Standard #4
Content Knowledge
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 to assure mastery of the content.
What the Standard Means?
This standard suggests that the way to helping students develop a deep understanding of a concept is through creating purposeful and memorable learning experiences. A memorable experience for a student could be a silly song, an engaging project, or a field trip to a local museum. What is memorable and meaningful for one student, however, may not be for another. Thus, it is the teacher's responsibility to provide students with multiple experiences that capture the main concept so that each student can attain mastery according to his or her learning style and preference.
Artifacts
What the Standard Means?
This standard suggests that the way to helping students develop a deep understanding of a concept is through creating purposeful and memorable learning experiences. A memorable experience for a student could be a silly song, an engaging project, or a field trip to a local museum. What is memorable and meaningful for one student, however, may not be for another. Thus, it is the teacher's responsibility to provide students with multiple experiences that capture the main concept so that each student can attain mastery according to his or her learning style and preference.
Artifacts
Students learn about a salamander from a naturalist at Swiss Valley.
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Students listen to the naturalist talk about a painted turtle at Swiss Valley.
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Why the artifact was chosen and how it is an appropriate representation of the standard?
The artifact depicted above is a snapshot of our class field trips taken to the Mississippi River Museum and Swiss Valley Nature Center. Previous to going on the field trips, students read a variety of selections about different types of habitats, such as grassland, forest, and pond, during whole and small group reading to answer the theme question: What is a habitat? From their readings, students were aware that a habitat is a place where plants and animals live that provides food, shelter, water, and air. To help students gain a deeper understanding of this concept, apply their knowledge to a real-world setting, and learn from and ask questions to experts, we embarked on two field trips to local habitats.
In the first two photos, students are learning about and touching a mushroom that grew in the prairie habitat at Swiss Valley. In the third photo, students are touching Catfish Creek, the water source that runs through Swiss Valley. These are just a few of the experiences that the students participated in during the hike around Swiss Valley. Throughout the hike, the naturalist pointed out various plants and animals that live in the prairie habitat and explained ways that they get their food and water, and places where they find shelter. She also elaborated on plant and animal adaptations, a concept taught during a whole group reading lesson. During the hike, she not only shared her knowledge and pointed out observations, she also allowed the students to ask any questions that arose.
The two videos were also taken at the Swiss Valley Nature Center. In the videos, the students had the opportunity to touch a salamander and a turtle. The naturalist shared information about the animals, providing students with an experience that would have been difficult to create in the confides of the classroom. Through the students' smiles and curiosities it was obvious that they were very excited to have the opportunity to learn about and engage with the animals.
The last two photos are of the students experiencing and learning about the water habitat at the Mississippi River Museum. At the museum, the students had a similar experience to Swiss Valley, but were learning about a different type of habitat. Students learned about different animals and plants that live in the Mississippi River, focusing on the unique ways they breathe underwater and find food and shelter. At the museum, students were able to feel like they were a part of the Mississippi River, which allowed them to learn about water habitats through a new perspective.
Creating a meaningful learning experience for the students through going on two field trips connects to substandard 4(a), "The teacher effectively uses multiple representations and explanations that capture key ideas in the discipline, guide learners through learning progressions, and promote each learner's achievement of the content standards," and 4(f), "The teacher evaluates and modifies instructional resources and curriculum materials for their comprehensiveness, accuracy for representing particular concepts in disciplines, and appropriateness for his/her learners." In this case, the curriculum presented students with written and pictorial representations of a habitat. To extend this concept, I sought out real-world representations and expert naturalist explanations to further expand students' understanding of habitats. This artifact also shows my dedication to substandard 4(r), "the teacher is committed to work toward each learner's mastery of disciplinary content and skills." As can be seen above, I am committed to creating learning experiences for my students, such as field trips, that allow them to master the content they are learning.
How the artifact represents growth and development as a teacher.
Helping students acquire a deep understanding of what makes up a plant's and an animal's habitat through embarking on two field trips was a new experience for me as an educator. It was the first time I took students on a field trip to learn from experts and experience the content in a real-world setting. Through the students' responses and the continuous connections they make to the theme question and other class content, it is obvious that the time spent at Swiss Valley and the Mississippi River was worthwhile and beneficial. It showed students that the content they learn in the classroom is applicable to the real-world setting, thus making the learning relevant for them, and when learning is relevant, students are more engaged and eager to learn. As a result, students develop a deeper understanding of the content.
As I continue in my career, I intend to use multiple representations and explanations of a concept because I am committed to providing a variety of experiences that connect with the different learning styles that students have, especially real-world representations of concepts because they encompass multiple learning styles. For example, the field trip to Swiss Valley allowed kinesthetic learners to learn while exploring, the tactile learners to touch different plants and animals, visual learners to see the different plants and animals, and auditory learners to deepen their knowledge by listening to experts. Therefore, one learning experience was applicable to multiple learning styles and provided many benefits for students' learning.
The artifact depicted above is a snapshot of our class field trips taken to the Mississippi River Museum and Swiss Valley Nature Center. Previous to going on the field trips, students read a variety of selections about different types of habitats, such as grassland, forest, and pond, during whole and small group reading to answer the theme question: What is a habitat? From their readings, students were aware that a habitat is a place where plants and animals live that provides food, shelter, water, and air. To help students gain a deeper understanding of this concept, apply their knowledge to a real-world setting, and learn from and ask questions to experts, we embarked on two field trips to local habitats.
In the first two photos, students are learning about and touching a mushroom that grew in the prairie habitat at Swiss Valley. In the third photo, students are touching Catfish Creek, the water source that runs through Swiss Valley. These are just a few of the experiences that the students participated in during the hike around Swiss Valley. Throughout the hike, the naturalist pointed out various plants and animals that live in the prairie habitat and explained ways that they get their food and water, and places where they find shelter. She also elaborated on plant and animal adaptations, a concept taught during a whole group reading lesson. During the hike, she not only shared her knowledge and pointed out observations, she also allowed the students to ask any questions that arose.
The two videos were also taken at the Swiss Valley Nature Center. In the videos, the students had the opportunity to touch a salamander and a turtle. The naturalist shared information about the animals, providing students with an experience that would have been difficult to create in the confides of the classroom. Through the students' smiles and curiosities it was obvious that they were very excited to have the opportunity to learn about and engage with the animals.
The last two photos are of the students experiencing and learning about the water habitat at the Mississippi River Museum. At the museum, the students had a similar experience to Swiss Valley, but were learning about a different type of habitat. Students learned about different animals and plants that live in the Mississippi River, focusing on the unique ways they breathe underwater and find food and shelter. At the museum, students were able to feel like they were a part of the Mississippi River, which allowed them to learn about water habitats through a new perspective.
Creating a meaningful learning experience for the students through going on two field trips connects to substandard 4(a), "The teacher effectively uses multiple representations and explanations that capture key ideas in the discipline, guide learners through learning progressions, and promote each learner's achievement of the content standards," and 4(f), "The teacher evaluates and modifies instructional resources and curriculum materials for their comprehensiveness, accuracy for representing particular concepts in disciplines, and appropriateness for his/her learners." In this case, the curriculum presented students with written and pictorial representations of a habitat. To extend this concept, I sought out real-world representations and expert naturalist explanations to further expand students' understanding of habitats. This artifact also shows my dedication to substandard 4(r), "the teacher is committed to work toward each learner's mastery of disciplinary content and skills." As can be seen above, I am committed to creating learning experiences for my students, such as field trips, that allow them to master the content they are learning.
How the artifact represents growth and development as a teacher.
Helping students acquire a deep understanding of what makes up a plant's and an animal's habitat through embarking on two field trips was a new experience for me as an educator. It was the first time I took students on a field trip to learn from experts and experience the content in a real-world setting. Through the students' responses and the continuous connections they make to the theme question and other class content, it is obvious that the time spent at Swiss Valley and the Mississippi River was worthwhile and beneficial. It showed students that the content they learn in the classroom is applicable to the real-world setting, thus making the learning relevant for them, and when learning is relevant, students are more engaged and eager to learn. As a result, students develop a deeper understanding of the content.
As I continue in my career, I intend to use multiple representations and explanations of a concept because I am committed to providing a variety of experiences that connect with the different learning styles that students have, especially real-world representations of concepts because they encompass multiple learning styles. For example, the field trip to Swiss Valley allowed kinesthetic learners to learn while exploring, the tactile learners to touch different plants and animals, visual learners to see the different plants and animals, and auditory learners to deepen their knowledge by listening to experts. Therefore, one learning experience was applicable to multiple learning styles and provided many benefits for students' learning.