Effective Teaching

Estimated 9.5 Hours to Complete Module

Effective Teaching involves interactive learning that is teacher and student friendly. Teachers systematically present content, emphasizing specific strategic learning interventions while verbally elaborating on the features and benefits. Students think about HOW they learn, as well as WHAT they are learning.

1. (.5 hr) Answer the following questions and upload them to your online

portfolio:

a. In what ways do you currently reflect on your teaching?

b. How do you evaluate the success of a lesson?

2. (1 hr) Complete the Best Practices learning object for at least two subjects

that are most appropriate for your field and save them to your

portfolio. Answer the following questions and upload them to your

portfolio as well.

a. How do these criteria compare to what you are currently doing in the classroom?

b. Do you disagree with any of the criteria? Why?

3. (1 hr) Complete the Create a Teacher Directed/Learner Centered Class

learning object and save to your online portfolio.

4. (1.5 hrs) Read the Joyce Rademacher article titled Planning High

Quality Assignments in Diverse Classrooms. Answer the following

questions and upload to your online portfolio.

a. How do the students become involved in this article?

b. How involved are your students in planning activities and in their learning?

c. Find the Quality Assignment Routine under “Curriculum Planning Strategies” in the Resources section of the web site. The link is a gray bar at the bottom of the main Resources page.

i. Using either the online version or the printed version create a quality assignment that you can implement in your classroom. Save this assignment to share at a group meeting.

5. (1 hr) Complete the Graphic Organizers learning object.

a. Which type of graphic organizer do you use most frequently? For what purpose do you use it?

b. Identify one graphic organizer that you are least familiar with and integrate into a lesson.

c. Implement this lesson and/or discuss it with colleagues receive. Write a short summary of the feedback you received as well as your thoughts and upload it to your online portfolio.

6. (.75 hr) Complete the Special Education Defined--Intensity and Focus

learning object and save your work to your online portfolio.

7. (1 hr) Complete the Differentiated Instruction learning object. Save

your sample lesson in your online portfolio. Answer the following

questions and post your answers on the forum page. See if others

have posted their responses and how their experiences compare to

yours.

a. Was it difficult for you to identify the one “big idea” of the lesson?

b. Did you struggle more with “intensifying the instruction” or with “expanding” it?

c. Have you used any of the planning or teaching tools identified in the presentation while planning for your lessons? If so, which one(s) and how did you utilize it?

8. (1 hr) Read the feature article Three Steps for Gaining Access to the

General Education Curriculum for Learners with Disabilities by

Margaret E. King-Sears.

a. Utilize the three-step process to evaluate one curriculum area that you teach.

b. Write a short reflection discussing how your curriculum meets the criteria for providing access to the general education curriculum for students with learning disabilities.

9. (1 hr) Visit the Teacher Vista titled Using a WebQuest: Opening

Doors to the New World. Explore the interview as well as the links

associated with this vista.

a. How can a WebQuest activity provide access to the curriculum for students with learning disabilities?

b. Create an idea of how you might utilize a WebQuest in a lesson you teach.

10. (.75 hr) Find the link for C.A.S.T. in the Links section of the site. Follow

this link to the C.A.S.T. web site and click on the Universal Design for

Learning link on the homepage. Chose and complete one of the

available Guided Tours. Write a brief reflection about which tour

you chose and what you gained from it. Upload this reflection to

your online portfolio.

11. Evaluation:

a. Complete the included evaluation form for the Effective Teaching training module.