Standard Four
Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
- NBCTs model what it means to be an educated person – they read, they question, they create and they are willing to try new things.
- They are familiar with learning theories and instructional strategies and stay abreast of current issues in American education.
- They critically examine their practice on a regular basis to deepen knowledge, expand their repertoire of skills, and incorporate new findings into their practice.
Rationale for Standard Four
This standard holds NBCTs to a standard of excellence as they remain educated in their field, both regarding educational practice and their students, as they teach within their content area(s). Since I am a French teacher I think about my practice of helping students to learn to speak, read, write, and understand French and its related cultures. To do this, recently I have focused on incorporating Web based materials into my teaching, and then flipping my classroom to determine if my students benefit from online at home instruction with enhanced application of concepts in class projects and activities that often involve collaboration. My initial review of web-related instructional strategies is included in Artifact I. Then as I grew in my interest in flip teaching, I used it for my Action Research Project at the University of New England. Artifact II is my literature review for this course. Relatedly, Artifact III is a sample of an online lesson students have obtained from my wiki. They have taken notes and then applied the concepts in class. What has amazed me is the confidence which some students immediately have gained, and they are able to explain the lesson and apply it on the first day of working with a new concept! Some more of their lessons are contained in my wiki and edmodo.com pages as demonstrated under standard two of this portfolio.
Artifact I: Independent Research regarding Enhancing Classroom Instruction
cirpdillenhancinginstruc.doc | |
File Size: | 66 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Artifact II: Literature Review for Action Research Project: Flipping the French Classroom
lit_review_for_arp.docx | |
File Size: | 164 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Artifact III: Sample "Show-Me" Lesson done for a flipped lesson; attached to class wikipage after its creation on an iPad.
Reflection of Standard Four
If we do not continue to grow as teachers, we will become stale and stagnant, and will be no good to our students and will be unfulfilled in our careers. It is essential that as years pass, we continue to grow, research, apply new concepts and strategies to a student-centered world we create. In my case, I create an environment where students actually want to speak, understand, read and write in French, and connect with the culture. Some activities have grown out of PLCs, but most have grown out of my continuing education. At the University of New England I have had the joy of delving deep into instructional strategies, motivational theory, and trends in education. As I have researched, I have been able to apply what I am learning to my classroom, the students, and by extension, their families. Most recently, the flip teaching model has been a matter of discussion and research for me. A flipped classroom involves the creation of lessons for online learning at home, as the homework. At their own pace students review a lesson I post on my website, and they can re-run parts that may seem difficult or confusing, while fast-forwarding past material they already understand. Students then come to class with their notes, proving the completion of the assignment, and we engage in student-centered activities. Before anyone can make a single error in applying the information, I am there to help them think it through. Students can work at their own pace and create projects that take them far deeper based on their own desire for learning. About a month ago my 8th graders were completing a project on French-speaking Olympians when one of my students told me he just hated all sports. Instead, he proposed that he do the same project about a French-speaking scientist, because he loves Science. Why not? He can use all the same structure and grammar, but be able to apply it to other vocabulary that is far more interesting to him. This is my goal in flipping the classroom - I want students engaged and learning, enjoying and increasing their motivation to learn more in the future! As my students continue to grow, I also benefit from joyfully seeing the most in-depth learning I have ever seen.