WTS 7 and 8 Independent Learning Process and Evidence

Alexandra Esser
Saint Marys University of Minnesota
Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs
Portfolio Entry for Wisconsin Teacher Standards 7 and 8
EDUW 693 Instructional Design and Assessment
Sara Heisler, Instructor
December 15, 2016

Independent Learning Process Summary and Artifacts

Following the guided learning process in EDUW 693, teachers apply course learning to
complete an independent learning process. Documentation in this section provides evidence that
I can use a professional learning process to continue improving knowledge, dispositions, and
performance to benefit student outcomes with each unit I teach. Key evidence in this
documentation follows the seven-step learning process, focusing on specific practices necessary
for ongoing improving academic student performance.
LEARNING STEP 1: Expand perspectives based on educator and student standards.
LEARNING STEP 2: Assess my current educator effectiveness and student performance
outcomes based on evidence compared to educator and academic performance standards.
From that evidence, reason inductively to define area(s) most in need of improvement:
My targeted WTS/Educator Effectiveness System descriptor based on Danielson
Framework for Teaching that emerged as a next step for improvement from my previous
learning process: Wisconsin Teacher Standard (WTS) 7: Teachers are able to plan different kinds
of lessons. Knowledge Descriptor: The teacher understands learning theory, subject matter,
curriculum development, and student development and knows how to use this knowledge in
planning instruction to meet curriculum goals.
Targeted vertical descriptor from student content standards: C: PRESENTATIONAL:
SPEAKING AND WRITING: Developing C.5. Forms of writing: Students will write short
compositions and letters.
Targeted vertical descriptor from student literacy standards: Grade 3: Write
informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. a.
Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to

aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details. c. Use linking
words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of
information. d. Provide a concluding statement or section.
Current student evidence that guided my expectations for the upcoming learning unit is
at Learning Step 6 for ease of comparisons during the post-assessment.
Area to research to address student performance skills most in need of improvement: In
my last writing assessment I had difficulties reading at least four students handwriting. I chose
to research how to improve high school students handwriting without relying on word
processing programs (Google Docs, Microsoft Word, etc.).
LEARNING STEP 3: Research professional sources to find practical answers.
Most useful source names:
E. Galewski, personal communication, November 7, 2015.
Graham, S., Harris, K. R., Mason, L., Fink-Chorzempa, B., Moran, S., & Saddler, B. (2008).
How do primary grade teachers teach handwriting? A national survey. Reading and
Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 21(1-2), 49-69.
One new insight/practice to try: Grade students handwriting in addition to grammar
and vocabulary and after showing them how to write the letters by modeling.
LEARNING STEP 4: Incorporate learning into a plan.
Independent Planning Process Summary
Targeted Subject: German 2

Topic: Simple past tense

Length of Entire Learning Unit: 2-3 weeks Quarter: End of 1st- Beginning of 2nd
Students Age/Grade Level: 10 freshmen (14-15 years old) 1 senior (18 years old)
Lesson Plan Source: Portfolio Deutsch Level 1 Chapter 13: Endlich Ferien and Self

1. Developmental assessment to align content standards developmentally to students.

Summative Task for Learning Unit: Teacher-graded test
Key content expectations for proficiency range for the units summative task:
Differentiation. Gr. : none
Targeted Proficiency Range for Learning Unit
L. Gr. 8
M. Gr. 9
H. Gr. 9
Differentiation. Gr. 9
Key literacy skill expectations for proficiency range for the units summative task:
Differentiation. none
Targeted Proficiency Range for Learning Unit
L. Gr. 2
M. Gr. 2-3
H. Gr. 3
Differentiation. Gr. 3
2. Essential Connections in Learning Plan:
Essential UNIT Question (student appeal to motivate/broaden learning beyond academics): Where
am I headed in life?
Essential UNIT Answer/Understanding (lasting truth/principle/rule/insight to answer EQ): Certain
prepositions show where I am and where I am going.
Essential Thinking Pattern to Connect EQ to EA: Define by grouping
Essential Connection to Expand Perspectives Based on Diverse Realities: One must not leave
the country to travel.
Essential Connection to Build Integrity, Empathy, and/or Insight: One cannot assume the rest of the
world will speak ones native language.
3. Essential Alignment in Learning Plan: objectives, content, process, product, assessment
only have to show 2-3 objectives: draft, revise, final submission
What to learn?
[objective(s) + content]

How to learn?
[process]

(start w/thinking pattern/Blooms word) (key strategies, teachniques, differentiation)

SO: Students write sentences in

the simple past tense and
include the verbs to have
(haben) and to be (sein).

Translate postcards from present

to simple past tense.

Evidence of Learning?
[product + assessment]
(task + assessment method)

T = Students look up simple

past tenses and highlight verbs
when correct
A= Students self-assess and
teacher grades

FO1: Students use new coding

system

FO2: Students find new simple

past verbs

FO3: Use the verbs to have

(haben), to be (sein), to eat
(essen), to see (sehen), to go
(gehen), and to ride/dive/travel
(fahren) in simple past tense in
notes
SLOs: Students write short
narratives in the simple past
tense with the verbs to have
(haben), to be (sein), to eat
(essen), to see (sehen), to go
(gehen), and to ride/dive/travel
(fahren).

Teach students Call the COPS

acronym (capitalize all nouns,
order of words, punctuation,
spelling).
Students are shown dict.leo.org
and how to use the site to look up
other simple past verbs

T = Students code writing

based on COPS
A= Students self-assess, teacher
checks for completion
T = Students write extra verbs
in simple past
A= Students check answers
with dict.leo.org
Students write notes next to each
T = Note writing
simple past verb in preparation for A= Teacher walks around and
writing paragraphs
checks notes

Students underline verbs in

paragraphs and code to check for
correct verbs

Sum. Task: Short narrative

about favorite vacation, at least
100 words.
Summative Assessment
Method: Students selfassess/code writing (COPS)
and handwriting, teacher gives
final grade

LEARNING STEP 5: Implement plan and gather educator and student evidence.
LEARNING STEP 6: Assess evidence compared to pre-assessment results (How far have
students come in comparison to starting abilities?) and standards (How far to go in comparison
to grade level expectations at end of year?).
Source of student performance evidence prior to the learning unit: Students previously wrote
short postcards in the present tense to another classmate about a fictional vacation. Then,
students gave the postcards to the students whom they were writing. After that, students rewrote
the paragraphs they received in the simple past tense and graded themselves based on the Call
the COPS acronym from Galewski: capitalization of all nouns and beginnings of sentences (C),
correct order of words in the sentences (O), correct punctuation (P), and correct spellings of all
words (S). The postcards were then graded on completion and accuracy and students either
earned 0 or 5 points. Incorrect simple past tense forms of verbs were circled in red.

 Source of student performance evidence at the end of one week into the learning unit: Students
wrote paragraphs of at least 100 words about a vacation they have taken in the past. Other nonnegotiables for the paragraphs were that students wrote on every other line, students
handwriting was legible as discussed in class, and students included the simple past forms of the
verbs to have (haben), to be (sein), to eat (essen), to see (sehen), to go (gehen), and to
ride/dive/travel (fahren). Paragraphs were then graded based on the number of correct words
multiplied by total possible points (15), and then divided by the total word count. Before
students handed in their paragraphs, they had to first indicate whether they met three nonnegotiables by placing a checkmark after A, B, and C. Each letter indicated at least 100 words,
students legibly wrote on every other line, and correct use of the simple past tense, respectively.
Then students coded the writing to identify the subject (S), the verb in second position (V),
whether the verb was conjugated correctly in the simple past tense (C), and if there was a direct
object in the accusative case (O).
Whole class Performance at Beginning of Learning Unit: Students were just introduced to
the simple past forms of haben (to have) and sein (to be) and translated the postcards from the
present tense to the simple past tense. Overall, students successfully changed the tenses for
haben, but not for sein. In the lowest performance sample prior to learning, the student did not
change the third personal singular form of sein five times. In the median performance sample,
the student did not change the third personal singular form of sein two times. In the highest
performance sample, the student changed all of the forms of sein to the simple past tense all of
the time.
Whole class Performance at End of One Week into Learning Unit: After all of the
paragraphs were graded based on the formula mentioned before, the number of mistakes was

recorded at the top of the page that were made in regard to verb placement or conjugation in the
simple past. All performance samples shown reflect that no errors were made concerning the
verbs; however, a small number of student samples not shown here contained one to four errors.
One of my objectives for this independent process was also to improve students
handwriting. Although the lowest, median, and highest performance samples prior to learning
and at the end of the week were not taken from the same students, all of the samples at the end of
the week are easily readable and written on every other line for easy correcting and coding. In
addition, the handwriting at the end of the week was anchored on a line rather than floating
above or below it. Students handwriting probably improved more because they knew they
would be graded on the legibility of their paragraphs, and less on the fact that we discussed
handwriting in class.
Lowest Performance Sample Prior to Learning

Student self-assessed:
Did not feel this writing
had all correct word order
(O).

 Lowest Performance Sample at End of One Week

No differentiation of elements necessary.

Median Performance Sample Prior to Learning

Student self-assessed:
Did not feel this writing
had all correct spellings
(S).

 Median Performance Sample at End of One Week into Learning Unit

Highest Performance Sample Prior to Learning

Student self-assessed:
Felt this writing had all
correct capitalizations,
word order, punctuation,
and spellings.

 Highest Performance Sample at End of One Week into Learning Unit

Differentiated objectives, content, process, product, assessment:

LEARNING STEP 7: Reflection of Entire Learning Process and Student Outcomes

Most significant insight, attitude, or practice that worked best for more efficient and effective
learning as an educator: Sometimes a teacher does not have to take time to find a best
technique that can improve one factor of performance (like handwriting readability). A teacher
can simply add it as a criterion to be met and ensure that students assess and correct during
guided time.

 My next independent step(s) for more efficient and effective learning as an educator: My next
step is to work from more direct comparisons in assessing whether instruction is working. I plan
to have students use similar codes on tasks so I can compare their progress in less time.
Most significant insight, attitude, or practice that worked best to improve student outcomes in
this learning unit: The most significant practice that helped students complete the paragraphs was
to show them how to first note what they wanted to say for each verb, and then let them write the
sentences on their own. This practice also minimized random sentences students often wrote to
reach the required word count.
My next independent step(s) for improving teaching practices to benefit student learning: My next
step will be to continue to break writing assignments into parts. I will also remind students of the
verbs they used in their paragraphs when I teach the next level of verbs in the simple past. This way,
the content is already connected so their lives.