EDU 603 Blog Post #4

Part 1: Creating a Learning Plan:

W.H.E.R.E.T.O	Learning Plan: Stage 3
Where are students headed and What is expected of your learners?	By the end of the unit, children will be able to explain the significance of transportation in facilitating movement between different locations and its role in connecting people and places. Children will be able to classify various modes of transportation, including cars, trains, planes, motorcycles, and boats, by categorizing them into appropriate groups. Children will have the opportunity to explore and visit various transportation-related locations, such as a city bus station hub, where they can learn about public transportation and its importance in the community; a fire station, where they can explore fire trucks and learn about the roles of firefighters in keeping us safe, an auto body shop, where they can discover how vehicles are repaired and maintained, a gas station, where they will learn about fueling up cars/trucks, and a train station hub, where they will gain an understanding of train schedules, ticketing and fares, platform safety, types of trains, and train infrastructure (e.g. platforms, tracks, signals). Children will be able to define and apply new vocabulary words related to transportation, such as "engine," "steering wheel," and "traffic light," by using them accurately in context.
How you will HOOK each of your students and HOLD their interest throughout the learning plan?	The teacher will use storybooks and videos showcasing different transportation modes to capture children's imagination and curiosity. The teacher will organize a show-and-tell where children pick/choose a toy vehicle and share interesting facts about it. The teacher will use educational apps like ABC Mouse and Khan Academy Kids to make learning more interactive and engaging.
The ways you will EQUIP your students to help them EXPERIENCE and EXPLORE the ideas being studied in your class.	The teacher will incorporate hands-on activities and projects, such as building/designing a vehicle using cardboard and various materials, transportation theme arts and crafts where children will use various materials, such as construction paper, glue, and scissors, and a transportation theme sensory bin where students can explore and play with different objects related to transportation, such as toy cars, trains, and planes. The teacher will create a transportation theme dramatic play area in the learning environment and provide props such as hats, costumes, and toy vehicles to enhance the children's role-playing experience. The teacher will provide legos and other materials for children to build transportation-related structures, such as roads, bridges, airports, and vehicles. The teacher will take students on multiple field trips to various places, such as a fire station, a train station, and a bus station hub, where children can observe different modes of transportation.
Offer opportunities for formative assessment, allowing students to RETHINK, REVISIT, or REVISE their work to grow and improve.	The teacher will provide regular feedback during hands-on activities like car designing, encouraging children to make improvements and modifications. The teacher will facilitate group discussions about field trip experiences, allowing children to reflect on what they learned and how they can apply it to their car designs. The teacher will teach children to reflect on their work and identify areas where they can make changes or improvements. The teacher will provide prompts or guiding questions to help children think critically.
Provide students with ways to EVALUATE or self-assess their own work.	The teacher will create a simple checklist for students to self-assess their car designs, considering factors like creativity, functionality, and use of materials. The teacher will encourage children to reflect on their field trip experiences through drawings, expressing what they found interesting or surprising. The teacher will ask children open-ended questions to encourage self-reflection and assess their understanding of the tasks and field trips.
TAILOR the learning plan to meet the variability of learners, incorporating multiple modalities and using technology.	The teacher will include visuals, such as pictures and diagrams, to support understanding and cater to visual learners. The teacher will offer hands-on activities and manipulatives to engage kinesthetic learners. The teacher will use videos to introduce different modes of transportation, catering to auditory and visual learners. The teacher will utilize technology by introducing age-appropriate education apps, such as Khan Academy Kids, to supplement classroom activities. These can help reinforce concepts, develop fine motor skills, and provide engaging learning experiences.
Offer tools to the students to help them stay ORGANIZED so they can be effective learners.	The teacher will create a simple checklist for students to self-assess their car designs, considering factors like creativity, functionality, and use of materials. The teacher will encourage children to reflect on their field trip experiences through drawings, expressing what they found interesting or surprising. The teacher will ask children open-ended questions to encourage self-reflection and assess their understanding of the tasks and field trips. The teacher will offer support and guidance while gradually reducing it as students gain understanding and proficiency.

Part 2: Self-Assessment Rubric

	Fully Present	Somewhat Present	Not Present
Stage 1: Identifying Desired Results	The identified essential understandings are clear, relevant, and encompass key concepts and themes related to modes of transportation. The performance captures the key concepts and knowledge students should gain from the unit study. The identified understanding effectively guides teaching and enables the transfer of knowledge to other disciplines. The essential questions align with the chosen standards and reflect the knowledge and skills required of learners aged 4-5.	Some essential understandings are identified, but they may need more clarity or relevance to the topic of modes of transportation. The performance captures some key concepts and knowledge students should gain from the unit study. The identified understandings partly guide teaching and have limited connections to other disciplines. Some essential questions align with the standards and learner requirements.	Essential understandings are not identified or are not relevant to the unit study. The performance captured no key concepts or knowledge that students should gain from the unit study. The identified understandings do not guide teaching or promote the transfer of knowledge to other disciplines. Essential questions do not align with the chosen standards or fail to address the knowledge and skills required of learners aged 4-5.
Stage 2: Determining Acceptable Evidence	Multiple opportunities are provided for students to demonstrate their understanding of modes of transportation through hands-on activities, discussions, creative projects, etc.	Some opportunities are provided for students to demonstrate their understanding of modes of transportation, but there may be a limited variety of options.	Limited or no opportunities are given for students to demonstrate their understanding of modes of transportation.
Stage 3: Planning Learning Experiences and Instruction	Communicating Goals: Clearly communicates unit goals and purpose, highlighting their importance and real-life relevance. Generating Excitement: Engages students with stimulating and relevant content, using creative and interactive strategies to generate excitement and curiosity. Authentic Performance Tasks: Feedback and Revision: Designs learning experiences that provide authentic, real-world connections to transportation concepts, allowing students to apply their knowledge and skills. Feedback and Revision: Provides timely and constructive feedback to students on their work, allowing for reflection and revision based on feedback. Assessment and Reflection: Equips students with tools for self-assessment and reflection, encouraging them to set personal goals and regularly evaluate their progress. Coherent Learning Plan: Presents a coherent, logical learning plan that is aligned with unit objectives and facilitates meaningful progression.	Communicating Goals: Partially communicates unit goals and purpose, but lacks clarity or fails to explain their importance. Generating Excitement: Attempts to engage students with relevant content, but lacks creativity or interactive strategies. Authentic Performance Tasks: Includes some learning experiences that offer real-world connections, but may lack authenticity or opportunities for application. Feedback and Revision: Offers feedback to students, but may lack timeliness or constructive elements, limiting opportunities for reflection and revision. Assessment and Reflection: Offers some opportunities for self-assessment and reflection, but may lack clear guidance or consistency. Coherent Learning Plan: Includes a learning plan that is partially coherent and aligned with objectives, but may lack clear progression or logical structure.	Communicating Goals: Does not communicate unit goals and purpose effectively, leaving students unclear about the objectives. Generating Excitement: Fails to generate excitement or interest in the topic, lacking engaging content or strategies. Authentic Performance Tasks: Fails to provide authentic learning experiences or opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills. Feedback and Revision: Does not provide feedback to students or overlooks the importance of reflection and revision. Self-Assessment and Reflection: Fails to provide self-assessment tools or opportunities for students to reflect on their progress. Coherent Learning Plan: Lacks a coherent learning plan, failing to align with objectives or provide clear guidance for student progression.

Reflection

This learning plan is closely related to the work I have completed as a homeschool teacher for my 4-5-year-old learners. It aligns with their developmental stage and focuses on transportation concepts, which are relevant and exciting to them at this age. The plan incorporates various engaging activities and strategies such as storytelling, hands-on experiments, and creative projects to stimulate their curiosity and foster their understanding of transportation.

As young learners, my specific students are naturally curious about the world around them, including different modes of transportation. This learning plan will be meaningful for them as it allows them to explore and engage with transportation concepts in a fun and age-appropriate way. Through storytelling, they will develop language and communication skills while expanding their knowledge of different vehicles. Hands-on experiments and creative projects will enhance their problem-solving and fine motor skills and provide opportunities for imagination and self-expression.

In our homeschool setting, this learning plan provides flexibility and adaptability to meet my specific learners' individual needs and interests. As I guide their learning, I can tailor the activities and tasks to their level of understanding and learning style. Their participation and engagement will be maximized with one-on-one attention and a nurturing environment, ensuring a meaningful and enriching learning experience.

To extend further learning, I invite you, fellow educators, to think about how you can incorporate transportation concepts into daily life activities with young children. What other ways can teachers encourage curiosity and exploration of transportation with young learners?