2.4 – Planning With Our Students In Mind

We know from our Lesson Planning Guide (p. 4) that we need to consider the needs, abilities and interests of our students as we plan our lessons. With this in mind, we are going to read through some CSUSB Arabic and Chinese course materials to familiarize ourselves with:

• the program’s goal and objectives
• the experiences the students will have
• their expected proficiency levels at the end of the program

You will use this information to inform your peer microteaching learning episode and the lesson you will teach to these CSUSB students on July 13 and July 15. Should more information on these programs become available, we will share that with you. 

Read

For Arabic Instructors

Arabic Syllabus

Arabic Field Trip Schedule

For Chinese Instructors

Chinese Summer Intensive Language Program (Links to an external site.)

Chinese Program Daily Schedule

For Everyone

Think of this reading as a type of ‘scavenger hunt’. You will be looking for information you can use to better plan your learning episode to address the interests and needs of the CSUSB students. As you read through the Arabic or Chinese documents, please consider the following as you design your peer microteaching learning episode:

1. What elements in these documents represent meaningful contexts for learning? 
2. How can you make use of these contexts for your lesson?
3. What performance level(s) should you target?
   
   

Activity Details

Module 1.4 introduced you to the STARTALK 2015 Student Program Lesson Template (Links to an external site.) we will use to plan our peer microteaching learning episode as well as our 60 minute synchronous lesson we will teach to students at CSU, San Bernardino. Now you will complete the first sections of  Startalk 2015 Student Program Lesson Plan Template (Links to an external site.) in preparation for your peer microteaching experience.

1. If you don’t have this template saved on your computer, you can download it from our Course Resources block on the main page or from here (Links to an external site.).
2. The Learning Targets Overview (Links to an external site.) and Learning Targets Infographic (Links to an external site.) you learned about in Module 1.5 will be good resources to review now.
3. Based on your ‘scavenger hunt’ of the profile of the CSUSB students and program goals, complete the following sections of your lesson plan template. From the top of the document:

You should also complete the Do and Know sections of Stage 1 on page 2 of your Lesson Plan Template.

Due before 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 19

Once you have completed these sections of your Lesson Plan Template you will go to your Module 2 Forum. Find your Peer Microteaching Group Number and then select the discussion topic specific to your PMG, Planning With Our Students In Mind. In this discussion topic please share with your peer microteaching group (PMG) the following: 

1. ideas you have for a theme or topic for your 10 minute microteaching learning episode.
2. your targeted performance level (For the beginning level students you can target novice-mid to be on the safe side. For the Chinese mixed intermediate/advanced group you could target intermediate mid.)
3. your learning target or can-do statement.
4. what students will need to know to be able to accomplish your learning episode’s can-do.  

Due before 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, June 20 

On June 20 please return to your PMG discussion topic, Planning With Our Students In Mind. Please read your colleagues’ posts and, selecting at least three criteria from the list below, provide one of your peers specific and supportive feedback using the following questions that reference items the Learning Targets Feedback Form. Please be sure to select a peer who does not yet have any feedback or has the least amount of feedback. 

1. Is the learning target appropriate for the performance goal?
2. How is the daily learning target constructed? For example:
   1. Is the learning target measurable?
   2. Does the learning target allow students to demonstrate their understanding through performance in one of the three communicative modes?
3. Is the learning target written in student-friendly language?
4. Is the learning target tied to content the CSUSB students would perceive as interesting and relevant?

Link to Module 2 Forum

To the extent possible, you and the members of your peer microteaching group should consider organizing each of your learning episodes under a common theme or topic. This would make it easier for you to then create a complete lesson with connected learning episodes for  your 60 minute online class with the CSUSB students. You could take the opportunity to discuss this possibility in this discussion forum.