Havilah Jones Western Governors University Task 603.2.

3-01

Contextual Factors Contextual factors have a large influence on students as they attend school. It is important for teachers to be familiar with those things that affect the students beyond the classroom. In addition to classroom factors, teachers need to account for contextual factors in the community, the district and the school. When teachers are familiar with these factors and understand how they play a role in the lives of their students, they can make better decisions in regards to their daily lessons within the classroom.

Community Contextual Factors The community that I am completing my demonstration teaching in is a town called Saratoga Springs, Utah. Saratoga Springs is a smaller town with a population of about 18,000 located just 30 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah. This city is small compared to the cities it is close to. The largest retailer in the area is Walmart and there is one other grocery chain store. The city has one fire station, two gas stations and a handful of banks, doctor offices and churches. Saratoga Springs is a fairly new city (incorporated in 1997) and is only partially developedonly about 25% of the land within city limits has been developed (Saratoga Springs, n.d.). The city has been experiencing fast, steady growth since it was first incorporated. The city has a very low crime rate compared to the rest of Utah and the United states. Most members of the community have conservative values. 89.93% of the members of the community are

affiliated with a religious congregation. Of these members affiliated with a religious congregation, 98% adhere to the LDS (Mormon) Church (City-Data.com, 2013). The families in the boundaries of the school mostly live in single-family homes. There are only a few townhomes and condominiums within the boundaries. Many of the students have only one parent that works outside of the home while the other stays home with the children. These factors do affect how a teacher makes decisions about how things work in the classroom. There are many parents who are available to come to volunteer in the classroom so the teacher needs to be prepared for this by having something for the parents to do when they arrive. Because of the large majority of LDS members, a teacher needs to be mindful of keeping the religious subjects out of the classroom conversations so as not to alienate those students that are not affiliated with this religion. Because of the rapid growth of the city, the teacher also needs to be prepared ahead of time to receive new students throughout the year.

District Contextual Factors Factors within the school district also play a part in the teaching and learning process. Alpine School District is the largest in the state of Utah with over 73,000 students, 7,000 employees and 80 schools. The district also covers a wide range of cities and communities. Currently, Alpine School District serves 14 communities within the northern portion of Utah County. Some of these communities are in the middle of larger cities while others are out in rural areas. The fact that the district is so large can have an impact on the students and their learning because they might feel lost in the crowd of so many students being served by the district. There are so many students within the district that they and their parents might not feel like they have

accessibility to their representatives within the district. With the district so spread out across many cities and towns with extremely different types of communities, the district has a hard time serving and understanding the situation of each individual student. Having said that, living within a large district can also offer many great opportunities to the students. There are many extracurricular programs offered to the students. The district offers a Knowledge Bowl competition every year as well as another competition called Battle of the Books. Students are given the opportunity to enter accelerated, gifted programs offered through the district. There are also a number of schools within the district that offer a dual language immersion program.

School Contextual Factors The contextual factors at the school itself have a major impact on the teaching and learning process. Harvest Elementary has 899 students. 21% of these students receive free or reduced lunch. There is not a lot of cultural diversity with 91% white, 1% Asian, 1% Black, 5% Hispanic, 1% Pacific Islander and 1% of other ethnicities. With this knowledge of the lack of cultural diversity, it is important as a teacher to teach about diversity and acceptance of other cultures. Many of these students have not had much experience with diversity and it would benefit them greatly to learn how to accept and love others without feeling uncomfortable about their differences. Another factor that is fairly unique to this school is that it is a part of the Spanish dual language immersion program. Two of the classes in each grade participate in this program. They have two teachersone who teaches in English and one who teaches in Spanish. They go to each teacher for half of the day. The purpose of this program is to not only teach the students

the information that other students learn, but to also have them learn a new language. These students are held to a higher standard and are given more challenges than other students in regular classrooms. This program creates a unique set of factors within the school that affects each student whether in the program or not. The program attracts teachers who come from different cultural backgrounds thus creating a more diverse faculty. This gives the students the opportunity to interact with teachers from other cultures that offer many experiences that they would not otherwise have. There is one negative impact this program has within the school. The students in the program and the students who are not in the program can sometimes feel separate from each other. The teachers have to put forth extra effort to make sure the students all feel like they are a part of the same community. When the students all can feel like they are a part of a community (despite their differences), they will be more able to succeed in learning within their classrooms.

Classroom Contextual Factors The classroom in which I am completing my demonstration teaching is very neat and organized. The front of the room has a large whiteboard with a reading corner on one side and the teachers desk and supply closet on the other side. In the reading corner, there are two book cases full of books of every kind. There is also a small chair and a bean bag. The teachers corner has a desk and a large book case with books and resources that the teacher uses throughout the year. The desks are organized into 5 tables of 5-6 desks each. In the back of the room there is a horseshoe-shaped table and a corner with a rocking chair where the teacher will sometimes gather the students for lessons. The classroom has an underwater theme with fish and

other sea creatures decorating the walls of the classroom. The main bulletin board states We are a community of fish. This organized classroom affects the teaching and learning process in a positive way. When the students come into the classroom, they can feel comfortable because of the neat organization of the room. There isnt much clutter to cause stress and distractions. The reading corner offers the students a comfortable place in which to read during specific times during the day. The tables of 5-6 desks offers the teacher the ability to have her students work together as a group in order to aid each other in the learning process. The horseshoe-shaped table gives the teacher a place to work with small groups during reading time (and other times) in order to be close enough to each of them to give individual help and instruction. The back corner with the rocking chair is where the students gather for some lessons. The students know that when they are called back there, they need to sit still, listen and participate in the discussions. This area gives the teacher and students enough of a change in the day so they can continue to offer their attention without feeling like the day is dragging on. The community of fish theme helps the teacher to impart to the students each day how important it is to be a contributing member of a community. There is technology available in this classroom. There is a projector hanging from the ceiling which can be connected to a laptop to show the laptop screen. The principal has also provided each classroom with an iPad Mini that can connect wirelessly to the projector. The classroom also has a speaker system with a portable microphone for the teacher to wear. There is a classroom set of Kindles that the class has access to one day a week. This technology is a major part of the teaching-learning process. The projector allows the teacher to not only show video clips, but also e-books, power point presentations and other

important media that would not otherwise be easy to share with the class. There is also a document camera that can be hooked with the projector. This allows the teacher to project worksheets onto the board where she can work with the class to fill them out and learn together. The iPad Minis are a great way to take pictures of the students work and project them so the whole class can see. The teacher can use these examples to point out the amazing things the students are accomplishing. The microphone is a valuable aid to the learning process. The teacher can use it to project her voice clearly enough for all students to hear. She can also use it as an aid in getting attention by raising or lowering the volume. The classroom set of Kindles aids the learning process because it offers extensions to those students who finish their work early. They can use a Kindle to log on to a reading or math program that helps them practice at their individual level. They also serve as motivation to complete their work because they know they will be able to use one when their work is complete. There are six parents that come in throughout the week to volunteer in the classroom. They usually read with the students individually or assist them with practicing their multiplication facts. There is also a group of parents that volunteer in the Take-Home Reading Library every day by swapping out books for the students to take home each day to read out loud with their parents. This level of parental involvement is an amazing asset to the teaching and learning environment. The students love working with the parents and they are able to practice important skills that may not be being reinforced at home. The students benefit most from this when the teacher has prepared ahead of time and planned exactly what the parents will be doing with the students and which students will be working with them that day. One other factor that affects the teaching and learning process within the classroom are the routines. The students know that every morning, they come in, put their backpacks and coats

in their cubby and help unstack the chairs. They also know that once this is complete, they are to sit and read quietly until the teacher calls them back to the corner where the rocking chair is. The students know exactly what happens at the back cornerthey listen to a story, receive a mini lesson and then receive instructions for an individual, partner, or group learning activity. Another routine that students are familiar with is morning meeting. They do this after first recess. They recite the pledge of allegiance and then are all allowed about 5 minutes to raise their hands and share anything they would like with the class. Once the 5 minutes are up, the teacher reviews with the class the schedule for the rest of the day. Other routines they have are that they get a new seating arrangement on the first Monday of every month, they reward the table with the most points every Friday, and they have math and spelling assessments every Friday. These routines are so important for the teaching and learning process within the classroom. When routines are in place, students are able to worry less about wondering what they will be doing that day when they enter the classroom with specific routines that they follow regularly. The students will worry less about what they are going to be doing so that they can concentrate more about what they are learning. The students thrive on these routines and they always seem a bit shaken and distracted any time the routines are not followed precisely.

Student Contextual Factors Four student contextual factors that impact the design of instruction and assessment of learning are age, interests, special needs and skill levels, and language. When designing instruction and assessments, teachers need to take the age of the students into account. Presenting age-appropriate material is vital to student learning success. If the curriculum is too

advanced for the students, they will not understand what is being presented and, therefore, will not be able to learn from the lessons. If the curriculum is created for a younger age-group, the students will also be unable to learn and grow because they will not be getting challenged enough in the classroom. Assessments need to be designed with the age of the students in mind as well. Questions that do very well assessing a specific concept for a 6th-grader, might not accomplish the same for a 2nd-grader. Teachers need to be aware of what types of assessments and assessment questions work best for the age group they are teaching. It is also important to take the interests of the students into account when designing instruction and assessments. In order to consider interests, the teacher must first get to know the students well enough to know what their interests are. Presenting a lesson that includes things they are interested in will help the students to become engaged in the lesson. The students will be more likely to take an active role in their learning process and they will be more likely to retain the information that is given during the lessons. For example, a lesson about fractions could be much more engaging if the teacher gives examples that include the favorite food of most students (pizza) instead of simply drawing a picture of a circle on the board. Once students are highly engaged, they will be able to learn more and be better prepared for the assessments. When developing the assessments, the teacher should also consider the interests of the students. Engaging the students is an important way to help students to take the time to fully comprehend what the questions on the assessment are asking. This could simply be done by using a students name in a story problem or creating a question that involves a situation similar to something a student in the class has spoken about. It is important to also consider students special needs and skill levels when designing instruction and assessment of student learning. Teachers need to not only be aware of students

special needs, but they also need to make accommodations for their needs. While some students struggle with learning and achieving on grade level, other students are ready to move on and learn things beyond what is expected. Teachers need to have the ability to differentiate instruction to account for all levels of student learning in every lesson. This requires a lot of thought and preparation. While some students will require pre-teaching and reinforcement of a concept, other students will require the chance to be challenged and ability to think about the concepts in a deeper way. Successful planning of instruction will include plans for both those who require extra care and attention in order to understand the basic concepts and plans for those students that are able to go deeper and broaden their understanding of the concept. When developing assessments, the teacher also needs to account for special needs and skill levels of the students. The teacher needs to provide enough time for every student to complete the assessment without feeling rushed or pressured to finish. The best way to handle this is to plan ahead and offer extensions to those students that finish the assessment early. A fourth thing to consider when designing instruction and assessment of student learning is the language of the students. There are many students who do not speak English as their primary language. Some students are still in the process of learning English while others speak English only while at school. These English Language Learners (ELL) are given extra challenges that teachers need to be aware of. These students might be perfectly able to understand concepts if it were not for the language getting in the way. ELLs tend to do better when their instruction involves a lot of interaction with other students. Teachers could design lessons where the students turn and talk about concepts they have been learning. It is also important to pair the ELL students with another student when reading in order to give them the opportunity to read out loud in English and hear others read out loud in English. Having the

ELL students pair with another student also gives them the opportunity to ask questions and receive clarification from a peer when they might feel uncomfortable always asking the teacher for help. The teacher needs to consider the students language when designing assessments as well. A particular attention to the use of words or phrases that might not be familiar to these students is vital. It would also be reasonable to plan to allow the student to work with a partner or with the teacher on the assessments depending on the need of the individual student.

Learning Goals Student skills and prior learning have a large influence on the development of learning goals. Learning goals are a general statement about what the students will be learning. They are considered to be the backbone of a lesson. It is vital for a teacher to understand the students skills and prior learning in order to plan out the best learning goals for the students. If the teacher is unaware of the prior learning, the students might receive instruction in subjects in which they are already fully proficient. Also, teachers might plan lessons for students that are more advanced than their prior learning has prepared them for. Teachers must perform preassessments and monitor student learning in order to create the most reasonable learning goals for the students.

Instruction As with learning goals, actual instruction is also majorly influenced by student skills and prior learning. A teacher needs to be aware of the prior learning and skills of the students in order to plan the most effective lessons. Again, this is why assessing the students constantly is so important. Teachers need to be informed and aware of where each of her students are when

learning concepts. If teachers understand that the students have already had experience in previous years in subject, she needs to know how much they remember before she plans the instruction for what she would like them to learn. When a teacher is aware of what students already know and can do, she can plan instruction that will be beneficial to the students and their success.

Assessment There are many ways to assess student learning and progress. Teachers need to be willing to use multiple methods in order to get the most out of the assessments. Teachers use assessments in order to inform them of what prior knowledge they currently have, monitor their current learning, and determine whether or not they achieved the learning goals. Teachers need to develop a variety of methods for assessing student knowledge. When a teacher is aware of students prior knowledge and skills, she can be able to design assessments that more accurately reflect the students learning and growth. For example, if a teacher knows that the students already understand a basic concept (i.e. a fraction names a part of a whole), she can design her assessment to ask questions to assess whether the students have a deeper understanding of the concept (i.e. use a story problem or ask them to explain in their own words).

Conclusion There are many factors that influence students learning in the classroom. Factors in the community could be the size and growth of the community and the major religions practiced by members of the community. Factors in the district could be the size of the district and the

programs the district offers to the students. The school itself has many factors that affect students learning. The diversity of the students and faculty and the types of programs offered are only a couple of examples. Classroom factors (i.e. physical features, technology, parental involvement and routines) have a large influence on students learning. Other factors include the age of the students, their interests, their special needs, prior learning, language and student skills. When a teacher is able to identify and understand how these contextual factors affect the lives of the students, she will be more able to use this knowledge in order to design effective instruction and assessment in order to give her students the best possible chance for success.

Resources

City-Data.com (2013). Saratoga Springs, Utah. Retrieved from http://www.citydata.com/city/Saratoga-Springs-Utah.html Saratoga Springs (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved from http://www.saratogaspringscity.com/index.asp?SEC=E40D5F3B-FEC8-43D5-96A502139441EF81&Type=B_BASIC