Artifact Reflection Title of Artifact: Lesson Plan for English Methods Class Date Completed: 2/17/13 Artifact Description:

This artifact is a lesson plan that I built for my English Methods class. It is a lesson on Shakespeare sonnet built as part of a unit on poetry. I also used this lesson to then teach a class of my peers as if they were high school students. WISCONSIN TEACHING STANDARD ALIGNMENT 2. Teachers know how children grow. The teacher understands how children with a broad range of abilities grow and provides instruction that supports their intellectual, social and personal development. I built this lesson plan on a Shakespeare sonnet as part of a poetry unit for a 10th grade English class. Knowing that Shakespearian language can be difficult for a lot of students I tried to build a lesson that would actively engage students in not only learning about the specific sonnet we were examining but also beginning to be comfortable with the language. I began the lesson by introducing the topic and informing them of the lesson that was planned for the class. I then asked the students to give me information that they might know about Shakespeare. By asking the students what they knew about the topic I built a knowledge base and began getting them actively involved in the lesson by having them inform other students about the subjects they were already knowledgeable about. I asked the students what they knew about Shakespeare, his sonnets, and about the type of topics that he typically wrote about. Some of the students volunteered several bits of information, which I then had them expand on if I thought it was important to the lesson or seemed to get the attention of other students. By doing this it allowed me to get a sense of what the students already know and get the students to build a knowledge base for them and their classmates, as well as having the students adopt the role of the teacher for a brief moment. I know that some students learn by teaching others better than just having information lectured to them, so this gave them an opportunity to do so. It also allowed them to bolster their confidence because they were given a moment where they could be center-stage and show off what they know and be acknowledged by their classmates. For the students that didnt volunteer information, I asked them what they wanted to contribute to the knowledge base, and they either gave new information or repeated previously stated facts. Either way it began involving the students in an active way rather than just having the information presented to them. Moving on from there I put up a YouTube video on the board of the sonnet that we would be working on in class. The YouTube video consisted of a professional Shakespearian actor reading the sonnet. As the sonnet was being read the words appear line-by-line on the board in the video. Using the YouTube video allowed me to connect with the students that are more audio or more visually based in their learning. This specific video was an especially good choice because the lines of the sonnet appeared as they were being read. This combination of being able to follow along visually as the sonnet is being read aloud allowed the students to become more familiar with the sonnet,

and from familiarity they could then work towards analyzing the sonnet and then critically think about the different aspects of the poem. I then gave each of the students a physical copy of the sonnet and divided the class into three groups. Each of the groups took a stanza of the sonnet to analyze as a group. As the groups were analyzing the sonnet I made sure to walk around to each of the groups to make sure that the groups were on the right track and to make sure that each of the group members were actively participating in the analysis. After a set amount of time I asked the groups for the meanings in each of their stanzas, taking each of them line-byline. I then had the students put the stanzas together as a whole and had one of them give me a summary of the sonnet and the meaning behind it. I chose group work for this portion of the lesson because it would allow the students to dive into the difficult language while having some of the pressure taken off of them because they were working in a group. The students were able to express their different interpretations of the lines not only within the group but I also had them explain their arguments of why they choose one interpretation over another to not only show the students that the sonnets can be interpreted several different ways but also to get them thinking about their reasoning and critical thinking methods, which in turn makes them better at thinking metacognitively. At the end of the lesson I informed the class that they would need to pick a sonnet of their choice and analyze it in a one page paper for the next class. I also asked them to tell me what that sonnet meant to them after they read it and how it connected to them personally. This allows them to practice analyzing the language, a skill we spent the class practicing, while also relating it to their personal lives and making it more real to them and giving them a reason to learn it other than because they have to. This encourages the personal development of finding connections between their school work and the real world but also the development of responsibility and being accountable, either in school for their schoolwork or in their future jobs. UW-PLATTEVILLE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, DISPOSITION STATEMENT ALIGNMENT I believe that this artifact best aligns with KS3.c. Engages students in learning. The candidate has the ability to engage students in the learning process by linking appropriate content, based upon suitable instructional materials and resources, to students' knowledge and experience, being certain that all students are cognitively engaged in the activities/assignments and that the students actively contribute to the content design. Instruction is highly coherent and appropriately paced for all students and allows for reflection and closure as appropriate. I began by finding out the level of the class knowledge with the subject and their experience with the topic at hand. I then used that information to judge how the rest of the lesson would be run and the type of questions that I would ask. I then engaged the students in learning by using the YouTube video, which provided them with something familiar, a media form that they use on a regular basis, and then linking it to something unfamiliar and potentially even scary, like a Shakespearian sonnet. The use of groups, which everyone enjoys, allowed them to tackle a subject that they might me apprehensive about in a way and form that they enjoyed. The one pager on the sonnet of their choice allowed for more practice of the skills that were taught and then practiced in class as well as allowing them to reflect on how the sonnet is still relevant today and can have a

personal connection in their lives. In the lesson the next day we would discuss the sonnets they had chosen and their reflections. This would allow for more discussion about the topic, clear up any final misconception or issues the students might have, and wrap up the lesson in a way that would, hopefully, provide the students with a sense of closure on a job well done tackling a difficult subject. Secondary Alignment KSD2.b. Establishes a Culture For Learning. KSD2.b. Demonstrates Knowledge of Students What I learned about teaching/learning: I planned the lesson knowing that this is a subject that not many students are enthused about. Knowing that, I had to make extra sure that I did my best to engage the students on as many levels as possible in order to make sure that the lesson was successful. I knew I needed to engage as many students as possible in a variety of ways because otherwise students would tune out or only do the minimal work possible. By using a combination of audio and visual media, in a form they are used to, this was the best way to attain enthusiasm and attention which would then lead to a much deeper level of comprehension. While not all of the students were excited for the lesson or actively participated as much as I would have liked I got more participation than other classrooms I have observed, and I will strive to get closer to the goal of 100% participation by bettering myself and my skills in the future. What I learned about myself as a prospective teacher: As a teacher I am familiar with many levels of technology that other teachers may not be familiar or feel comfortable with. This allows me to use more forms of technology to connect with students that are becoming ever increasingly fluent with more and more complicated forms of technology. I know that technology will only increase in its complexity and pervasiveness in the students lives. This means that as a prospective teacher I need to continue to keep up with technology to not only have more tools at my disposal in order to teach with but also be able to relate to the students in ways that will make it easier and more enjoyable for them to learn.