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E-mail E-mail has become a very popular tool, a tool the public is depending upon. It is a convenient written form of communication providing others with information at an unthreatening, or suitable, timeframe. As I worked with a teacher for a practicum experience in literary development, I found that e-mail was a professional and efficient way to stay up-to-date with lesson plans. This form of communication helped us both understand each other's opinions and plans, as I was able to ask if I could read books to her students and if I could interview her thoughts on assessment. As I stay in touch with other teachers, I am demonstrating a growing, professional aptitude as I communicate with other professionals through e-mail, a helpful tool to becoming an effective teacher. In the future, I plan to use e-mail or another current form of communication to keep parents and families up-to-date with classroom information. Rick Wormeli (2001) states that "current technology, innovation, and invitation can improve yesterday's approaches to parent communications (p. 171). According to the curriculum model, a teacher as a communicator “is skilled in various modes of communication,” and e-mail demonstrates my understanding of good, effective communication.
Rules of Group Project Putting together the unit lesson plan for my educational psychology class was a learning experience in the project itself, but it also shed light on my abilities to work with others. Before the project even began, we all discussed and agreed upon rules, which are available as my artifact. Throughout the project, we pooled a lot of ideas and thoughts together, and the communication between us maintained a positive tone. As I continued to work with my group, I became aware of what communication strategies were most effective among all of us as well as what was not working in conversation. This demonstrates my growing ability to work with others in group settings. By forming group rules, our collaborative skills improved as we involved each member and gave constructive feedback (David & Roger Johnson, 1999). Through working with this group, my listening skills have improved, a characteristic I will definitely take to future group settings as well as to my future classroom as I will help my students understand how to work with others. My artifact is an example that conveys my understanding of the curriculum model, as I work to articulate values, ideas, opinions, and information to others.
Draft of Philosophy paper Having a teacher review a draft of an important paper is a gesture of true support. According to Anita Woolfolk (2005), "effective written feedback is most helpful when it is personalized and provides constructive criticism" (p. 541). Through my educational psychology class, we were given an assignment to write a philosophy of assessment paper, a paper that differs from a research or opinion paper. As students, we thought deeply about our beliefs and what we would want to see implemented in our classrooms. How do we want to assess our students? Is there a right or a wrong way? After the papers were reviewed, we read comments and encouragement about our philosophies. In the future, I will be presented with similar situations of feedback. I will be given thoughts of criticism and opposing views to my standards of teaching. A good communicator accepts these words and learns from them. Through the draft containing my work and comments from my professor, I am demonstrating my ability to communicate to others how I feel about a particular issue and then receive feedback to improve my thoughts. This is critical for a future teacher to understand. Just as a teacher gives comments and feedback to students, a good teacher must be able to accept feedback as well. This helps a teacher understand how to communicate differing thoughts to students in a more effective manner. As a teacher accepts constructive criticism, he/she will be able to motivate the students to learn and not just earn a grade (Woolfolk, 2005). In the future, I will continue to seek feedback, and continually work to improve my methods. Just as the curriculum model states, I seek to have effective interaction in my classroom, and as my drafts prove, I am willing to work with others to be the best communicator I can be.
Math Overhead Through a practicum in Springfield, Missouri, I was able to be a part of an 8^th grade math class. Throughout my time spent with the students, I was able to observe, help with group questions, grade papers, review homework exercises, and teach the class for several days. The teaching experience was wonderful as it was my first in a math classroom full of teenagers. I communicated various math skills through overheads as well as referred to previous material by using old slides, versus rewriting material. Although the overhead projector is an older form of technology, it proved to be an enormous aid. As a class, we were able to review work using transparency worksheets. This overhead artifact shows my understanding of communicating through a variety of means to help students understand material, knowledge effective educators must demonstrate. In the future, I will continue to use transparencies, but will include students more in the reviewing process. I want to see them work out problems and demonstrate their skill, instead of leaving that to a teacher. I believe students can help students learn, a personal philosophy supported by Nel Noddings (1986) as he said that children solve problems at a more thoughtful, deliberate pace through cooperative learning. They are able to debate strategies for some time when they are teaching and helping each other out. Through this overhead artifact, I am demonstrating a means of communication to students, which meets INTASC 6. I am “fostering active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.”

E-mail

E-mail has become a very popular tool, a tool the public is depending upon. It is a convenient written form of communication providing others with information at an unthreatening, or suitable, timeframe. As I worked with a teacher for a practicum experience in literary development, I found that e-mail was a professional and efficient way to stay up-to-date with lesson plans. This form of communication helped us both understand each other's opinions and plans, as I was able to ask if I could read books to her students and if I could interview her thoughts on assessment.

As I stay in touch with other teachers, I am demonstrating a growing, professional aptitude as I communicate with other professionals through e-mail, a helpful tool to becoming an effective teacher. In the future, I plan to use e-mail or another current form of communication to keep parents and families up-to-date with classroom information. Rick Wormeli (2001) states that "current technology, innovation, and invitation can improve yesterday's approaches to parent communications (p. 171). According to the curriculum model, a teacher as a communicator “is skilled in various modes of communication,” and e-mail demonstrates my understanding of good, effective communication.

Rules of Group Project

Putting together the unit lesson plan for my educational psychology class was a learning experience in the project itself, but it also shed light on my abilities to work with others. Before the project even began, we all discussed and agreed upon rules, which are available as my artifact. Throughout the project, we pooled a lot of ideas and thoughts together, and the communication between us maintained a positive tone. As I continued to work with my group, I became aware of what communication strategies were most effective among all of us as well as what was not working in conversation. This demonstrates my growing ability to work with others in group settings. By forming group rules, our collaborative skills improved as we involved each member and gave constructive feedback (David & Roger Johnson, 1999).

Through working with this group, my listening skills have improved, a characteristic I will definitely take to future group settings as well as to my future classroom as I will help my students understand how to work with others. My artifact is an example that conveys my understanding of the curriculum model, as I work to articulate values, ideas, opinions, and information to others.

Draft of Philosophy paper

Having a teacher review a draft of an important paper is a gesture of true support. According to Anita Woolfolk (2005), "effective written feedback is most helpful when it is personalized and provides constructive criticism" (p. 541). Through my educational psychology class, we were given an assignment to write a philosophy of assessment paper, a paper that differs from a research or opinion paper. As students, we thought deeply about our beliefs and what we would want to see implemented in our classrooms. How do we want to assess our students? Is there a right or a wrong way?

After the papers were reviewed, we read comments and encouragement about our philosophies. In the future, I will be presented with similar situations of feedback. I will be given thoughts of criticism and opposing views to my standards of teaching. A good communicator accepts these words and learns from them. Through the draft containing my work and comments from my professor, I am demonstrating my ability to communicate to others how I feel about a particular issue and then receive feedback to improve my thoughts. This is critical for a future teacher to understand. Just as a teacher gives comments and feedback to students, a good teacher must be able to accept feedback as well. This helps a teacher understand how to communicate differing thoughts to students in a more effective manner. As a teacher accepts constructive criticism, he/she will be able to motivate the students to learn and not just earn a grade (Woolfolk, 2005).

In the future, I will continue to seek feedback, and continually work to improve my methods. Just as the curriculum model states, I seek to have effective interaction in my classroom, and as my drafts prove, I am willing to work with others to be the best communicator I can be.

Math Overhead

Through a practicum in Springfield, Missouri, I was able to be a part of an 8^th grade math class. Throughout my time spent with the students, I was able to observe, help with group questions, grade papers, review homework exercises, and teach the class for several days. The teaching experience was wonderful as it was my first in a math classroom full of teenagers. I communicated various math skills through overheads as well as referred to previous material by using old slides, versus rewriting material. Although the overhead projector is an older form of technology, it proved to be an enormous aid. As a class, we were able to review work using transparency worksheets.

This overhead artifact shows my understanding of communicating through a variety of means to help students understand material, knowledge effective educators must demonstrate. In the future, I will continue to use transparencies, but will include students more in the reviewing process. I want to see them work out problems and demonstrate their skill, instead of leaving that to a teacher. I believe students can help students learn, a personal philosophy supported by Nel Noddings (1986) as he said that children solve problems at a more thoughtful, deliberate pace through cooperative learning. They are able to debate strategies for some time when they are teaching and helping each other out. Through this overhead artifact, I am demonstrating a means of communication to students, which meets INTASC 6. I am “fostering active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.”