Elementary School Lesson Plan
Activity: Training speed reading skills for faster learning of the material studied.
Grade(s): Standard grading system on a scale that implies ideal, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory results.
ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors (Domain/Standard):
Three domains are to be taken into account based on the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors model – academic, career, and social/emotional development (ASCA, n.d.b.). In this case, the first domain is applied since speed reading is an essential skill that contributes to increasing students’ abilities and stimulating their learning activities. The model also contains two categories of standards, and when planning the lesson, behavioral standards are to be introduced aimed at enhancing learning strategies and self-management skills (ASCA, n.d.b.).
Learning Objective(s) (aligns with competency):
- To teach children to be aware of the connection between their skills and future work.
- To present the material in a convenient form corresponding with the level of students’ development.
- To involve pupils in work by encouraging and stimulating their academic activity.
Materials: A child story from the book of the curriculum; a stopwatch; a scale for analyzing the results of speed reading.
Procedure: A child is invited to read one of the passages of the story in a specified period, and then, a conversation with him or her should be conducted to identify the quality of the material memorization.
Plan for Evaluation: How will each of the following be collected?
Process Data: Based on the results of the lesson and student performance, grades will be given in accordance with the relevant criteria by using the entire grading scale.
Perception Data: Pupils’ indicators will allow concluding about their current skills of reading and memorizing material. Also, the overall cognitive level of development can be assessed for readiness for further academic activity.
Outcome Data: Based on the outcome of the evaluation, the current curriculum can be reorganized “to achieve maximum program effectiveness” (ASCA, n.d.a, p. 1).
Follow-Up: Additional follow-up and the periodic performance of similar tasks will allow assessing the relevance of changes made in the program.
Lesson Reflections
In accordance with the results of the needs assessment, the proposed lesson program can help to improve the cognitive skills of elementary school students and instill in them valuable attainments that will help them in the future. College and career readiness may be promoted by obtaining important information about the need to assimilate material well regardless of the speed of reading. Certain circumstances may require the dynamism of a specific work plan and adjustment to a particular educational environment (NOSCA, 2011a). Assuming that this lesson will be used in classes with a differentiated level of preparedness, special forms of work should be supported.
For instance, students with a low degree of academic achievement may receive additional incentives in the form of the teacher’s approval and the choice of a passage to read, which will allow establishing mutual contact and eliminating bias.
When taking into account the career development theory, it is crucial to prepare students for the transition from primary education to further activities and employment (ASCA, n.d.b). During the lesson presented, I have managed to find an individual approach to each student and interest them in achieving the highest possible result. It is essential to provide the training that will imply equity in entering colleges and other higher educational institutions; therefore, all the students, without exception, should be able to realize their goals. The role of the school counselor, in this case, is significant, and a sufficient level of qualification can contribute to students’ skill growth and their awareness of work importance. In order to address this area of growth, I will strive to involve all participants in the educational process and communicate to them the need to perform the tasks set responsibly.
Middle School Lesson Plan
Activity: To describe one of the proposed literary works using creativity and to think outside the box.
Grade(s): The highest grades are awarded for compliance a number of assignment conditions: the critical assessment of the characters and their actions, the non-standard technique of the plot description, and literacy and a consistent approach to the presentation of the material.
ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors (Domain/Standard):
The career development theory is key in the educational context of this lesson, and this domain is the main one. The behavioral standard applied refers to learning strategies that imply demonstrating creativity (ASCA, n.d.b).
Learning Objective(s) (aligns with competency):
- To instill in students the knowledge of the importance of a creative approach to solving problems, which is essential for further educational practice.
- To assess pupils’ ability to use existing skills to evaluate the proposed material critically.
- To promote an educational methodology aimed at encouraging self-analysis and the assessment of the task at hand.
Materials: Several literary works to choose from the current curriculum and the possible but not mandatory scheme of analysis.
Procedure: Pupils review the selected work by using creativity and the critical analysis of characters and their actions, and finished papers are evaluated through the aforementioned criteria.
Plan for Evaluation: How will each of the following be collected?
Process Data: With the help of a check based on the assessment of compliance with grammar and logical norms, each student will be given an appropriate grade.
Perception Data: The perception of work is an essential factor in the context of this lesson since an ability to influence the reader is one of the aspects of successful critical analysis.
Outcome Data: In accordance with the assessments, it is possible to conclude about pupils’ current creative abilities and to explain the importance of applying critical thinking skills in future practice if necessary.
Follow-Up: Similar tasks should be carried out periodically in the future to stimulate students’ creative activity.
Lesson Reflections
As the analysis of the needs assessment results, the final outcomes of middle school students’ essays will be evaluated to obtain a comprehensive picture of their creative abilities. School counselors should “help students gain the studying and test-taking skills and the higher-order thinking skills (application, synthesis, evaluation, and creativity) necessary to attain proficiency or higher in key academic areas” (NOSCA, 2011c, p. 7).
The career development theory applied for this purpose may be a useful tool for realizing this goal by engaging pupils in essential activities devoted to enhancing personal cognitive attainments. Moreover, this approach contributes to ensuring equity in college access and career readiness, and this method of work needs to be maintained in order to avoid bias and personal preferences.
For classes with a differentiated level of preparedness, the lesson’s task presented can be modified a little, for example, by discussing a possible work plan with students who have difficulty with the task. During the course of these activities, such communication with students allows establishing a more productive contact, thereby achieving higher performance results. I have managed to interest all pupils to present their vision of certain stories. In the process of such work, students can develop their creative skills by analyzing various approaches to the interpretation of the material, which contributes to their preparation for further educational activity and work responsibilities. To address this area of growth, I will encourage the development of my pupils’ cognitive skills and their critical assessment attainments.
High School Lesson Plan
Activity: Compiling a media presentation as a final work on the topic covered.
Grade(s): The quality of the used media resources, their relevance in the context of the applied topic, and the chronological order of data display are criteria for evaluation on a standard scale.
ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors (Domain/Standard):
The career development domain will be utilized for this lesson since it ensures students to train those attainments that may be needed in their future career (ASCA, n.d.b). As a behavioral standard, applying media and technology skills is used, which contributes to pupils’ acquaintance with the necessary ways of presenting the material studied (ASCA, n.d.b).
Learning Objective(s) (aligns with competency):
- To use and implement personal digital skills effectively and productively.
- To extract and systematize valuable information in order to study certain educational materials.
- To learn how to work with media resources for the further use of the knowledge gained in the educational process.
Materials: Special computer programs (MS Word, PowerPoint); digital equipment; portable storage devices.
Procedure: Students prepare a presentation on a given topic, using additional resources as references and making a report on their work.
Plan for Evaluation: How will each of the following be collected?
Process Data: The evaluation of pupils’ work will be carried out in accordance with the information completeness of their presentation, the quality of the references used, and the complexity of the work done.
Perception Data: The convenient visual display of data is one of the criteria for successful work. Also, the persuasiveness of the material presented can influence the overall impression significantly.
Outcome Data: In accordance with the presented assessment criteria, the outcomes of work will be compared to obtain a comprehensive picture of students’ ability to work with modern technological equipment.
Follow-Up: Further assignments of a similar nature may include other topics for individual projects with the aim of training skills in working with digital technologies.
Lesson Reflections
Based on the needs assessment results, students are able to apply the skills of working with digital equipment and systematize the information obtained in the process of studying a particular material. As a justification of the used career counseling intervention, it can be noted that all four frameworks of the model are introduced – “foundation, management, delivery and accountability” (ASCA, n.d.a, p. 1).
Through the presented work, it is possible to promote college and career readiness by teaching students useful skills that may come in handy in the future. For high school, this lesson plan is the important component of acquiring information about the need to systematize information. At the same time, equity in college access and career readiness is observed since all pupils are on an equal footing.
If this plan is applied in classes with a differentiated level of preparedness, the strategy of duties segregation may be applied when various students perform one of the parts of the overall project. Using this approach gives an opportunity “to assess students’ movement through the college and career process, look at exploration, application completion and submission data” (NOSCA, 2011b, p. 10). During the lesson process, I have managed to involve all pupils in presentation discussions. The growth of skills in the use of digital information processing tools contributes to implementing similar tasks more quickly and efficiently in the future. To address this area of growth, I will offer students to compile such presentations a few more times for them to hone necessary attainments.
References
American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (n.d.a). ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs. Web.
American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (n.d.b). ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for student success: K-12 college- and career-readiness standards for every student. Web.
National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA). (2011a). Elementary school counselor’s guide: NOSCA’s eight components of college and career readiness counseling. Web.
National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA). (2011b). High school counselor’s guide: NOSCA’s eight components of college and career readiness counseling. Web.
National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA). (2011c). Middle school counselor’s guide: NOSCA’s eight components of college and career readiness counseling. Web.