When we began this IDT course, I used to think that the lesson plan was just an instructor’s guide in the content delivery. I used to think that an effective lesson plan just needed to have the name of class, objectives ,time and content but has no well elaborate procedures of content delivery. After taking this course my thinking has totally changed. I now know that the lesson plan is the instructor's road map of what students need to learn and how it will be done effectively during the class time .I now know that an effective lesson plan needs to have components like standards, objectives oh, well laid procedures that will ensure the objectives of the lesson are achieved. In addition, the 21st century skills and Technology together with the materials should also be incorporated in the lesson plan as well as the assessments and how all  these will be implemented in the classroom.

I also used to think that the objectives of the lesson should just be specific and should state what students will know or  be able to do at the end of the lesson. taking this course has really changed my knowledge about lesson objectives. I now think and know that lesson objectives must not only state what students will know or be able to do at the end of the lesson, but must also be written in a particular  format which is the ABCD Method where A stands for Audience, B-Behavior, C-Condition, D-Degree .I now know that writing objectives using Bloom's taxonomy will help  me clarify my learning objectives and also have my students achieve a good outcome .For instance, the following  objective has been written in an ABCD.

 Given sentence stems, students  will be able to write 5 complete sentences with 100% accuracy.

In this objective, ”Given the sentence stems” is a condition, Students is Audience, ”Write 5 complete sentences is Behavior and 100% accuracy is accuracy. This kind of format will help me clarify whether my outcomes have been achieved at the end of the lesson or  not. In addition, I now know how to use Bloom's taxonomy levels since I know that each verb belongs to Bloom’s cognitive level of thinking. This is what I did know before starting this course.

I also used to think that the lesson procedures can be stipulated in the lesson plan but not in a detailed manner, but now I know that the lesson procedures are  an in-depth explanation of how the lesson will  progress in the classroom. I should lay out each and every step of my lesson progression and how students will be engaged at each particular step. For instance, When I am using the gradual release responsibility, I should explain how I will know that my students are understanding content at every step of my lesson progression and also show what they will  be engaging at as evidence of learning. I also know that a well-planned lesson does not leave room all I don't students in the classroom.

In terms of Technology, I used to be incompetent in technology and used to think that using technology in the classroom instruction was such a complex thing. It was not until I was exposed to various Technologies, and how to incorporate it into teaching that I realized how easy and advantageous it is to use it in content delivery. I now know that using technology in the classroom instruction  can  enhance student learning, boost engagement in the classroom as well as give them control over their learning which enhances academic achievement.

 Research asserts that  students spend most of their time on their phones in the classrooms. In this case these cell phones  can be used as a tool for learning instead of just entertainment which can  enhance learning.

Therefore using technology will pull students from their phones to getting engaged by taking control over their learning. For instance, I can use technology to create visualized poems while teaching poetry. Since most students, especially  Ells, usually experience problems in understanding poems, having them create visualized poems can have them understand the message from the poem which  makes analysis easier . Other forms of technology like Google forms can help in checking students' text comprehension through comprehension check questions and Adobe Sparks , animated cartoons or  even voice threads  can help differentiate instruction our assessment whereby some students can create videos to demonstrate the knowledge of the lesson while others write or  use audio.

 In addition, I now know  that incorporating technology has to align with Iste standards. This is important because adapting ISTE  in the classroom helps with improving critical thinking, and helps encourage the use of Technology by students for collaborative work in decision-making.

I used to think that 21st century skills are skills that can just be acquired and even if they are taught,they don't have to be planned.I now know that the 21st  century skills are very important and need a serious approach that  has to be  included in the lesson plan. I also know that these skills not only provide a foundation for successful learning in school, but also have to ensure students are successful outside of the classroom, in real-world scenarios in life and in real-world places. For instance skills like learning and innovation will enable  students to develop creative thinking like brainstorming, analyzing and evaluating their own ideas.

Whenever a teacher reaches out to an individual or small-group to vary his or her teaching in order to create the best learning experience possible, the teacher is differentiating instruction.( Tomlinson 2000).Learning about technology and how to incorporate it into instruction will help me differentiate my instruction  assessment and also different instruction strategies like Think, Pair and share will enable me to differentiate by varying my process of learning  which in the end will ensure that students’ learning needs are well catered for since all these will be aligned with the objectives as well as the standards.

Thanks to you Dr. Murdock and Dr. Philips for your wonderful work. You really did a great job in making it easier for me to understand and now i feel i am fully equipped to make learning more interesting and engaging for my ELLs. Thank you.