LESSON 4: A Brave New World: Education in the 2000s and Beyond

Teachers Name: Ms. Alyssa K. McLean

Grade Level: 11

Dates of Lesson: March 4 - March 8, 2016

Topic: Education Reform During the 2000

Learning Objectives
Objective: Students will evaluate the changes in schools from the 2000s through the present day.
Students will know: Accountability, No Child Left Behind, IDEA, Mass Customized Learning,
Proficiency-Based Education, Standardized testing.
Students will be able to: Recognize the ways in which education reform has directly impacted
their own educational experiences.
Assessments
Formative: Exit Tickets - 3 things you learned, 2 things you found interesting, and 1 question
you still have. Summative: Reflect on your own educational experience through the lens of the
educational reforms of the 2000s by participating in an interview with one of your peers.
STANDARDS (use Common Core, Maine Learning Results, Next Generation Science
Standards, Schools Standards, ISTE Standards Students or combination)
Understands the major US social, political, and economic reforms on a society during
specific time period. (SS.02.HSR.01.02)
Understand the impact of social, political, and economic reform on US history over time.
(SS.03.HSR.01.02)
Understands how social, political, and economic reforms of the past impact current
events in the US. (SS.04.HSR.01.02)
Rationale
This lesson relates to all three of the learning targets because it discusses education
reform in the 2000s which inevitably leads into a conversation on how these past reforms are
impacting our current events today. By having students reflect on and share their own
experiences throughout their school years, we can examine how the reforms of the 2000s
impacted society throughout their lifetimes as well as project how it will impact future
generations.
Integration of Other Content Areas
This lesson relates to journalism because the summative assessment requires students to
interview each other about their experiences in school and how they relate to the reforms of the
2000s. As students interview each other, the interviewer must practice taking effective notes to
accurately capture what the interviewee is sharing about their experiences. The interviewee must
practice articulating their thoughts so the interviewer understands their opinion.
Instructional Strategies to Differentiate Instruction
This lesson will have a very personal connection for all students involved. However, with
these personal connections, each student will see that they have been impacted by education
reforms of the 2000s in different ways. Throught the fishbowl conversation, students will have

an opportunity to deeply connect with the content because we will talk about the positives and
negatives of their experiences so far in school and what the possible reasons for these could be
based on education reform. After the fishbowl conversation, students will get an opportunity to
reflect on their own about the stories they have heard from their classmates. In the last few
minutes of class students will complete an exit ticket that tells me three things they learned, two
things they found interesting, and one question they still have. This will be a way for them to
realize that although the class was focused on their own stories, they were learning about
education reform. Finally, on the second day of class, we will connect their stories from the
previous day to a conversation about the more political reforms in education such as No Child
Left Behind, Mass Customized Learning, Proficiency Based Learning, and Standardized Tests.
All of this information will be pulled together as well as creating a collaborative learning
experience through the reform interviews students will conduct.
Modifications/Accommodations/Extensions
Absence: If students are absent during this lesson, they may go to my website under their
class tab and read the description of the lesson as well as the notes that were taken and any
electronic activities. For the activities that were not possible to post on the site, students should
seek out me, Mr. Latuscha, or Mr. Closson to find out what they missed. If they were absent for
the second half of the lesson in which the summative assessment was explained, students should
contact me as soon as possible to find out the expectations and due date for the assessment.
IEP Accommodations:
Student A: Since this student requires accommodations surrounding organization
I will make sure that all directions/expectations regarding activities in the classroom as well as
the summative assessment are clearly explained and available on my website so they may have
access to the directions at any time. This student also has difficulty staying on task so I will
observe them during the lesson and redirect them if I feel they are no longer paying attention or
if I have lost them in one way or another. I believe that the fishbowl conversation will be
engaging enough that they will be mostly focused, however, if it seems they are not paying
attention I will redirect them and encourage them to join the circle to add to the conversation.
When they are sitting on the outside of the U I will make sure they are still paying attention
and not on their phone.
Student B: This student needs help learning skills of self-control/monitoring in
regards to distraction. As always, I will make sure that they are not on their phone during class
and that they are sitting up and participating. Due to the various instructional strategies for this
lesson, this student should be provided with multiple opportunities for practice with the concepts
uncovered in this lesson. Since the content notes for this lesson will be posted online, the student
may also go on my website and refresh their memory if need be.
Student C: This student is autistic and therefore needs a very clear classroom
routine and plenty of processing time when answering questions. To help accommodate this
student, I will continue to put the daily agenda on the board at the beginning of each class period.
As always, the student can also see the agenda and expectations on my website. This will
hopefully help the student if he/she checks the website before class or after once they are home
so they can be refreshed on what we did that day. During the fishbowl conversation, I will make
sure they feel welcomed and encouraged to share their ideas, as this student may feel
apprehensive at first of joining a circle conversation. As always, I will allow this student extra

processing time as I ask questions throughout the lesson. I believe the summative assessment for
this lesson (the reform interview) will be helpful for this student because they are better at
speaking their ideas rather than writing them. Through working with a partner to speak their
thoughts on the education reforms they have seen in their life, I believe the final product will be
more representative of their true learning because writing will not become a barrier.
Student D: This student needs assistance with keeping pace with the rest of the
class. Their accommodations explain that they need classroom notes to be provided for them a
clear understanding of expectations and directions given, and help breaking down large tasks into
smaller steps. Again, my website will help meet the accommodations this student requires
because it will allow them to have access to all of the class notes and materials that we will
discuss in class. As the students work together to complete the summative assessment, I will
keep a close eye on this student to make sure they are not getting distracted by having the
opportunity to talk to a classmate. They should be on task the whole time sharing their thoughts
on how education has changed in their lifetime.
Student E: This student needs assistance with staying attentive and on task as well
as with organization. As with other students that have similar needs, I will be sure to engage
them through questioning and incorporation. I will gently encourage them to engage in the
fishbowl conversation but not push too hard so they feel they are not being pressured. I want this
student to know that they have good ideas and they should feel safe to express these thoughts
with the class. I believe the summative assessment will help this student show their true
understanding of the material because they generally work better in a one-on-one setting instead
of in a big group.
Materials, Resources and Technology
-Paper
-Pencils/pen
-iPads
-Cluster/Word Map 1 Graphic Organizer
-URL for my website ready for students to copy down (if they still need it although it
should be bookmarked by now)
Sources for Lesson Plan and Resources
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/cluster.pdf
-http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/no-child-left-behind/
-http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/10/27/443110755/no-child-left-behind-what-worked-whatdidnt
-http://standardizedtests.procon.org/
-http://masscustomizedlearning.com/content/what.htm
-http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/02/21/mass-customized-learning-the-key-to-educationreform/2/
-http://www.competencyworks.org/resources/10-principles-of-proficiency-based-learning/
Common Core Teaching Standards and Rationales
Standard #2 Learning Differences

2a. Designs, adapts, and delivers instruction to address each students diverse learning
strengths and needs and creates opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning in
different ways.
2d. Brings multiple perspectives to the discussion of content, including attention to
learners personal, family, and community experiences and cultural norms.
Rationale: This lesson has a huge focus on making students look inward to reflect on
their own life experiences with school. This means that students get to interact with the content
on a very personal level because they can tell stories of their own lives and then connect them to
their new understanding of education reform. This lesson also allows them to show what they
know through big group discussions, writing, and answering interview questions, which will
hopefully help the students who are not strong writers express their learning more authentically.
Standard #3 Learning Environments
3d. Manages the learning environment to actively and equitably engage learners by
organizing, allocating, and coordinating the resources of time, space, and learners attention.
3i. Understands the relationship between motivation and engagement and knows how to
design learning experiences using strategies that build learner self direction and ownership of
learning.
Rationale: I am very excited for this lesson because it is the most drastic room change
that I have done so far. The entire room will be changed which I think will help students really
deeply engage in the conversation because it will make it different and special as compared to
our usual conversations when the desks are in a row. This lesson also should help students be
motivated to learn more about education reform because I am making it relevant to their own
lives and in a way making them teach me for a day because they have to figure out how their
education has been impacted by these reforms. (However, I will still be helping to steer the
conversation.)
Standard #5 Innovative Applications of Content
5d. Engages learners in questioning and challenging assumptions and approaches in order
to foster innovation and problem solving in local and global contexts.
Rationale: When students ask me why it is important to talk about these issues, I will
make sure they know it is because they have power to affect change in their society so if they see
something going on with their school that they dont like, they need to understand what the real
issues are so they can make more of a difference than simply saying I dont agree with how the
school is using standardized testing. They have to be able to support their opinions with facts in
order to create real change and this lesson provides them with the space to think about their own
life experiences and then connect the quality of their education to the factual issues and reforms
that have been acting on them.
Standard #6 Assessment
6b. Designs assessments that match learning objectives with assessment methods and
minimizes sources of bias that can distort assessment results.
Rationale: This lesson is the first time that I have tried an assessment that is not focused
on expressing their ideas through writing. I have realized that writing is not necessarily the most
effective way for them to show their thoughts and I am attempting a new method to see if I am
going to get better, more authentic samples of their learning.

Teaching and Learning Sequence:

What: Students will understand that they are living in a very tumultuous time period
regarding education reform. In just their lifetime, the understanding of the purpose of public
education has changed multiple times in the struggle to improve Americas schools as well as
have proof that schools are accomplishing the goals the state and federal government has set.
This is directly related to my third learning goal because they will understand that the reforms we
have been discussing are not separate from their lives; they have directly impacted their own
education every step of the way as they have grown up in Maines public schools. This lesson
also relates to my first and second learning goals because it is the continuation of the narrative
we have been forming about how public schools have been evolving since the 1850s and it also
demonstrates how as societys thoughts about why we need public schools have changed,
schools have changed right along with the shift in thinking. As a result, graduates from
Americas public schools that are now participating in the decisions society makes are having an
impact on schools because they understand the way the newest reforms were successful as well
as the ways they have failed.
Why: It is important that students understand the factors that have been at play in their
own education because ultimately it is them that should have a say in the quality of their own
education. They should understand what has worked and what has not worked for them as
learners and then understand the larger factors at play as to why they have had the educational
experience they have received. Although there is not much they can do at the moment to change
how the rest of their education will go (since they are juniors) they can learn the more political
details of education reform so they can affect change as future voters, parents, and possibly even
teachers.
How:
Day 1:
-Hook: Share one of your favorite stories from your educational experience so far.
-2000s Education Reform and Fish Bowl Discussion
-Exit Tickets
-3 things you learned
-2 things you found interesting
-1 question you have
Day 2:
-2nd half of instruction (whatever aspects that we have not discussed from the first day).
-Introduction to Interview Assignment
-Practice recording yourselves
-Conduct interviews
-Reflect on interviews as a group
Reflection
The first half of this lesson went amazing! I was so amazed to see what kids would share
in the fishbowl conversations. At the beginning of the class I asked the students to move their
desks so there was an outer U and a circle of chairs in the middle and I wouldnt tell them why
we were moving them around. Then once they were seated, I explained that if they wanted to

talk, they had to go into the circle and anyone that was on the outside of the circle had to be quiet
and listen to the conversation. The first statement that started the conversation was share a
memory that really stands out in your mind about your educational experience so far. The
students were really hesitant to jump in at first but then I started the conversation and sat in the
circle so slowly students also joined in the circle. I was amazed by what the students were
willing to share. Our conversation flowed naturally throughout the entire block and there were
times when we were all laughing together because of the memories and stories that were being
shared but then there were also some very tough times that made for some sobering
conversations. Students mentioned that they felt school was unfair in some ways because they
felt athletes were favored over other students and that they could get away with some behaviors
while other students could not. At this point Mr. Latuscha and Mr. Closson jumped in to mention
why they think this sometimes happens and that it, in away, isnt the student or the
teacher/coachs fault it is simply that they spend so much time together outside of school that
they have a stronger bond and the coach might be aware of some of the issues that the student
goes through at home so they a little easier on them. This was tricky for me because I actually
agreed with the students that this was not fair because regardless of your relationship to the
student outside of school I think you should strive to always treat every student equally and that
means that teachers should strive to have that sort of strong understanding bond with as many
students as possible. I did not join the circle and voice my opinions though out of respect for the
fact that Mr. Latuscha is a coach and I am not and because I didnt want to lose sight of the fact
that the lesson needed to encompass a bunch of topics not just this one issue.
The conversation also moved on to talking about ways that schools dont always include
everyone. This was an amazing yet difficult conversation for all of us because the students in this
class are almost all in some sort of special education program and have been through most of
their education. They talked about times that they had been bullied and teachers either didnt
catch the issue or did nothing about it. One student who was really shy and hesitant to talk joined
and shared a story about a time when their teacher provoked an anxiety attack because that
teacher didnt understand how to accommodate this student. Another student told of a time when
they caught some other students imitating the ticks this student has because of their tourette's
syndrome. At one point we had almost every student in the circle and it was amazing for me to
see the way they encouraged each other and listened respectfully despite all of their differences
they may have outside of the class.
I was very very impressed with how this lesson went. Although we did not get to the
specific content that I had planned to talk about that day, we had much more important
conversations that will only add to the conversation of the content. The only aspects of the
fishbowl discussion that made me uncomfortable was when students began to call out specific
teachers that they felt did not do a good job. I stopped this conversation as soon as I could but
Craig brought up later that next time I do this activity I should start it with ground rules so
establish that that kind of conversation is not welcome in the circle.
During the second day of class I covered the politicized education reforms of the 2000s
such as No Child Left Behind, Mass Customized Learning, Proficiency Based Education, and
Standardized Testing. This discussion was just as good because it is such an opinionated class.
After this discussion I tried a new form of assessment. Assessment has really been stressing me
out because I feel that the lessons are going really well but the assessment never shows exactly
what I know they have learned. And then I worry that maybe I have not taught them anything.
However, I realized that the issue may not be that they havent learned but rather that I am not

letting them show me what they know in the best way for them. So today I had them pair up and
interview each other about the ways the reforms of the 2000s impacted their educational
experience. Before I tried it in class I was very worried that this would completely fail. Now that
I have done it, I realize that it was actually a very good assessment because the students seemed
to have done better with explaining their thoughts outloud and having them recorded than they
would with writing them down. A few students didnt feel comfortable with being interviewed so
they simply took the sheet and wrote their own answers. Since there was an odd number of
students, I got the opportunity to interview my most challenging student and I learned so much
about this students educational history. This student told me that they had felt pushed through
the system and that it was possible for this to happen because of the reforms and different
focuses of teachers. I was floored by these responses and I was so glad I had gotten to learn
about this students past simply through a summative assessment. Im impressed with how the
interviews went and it comforted some of my worries regarding assessment. Im still not quite
where I want to be regarding assessment but this was a good confidence boost for me.