Lesson plans planning and design process:
The process used for identifying the curriculum, selecting the subject matters and learning objectives, designing and planning assessment, sequence teaching, judgment and feedback dimension is described below.
The underpinning Framework:
Designed unit plan by using principles and concepts from Australian Curriculum, Education Queensland Dimensions of Teaching and Learning Framework (Education Queensland, 2011), the Backward Design Process (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005) and the Learning Design Process (Lynch & Smith, 2006), “10-point cycle” and “the effective teachers planning”. The details of these frameworks are presented in Appendix 1.
The following documents were consulted in the planning process:
Identify curriculum
o Proficiencies to be achieved (e.g. Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving and Reasoning)
o General capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities to be developed (e.g. Literacy, Numeracy, ICT Capability, Critical and creative thinking etc.)
o Identified achievement standards (e.g. understanding dimension, skills dimension)
o Identified curriculum content that students are working towards
o Identified bridging content needed to address gaps in student understandings
o Describing how the unit links to other learning areas
Identify the scaffolding required
Plan assessment
Sequence teaching
Examples of Learning Experience Plans (LEP's) are shown below:
Learning experiences
Ways to monitor learning and assessment
Used the assessment techniques articulated in the formative and summative assessment tasks (Appendix 12).
Used the proficiency standards and content descriptors to formulate the judgment measures as shown in the assessment section. Use the judgment measures to monitor students learning and assessment.
Gathering student learning progress
Feedback mechanism
Informal feedback:
Formal feedback:
Provided formal feedback at the end of the unit using the “Formative Assessment - Grade record sheet (Appendix 16) and the summative assessment task rubric.
Reflection on the unit plan:
Completed the planning process by enunciating reflective questions to evaluate the process and product of the unit plan and make necessary enhancements (Appendix 17; Appendix 18). It is a great learning opportunity for me to think through the possible pitfalls and take appropriate actions (Ewing et al., 2010, p. 91).
(Source: Balney & Maidment, 2013)
The process used for identifying the curriculum, selecting the subject matters and learning objectives, designing and planning assessment, sequence teaching, judgment and feedback dimension is described below.
The underpinning Framework:
Designed unit plan by using principles and concepts from Australian Curriculum, Education Queensland Dimensions of Teaching and Learning Framework (Education Queensland, 2011), the Backward Design Process (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005) and the Learning Design Process (Lynch & Smith, 2006), “10-point cycle” and “the effective teachers planning”. The details of these frameworks are presented in Appendix 1.
The following documents were consulted in the planning process:
- School priorities (schools beliefs and values) and school policy documents (behavioural management, internet policy)
- School’s work program for the subject.
- QSA syllabus for the subject (QSA, 2010): Gathered learning objectives and subject matters; Gone through the assessment part of the syllabus to fulfil mandatory components; Taken into consideration of what is required in the exit criteria and standards; Consulted the general objectives and dimensions of the course to guide unit planning and learning experiences, and assessment.
- The document “How do we align curriculum intent, pedagogy, assessment and reporting?” (Queensland Government, n.d.)
- Accounting Highlighted standards: Advice for teachers (QSA, 2010).
- Accounting Subject matter: depth of understandings - Advice for teachers (QSA, 2010).
- Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, n.d.).
- Sample assessment planners and standard schema with a marking system (Emmaus College, 2010) that relates to the exit criteria in the syllabus.
- Sample assessment products from QSA web site.
- Two documents "Designing effective assessment instruments for Authority and Authority registered subjects" and "Quality assuring senior assessment instruments: A tool for schools" (QSA, 2010).
- The contemporary literature on effective pedagogies, learning theories, brain-based strategies, assessment techniques and feedback mechanism relevant to middle and senior phase of learners for both the subjects Mathematics and Accounting.
Identify curriculum
- Identified curriculum by determining “what do my students need to learn?” through answering LMQ2 (Appendix 2).
o Proficiencies to be achieved (e.g. Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving and Reasoning)
o General capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities to be developed (e.g. Literacy, Numeracy, ICT Capability, Critical and creative thinking etc.)
o Identified achievement standards (e.g. understanding dimension, skills dimension)
- Identified how the knowledge is linked to other learning areas and applied to real-world settings
o Identified curriculum content that students are working towards
o Identified bridging content needed to address gaps in student understandings
o Describing how the unit links to other learning areas
- Designed “context for learning” that is relevant, authentic and interesting for the cohort
- Designed relevant and meaningful focus questions
- Defined declarative and procedural knowledge’s students will develop in the unit of work
- Aligned curriculum, pedagogy and assessment
Identify the scaffolding required
- Documented student profiles (learning styles, learning preferences, linguistic and cultural and socio-economic background information, and students attitude towards learning)
- Identified student’s learning styles and preferences
- Assessed students’ prior knowledge (using diagnostic tests, previous academic records and teacher’s anecdotal records) and identified their strengths and the scaffolding required to create a meaningful learning context for all students.
Plan assessment
- Selected a range of assessment tasks (assessment for learning, assessment as learning and assessment of learning in both formative and summative assessment methods) across the unit plan to cover required content and processes (Appendix 3; Appendix 4).
- Prepared high quality assessment items and rubrics using the checklists (Appendix 5; Appendix 6).
- Completed the assessment tasks to evaluate the validity of the assessment tasks and provided suggested responses for students (Appendix 7; Appendix 8; Appendix 9).
- Evaluated the credibility, intellectual quality, and authenticity and user friendliness of the assessment package (Appendix 10).
Sequence teaching
- Selected the required resources
- Prescribed text books
- Audio, Video, Visual and interactive resources suitable for the cohort
- Teacher constructed text (e.g. graphic organisers, worked out solutions, tips to solve mathematical word problems, ratio cheat sheets, benefits of learning Calculus, practice questions etc.)
- Crafted authentic learning experiences using innovative teaching strategies (Appendix 11) appropriate for the twenty-first century learners that offer three dimensional learning and intellectually challenging and stimulating experiences.
Examples of Learning Experience Plans (LEP's) are shown below:
Learning experiences
Ways to monitor learning and assessment
Used the assessment techniques articulated in the formative and summative assessment tasks (Appendix 12).
Used the proficiency standards and content descriptors to formulate the judgment measures as shown in the assessment section. Use the judgment measures to monitor students learning and assessment.
Gathering student learning progress
- Planned to maintain a mark book to record other kinds of information about students that contribute to the school report e.g. homework completed, drafts handed in and nominal ratings, behaviour and industry.
- Maintain student profiles that match the assessment overview to record student's results (Appendix 13).
Feedback mechanism
- Embraced the feedback philosophies presented in Appendix 14
- Provided feedback on four different aspects described in Appendix 15
Informal feedback:
- Provided timely feedback to offer guidance for improvement and tap deep knowledge
- Pointed out student’s strengths, but also suggest where work can be improved
- Avoided comparisons with other students
- Showed the benefit of learning from one’s mistakes
- Praised persistence and effort rather than ability and intelligence
- Separated actions and behaviour from the student’s self-worth
Formal feedback:
Provided formal feedback at the end of the unit using the “Formative Assessment - Grade record sheet (Appendix 16) and the summative assessment task rubric.
Reflection on the unit plan:
Completed the planning process by enunciating reflective questions to evaluate the process and product of the unit plan and make necessary enhancements (Appendix 17; Appendix 18). It is a great learning opportunity for me to think through the possible pitfalls and take appropriate actions (Ewing et al., 2010, p. 91).
(Source: Balney & Maidment, 2013)