Understanding Today's Learners at Maconaquah Middle School
Created byKari Catanzaro
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Understanding Today's Learners at Maconaquah Middle School

Grade 10Other1 days
★★★★★
5.0 (1 rating)
In this project, pre-service teachers will analyze the academic, social, and emotional landscape of Maconaquah Middle School students to inform effective teaching strategies. They will explore demographic data, conduct student surveys, and create student personas to develop a comprehensive understanding. The project culminates in a presentation of their findings, including practical implications for teaching.
Student PersonasDemographic DataStudent SurveysTeaching StrategiesMiddle School StudentsPre-Service Teachers
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we, as pre-service teachers, develop a comprehensive understanding of the evolving academic, social, and emotional landscape of Maconaquah Middle School students to inform effective teaching/learning strategies?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • What are the social needs of students at Maconaquah Middle School?
  • What are the academic needs of students at Maconaquah Middle School?
  • What are the economic needs of students at Maconaquah Middle School?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Students will be able to analyze data to identify specific student demographics in economics, academic performance, and social diversity.
  • Students will be able to synthesize research findings to develop a comprehensive profile of the modern Maconaquah Middle School student.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

'Decoding the Digital DNA of Maconaquah'

Students use the website Niche to create a profile of Maconaquah Middle School students. This will lead to writing a personal philosophy of educationthat supports diverse student needs.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

Demographic Data Dive

Students will begin by exploring existing data sources to understand the basic demographics of Maconaquah Middle School. This involves analyzing statistical information related to economics, academic performance, and social diversity.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Access and review the Niche.com profile for Maconaquah Middle School.
2. Identify key demographic data points related to economics (e.g., free/reduced lunch rates), academic performance (e.g., test scores, graduation rates), and social diversity (e.g., ethnicity, languages spoken).
3. Record findings in a structured data sheet, categorizing information under the headings: Economic, Academic, and Social.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA completed data sheet summarizing the demographic information of Maconaquah Middle School students, organized by economic, academic, and social factors.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity directly aligns with the learning goal of enabling students to analyze data to identify specific student demographics in economics, academic performance, and social diversity.
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Understanding Today's Maconaquah Middle School Learners

Category 1

Data Analysis and Interpretation

Demonstrates the ability to accurately extract, interpret, and synthesize demographic and survey data related to Maconaquah Middle School students.
Criterion 1

Accuracy of Data Extraction

Reflects the precision in gathering demographic and survey information from provided resources.

Exemplary
4 Points

Extracts and accurately records all relevant demographic data with meticulous attention to detail.

Proficient
3 Points

Extracts and accurately records most relevant demographic data with minor omissions or inaccuracies.

Developing
2 Points

Extracts and records some relevant demographic data, but with noticeable omissions and inaccuracies.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to extract and accurately record relevant demographic data, resulting in significant omissions and inaccuracies.

Criterion 2

Insightful Interpretation

Demonstrates depth of understanding when interpreting data and its relevance to the student experience.

Exemplary
4 Points

Provides insightful interpretations of data, revealing nuanced understandings of the social, emotional, and academic factors influencing students' lives.

Proficient
3 Points

Offers clear and relevant interpretations of data, connecting it to the social, emotional, and academic experiences of students.

Developing
2 Points

Provides basic interpretations of data, but struggles to connect it meaningfully to the student experience.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to interpret the data or connect it to the experiences of Maconaquah Middle School students.

Category 2

Application to Teaching Strategies

Assesses the ability to translate insights about students into informed teaching practices.
Criterion 1

Relevance of Implications

The degree to which the identified implications are pertinent to instructional design.

Exemplary
4 Points

Articulates highly relevant and insightful implications for teaching strategies, demonstrating a deep understanding of how to meet the diverse needs of Maconaquah Middle School students.

Proficient
3 Points

Identifies clear and relevant implications for teaching strategies, demonstrating an understanding of the needs of Maconaquah Middle School students.

Developing
2 Points

Identifies some implications for teaching strategies, but struggles to connect them directly to the needs of Maconaquah Middle School students.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to identify relevant implications for teaching strategies or connect them to the student profile.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

How has your understanding of Maconaquah Middle School students evolved throughout this activity?

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Question 2

What surprised you most about the demographic data?

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Question 3

To what extent do you feel prepared as a pre-service teacher to understand the diverse needs of students at Maconaquah Middle School? 1- totally unprepared ... 5- totally prepared

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Required
Question 4

OPTIONAL- for bonus points What specific teaching activities or strategies would you implement to address the academic, social, and economic needs of Maconaquah Middle School students, based on your research?

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Optional