Running head: DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION 1

Developmentally-Appropriate Instruction.

Cameo Roman

Regent University

In partial fulfillment UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Fall 2017

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Introduction

Instruction has changed in many ways over time. In order for it to be meaningful for the

students, the teachers must put in great effort to ensure that every component is engaging and

purposeful. I have included two artifacts that demonstrate examples of my efforts to provide

hands-on and developmentally-appropriate instruction. I first included a picture of an anchor

chart that I used to model a hands-on, summary activity with the students. I also provided a text

feature small group lesson plan that included hands-on and engaging components.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

During the week of learning about summarizing, I modeled how to complete the

summary organizer, which is called the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then strategy. I read

various stories, which I tied in with cultural awareness and diversity. After practicing with the

class on how to complete the organizer, I had the class complete it on their own after I read the

story titled The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi. I chose this book because it shows how some peers

may have unusual names that derive from different backgrounds. I gave each student five

different colored sticky notes. Each color represented a different part of the organizer. After

filling out the sticky notes, I had the students stick them on the poster paper.

The point of the lesson was to see if the students could give me an accurate summary of

the story. The students needed to show me that they weren't simply retelling the story, but rather

identifying the main ideas and details. It was a great example of how the students are expected to

use critical thinking on a daily basis. This was a suitable activity for summarizing because it also

involved memory. Memory at this stage for children improve in multiple ways (C. Bergin & D.

Bergin, 2012). The students were highly capable of meeting the objectives.
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My second artifact is a small group lesson plan that dealt with nonfiction text features.

The point of this activity was to have the students recall and recognize text features in their

nonfiction books. In order to achieve the highest level of understanding when comprehending

nonfiction texts, it is important for students to be aware of the various text features and to see

how they help create the big picture that the author is trying to share. For this activity, I had the

students go through a nonfiction book of their choosing and search for a text feature as I called

them out. Whoever found the feature first earned a point. It was a scavenger hunt and a race

rolled into one game. I knew the students would enjoy this activity because it required everyone

to be engaged and participate. It also allowed them to have competitive fun. I was able to see

who understood what the text features were and who still needed help with that understanding. In

my opinion, teaching about text features is not that exciting, but this game did bring excitement

to a dull topic.

Reflection

One of the great improvements about school is that the need to use critical thinking skills

has been recognized and implemented more than ever. It is crucial for students to not only be

able to say they understand a concept and state what it is, but to also dig deeper and explain their

reasoning. They must focus on all aspects of the question (not just on the what, but also the

why and how). One of the eye-opening concepts that I have learned from my courses at

Regent is the idea that teachers should aim for their students to reach a level that goes beyond

pure knowledge. In order for this to be achieved, teachers must ensure that their students

understand.

Understanding means that students are able to explain, apply, and recall the information.

Not only should students know the facts that teachers instruct, but students should be able to
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understand the big picture and the abstract ideas. Because memorizing facts can easily be

forgotten, teachers should provide opportunities for students to know why these facts matter,

why they should understand them, and how to apply them to real life situations. One of the

courses that stood out to me regarding the nature of instruction was the Curriculum Design and

Assessment Tech. In Understanding by Design, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe discuss the

importance of understanding and that it involves six facetsbeing able to explain, apply,

interpret, gain perspectives, have self-knowledge, and empathize (2006).

As a prospective teacher, one of my goals is to regularly pray for my students. One of the

many things I would pray for is that my students gain a full understanding of what I teach them

and that it really resonates with them. I want them to be successful in all areas of life and I want

them to feel good about themselves when they gain a new understanding. Proverbs 2:6 tells me

that wisdom, knowledge, and understanding comes from the Lord. Although I may not be able to

share that great news with my students, I will try my hardest to be an effective servant for God so

that He can help guide my students to new understandings through me.

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References

Bergin, C. C., & Bergin, D. A. (2012). Child and Adolescent Development in Your Classroom

(2nd ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

Holy Bible. New International Version.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2006). Understanding by Design (2nd ed.). Alexandria, Va:

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.