Mako Fukumoto C&T 100 First Examination October 9, 2013 Question: In TASC standard #1 addresses learner development.

First, identify the age level you would like to teach and 3 developmental characteristics (1 physical, 1 social-emotional, 1 cognitive) that you will need to consider when you plan classroom activities. Next, describe a learning activity you might use in your class that would teach content while meeting these developmental needs. Explain how each need is met through the activity you describe. Make sure your answer follows all rubric criteria. Answer: I would like to teach English in middle school in Japan. These students are between the ages of twelve and fifteen. Jennifer O'Donnell mentions that middle school students are complex and that they face a number of challenges during the middle school years such as puberty, bullying, dating and other issues. They have different characteristics from elementary school students. According to California Department of Education website, middle school students experience accelerated physical development marked by increases in weight, height, heart size, lung capacity, and muscular strength. They act out with unusual or drastic behavior at times and may be aggressive, daring, boisterous, and argumentative. They also experience thoughts and feelings of awe and wonder related to their expanding intellectual and emotional awareness. I would pair them with partners and do role-playing so that they can practice English pronunciation. I think this is effective because they have a lot of energy and they might feel bored listening to a lecture. While communicating with each other, they can practice relationships skills and learn how to respect their peers.

4. Question: In TASC Standard #2 addresses learning differences. The range of diversity in a classroom requires a teacher to be well versed in types of student diversity and how to best meet the learning needs of all. Select 4 types of diversity and use them to complete the table below. Choices in Column 1 do not need to be in in complete sentences, but the rest of the table should follow all criteria in the rubric. Answer: -Type of diversity Gender -Description of the diversity and implications for teaching strategies and planning

Diversity of gender means that students of different genders can sometimes learn differently. Generally speaking, girls are more quiet, polite, and studious. On the other hand, boys can often be loud, unruly and have a short attention span. The teacher has to understand the impact gender diversity has on their students and treat them equally. Some researchers say that gender segregation begins at the start of schooling and becomes more noticeable in the third grade. So, teachers should care about bullying or behavioral changes that result from gender diversity in students. -1 specific classroom activity that would help a student with this diversity learn new information A classroom activity that would help students with this diversity learn new information is to assign boy-girl partners for classroom jobs and assignments. By working together on classroom jobs, they can spend time learning more about how to get along with students of the opposite gender. I want to be an English teacher in Japan, so in my class I would have them work with their partner to prepare a short presentation in English. They can learn through communicating with each other during the process of making the presentation -Type of diversity Learning readiness -Description of the diversity and implications for teaching strategies and planning Diversity of learning readiness is that each student has a different level of knowledge and information. Some students can understand what the teacher is saying, but others cannot, so the teacher should start with an introduction and give them time to ask questions. -1 specific classroom activity that would help a student with this diversity learn new information A classroom activity that would help a student with this diversity to learn new information is to make groups for when students do worksheets. In Japan, usually the teacher teaches to about 40 students at the same time, so there is not enough time to teach to all students individually. However, when students do worksheets in groups with other students, they can help each other and increase each students depth of understanding. -Type of diversity Level of motivation/ Level of engagement -Description of the diversity and implications for teaching strategies and planning Motivated students are more likely to perform well academically, but learners that are less engaged are more at risk to perform poorly. The teacher needs to consider motivation on an individual and classroom level and try to build motivation of both. -1 specific classroom activity that would help a student with this diversity learn new information

A classroom activity that would help a student with this diversity learn new information is connecting the subject with the students culture or outside interests. I want to be an English teacher in Japan, so I would use examples from movies that I know middle school students like to teach grammar of English and daily conversational English. This will be interesting to them and help them to pay attention, which will help to improve their performance. -Type of diversity Learning styles/ modalities -Description of the diversity and implications for teaching strategies and planning According to Grace Fleming, there are three types of learners: auditory learners, visual learners, and kinesthetic learners. Auditory learners prefer to read and write. Visual learners like to study by power point presentations, pictures, and charts. Kinesthetic learners like to study with others or participate in role-playing. This makes it difficult for the teacher to meet everyones needs in one lesson plan, but he or she should try to make sure each students needs are being met. -1 specific classroom activity that would help a student with this diversity learn new information I think having students create presentations is a good way to meet all three learners needs. The process of making a presentation includes reading sources, working with graphs or charts, and group discussion. Each student can have a role that fits their learning style and work in collaboration with other students to make the presentation.

Question: Identify 2 cooperative learning instructional methods that you could use in your classroom. For each, name it, describe it and give an example of how you would implement it in your classroom. Make sure your answer follows all rubric criteria. There are two cooperative learning methods that I could use in my classroom. One of them is discussion. A good give-and-take discussion can produce unmatched learning experiences as students articulate their ideas, respond to their classmates' points, and develop skills in evaluating the evidence of their own and others' positions." (Davis) I think discussion is the best way to develop students' thinking, but in Japan most teachers only teach through lectures and rarely through class discussions. If students just listen to the lecture, they might forget what was taught soon after the class is over. Through discussion students can learn to respect others opinions and become active learners. The other cooperative learning methods that I could use in my classroom having students create group presentations in English. This practice is not common in Japanese middle school classrooms, but I would try it in hopes of helping the students learn how to work cooperative learning give them an opportunity to

speak English in front of people. When I am an English teacher in Japan, I will challenge myself to use these two cooperative learning methods in the classroom.