The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation (InTASC, 2013).
Brief Description of EvidenceAnalysis of What I LearnedWhat I learned from these assignments was that it is much easier to accomplish a goal with the help of others. Working on the Path to our Future poster together was a great learning experience for me. Carol Dweck believed in a growth mindset. Simply put, that means that what you do not understand “yet” is still achievable. Thinking about that concept helped me to focus more on how I needed to work together to reach the goal and not on the individual aspects of it.
With the Ignite Presentation I felt like the environment was conducive to learning. The social aspects alone were challenging at first. After talking some concerns over with the others, we came to a common denominator on how to complete the presentation. Once each of us learned “how” to communicate effectively with each other, the communication flowed flawlessly. We all encouraged one another, through text messages and face to face meetings, to see the project through until the end. The goal of the presentation was to create something that would ignite the parents to want to be the best first teachers for their children. I learned that you have to approach parents and students with grace and decorum. While completing the Ignite Presentation, I learned how to use alternative vocabulary so as not to come across haughty. I also learned how to communicate effectively with people in order to achieve the best outcome for the student. Children not only need structure at home and in the classroom, they need to know that they are supported. |
Within my Summer 2019 EDUC 101 - Introduction to Teaching class, there were several opportunities given for us to be creative. We were encouraged to work jointly on activities and projects. Two pieces, in particular, were our rendition of our Path to Our Future and our Ignite Presentation.
The Path to Our Future assignment was completed to help us think about the entire journey needed to become licensed teachers. The goal was to strip down the journey into bite size pieces to make sure that we stayed motivated to complete the task. The Ignite Presentation was to help us work collaboratively in finding a way to spark or ignite parents to want to work alongside teachers for the betterment of their children. This task was also a way to show the many different working styles of the individuals we were working with. It was a way to force us to look at the reality of whether we are able to work well with others or if we needed to work on our personal leadership and followship skills. We had to be able to work collaboratively in order to come to a final product. Looking at the aspects of InTASC #3, I believe that we were able to meet the needs required for this standard. How This Artifact Demonstrates My Competence on the InTASC StandardI feel I am competent on this InTASC standard because I know that it is vital to have a structured and community centered classroom. I know that I need to create an environment that is suitable for all students. John Dewey believed that students learn best when they interact with their environments. A classroom that encourages learning in a multitude of facets is a great way to do just that.
The Ignite Presentation shows how I was able to get that message across to the parents. I was able to show them that there are a variety of ways to engage the student at home. Working with others, I was able to help create this presentation in order to showcase the importance of collaborative learning and why it is important. Having your students simply listen and memorize facts doesn’t really teach them anything. Getting everyone to engage in some way does. It makes them responsible for their part of the project or lesson. I was able to do this by creating shared documents, creating group texts and setting up face-to-face work sessions. Splitting the tasks up also helped all of us to stay more engaged. We set up deadlines and had to be self-motivated to stay on task to reach the goal at the projected date. This made it easy to complete the Ignite Presentation on time. This artifact also helped me to feel competent because it allowed me to stretch myself. Being the oldest in class and a teacher in the past, I came in with the thought that I knew what to do. On the contrary, I learned so much in this class. I learned that there is more than one way for a student to learn and that in order to do that in the most effective manner one needs to make sure that the classroom environment is conducive to individual and collaborative learning. Dewey also believed that for the most effective education students should have the opportunities to take previous experiences and knowledge with new concepts they are learning. Not everyone learns like I do. It is my responsibility to make sure I communicate in a respectful manner to parents, teachers, and students alike. My way is not always the correct way. I need to be a careful and responsive listener and observer. |