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Aligning Outcomes and Assessments 

Big Hairy Audacious Goal

ESL-sheltered students across Alief Independent Middle Schools will learn to use e-portfolios effectively in their science classrooms during this course. This approach will engage students more actively, foster collaboration, and enhance their comprehension of science concepts. Since students come from various educational backgrounds, e-portfolios will allow students to display prior knowledge from their native country with the assistance of technology. Students will share their stories through pictures and written experiences of transitioning to their new home country. This course will allow students to assess and give feedback to classmates who speak other languages with whom they usually would not communicate. This will enable students to think more in-depth about their learning. The course includes planning, creating, and organizing an e-portfolio reflecting the students' individuality and previous learning experiences and space to reflect on current material. An e-portfolio is an excellent way to help students gain deeper learning. A student-created e-portfolio will also give teachers and ESL administrative staff real-time and current student content to help evaluate and plan students' next ESL placement level. It allows them to transfer their knowledge from one context to another, whether in a unit in class, school, or personal lives (Thacker, 2022).

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A year (or more) after this course is over, I want and hope that students will :

 

  • Hopefully, students will have more confidence in using academic language and dialogue in the classroom and peer discussions in and out of the classroom in English.

  •  Continue to build speaking, writing, reading, and listening skills.

  • Students should continue using e-portfolios to record their accomplishments, skills, and knowledge.

  •  Benefit from feeling a sense of belonging and learn to celebrate successes, big or small. 

Learning Environment & Situational Factors to Consider

 

1. Specific Context of the Teaching/Learning Situation

How many students are in the class? Is the course primary, secondary, undergraduate, or graduate level? How long and frequent are the class meetings? How will the course be delivered live, online, blended, flipped or in a classroom or lab? What physical elements of the learning

environment will affect the class? What technology, networking, and access issues will affect the class?

 

  • ESL sheltered small class sizes—between 15 and 20 students per class — encourage active participation and promote the development of English language proficiency

  • 1900 beginning ESL sheltered middle school students in grades 7 and 8, with 700- 7th and 1200- 8th graders.

  • Meet daily in scheduled science class for 45 minutes per day throughout the 180 instructional school year.

  • The course will be delivered through a blended approach in class, combining online resources and discussions with language support with in-person lab experiments and project-based learning opportunities for hands-on activities and collaboration.

  • Students will have access to reliable technology, such as school-issued Chromebooks. Device access issues will be prioritized to ensure all participants benefit from the course materials. Additional iPads will be available if needed.

 

2. General Context of the Learning Situation

What learning expectations are placed on this course or curriculum by the school, district, university, college, and department? The profession? Society?

 

  • The course is expected to align with the Alief Independent School innovation plan, which aims to provide students with relevant, real-world, personalized learning opportunities while addressing social and emotional needs (Patrick, 2022, p. 5)

  • The profession expects teachers to incorporate meaningful use of technology by choosing apps and activities that require collaboration, creativity, and higher-order thinking.

  • Society expects teachers to evolve with the needs of the education industry, and teachers should believe in the potential of all students, regardless of their background or abilities.


 

3. Nature of the Subject

Is this subject primarily theoretical, practical, or a combination? Is the subject primarily convergent or divergent? Are there important changes or controversies occurring within the field?

 

  • The subject combines theoretical and practical aspects to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge acquisition and real-world application through hands-on activities and digital tools.

  • Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), practical state standards for what students should know and be able to do. It requires divergent thinking as students mainly engage in exploration and open-ended activities. Divergent thinking is the opposite of convergent thinking and involves more creativity. With this thinking, you can generate ideas and develop multiple solutions to a problem. While divergent thinking often involves brainstorming (Asana,2024).

 

  • The use of technology in the classroom is a controversial topic. Using AI in the school raises questions about plagiarism, cheating, and disinformation.

 

4. Characteristics of the Learners

What is the life situation of the learners (e.g., socio-economic, cultural, personal, family, professional goals)? What prior knowledge, experiences, and initial feelings do students usually have about this subject? What are their learning goals and expectations?

 

  • Life Situation: Students will come from various diverse cultural backgrounds.  Alief has a high percentage of low-socioeconomic families. Identified sheltered students are learners whose first language is a language other than English and who have been identified as limited in English per assessment.


 

  • Prior Knowledge: Prior knowledge and experience will vary depending on the student's education and exposure to technology experience in their home country. Teachers must scaffold the course to accommodate a range of starting points, guaranteeing that students can grow and learn effectively while building their English linguistic skills.

 

  • Learning Goals: Promote accelerated English language acquisition, develop literacy, provide content-based instruction, and facilitate students’ cultural adjustment, all while creating an authentic learning environment 

    • ePortfolio is the best way for students to interact with each other; by using technology and creative strategies and presenting information, teachers can evaluate the weak or strong points of the materials or delivery method used in the learning-teaching process. 

    • This allows the teacher and the student to correct misconceptions, make adjustments, ask for clarification, and reevaluate

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5. Characteristics of the Teacher

What beliefs and values does the teacher have about teaching and learning? What is his/her attitude toward the subject? Students? What level of knowledge or familiarity does s/he have with this subject? What are his/her strengths in teaching?

 

As an ESL teacher, you work with students from diverse linguistic backgrounds and varying English proficiency levels. 

  • You must have excellent communication skills.

  •  It’s also essential to possess organizational and classroom management skills to enhance student cooperation and teamwork.

  • Teachers must help students understand complex topics by making them relevant.

  •  The instructor of this course must believe in a constructivist approach to teaching and learning. Ask questions and encourage students to explore scientific phenomena. 

  • Create lessons that allow exploration and demonstrate concepts through experiments and other hands-on activities.

  • The teacher must embrace failure, ensure students understand that failure is part of learning, and celebrate success.


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Questions for Formulating Significant Learning Goals

 

Foundational Knowledge

 What key information (e.g., facts, terms, formulae, concepts, principles, relationships, etc.)is/are important for students to understand and remember in the future? What key ideas (or perspectives) are important for students to understand in this course?

 

  • Make connections between class content and the real-world

  • Accept that every student is unique 

  • Collaborating with peers and accepting and giving feedback will help you grow

  • Collaborating will increase English linguistics skills

  • E-portfolios can help students develop digital skills and create records of their accomplishments, skills, and knowledge that can be used for college and future employment

  • Develop lifelong learning skills, such as critical thinking and self-directed learning. 

  • Students will be expected to participate in TEK-aligned curriculum standards science activities and labs, such as Aqueous Solutions, Comparing Elements and Compounds, and How to Calculate Speed. 


 

Application Goals

 What kinds of thinking are important for students to learn?


 

      Critical thinking

  • Students should improve their ability for deep learning, creating new connections, and creating new knowledge

  • Assess the strengths and weaknesses and draw conclusions based on evidence and reason. All of this should be conveyed through their e-portfolio.


 

    Creative thinking

  • Students can think creatively while conducting student-led labs and experiments, creating ramps, calculating speed, and creating different aqueous solutions to distinguish between concentration and dilution.

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    Practical thinking

 

  • Apply science concepts to solve real-life problems.

  • Use logic and reasoning to identify potential issues while exploring scientific phenomena.

  • Develop plans for overcoming obstacles and making the most efficient use of resources provided

  • Reflect on the results of their conclusions for future reference.

 

 

 What important skills do students need to gain?

  • Collaborating with peers, communicating effectively, and being patient as students reach their English learning goals.

  • Science concepts

  • Develop speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills in English. 

 

 Do students need to learn how to manage complex projects?

  • No, students will not manage any complex projects.​

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Integration Goals

 What connections (similarities and interactions) should students recognize and make…:

 Among ideas within this course?

  • Students will be exposed to math and scientific literature related to the activities they will have opportunities to investigate.


 

 Among the information, ideas, and perspectives in this course and those in other courses or areas?

  • The course will highlight how science incorporates using mathematical tools to analyze data, represent scientific phenomena, and create models that explain observations. For example, in science and math, calculating speed is done by dividing the distance traveled by the time taken to travel that distance, using the formula Speed = Distance / Time. This approach enhances their learning experience and prepares them for a more integrated view of knowledge, encouraging lifelong learning skills.

 

 

 Among material in this course and the students' own personal, social, and/or

work life?

  • Encourages ownership and engagement in educational experience

  • Integrate knowledge across disciplines and experiences

  • Make friends in more than one language and able to communicate with people from other cultures 

  • Being bilingual can increase your competitiveness in the job market 

  • Document learning using technology to have evidence of educational growth

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Human Dimensions Goals

 What could or should students learn about themselves?

  • Students should self-reflect to understand their learning styles, strengths, weaknesses, and interests. By creating and building a portfolio of their unique characteristics, likes, and abilities, they can develop helpful learning strategies and set meaningful goals for their academic, linguistic, and personal growth.

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 What could or should students learn about understanding others and/or interacting with them?

  • Students should develop cultural awareness, compassion for others, and communication skills to enhance their ability to understand and collaborate with individuals in and outside the sheltered classroom. 

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Caring Goals

 What changes/values do you hope students will adopt?

 

Feelings?

  • I hope students develop confidence in their abilities regardless of language level. This can be achieved through a supportive classroom environment that recognizes and praises their progress. In an atmosphere where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities rather than failures, I expect students to become resilient and tackle challenges with determination and optimism.

 

Interests?

  • Students should be enthusiastic about understanding how real-world science concepts apply outside the classroom and how collaboration and peer-to-peer interactions can significantly increase their linguistic skills.

 

Values?

  • I want to cultivate a strong sense of honesty and responsibility among students. I aim to emphasize the importance of collaborating with others for shared benefit.

 

"Learning-How-to-Learn" Goals

 What would you like for students to learn about:

 

 How to be good students in a course like this?

  • I want students to learn about reflecting on their learning journey, as this reflection can help students analyze their experiences and make connections between them. Documenting their Reflection in their portfolio also helps students recognize their strengths and weaknesses in content and linguistic skills.

 

 How to learn about this particular subject?

  • I want students to connect science content information and new language with their knowledge.

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 How to become a self-directed learner of this subject, i.e., having a learning agenda of what they need/want to learn, and a plan for learning it?

 

  • Becoming a self-directed science learner is about taking ownership of your learning journey. This can help students have more control over their education, become more engaged and motivated, and find learning overall more enjoyable. I want students to be more confident when wanting to learn about a new topic, even if it is not in their native language. Even attempting to translate the information can open doors and allow students to explore.

 

Three Column Table

Foundational Knowledge

  • Make connections between class content and the real word

  • Accept that every student is unique

  • Collaborating with peers 

  •  Increase English linguistics skills

  • Develop digital skills

  • Develop lifelong learning skills

  •  Critical thinkers and self-directed learners

  • Participate in TEK-aligned curriculum standards science activities and labs.

  • Demonstrate listening comprehension of increasingly complex spoken English by following directions in the lesson introduction

  • Retelling or summarizing spoken messages, responding to questions and requests

  • Collaborating with peers, and taking notes 

  • Commensurate with content and grade-level needs

  • Complete open-ended question in their science notebook : 

 

  • Using what you

        know now about solutes and                         solvents, how do they differ?

 

  • I know that solutes and solvents are different because_________

 

  • The student should read and listen to others' responses with the help of a translator.

 

  • Collaborate and compare responses

Application Goals

  • Students should be able to improve their ability for deep learning  creating new connections and create new knowledge

  • Assess the strengths and weaknesses

  • Draw conclusions based on evidence and reason  

  • Students will be able to think creatively while conducting student-led labs and experiments

  • Apply science concepts to solve real-life problems.

  • Use logic and reasoning to identify potential issues

  • Develop plans for overcoming obstacles 

  • Reflect on the results of their conclusions for future reference

  • Collaborating with peers  and communicating effectively,

  • Being patient as students reach their English learning goals.

     science concepts

  • Developing speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills in English.

  • Students will take a look at the word aqueous. 

 

  • Class Discussion: 

What does the prefix aqua mean? 

 

What other words have the same prefix?

 

  • Make this a lively class

discussion. Use the clear touch and create a thinking circle map together as a class.

  • Phenomena Quick Launch Lab:  The students will set up 6 test tubes of water with

         increasing amounts.                                    Add two drops of food coloring to          each tube.

 

  • Encourage curiosity and have students write down any questions.

 

  • Have students take photos and add questions and observations to their 

     e-portfolio

Integration Goals

 

  • Students will be exposed to math and scientific literature related to the activities they will have opportunities to investigate.

 

  • Highlight how science incorporates mathematical tools to analyze data, represent scientific phenomena, and create models that explain observations.

  • Explore Lab: Investigate and Model Dissolution

 

  • The students will be  making a cup of iced tea, and adding  a teaspoon of sugar to the glass of 

          tea and ice. 

 

  • Question: What can you do to increase the rate at which the sugar dissolves?

 

  •  In this lab, students will investigate and model the factors that affect the rate of dissolution.

  • Go over instructions and guidelines for the lab

  • Assign or give the students a choice about their role in the group

 

  • Students  will make three different concentrations of

 a powdered drink mix-water solution. Then they will change two of these solutions so that all three have the same concentration. 

 

  • Display and present your findings and results on chart paper and post results on an e-portfolio to share with others for online collaboration

Human Dimension Goals

  • Students should self-reflect to understand their learning styles, strengths, weaknesses, and interests.

  • By creating and building a portfolio of their unique characteristics, likes, and abilities, they can develop helpful learning strategies and set meaningful goals for their academic, linguistic, and personal growth.

  • Review the basic setup of the lab and have students brainstorm factors that they can change that might affect the sugar's dissolution rate in water.

  • Students should identify water temperature, agitation, and surface area as possible factors.

  • Have students make a hypothesis that addresses each of these factors. 

  • Make sure that they identify the relationship between each factor and the rate of dissolution

Caring Goal

  • Develop confidence in their abilities regardless of language level 

  • Develop an enthusiastic interest 

  • The benefit of collaboration with others.

  • Exit Ticket: Red, Yellow, Green

 

  • Ask students how they feel about the lesson. 

  • As they prepare to leave the classroom have them pick a color that best represents how they feel.

 

  • Red- Stuck on the topic and needs more help

  • Yellow- They understand but need some help

  • Green- Confident and could help others

"Learning-How-to-Learn" Goals

  • Learn how to connect science content information as well as new language with their knowledge.

  • Taking ownership of their learning journey

  • Become more engaged and motivated

  • Sticky Bar Graphs 

 a formative assessment technique where students write their answers to a question on a sticky note and then physically stick their notes onto a designated area to create a visual bar graph

  • Anonymously written, students will write only who they agree with.

  • Will use a different color for each answer choice 

  • Students can share their thoughts without feeling self-conscious as their individual responses are not easily identifiable. 

References

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Asana. (2024, January 3). Convergent vs. Divergent Thinking: Finding the Right Balance • Asana. Asana.                                                    https://asana.com/resources/convergent-vs-divergent

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Fink, L. D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences : an integrated approach to designing college courses.                            Jossey-Bass.

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Patrick, G., Williams , A., Breaux , D., Truong, L., Key , J., & Moreno, R. (2022, April). Alief District of Innovation Plan.                             Aliefisd.net. https://www.aliefisd.net/documents/our-district/transparency/alief-district-of-innovation/district-of-              innovation-plan/555580

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Thacker, S. (2022). A Report from the Field: How ePortfolios Can Improve Student Transition from Secondary to Post-                     Secondary Education in Alaska. International Journal of EPortfolio, 12(1), 17–33. https://eric.ed.gov/?q=e-                                     portfolio+alaska&pr=on&ft=on&id=EJ1370165

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