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Mandi Marcantonio
Derek Decker
EDUC 450
27 Sep. 2015
Setting and Context
Who are the Lambkins, of the Northern Colorado that bleed purple and
gold? Why, its Fort Collins High School, whose mission to provide an
excellent education for all students in a nurturing, creative, challenging, and
disciplined environment so that all students have the knowledge, values and
skills to be productive, responsible participants in our society and to
successfully pursue careers when they graduate. We strive for excellence in
a culturally diverse academic setting, which fosters a nurturing and equal
educational opportunity for all learners.
This Poudre School district high school offers a wide variety of
programs, resources, and activities, in order to meet the needs and abilities
of all students. According to their webpage, Fort Collins High School offers a
range of programs from The Alternative Cooperative Education program
(ACE), to Advanced Placement and Gifted and Talented, and also includes a
Teen Parent and ELA resources. These programs and resources aim to fit
differentiated needs and learning styles for individual students. They are not
only designed to make it possible for students to be successful in school, but
also giving them life-long skills.

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With a campus like this one, students love to stick around and
participate in the Three Categories of Student Organizations, which include
School-Sponsored Activities, School-Sponsored Academic Organization, and
Student-Initiated and Led Organizations. Defined in the Student
Organizations link on their homepage, the school describes SchoolSponsored Activities, as an organization that meets the interests of most
students, and includes: Dances, Debate/Forensics, Peer Counselors, a
Student Advisory Board, Link Crew, and many more. Category Two consists
of their School-Sponsored Academic Organizations, which are clubs and
activities with the focus surrounding academia. It is important to remember
that Category Three is completely student generated and driven, and, is
NOT school sponsored, supported, or controlled, (FCH.org). Clubs such as
Outdoor Club, Environmental Club, and Alternate Politics Club, have been
established and must comply with the law and school rules.
As stated in a lecture given by the Dean of Students, Mr. Richie,
students with behavioral needs at Fort Collins High School are able to take
advantage of Integrated Services, which provide the most appropriate
environment for their disabilities. If students needs fit the profile for a 504
or IEP plan, students will have a modified or accommodated curriculum, so
they can receive an education that fits them. The demographics amongst
the 1632 student body population, as of August 2014, consists of a fifty
fifty split between male and female students, whom make up the 69% White
population, followed by their 22% Hispanic, and over three percent Asian

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student body. American Indian students make up .9% and Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander make up .2% of the school population. Out of their over 1600
enrolled students ranging from as young as 8th grade through 12th grade,
32% make use of the Free and Reduced lunch program. The school prides
themselves on being culturally diverse and inclusive for all represented
identities.

I am spending my semester teaching a 9th grade U.S. Literature class

and a 10th grade Pre-AP World Literature class. My students range from
average freshman, to advanced sophomores, which give me scope of the
plethora kinds of students. Their developmental levels are similarly in the
same place, both in the coming of age phase of their life, where they are
navigating informative decision-making. The students are immersed in
technology, social media, and music, to the point where they rarely put it
down. They love nature and recognize the importance to protecting the
environment. The class culture is
intense and very structured. The physical environment is arranged where
the desks are situated in rows facing the front of the room and the teachers
desk. Dcor is a little plain, with only literature quotations are plastered
around the walls. There is no trace of student work, nor vibrant colors to
simulate thinking, and no aspect of student significance. Overall, its unflavorful, but its organized and structured, where work gets done. The
context of learning takes place through a collaborative and technological

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learning. The demographics of the two classes are very different. My 9th
grade U.S. Literature class is a diverse mix of Whites, Hispanics, and Asians,
while my 10th grade Pre-AP World Literature class make-up is primarily White
and Asian. Its interesting to see how mixed the gen. Ed class is, in
comparison to the advanced course which makes up the 32:1 student to
teacher ratio. I love both of my classes for all of their varied unique skills
and I look forward to see what the rest of the semester has to hold.
Thus far in U.S. Literature, students are studying the American Dream
unit, in which they have read several short stories surrounding the American
dream and the fulcrum text Of Mice and Men. Students already know the
basis of character analysis, story elements, and plot line, and the various
ways and meanings the American dream can be achieved.

The concept

behind the American dream is taught to high school students at this level
because they are coming of age, and beginning to learn their place within
society. As for my Pre-AP World Literature students, they have already
covered a Semantics Unit, in which they became more knowledgeable on the
importance of language, as well as definitions, labels and perceptions of
language. They concluded this unit with an informative speech, and a final
exam. The instructional strategy that my cooperating teacher appears to
use, and one that the students are relatively familiar with is in the form of
dialogical pedagogy. Ms. Rice uses student voice and experiences as the
backbone of her instruction, where each and every students voice is valued

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and heard. By students making more personal connections to the text, it is
more likely that they will follow its values and messages.
Fort Collins high school is a very welcoming and diverse environment
where students are not only supported academically but beyond the
concrete and mortar walls. Their students are valued as individuals and
know that they are prepared to face whatever challenges they might have in
the world post high school.