Reflection: Curriculum Overview Presentation

In planning this lesson, I started with a clear goal. I wanted my peers to

experience two things. First, I wanted them to experience how a greater
understanding of language and culture can broaden our enjoyment of texts and
other materials. Second, I wanted them to feel as though they could actually
substitute as teachers in a Spanish Language and Culture class at the elementary
school level without needing to be fluent in the language. Since both of those are
affective in nature, I had to create SMART objectives that fit with the KSAs, so I
chose two that I felt aligned closely with my intended affective outcomes. I picked
C) because if my peers become confident and comfortable in using the Program of
Study, they will be more willing to attempt the planning and execution of lessons
despite the language barrier. I picked M) because this particular Program of Study is
closely tied with experiencing culture firsthand, and its the experience of culture
that will be most rewarding both for teachers and students interested in second
language learning.
While everyone else in my group attacked the overview presentation in
roughly the same way, my approach was completely opposite. They explained the
overview and tried to generate interest in or familiarity with it afterwards by having
each other interact with the document of the Program of Study. Because I knew that
they might feel that my overview didnt apply to them, as they would never teach a
Language and Culture class unless they deliberately chose to, I started with the idea
that I had to generate interest foremost, then confidence and provide them the
handout as a reference. For a psych perspective, one could say I followed
Vygotskys thinking. I was a More Knowledgeable Other, and I wanted to get them

to where they would feel as though I wasnt so far removed from them just because
I speak the language fluently (Zone of Proximal Development).
I felt that I was extremely successful in my lesson. My timings were spot on,
my specific questions helped my peers to see value in the activity as they gained a
greater and greater understanding of the cultural background and emotional power
of the song we studied at each step of the process. At the end, they were each
individually able to explain during our Closure discussion how understanding
cultural context and language helped them enjoy the song, and that through the
use of translation technology, they could get the information that they needed,
even without speaking the language.
Based on peer feedback, my presentation was very enjoyable for my peers.
However, based on some feedback, my questions chosen for the Exit Slip were not
as clearly tied to KSA C) as they were to M). During the group discussion, I had
gotten their buy-in to the idea of using the Program of Study. We linked the activity
that we performed back to Learner Outcomes from the Program of Study and my
peers stated in different ways that they felt comfortable to try teaching. However, I
didnt do anything that assessed whether they actually could demonstrate the use
of the POS to actually direct planning, instruction and assessment of student
progress.
If I were to repeat this lesson, I would repeat the activity exactly as is,
because it was powerful and enjoyable. What I would change would be the
performance task associated with assessment. Having only tackled this concept in
any depth this week, I feel as though I could incorporate it in a lesson plan much
more effectively. I would create and use a checklist to ensure that my end
assessment was in line with the stated objectives at the beginning. Instead of

assuming that my students were capable of developing competence with KSA C) in

one lesson, I might focus solely on M) and make C) a secondary objective, with the
idea of providing exposure but not expecting such an ambitious outcome in one
lesson.
Upon reflection, I also found that my lesson was handled from a Social
Efficiency ideology. I was interested in having a very practical outcome, one that
prioritized functioning over individual learning. I dont think it was bad to do it that
way, but it is notable that the language in the original assignment was very broad,
and used terms like acquaint your peers with the program of study, and engage
your peers in learning. Those broad terms could have lent very easily to students
exploring the program of study in individualized ways for their own learning goals,
but without thinking about why, I chose to focus on making them into future
potential substitute teachers.
Overall, I would call my lesson a qualified success, with room for
improvement or differentiation based on the needs of the learners!