Knowledge of teaching
Teacher candidates positively impact student learning that is:
1. Informed by standards-based assessment. All students benefit from learning that is systematically analyzed using multiple formative, summative, and self-assessment strategies.
2. Intentionally planned. All students benefit from standards-based planning that is personalized.
3. Influenced by multiple instructional strategies. All students benefit from personalized instruction that addresses their ability levels and cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
4. Informed by technology. All students benefit from instruction that utilizes effective technologies and is designed to create technologically proficient learners.
Meta-Reflection
My understanding of Standard T is that teachers need to be precise and intentional with absolutely everything we do. We are expected to stay informed of the latest research and how to apply the findings in their classroom. We must recognize the various methods and strategies available to help our students as a group and as individuals. Organization is a critical skill, as is reflection. We must employ scientific based strategies whenever possible and learn from our own mistakes. There must be reasoning and thought to each lesson and each action.
Teachers should find many ways to present and assess the same idea and concept in an effort to meet the variety of learning styles presented by her students. We must base our planning and teaching around student strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. By using standards-based assessments we are able to have a better understanding of how to address each student’s individual needs. Assessments will assist in identifying those areas of strength and weakness.
A teacher should recognize the possible social and educational differences caused by varied cultural backgrounds and consider those differences in her approaches to discipline, instruction and interactions with each student. In my classroom we spend a lot of time trying to figure out what will motivate each student in each particular moment. Motivators and reinforcers are constantly changing so we are forced to continually try new strategies to help our students stay focused and willing to actively participate. We have no choice but to use multiple strategies to help our students not only learn but to display their knowledge. Many of our students have very little oral or written language so we must use a variety of strategies to assist them in helping us to understand their wants, needs and knowledge.
Teachers must stay aware of new technology and what role that can play in learning. As shown stated in the Technology and Content Knowledge, my students seem to be very attracted to technology even those who are most impacted seem to find success with technology. By providing students with opportunities to explore technology we are giving them skills to build upon for future job skills and life skills.
Again, I have had to put much thought into how my students and I fall into these categories but as I have considered each topic I have realized that each of these Standards are present in my everyday teaching. They likely look very different from most other classrooms but the content remains.
Evidence:
1. Teacher candidates positively impact student learning that is informed by standards-based assessment. All students benefit from learning that is systematically analyzed using multiple formative, summative, and self-assessment strategies.
Students in a Special Education program are mandated by IDEA to have a re-evaluation every three years. These re-evaluations consist of a variety of tests and assessments performed by teachers, school psychologists and parents. These assessments vary according to the student’s level of performance and academic abilities but all have the same intended outcome; to guide instruction. In the fall quarter of 2009 I took a Special Education Assessment course where we were expected to administer several different tests and asked to then analyze those assessments. The following documents consist of excerpts of test given to a student as well as the written analysis which followed. Norm Referenced Assessment, Multi Assessment Analysis, Student Sample of Woodcock Johnson
Another assignment we were given was to perform a Functional Behavioral Assessment and an accompanying Behavioral Intervention Plan. These assignments were just a formal processing of what happens constantly in my classroom. FBA-BIP
Assessing the knowledge of my students can be a great challenge because of the communication disorders that affect each of them so profoundly, yet so differently. The following documents are assessments I created to assess my student’s knowledge of the sun, moon and stars, prior to a unit on this topic. The first assessment I created with only two students in mind. I knew it would likely be too hard for them to grasp but I wanted to push them and attempt see if their understanding of the written word had increased since the last attempt at such an activity. Both students failed as I had suspected they would. The other assessment I had created was for my more impacted students. This is a format which is familiar to them and for most, a fairly accurate assessment of their knowledge. For the two students for whom I had created the higher assessment, this was too easy because they are easily able connect the picture to the content without having actual understanding. After realizing that I had to find some middle ground I added some distracters and found what I believe to be a more accurate assesment of their knowledge. These documents represent both student and teacher based evidence as student work is shown on the assessment I created.
2. Teacher candidates positively impact student learning that is intentionally planned. All students benefit from standards-based planning that is personalized.
This document is an example of a task analysis I created to assist a student in making her own breakfast. We took pictures of her performing each step so she could remember what was next as her reading skills are minimal. The pride she displayed as she ate her breakfast was heartwarming. The student took the pictures home to use some time ago and my version seem to have been lost on a misplaced thumb drive but this document is teacher based evidence of a lesson planned to meet a specific students needs. Task Analysis
Planning a science unit that would be relevant and make sense to my students was challenge. I used the school districts science kit as a basis and modified some of the content and presentation for my students. Two of my students joined their General Education peers for their lessons on this same topic and the knowledge they gained was apparent as they were able to answer questions and follow along in the more advanced setting. For teacher based evidence I am presenting the sun, moon, stars unit plan, day and night lesson plan, rationale for day and night lesson and lesson plan self evaluation of day and night lesson. For student based evidence please review the assessments documented under T1.
I believe the IEP’s presented in Standard S also represent personalized standard based planning. In addition, I completed an assignment involving specific tasks geared toward meeting IEP goals. This document is displayed as teacher based evidence with a picture of a student performing a similar task presented as student based evidence.
3. Teacher candidates positively impact student learning that is influenced by multiple instructional strategies. All students benefit from personalized instruction that addresses their ability levels and cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
In our General Teaching Methods course taken during the summer quarter of 2009 we studied the book “Classroom Instruction That Works.” We were assigned to write a paper summarizing this book and how the strategies might work in our classroom. This paper addresses multiple teaching strategies and is teacher based evidence of Standard T3.
My students are all characterized by severe communication disorders. While a few of my students have some verbal communication abilities there is always some challenge in understanding their needs. While I spend significant amounts of time with each of them and learn to understand what they are trying to communicate, a large portion of teaching opportunities with my population of students is based around teaching communication skills. For teacher based evidence of this Standard I am presenting a paper I wrote on communication accompanied by a couple of video clips showing how these techniques are used in my classroom. Student using learned signs to get what he wants. Student uses his words to explain what we are doing to show how another student can participate with her ‘voice box.’
The varying levels of assessments for one topic presented in T1 can represent both student and teacher based evidence of T3.
To address the multi-cultural aspects of this Standard I offer some assignments from the Diversity course I took in the fall quarter of 2009. We were asked to write about our own self awareness and how this might reflect in our classroom. We also participated in a discussion board where the topic surrounded how to address multi cultural dynamics in our classroom.
4. Teacher candidates positively impact student learning that is informed by technology. All students benefit from instruction that utilizes effective technologies and is designed to create technologically proficient learners.
As teacher based evidence proving I am informed of technology and its role in the classroom I am presenting the meta-reflection written for my technology class.
Additional evidence to consider in Standard T4 are the explanations and documents I offered in Standard S1 and S3 concerning the morning routine used in my classroom as well as the New-2-You activities.For student based evidence I present a video of the morning routine where students use the computer as a guide through the morning routine and a video of a student using a voice output device to communicate her desire to be done with lunch.
