students what
they think. I ask them how interesting the lesson was and usually they are fair and forthright. I
ask my co-teacher also. Based on the feedback, I make adjustments for the next time I teach the
lesson. This will be the first time I’ve used the web quest as a method of learning, so I am
anxious to see how it is utilized and what the response will be. Usually the first time through a
lesson is the roughest and then as adjustments are made, the lesson becomes easier.
Connection to the Brain
Rose and Meyer (2002) describe three primary networks in the brain which are essential
to learning in Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning. These
networks are called the recognition network, the strategic network, and the affective network.
Recognition networks allow us to assign meaning to patterns we see. They enable us to identify
and understand information. It would appear that James, although visually impaired, is able to
understand broad patterns and identify the overall context of the information being taught, since
his present cognitive abilities and academic levels are within age appropriate expectations.
Strategic networks enable us to determine how we will plan and execute skills involved
in learning. Although James is not currently acting as an advocate for himself, he has developed
strategies for learning. It concerns me that he may be expending so much energy addressing the
mechanics of reading and writing, that he has little energy left over for real understanding. This
may be why he has difficulty completing tasks and why he becomes disengaged. It appears that
James’ greatest challenge lies in the affective network area of the brain. Affective networks
allow us to evaluate patterns and assign them emotional significance (Rose & Meyer, 2002, p.
13). Rose and Meyer (2002) state that affective networks allow “us to engage with tasks and
learning and with the world around us” (p. 13). The IEP states that James has a weakness in the
area of motivation. Rose and Meyer (2002) suggest that if I want to increase James’ motivation I
am going to need him to really enjoy and find value in the lesson. The challenge begins.
Brief Reflection
This project has forced me to really focus on one student with an IEP, which has been
surprisingly rewarding for me and I think will be very beneficial for James. Because we needed
to use adaptive technology, I designed a web quest which I wouldn’t have done otherwise. I
think the web quest will benefit everyone, but especially James. I am very excited to try it out.
Because it took us longer than I originally thought it would to finish our current unit, we are not
going to have the test until Tuesday, so I will be doing the web quest on Wednesday, if I can
reserve the computer lab for that day. I anticipate the problem may be the noise from students all
playing the web quest at once. Students will be working in pairs, but if the noise gets too bad,
they may have to go to individual computers and use their ear pieces.
Name _________________ Date ____________ Period _____________
Carbon Web Quest
1. Watch the podcast entitled “Episode 1: It’s All About Carbon “ on
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9943298&ps=rs
a. What are three things that are made of carbon?
b. What is unique about the structure of carbon that allows it to bond
with so many things?
c. Natalie Angier says “… Carbon atoms are built to attach, to grab on
to other atoms. They have, as you see, ___________ points of
attachment.”
d. What three shapes can carbon atoms form?
2. Go to http://www.chemguide.co.uk/atoms/structures/giantcov.html
a. Draw the structure of a diamond.
b. List the four physical characteristics of diamond. Be sure to explain
how the physical properties depend on the structure of the bonded
carbon atoms.
c. What are the five physical properties of graphite? Be sure to explain
how the physical properties depend on the structure of the bonded
carbon atoms.
3. Read the article and watch the brief video. Go to
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/07/22/spitzertelescope-finds-buckyballs-in-spaaace/
a. What did NASA discover recently?
b. What is a bucky ball?
c. What are bucky balls made of?
5. Watch the YouTube video on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yRjYiw_H_s
a. Why is another name for bucky balls “C60”?
b. What does “nano” mean?
6. Watch the YouTube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVZRGcg-BXI
a. What does the bucky ball look like?
b. How wide is the bucky ball?
7. What do you think bucky balls will be used for in the future?
8. What was the most surprising thing you learned today, about science,
scientists, or you?
9. What does a soccer ball and chemistry have in common?
References
Clark, J. (2000). Giant Covalent Structures. Retrieved December 11, 2010,
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/atoms/structures/giantcov.html
Connecticut Department of Education (2005). Core Science Curriculum Framework: An
Invitation for Students and Teachers to Explore Science and Its Role in Society.
Retrieved December 11, 2010,
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2618&q=320890
Discover: Science, Technology and the Future. (2010). Retrieved December 11, 2010,
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/07/22/spitzer-telescope-findsbuckyballs-in-spaaace/
Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J. B. (2011). Teaching and learning with technology. Boston,
Massachusetts: Pearson.
National Public Radio (2011). Episode I: It’s All About Carbon. Retrieved December 11, 2010,
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9943298&ps=rs/
Pearson Education. (2011). My Education Kit. Retrieved November 28, 2010,
http://ablesson2.pearsoncmg.com/LessonPlanner.jsp
Rose, D. H., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design
for learning. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
YouTube. Bucky Balls. Retrieved December 11, 2010,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yRjYiw_H_s
YouTube. C60: The Buckminsterfullerene. Retrieved December 11, 2010,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVZRGcg-BXI