Guilherme escapes death with the aid of lady luck. Just goes to show you, its not over til its over...
All I can say is Wow.
Knowledge Construction
I feel that Knowledge Construction is the most critical principle detailed within the portfolio. It reflects a teacher?s competency over a given area of coursework or content. Not only does it define the personal knowledge of the teacher, but also the ability to impart that knowledge to the learner. It answers the key questions that should be asked of any teacher: ? Do you know what you are talking about?? and ?Can you teach it to another individual??
In choosing my artifacts I selected both personal showcases of my own proficiency within the arena of my content, and a ?help? sheet that I supply my students to remind them of the content?s laws and principles. I consider myself a ?principle-based? educator. I believe that by teaching correct principles and basic key concepts, it allows the learner to explore diverse avenues for themselves while building upon a solid foundation.
The other artifact included with this principle is a lesson I use to teach the concept of Chiaroscuro, meaning ?Light and Dark?. Chiaroscuro represents a major concept in Art. Using basic forms I have highlighted the simplest nature of this concept to prevent distractions or noise from distracting from the concept.
Learner Development
In order to teach properly to a learner, it would seem necessary to understand the learner. Every student that we have has a particular uniqueness, but development stages seem to be constant threads that can be relied upon for making some assessment on the mental state and capability of a learner.
The artifacts I have chosen represent these developmental theories. I have included Bloom?s Taxonomy, Krathwohl?s Taxonomy of Affective Domain, and ?Promoting Adult Growth?. Student development theory has made good advances. Acquiring a broad understanding of how students learn and develop can be vital in constructing lessons and methods to be implemented within the classroom.
The artifact labeled ?Promoting Adult Growth? is a slight off take of the traditional development stages as it focuses on the teacher rather than the student. I found it just as important to known were we are as an individual as it is to know where the students are developmentally. As teachers we need to realize what influences are acting upon us, as well as the people we interact with every day.
Multiculturalism
Our student population is diversifying more and more every year. As teachers we need to be prepared to handle the challenges that this creates within our classroom. We need to increase our individual awareness of issues as they relate to culture, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, and language barriers. Teachers must be cautious of ethnocentricity in their interactions with students and in their methodology.
I have selected three artifacts for this principle. Two of the artifacts describe programs that I created within my current employment situation to capitalize on the diversity within our campus structure. The other artifact is a textbook which provides excellent research in the area of Multiculturalism.
?Global Village? is a entity created to assist International students in transitioning cultures. It also was created to capitalize on their cultural identities in providing awareness and education to students of advance standing. It is a program now in its third year and it has proven to be very successful.
Exceptionality
Every student that we have within our classroom is different from all others. Even in my content area of Art it can be easily identified. Within the classroom we are faced with students who we consider ?exceptions?. We tend to judge these students outside the norm. We have to be conscious of the needs of these students rather than just teaching to the average. There are certain students that excel and need sterner challenges to motivate them in performing at a higher level. In contract we will have students that will struggle to grasp even the most basic concepts.
Both artifacts provided in this section of the portfolio show my own personal awareness of ?exceptionality? within my class. When I design a lesson plan I consider the learning levels of all my students. I create within every lesson 3 distinct levels or degrees of difficulty. By doing this I provide an opportunity for students with special needs to be successful in meeting my expectations. This builds self-confidence and esteem for the learner, and allows them to grasp the concept in a way they can manage and process.
Instructional Strategies
In my study of Instructional Strategy and Methodology one key component of learning I have acquired is that in order to teach effectively it requires the incorporation of a variety of methods and strategies in order to be an effective teachers. Without a doubt, students learn and understand in different ways. As teachers we can victimize students if we rely too heavily upon single methods of instruction. By diversifying our own portfolio of methods we can benefit the larger student body who may learn more naturally under different approaches to a concept.
Included in this portfolio is a model for teaching and collaborative learning that I call ?educational Leadership?. This model assists in the development of leadership skills within the classroom setting. This model has value to me as it develops a life skill while providing an alternate instructional strategy. It also incorporates certain aspects of character education that should be valued within our teaching system.
The other artifact is an example taken from two of my students showing the instructional strategy of skills practice I already use within my teaching.
Management / Motivation
Communication
Nothing can destroy learning opportunities quicker than communication barriers. Teachers need to be clear and organized in their thoughts and in their presentations. Proper communication promotes a healthy learning atmosphere within the class. It is vital that teachers within the school system of today possess excellent interpersonal skills.
In the communication flow between student and teacher we should constantly be providing feedback to our learners in the form of praise and constructive criticism. Our success in providing this feedback can largely be determined by our interactions with our students and the trust we have built with our students. As teachers we must also remember that in order for effective communication it needs to flow both ways. We can?t ?fall in love with the sound of our own voice?. We need to asses the ability of our students to communicate effectively in the classroom setting.
For an artifact I have selected a letter that I send out to the parents of my students in the hopes of improving communication between the parent and the student, and the parent and the teacher. In it I list the curriculum that I plan on covering and the expectations I have of the students. I have found that this helps break down some of the barriers that may be in place. It assists in starting an invaluable dialogue between all the parties involved in the learning process.
Technology
The use of technology as a supplemental form of instruction is becoming increasingly necessary in my content area. Art is rapidly changing from traditional forms to newer, more technologically advanced methods of creation. The use of computers is extremely prevalent throughout the field. It is critical that students are taught using these technologies in order to prepare them for an ever-advancing society.
I also use video as a medium within my lesson plans. The artifact I selected to incorporate in this portfolio is a video. I think showing videos that revolve around the content are both educational and fun for the student. They show real life applications of the concepts that are being taught. They can be used to motivate, inspire, and teach our learners.
Instructional Planning
yeah, on top ratings I think dunno
already posted