Running head: DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION

Developmentally-Appropriate Instruction

Taylor Falkowski

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2017

Running Head: Developmentally-Appropriate Instruction Falkowski 2

Introduction

This paper demonstrates application of the requirements set by the developmentally-

appropriate instruction competency. In the following paragraphs, I will describe how my lessons

involve hands-on developmentally-appropriate teaching techniques along with the incorporation

of cultural awareness.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

The two artifacts selected for this competency are the Codes and Conducts lesson plan

and the word cloud from the students of class 2B. The first artifact, the lesson plan, is not a

Madeline Hunter lesson plan. With the encouragement from my cooperating teacher, I began

using the lesson plan required for Kellam teachers. However, I modified the plan to include

SOLs, lesson title, topic, time, and instructional strategies. The lesson plan is the most valuable

artifact for this competency because it details the objectives for the unit as a whole as well as the

learning target for any particular lesson. The lesson plan details exactly how the teacher will

engage the students in the topic and lists each leading question so that any teacher could can

follow the plan seamlessly.

The plan is centered on the previously discussed topic that World War II and the Cold

War heavily influenced the author, and that the boys in the novel were a product of those times.

The plan is also contingent on the understanding that the boys are removed from civilization and

have made their own society with limited rules. This lesson continues to show the idea that all

societies depend on rules to maintain order. The plan also leads the students to an understanding

of how various societies view order through discussion of differences and finding similar

elements across times and cultures. To do this, the students gather in groups and analyze written
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codes of conduct to find meaningful words or phrases. Greater description of the activity along

with links to the articles are in the lesson plan.

The meaningful words that each group gathered from their various sources are entered

into an online survey the teacher made through polleverywhere.com. The survey then combined

those words into a word cloud which then visually ranked words by the number of times the

students submit them. The cloud was then shown to the students so they could see what words

were shared between their documents. This leads to further discussion on the words chosen in

these codes of conduct and their significance. These artifacts demonstrate that the lessons are

developmentally-appropriate in that they required the students active participation and critical

thinking.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

During my time as a student at Regent University, I have come to learn and understand

multiple theories regarding child and adolescent development and the different methods of

instruction. When teaching, especially at a secondary level, it is important to use cooperative and

student-centered learning that engages the students and provides samples of student achievement.

One of the first steps in making and applying developmentally appropriate lesson plans is

to understand the students and their capabilities. According to the TASC standards, a teacher

should understand how students grow and develop and that the patterns of learning and

development vary individually; therefore, it is important that a teacher implements

developmentally appropriate and challenging material (Radford, 2013 pg. 9). A lesson should

incorporate material that is effectively engaging and challenging to all learners. This is a

continuous struggle, especially for a novice teacher such as myself. It is easy to create a lesson
Running Head: Developmentally-Appropriate Instruction Falkowski 4

that targets the average learner, but it is a bit difficult to modify the plan to meet the needs of the

advanced or struggling learner.

In this lesson, I addressed the class as a whole and then split them in groups to evaluate

codes of conduct between time periods, countries, and groups. Through this activity, student

achievement [was] enhanced by asking students to identify similarities and differences (Burden

and Byrd, 2016, pg. 174). Furthermore, the students contributed to a product that had visual

elements. This, along with discussion, is the best way to recapitulate a lesson (176). In my

lesson, the students worked together to add to and create a final product. In a follow-up

discussion, the students were engaged and were able to make connections between previous time

periods and cultures and connected them to the modern world.

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References

Burden, P. R., & Byrd, D. M. (2016). Methods for effective teaching: meeting the needs of all

students (7th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Radford, C. P. (2013). Strategies for successful student teaching: a guide to student teaching, the

job search, and your first classroom (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson.