Case Study - smc1234.weebly.com€¦ · Web viewGreat Falls offers a variety of tourist attractions as well as outdoor recreation activities. For the outdoor enthusiast, the city

Case Study

Reading , EDU 484-401; MSU Northern Shanna Christopherson

Contextual Factors

Community

The city of Great Falls was founded by Paris Gibson and recorded in 1883. The

town was originally named after the natural great waterfalls discovered by Lewis and Clark.

Currently, Great Falls is known as the “electric city” and is considered the central location of

Montana; considered the third largest city in Montana. Great Falls is located in Cascade County

with the population of 58,711 including the population associated with Malmstrom Air Force

Base. The community has a range of cultural diversity as Malmstrom Air Force Base and

Montana Air National Guard bring people from all over the United States and often from other

countries.

The state has multiple Reservations and the closest is Rocky Boy Reservation located about 70

miles north. Great Falls is impacted and influenced by Native American culture, life styles,

traditions, and population. Farms also surround the community and are located in every direction

outside the city limits. The median income for Great Falls is $32,482 and has an International

Airport.

Great Falls offers a variety of tourist attractions as well as outdoor recreation activities. For the

outdoor enthusiast, the city has over 57 parks, 40 miles of trail along the Missouri River, a skate

and dog park located at historic Gibson Park, four golf courses, a country club, and a duck pond.

Some of the more popular tourist attractions include Charlie Russell Museum, Paris Gibson

2 | C h r i s t o p h e r s o n

Square Museum of Art, Western Art Week (once a year), Lewis and Clark Interpretative Center

and the First Peoples Buffalo Jump (formally known as the Ulm Pushkin).

Other special events Great Falls hosts include Montana State Fair, Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit

Finals, Voyagers Baseball, Americans AHL Hockey, Downpour Music Festival, and the Ice

Breaker Road Race.

Great Falls is home to two higher education institutions; University of Great Falls

and College of Great Falls – MSU. University of Great Falls is a private catholic school offering

undergraduate and graduate degrees. College of Great Falls, formally known as the College of

Technology is a branch of the Montana State University system and houses MSU Northern and

the MSU - Great Falls extension campus.

District

Great Falls Public School District has fifteen elementary schools; two middle

schools, and three high schools. Twelve of the elementary schools are considered Title I. Each

elementary school includes grade levels kindergarten through 6th grade. Both middle schools has

grade 7th and 8th and are both Title I. Both high schools are grade levels nine through twelve.

GFPS also has one alternative high school, the School for the Deaf and Blind and one preschool.

Current enrollment in the district is between 10,000 and 10,200. The district employs 2,057

employees, 745 are teachers, and 522 of the 745 have a master’s degree or equivalent to.

Demographics for the GFPS consist of 3.43% African American, 12.67 American Indian, 1.23%

Asian American, 3.43% Hispanic, and 78.63% White. Graduation rate performance in Great


Falls is 75% with the average combined SAT score of 1630. Great Falls also has private

educational institutions from Pre-K to 12th grade. All are Christian (primarily Catholic) based and

require tuition.

School

Roosevelt Elementary School is centrally located and has a total enrollment of

325 students, 50 staff members, 31 teachers, 1 administration staff member, and Principal

Rhonda Zobrak. About 57% of students receive free or reduced lunch and breakfast; Roosevelt is

a Title I school. Roosevelt also receives Federal Grants to provide snacks for every student

multiple times during the day, generally fruit or vegetables. The school mascot is the Road

Runner, and the school colors are red and white. School starts at 8:25 am and dismissal is at 3:30

pm, except for early dismissal which is every Wednesday at 2:40 pm.; the school operates

Monday through Friday with the exception of Holidays, planned days out, and has early

dismissal according to the district website calendar.

Roosevelt has a very bright clean school, but the overall layout of the school is not friendly.

Many of the classrooms and other rooms seem very secluded closed off. However, the school

makes use of the multiple display cases, bulletin boards, and wall art each highlights events,

student awards, and recognition of staff, community, and PTA members. The school has a

computer lab, gym, library, lunch room, music/art room, and a special education program.


Classroom Factors

The classroom set up is allows the students to observe in only one direction, the

front. All desks are facing the front of the room where the computer is located and the teacher

does a majority of instruction. Desks are side-by-side in rows of two or three. The flow of the

room is not ideal for the grade level and seems rather crowded and confined from movement.


The layout of the classroom, specifically the desks, makes me wonder if the placement relates to

the behaviors in the classroom. The classroom has 17 students, 7 boys and 10 girls. Of the 17

students, 5 students have been diagnosed with ADHD, 2 of the 5 also have ODD and 1 student

has both ADHD and ODD and does not take medication due to parental choice. Classroom

management is a clear problem in the classroom and it is very chaotic. Items are scattered about

on the floor (pencils, markers, random papers, rulers, food, etc.) and around the room with

disorganization. The teacher appears to have had sense of organization at the beginning of the

year, but clearly, has let the organization disappear.

The Observational Check List Results on a measurable 1-5 scale, 1 being lowest

Room set up Category Rate

Flexible and moveable 2

Inviting/clean 2

Safe and Orderly 2.5

Visuals

Organizers 4

Procedures 5

Agenda 5

Safety Procedures 5

Print Materials

Variety of books 5

Magazines 5

Student Work Displayed Hallway and in class 5


Academic Performance

Lecture 3

Discussion 2

Modeling 1

Assessment 1.5

Learning groups 1

Independent Work 3

Student Engagement

Talk 1 (too much)

Active Engagement 2

Use of Manipulative 3

Real Life Connections 3

Problem Solving 2.5

Hands on 4.5

Many students remain off task throughout the day and cause multiple disruptions to current

classroom and other classrooms in the building.

Literacy Interview

Student Characteristics


The first day of observation the class was read out loud the Elementary Reading

Attitude Survey Scoring Sheet, which was grade appropriate and easy to identify feelings. The

scoring guide results indicate of the 14 students surveyed:

Recreational Reading

075%

The Raw Score was 30/40, which is 75% and the Academic Reading was 25/40, which is 62.5%

and may indicate students prefer to read for enjoyment than in academics. Full scale raw score:

55/80.

For three visits an Observation Behavior Checklist was completed on the students. Each student

was given the same number and assessment was given during reading or language arts. While a

majority of the students remained engaged in the assignment, very few used reading strategies,

checked work, asked for help, or went back to text for answers.





The Reading Interest Survey was given to only small group participants. The students in the

group were instructed to make up a name they thought was “cool.” Thus, Chole, Hulk and Spider

Man collectively made the small group. Each student was read each question independently and

was reminded they would not be graded on the survey and for the reason; nobody will ever see

their answers (use fake names).

Spiderman uses the school library for reading materials and appears to enjoy reading. He

indicates he spends 5 or more hours a day reading, certainly, he is not aware of time and time

lapse. However, it is certain by his academic engagement (raising hand, first to volunteer, turns

in all assignments, great attendance) he truly finds joy in reading. Spiderman lists, “Diary of a

Wimpy Kid” as his least favorite book to read. When asked why, he indicated he does not like

wimps.

Chloe uses the public library to access books and spends 0-1 hours a day reading. She indicated

most of her reading is done at school and she likes to read magazines at her papa’s house because

she can take her time.

Hulk purchases the majority of his reads at the local bookstore and spends 1-2 hours a day of

reading. His favorite book to read is “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and his least favorite is “books

about the desert.”

All three students indicate a preference in non-fiction books over fiction books. Currently, the

class has minimal amount of exposure to non-fiction, according to the classroom teacher. With

common core, the teacher and her teaching partner hope to incorporate more non-fiction material

into the classroom instruction.





The two students which will be observed for the case study are Chloe and Spiderman.

Chloe is the smallest child in her classroom and wears glasses. At first, Chloe seemed very shy

and standoffish compared to other students in her class. In the computer lab I was able to

formally meet her and shake her hand. When she asked a question, kneeling down to her level to

guide her seemed appropriate. She needed assistance with a math number line problem which

involved skip counting; the problem was putting her at frustration level. After requesting she

think and create a mental image about the numbers, she said, “I cannot think that way, I am a

visual learner.” The statement indicates she understands she is a visual learner; the label can

hinder her academic growth.

Chloe, only child, lives with her grandma and grandpa and after a relationship was

formed with her, she began to open up. Her interests include playing and talking to her cousins,

going shopping, and most of all eating dinner at a table. The day Chloe was given the Reading

Interest Survey she had fallen on the playground and the class had a substitute teacher. At the

specific time her trust was extended my way. The story she told is as follows (or very close):

“Do you want to hear something scary Mrs. C? Well, one day in this classroom, we heard an

ambulance go by and do you know who was in the back of the ambulance? It was my mom. My

dad slammed my mom’s head into the wall and broke out her teeth. I no longer live with them; I

live with my nana and papa. Did you know every night we have dinner together? And we sit at a

table every night. Do you want to hear the best part? We sit together every night at a table and

eat dinner and they talk to me, they ask me how my day was. Can you believe it? Every night

Mrs. C.” Her quick story indicates she is not accustomed to family dinners or communication at

home. The placement of Chloe seems to make her happy.


Reading Assessment

One of the reading assessment pieces given to Chloe, “HIP Three-Minute Reading

Check” indicated Chloe was reading at 58WPM at a 3.5 grade level. The assessment indicated

miscues with double vowels and single vowels.

The following 3 page HIP Teacher copy indicates Chloe in red and Spiderman in Blue.



The second assessment piece was provided by the classroom teacher to document

and add to the running record data for the students. The second assessment on oral reading

indicated Chloe reads at 41 WPM and has a CWPM of 37. The results indicate Chloe reads at a

frustration level for her age group and a low instructional level for CWPM. Chloe showed


engagement in the read and when she was done asked if the read was something we could talk

about.

Some of the strategies Chloe currently uses when reading is finger tracking and using a small

book marked size “Book highlighter” which has a window for her to follow when reading.

Chloe could benefit from singular and plural verb activities, tracking strategies, segmenting

words, rereading, a comprehension checklist and vocabulary instruction. Currently, Chloe is

placed by the reading specialist at her school at a 2.75 grade level.

Student Characteristics

The second student Spiderman is one of the students in the class with ADHD and is

currently taking medication. He is involved in football, baseball, basketball and enjoys motor

cross. Spider man has both parents present in his home life and has one dog and no siblings. He

would really like to get a goat. The student comes prepared to class and has all assignments

completed on time. His struggles prevail when medication is not taken (according to classroom

teacher).

Reading Assessment

The first assessment indicated (HIP) Spiderman read at a 5.5 grade level. Spiderman had

repeated miscues such as /c/ to “sh” and reading only the beginning of the word and finishing the

word with a familiar one. Example: comparison – compassion. Spider man also had a hard time

expressing the end of sentence pause, and starting a new one.


The second assessment indicated Spiderman reads at 123 WPM and has a CWPM at 117.

The figures indicate he is at an independent level and keeping him at regular classroom

instruction will benefit him. Also, continuously check his comprehension of the reading to check

any effect ADHD may have one his reading.

Writing Pre Assessment

Chloe seemed to enjoy writing and was more than willing to show her journals. Chloe’s

writing was large and her letter extended over the lines and her sentences had no definite

beginning or end. As part of a lesson plan the students were to write 3 sentences relating to items

they like. The class was given 10 minutes to write 3 sentences and when the time was up she had

constructed about 1.5 sentences and appeared upset she had not finished. After looking through

Chloe’s journals she struggles to use the appropriate form for punctuation. Chloe uses a “9”

when writing the letter “p. ” Repeated instruction, a punctuation activity, using raised paper and

encouraging finger spacing would benefit Chloe.

Spiderman stated he did not enjoy writing especially on the paper with small lines (ruled

paper). However, Spiderman was able to complete the writing assignment in the allotted time

and began to work on his picture associate with the writing. Spiderman is conscious of his

writing and appears to follow the mechanics of writing (indentation, capitalization, punctuation

marks.). Regular classroom instruction with comprehension and writing checks should be

continued with Spiderman.


Diagnostic Report

Spiderman and Chloe appear to benefit from regular classroom instruction but it appears

Chloe needs addition support and activities for assistance. Much of the recommendations and

conclusions are included in the actual assessment sections of the case study, please refer back to

the assessments on the individual students.

Planning

RTI Chart

Total amount of students 16

Tier 1: 1 student, Tier 2: 7 Students, Tier 3: 8 students.


123

Lesson plan

Department of Education

Shanna Christopherson, Grade 2

“I Poem and verbs”

Stage 1—Desired Results

Established Goals: (Standards, Benchmarks, and Rationale)

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

Fluency: 4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

Writing Standards

Production and Distribution of Writing

5. With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.

Speaking and Listening Standards

Comprehension and Collaboration

1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).

c. Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and texts under discussion.Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas


6. Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

Language Standards

1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.a. Use collective nouns (e.g., group).

d. Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs (e.g., sat, hid, told).

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

5. Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.b. Distinguish shades of meaning among closely related verbs (e.g., toss, throw, hurl) and closely related adjectives (e.g., thin, slender, skinny, scrawny).

Understandings:

Students will understand that…(learner outcomes)

A verb is an action word and tells what the subject does

Essential Questions:

What is a verb?

How are verbs used?

Why are verbs important?

Students will know…(goal)

The definition of “verb”

A verb is an action word; it tells what the subject does.

How to identify and construct a sentence which includes a verb

Students will be able to…(objectives)

Orally define the word “verb”

Identify a verb in a sentence

Write a poem using verbs

Stage 2—Assessment Evidence

Performance Tasks: Other Evidence:


1. I poem (construct and read)

2. Identification of verb in sentence

3. Group reading and identification of verb

1. Participation in class discussion

2. Individual questioning of students

3. Participation of group/partner activity

Stage 3—Learning Plan

Learning Activities:

Anticipatory Set: Review key concepts covered previously (nouns, parts of speech, proper noun, and sentence structure).

Procedures:

Can anyone tell me by a show of hands

What a noun is? (guide students to person, place, or thing)

What is a proper noun?

What do we need at the end of a sentence?

Now we have had a review of a few items we have covered in the past, let’s talk about what we did over the weekend!

Make a 2 column graph on the board

Before we discuss what you have done over the weekend, can anyone tell me what a verb is?


Please raise your hand and tell me what you know about verbs

Make a list of student responses on the board (accept all answers)

There are so many concepts we have learned this year, but do you know how I remember what a verb is?

I watched a video and I have it here for us all to watch together!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHyLqPspWR0

(pull up link on internet and watch) encourage students to be engaged in video, CLAP, JUMP, etc. with the video

Who can tell me what a verb is now?

Who can give an example of a verb? (call on 5 students) redirect if confusion is apparent

Now, I would like to call on a few students to share with me what you have done over the weekend. I do not want a story, I want you to choose one thing you did and say it in one sentence and make sure you include a verb.

My example would be: I ran on the treadmill. (write your example on board)

Who can tell me what I did?

Now who can tell me the verb in the sentence?

Call on student

Yes, ran, because I RAN on the treadmill – RAN is what I did

In the first section of the 2 columns on the board write the word RAN

Ask 3-4 students what they did over the weekend.

Student A: I played my guitar (write played in chart)

*instruct student to indentify the verb, provide assistance if needed

After you have completed asking students to share, instruct students to take out notebook/journal

Instruct students to write name and date as previously instructed to do so on top of paper

Instruct students to write the word Verb: on the top of the page


Now write the definition of verb which will be consistently be used in the classroom.

Verb: An action word. A verb tells what the subject (or noun) does, is, or what happens to it.

Tell the students they will be writing a poem today, it will be about what they like, what they would like to do, or what they have done - it is called an “I” poem

The “I” poem must contain 5 sentences, and each sentence must include a verb, and the sentence must start with “I”

Example to show:

I dance with a clown

I ride a bus

I carried a ball

I listen to my mom

I smiled at my cat

I run on the treadmill

Instruct students to brainstorm verbs in their head

Instruct students to begin writing their poem directly below the definition of verb in their notebook/journal, direct them back to the verb definition if they start to struggle identifying a verb

After each student has completed “I” poem they will pair up with “Puzzle Partner #4”

Student A will read student B’s poem

After each student has read their partner’s poem they will point out the verbs used in each sentence and confirm the verb with partner.

All together read the definition of a verb from notebook/journal


Addressing the diverse learner:

Tier 1: Write 3 sentences for poem

Tier 2: As stated in lesson plan

Tier 3: Incorporate using 2 verbs in one or multiple sentences in poem

Closure:

Tell students tomorrow we will be completing the chart on the board which we started today using tense.

Ticket out the door:

Please tell me 3 verbs

Materials:

Computer

Internet access

White board

Student journal/notebooks

You tube video: Verb Rap Song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHyLqPspWR0)


Lesson Reflection:

I present lesson plan March 19, 2013

The lesson plan can vary and past/present tense verbs can be added. Punctuation can be added in

the writing portion of the lesson plan for students who struggle ending a sentence and starting a

new sentence.


ResourcesGreat Falls Chamber of Commerace Relocation guide. (2013). Retrieved from

http://www.greatfallschamber.org/relocation-guide.html.

http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/schools. (2013). Retrieved from Great Falls Public School : http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/schools


Documents

Case Study - smc1234.weebly.com€¦ · Web viewGreat Falls offers a variety of tourist attractions as well as outdoor recreation activities. For the outdoor enthusiast, the city