This artifact was my final project for the course "Curriculum and Assessment." It is a compilation of three different components; a UBD framework for a year-long curriculum, a curriculum-map, and a comprehensive assessment. The ideas incorporated within this lesson plan are geared towards an eighth grade classroom in that the goals for skills, content and engagement are age appropriate. I believe that this artifact is an accurate reflection of the Azrieli goal that "graduates will display competence in the
development and delivery of Jewish studies curricula in such areas as Bible,
Talmud, prayer and Jewish history." As this artifact was revised many times over the course of my semester with Dr. Glanz, I believe that it helped me to develop competency in the development of a comprehensive Judaic Studies curriculum. In addition, the process of creating this artifact caused me to think deeply about the different questions an educator must ask his/herself regarding year-long goals, and the way in which the educator would work to achieve those goals.
There are many components within this document that I believe also reflect the Azrieli goal that students will "display competence in the formative and summative assessment of learning in these areas of Jewish studies." The different types of assessment evidence utilized in the UBD lesson demonstrate the importance of having different types of assessments throughout the year, both for the teacher and the student. The types of assessment evidence utilized as formative assessment, such as the exit cards or chavruta packets, help the teacher to identify what information the student has mastered, and what information the student needs to continue to work on. The formative assessments, including the comprehensive model assessment included at the end of the artifact, helps the teacher to fully grasp what the student has gained from the unit as a whole, prior to moving on to future units.
There are many components within this document that I believe also reflect the Azrieli goal that students will "display competence in the formative and summative assessment of learning in these areas of Jewish studies." The different types of assessment evidence utilized in the UBD lesson demonstrate the importance of having different types of assessments throughout the year, both for the teacher and the student. The types of assessment evidence utilized as formative assessment, such as the exit cards or chavruta packets, help the teacher to identify what information the student has mastered, and what information the student needs to continue to work on. The formative assessments, including the comprehensive model assessment included at the end of the artifact, helps the teacher to fully grasp what the student has gained from the unit as a whole, prior to moving on to future units.
This unit on Sefer Shemot was one that challenged me as a student to think about specific skills that I would want students to master within my classroom. In addition, it caused me to think about the language used by the Chumash in order to compile an appropriate vocabulary list for my students. While I am a strong believer in testing students about vocabulary knowledge, I do think that shorashim are a critical tool that students need to master in order to eventually become independent learners. In addition, I think that the skills that I have chosen to focus on within this unit are ones that appear many times within the Torah, and are ones that students need to master in their quest for learning independence.
This unit also caused me to think about the ways in which I would specific needs of students struggling with certain skills. The data chart included in this document was created arbitrarily, and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to examine the data in a meaningful way. By grouping my students into sections based on their struggles, I was able to create a plan for differentiating within my classroom. Utilizing the assessment data in this way in a real classroom would not only be beneficial for me as a teacher so as to know what to teach next, but would also be helpful for my students in creating activities that best suit their needs. Azrieli strongly emphasizes the "delivery of differentiated instruction in Jewish studies," as well as the importance of "formative and summative assessment of learning," and I think this assignment allowed me to grapple with both of these ideals in a meaningful and productive manner.
This unit also caused me to think about the ways in which I would specific needs of students struggling with certain skills. The data chart included in this document was created arbitrarily, and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to examine the data in a meaningful way. By grouping my students into sections based on their struggles, I was able to create a plan for differentiating within my classroom. Utilizing the assessment data in this way in a real classroom would not only be beneficial for me as a teacher so as to know what to teach next, but would also be helpful for my students in creating activities that best suit their needs. Azrieli strongly emphasizes the "delivery of differentiated instruction in Jewish studies," as well as the importance of "formative and summative assessment of learning," and I think this assignment allowed me to grapple with both of these ideals in a meaningful and productive manner.