Standard 3: Learning Environments
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.
Artifact 1: Civil Rights Training
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.
Artifact 1: Civil Rights Training
Description: March 21, 2016m I attended two professional development sessions at UMF. The first was a training on the Maine Civil Rights Act and the implications it has on the classroom. The second session was a training on working with trauma-exposed children.
Rationale: I very much enjoyed both sessions from the professional day at UMF. I learned a lot of useful information and did my best to immediately incorporate in my teaching. I think this artifact aligns nicely with this standard because the knowledge that I gained will directly affect the learning environment that I provide for my students. One example is from the civil rights session. The speaker orchestrated a wonderful and enlightening demonstration on how silence can say a lot, (this could be a negative or a positive thing). The example he used dealt with what happens when a student uses the “R-Word” and the teacher does not address it.
Artifact 2: Water Project Activity
Rationale: I very much enjoyed both sessions from the professional day at UMF. I learned a lot of useful information and did my best to immediately incorporate in my teaching. I think this artifact aligns nicely with this standard because the knowledge that I gained will directly affect the learning environment that I provide for my students. One example is from the civil rights session. The speaker orchestrated a wonderful and enlightening demonstration on how silence can say a lot, (this could be a negative or a positive thing). The example he used dealt with what happens when a student uses the “R-Word” and the teacher does not address it.
Artifact 2: Water Project Activity
Description: The Water Project is an ongoing social project in which students can help to donate clean water to children in need. In my classroom, students enter the room, pull out their cell phones, bring up the website tap.unicef.usa and set their phones on my desk. When a student's’ phone is left on this website throughout the class, for every five minutes the phone is untouched, UNICEF will donate one day of clean drinking water to a child in need. I keep data on how many days students are able to donate (both in and outside of class) and turn it into a weekly competition. Students are motivated by this, as it is an easy way to help those in need, and, as an added bonus, the winning class earns a class period outside.
Rationale: The reason I believe this artifact qualifies under standard 3 is because since I started this daily routine, I have noticed my students are less distracted by their cell phones. Students have the choice to participate in this project or not, but if I catch them using their phones during class, I will take it and put it on my desk with all the phones that are participating in the Water Project. Overall, it has created a side effect that is positive for all students and the learning environment.