Teaching Standards
Maine has adopted the InTASC Core Teaching Standards to ensure that beginning teachers are prepared to work effectively with learners and their families and to contribute to the quality of schools and public education generally. This section of my ePortfolio focuses on the Maine Teaching Standards and includes reflections of my learning and artifacts that demonstrate my understanding and knowledge of the teaching standard.
Standard #1 Learner Development
The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
Artifact for EDU-387-A Lit. Methods: K-8 Writing
Link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12wldY04FpbEKokQAD7A_9uXYb59ydi0fkLMXVfdle3k/edit#slide=id.p
This artifact is a google slideshow made for teaching a fourth grade student about different aspects of good writing. This artifact/assignments explains the difference between phonetic and correct spelling as well as how to add dialogue to writing. The artifact aligns with standard one as its is a lesson developed to teach a student which was also made especially for a single student after meeting with him a few times. I attempted to only add what I thought the student would be receptive to in the lesson in order for our short time together would be on topic.
This artifact/assignment is helpful to myself and other future teachers as it is representative of what a good chunk of the work we will be doing as full time teachers, that being creating/developing lessons to teach students content on any given subject. It was helpful to see with this artifact/assignment what works and what doesn’t with students and how to tell while you are teaching them. This was valuable information that will aid future teachers in creating lessons that will be fun, engaging, and educational for their students.
Artifact for EDU-204-A Trauma Responsive Education
Link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1os4Z_d7eqzmZ6LEwYh65H4tTzV8YyYahGo7LeaTByqI/edit#slide=id.p
This artifact was an assignment on learning about Adverse Childhood Experiences and the resulting trauma they create in the developing minds of children and students. This artifact also contains information on what is referred to as the two modes of the brain, the “calm/creative” mode where people are able to obtain new information and the “survival” mode where people are less open to new ideas and either fight, flight, or freeze/fawn. This artifact aligns with standard one of the teaching standards by enabling myself and others to learn and know about different types of ACEs and trauma that we are likely to see in future students. Trauma and ACEs effect the development of those who experience them no matter at what age.
This artifact/assignment allows myself and other teachers to better understand the potential reasons for students’ behavior. Identifying someone who has trauma and stress from an ACE is just the first step but is a big one because it always for the formulation of a plan to aid the person who is effected. This will help all future teachers be more informed and better reach their students who may be acting out or unreceptive to learning due to trauma.
Standard #2 Learning Differences
The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
Artifact for SPEED-220
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18cgB2zPm_w3zJhU1MaGt4MWjxRJs0JSw0vNy_GpMzoo/edit
The artifact, linked above, aligns with Standard #2 in that it was assignment on how to come up with and implement accommodations into a lesson plan in order to aid students better understand the content. This artifact is an example of understanding individual students differences and needs and creating content and its delivery so all students are able to learn at the pace and challenge level they best comprehend the lesson.
This assignment has better aided myself and other students in the course better recognize and understand the individual differences and needs of students. The assignment/artifact has also taught us to work around these differences/needs of students in order to deliver the content/information of what we are/will be teaching to students in the way that they learn and comprehend the best. This will add to and increase my effectiveness as a future teacher.
Standard #3: Learning Environments
The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners.
Standard #4: Content Knowledge
The teacher works with learners to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, encouraging positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.
Standard #5: Application of Content
The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.
Standard #6: Assessment
The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.
Standard #7: Planning for Instruction
The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
Standard #8: Instructional Strategies
The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
Artifact for SPEED-220
This artifact is a google slideshow on the topic of Mnemonics submitted for an assignment that was to find, research and present on an instructional strategy. Mnemonics are a great instructional strategy for all ages but most often used with younger students. In this artifact I explain the definition and usefulness of mnemonics and give a small array of examples such as; Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. The artifact aligns with Standard #8 by being an assignment that exposed our class to different types and examples of effective instructional strategies.
This assignment was useful in our learning by exposing the class to a wide variety of instructional strategies. Though some, many in fact, view Mnemonics and similar type strategies that do not align with the common form of teaching (that I at least was exposed to in my elementary and high school education) as childish and not as valuable teaching strategies for advanced education because they do not conform to the what I like to call the tell, test and repeat cycle of education. Using Mnemonics and other types of fun and engaging strategies that are informational and educational need to be put into practice more and replace the strategies/ways of teaching that the majority of students find boring especially within courses like History. From learning about Mnemonics and other such strategies, I hope to implement them in my teaching career and they will certainly aid me in being not only an effective teacher that educates my future students but a fun and engaging educator as well.
Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
Artifact for EDU-204-A Trauma Responsive Education
Link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1w00wq_M5YwKq2n8QA0vQyH06aikCfVZveNIHdL4iaJs/edit#slide=id.g14e186c8937_0_0
This artifact was an assignment to describe and understand what a teacher goes through and strategies to deal with the stresses of the job and then develop a self-care plan of our own. The short powerpoint I created details the bad and good that goes with teaching, primarily that of teacher burnout/compassion fatigue where teachers and other professionals that deal with people who have had trauma can become desensitized to it and unable to refuel and rejuvenate themselves. Compassion resilience is the flipside of burnout that is a highly individualized plan for a professional to better help others and themselves deal with trauma and stresses of their job and lives in general. I describe my own self-care plan rather simply in that I either exercise or play video games to relax and have a good support system in my family that I communicate with regularly even though we live a thousand miles apart. This artifact aligns with standard nine as it is about learning how to be a better professional/teacher by taking care of owns ownself.
As I state above this assignment/artifact allows professionals/teachers to better serve their students/clients by allowing one to care for themselves. Learning the coping strategies and what to watch out for when it comes to burning out will help future educators and professionals how to avoid it and expands our knowledge in the context of teaching.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.
Artifact for EDU-387-A Lit. Methods: K-8 Writing
Link: Grammar Fair
This artifact is the Grammar Fair that myself and others in my class participated in at a local middle school. This assignment was the creation of a mini lesson and poster on a topic of writing that we presented to groups of 4th graders. This assignment taught us how to develop a mini lesson and give it to a group of students in a short time frame. This aligns with standard 10 because we collaborated together as future teachers, with our own teacher, with the 4th grade teachers and took up the role of educator, for about five minutes at a time.
This assignment gave us the knowledge to develop and teach a mini lesson to a group of students similar to what it would be like in the classroom. It has improved our knowledge of teaching by doing this and by actually putting it into practice rather than on paper/in theory. By exposing us to situations similar to what we will view in the classroom this class/artifact greatly improves our chances at being successful educators. It also exposed us to the wide variety of students we are likely to see in our future careers.
Standard #11: Technology Standards for Teachers Effective teachers model and apply the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS•S) as they design, implement, and assess learning experiences to engage students and improve learning; enrich professional practice; and provide positive models for students, colleagues, and the community.
Artifact #1
This artifact is a Google site I’ve created for an assignment on developing an online learning module. This Google site employs the use of many online internet websites and applications for teaching students like Kahoot and Padlet. This Google site is my lesson plan for a full week of teaching high school students about the history of the Knights Templar. Google sites itself is another great tool for online learning.
I chose this assignment to include because it exemplifies the ISTE Standard 11 in teaching and applying online technology to further student learning. In this Google site, I employ many online applications that are not only informational but fun and engaging for students. Padlet, Kahoot, and podcasts are a few of the online resources I used to make an online learning module about history that is interesting which without such online resources would not be as fun and engaging without them. Using the internet and its resources to the fullest extent is a great way to teach this and future generations of students in a way that is more akin to their every day lives rather than the old way of teaching with just textbooks. This assignment shows that I can meet the expectancy of the ISTE Standard 11, as well as the internet in general, and be a good teacher both online and in a classroom.
Artifact #2
Link: https://go.parlayideas.com?invite_code=2aterXH1w
This artifact is a Parlay discussion lesson plan for a single class day and/or homework assignment. This Parlay discussion provides links to articles for students to read about the Knights Templar. This is similar to Artifact 1 in that it is a lesson plan, but different in that it is meant as an assignment and discussion board for students to learn content, engage with it and engage with other students and what they thought of the content.
This assignment was chosen by me specifically for the way it engages with the students and gets them to engage with one another. Standard 11 is meant for teachers to design, implement and assess online technology for student learning. This Parlay discussion board checks all those markers and then some. It is interesting and engaging for students while being highly educational. This assignment shows I can meet the ISTE Standard and teach future generations that are more accustomed to the internet while keeping them engaged and focused on learning. It also shows the diverse range of applications and resources of the internet I’m able to utilize for delivering content.
Technology Mission Statement
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bZMzIWK6gz2jvsJAuEO-Sg-esuuUCT_hG9lnrx_sC4o/edit
