Section One: Teacher Candidate Introduction to the Elementary Portfolio Project

Introduction

Throughout my life I have had a passion to help others and an interest in child

development. I have been fortunate to have had a life filled with rich experiences that has

developed my passion in order to help others; this need to guide others through the course of

their developmental stepping stones has led me to choose a lifelong career as an educator. My

passion to educate young children and help them learn and grow into young adults has allowed

me to grow into the patient, compassionate, and open-minded individual that I am today. In

addition, my work and education has provided me with knowledge and skills, leading me closer

to my lifelong goal to become an educator at the elementary school level. This past year, I have

been provided with the opportunity to make it that much closer to reaching my goal in becoming

an educator and to hone in on my knowledge and skills that will allow me to succeed and be a

successful teacher through the M.S. Ed Elementary program at Medaille College.

As a teacher candidate I have the privilege to showcase my skills, to you the reader,

through my Elementary Teacher Portfolio. My portfolio project will display my philosophy of

education, the importance of professional development in addition to how I will implement

instruction and class materials in a fashion that is all inclusive and represents equity for all

students regardless of their background, native language, special needs, sexual orientation, and

dispositions. I will demonstrate how my assessment as an educator will provide my future

students the ability to showcase themselves and their knowledge to their fullest potential through

the use of technology alongside a variety of educational tools utilized in artifacts surrounding the

curriculum for literacy, math, and science.

plan and implement artifacts and assessments for students and to demonstrate their knowledge in

both a challenging and engaging manor. The following six sections will demonstrate my

capabilities as a successful teacher candidate; Teacher Candidate Introduction to the Elementary

Portfolio Project (Section One), Teacher Candidate Background Experiences (Section Two),

Teacher Candidate Artifacts (Section Three); 8-10 artifacts I have created throughout my

enrollment in the M.S Ed Elementary program, Alignment to Curriculum and Professional

Standards (Section Four), Teacher Candidate Reflection (Section Five), and Teacher Candidate

Teacher Interview Video (Section Six) showcasing my strengths, knowledge, and skills as a

professional and passionate teacher candidate.

Through the M.S Ed Elementary program at Medaille College, I have had the privilege to

gain many tools and a rich insight into the person I have become and strive to be as a teacher for

my future students. My goal as an educator is to provide my students with an integrated

educational experience that will give all learners the skills they need to flourish into their most

successful and unique selves. The following portfolio project will allow me to showcase a

collection of artifacts I have created over the course of this year demonstrating my growth as an

individual and educator through the M.S Ed Elementary program and how Medaille College has

prepared me to be the best educator I aspire to be.

Portfolio Overview and Rationale

The following portfolio project has provided me with the opportunity to display an

overview of my background in addition to the numerous theorists and experts that have

influenced my beliefs and personal philosophy of education. In accordance to the skills and

knowledge I have gained through my experience as an educational assistant and as a student of

have created over the course of my educational experience and how these artifacts align with my

professional standards. The artifacts in my portfolio will showcase my creativity and passion for

teaching and how I will accommodate all learners through culturally responsive teaching. I will

display my creativity through classroom management and assessment by collaborating with other

professionals both in education and throughout society; this will also be done through

professional development where I will continue to learn and grow as a professional educator and

apply what I continue to learn from other educators and professionals within my society. By

doing so, as an educator I will have the knowledge and tools to implement an enriching

educational experience for all students. Furthermore, I will demonstrate how I will integrate both

NYS and Ontario curriculum standards in alignment through assessment and planning in a

manner that is integrative, promotes equity, and provides a curriculum that is accessible to all

students.

I strongly believe an integrative learning environment will allow all students to flourish

beyond receiving a rich educational experience. It is not enough to make sure that everyone has

an equal opportunity, but that all children are provided with the tools they need, in order to attain

a quality education full of rich knowledge and experiences. This means that all students receive

an education where technology is utilized throughout their academic experience and that as an

educator I will work collaboratively with parents, administrators, educators and individuals

within society to provide a fulfilling, quality education.

Portfolio Development

As previously mentioned, my portfolio is developed and showcased through six sections.

The first section is an introduction of my Elementary Portfolio Project to you, the reader. In this
section I will do a brief overview of what entails my portfolio as well as a portfolio overview and

rational. The second section of my portfolio showcases the skills and knowledge I have

developed throughout my education and work experiences, in addition to observations that align

with my work in education. As well in this section, I will discuss my school observations and

classroom application and discuss my philosophy of education. The third section of my portfolio

project is where I will present a variety of artifacts that demonstrate the skills I have developed

and the knowledge that is required to teach in the elementary classroom. In addition, I will

showcase my best teaching practices, professional dispositions, pedagogical knowledge, and

attitudes that are essential to becoming a professional teacher. The fourth section I will introduce

is how, as an educator, I will align curriculum and professional standards to the responsibilities

required of a professional and successful educator. The fifth section of the following portfolio

project will involve my own personal reflection. More specifically, I will discuss and reflect on

my personal experience in the development of my portfolio. This section will include the process

of creating the portfolio, a collection of materials, specific research materials, artifacts, and lastly

the organization of the content. The final section of my portfolio project is where I will share

with you the reader my teacher candidate teacher interview video. The interview will showcase

the work I have created throughout the M.S Ed Elementary program through the implementation

of a Weebly website I have created throughout the course of the program. The website will

showcase and highlight a variety of artifacts I have created. In addition, a simulation interview

will be conducted where I will make connections to specific questions to my portfolio artifacts,

standards, teaching skills, strategies, and professional dispositions. My objective throughout this

portfolio project is to showcase my knowledge and work in a manner that demonstrates my

passion and dedication to becoming a professional educator that engages and motivates students
to learn regardless of their learning style/level, or exceptionality.

Theories, Theorists and Experts in the Field of Education

There are many theorists and experts that have influenced the field of education.

Theorists that have impacted my philosophy of education directly include, but are not limited to,

Howard Gardner, Jean Piaget, Kathy Schrock, and Geneva Gay. As an educator, the way we

teach and learn are greatly impacted by the work of others. Without research or theories in

education, the educational system would look very different. The following theorists have

influenced education immensely and as a result, have not only impacted my own philosophy of

education, but the ideals and beliefs of so many educators.

I will first introduce Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence. Gardner’s theory

of multiple intelligence states that there are eight different kinds of intelligence: verbal-linguistic,

logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, musical, naturalistic, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and

intrapersonal (“Multiple Intelligences,” 2013). Gardner’s theory states that individuals possess

all eight kinds of intelligence; however each individual is unique and may apply their

intelligence and process information in various ways (“Multiple Intelligences,” 2013). As an

educator it is crucial to not categorize students as one kind of learner. Through Gardner’s theory

of multiple intelligence I have learned the importance of providing a variety of ways to present

class materials so that all students have an opportunity to learn and express their knowledge to

their fullest potential, regardless of learning style(s).

The second theorist I will be discussing is Jean Piaget. Piaget is a psychologist and is

well-known for his theory of cognitive development (Cherry, 2020). Piaget theorizes that there

are four different stages of cognitive development children progress through (Cherry, 2020). The

first stage is the sensorimotor stage and occurs from birth to age two, preoperational is the
second stage and occurs around age two to seven, third is the concrete operational stage and

occurs between age seven to age 11, and lastly is the formal operational stage that occurs from

age 12 and up (Cherry, 2020). According to Piaget, children take an active role in their own

process of learning (Cherry, 2020). More specifically, children take an active role in their

learning by taking what they already know from their own world experiences and adding to their

existing knowledge through observations, conducting experiments, and interacting with the

world around them (Cherry, 2020). Although additional research has proven that children’s

capacity to reflect is much more sophisticated beyond Piaget’s premise of developmental stages

speculates (Contant et al., 2017), it is important to note that Piaget’s theory of cognitive

development states that when children take an active role in their own process of learning, they

are able to adjust their previous knowledge to assist the new knowledge they are learning

(Cherry, 2020). Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is important to utilize as an educator

because every child brings their own unique experiences with them to the classroom. These

unique learning experiences help educators mold young children into successful adults of the

future (“Multiple Intelligences,” 2013). When we as educators respect and acknowledge the

unique strengths each child brings to their learning experiences, we can provide students with the

tools they need to flourish so that all children receive an enriching education preparing them for

their future as successful individuals.

As this past year has taught me, education is ever changing and technology increasingly

plays an important role throughout the educational system. Kathy Schrock is an educational

technologist and demonstrates the importance of emerging technology into the classroom and

how to implement technology creatively in our pedagogy as educators through assessment,

professional growth, and so much more (“Kathy Schrock,” n.d.). Schrock believes it is very
important to emerge technology into the classroom and throughout school curriculum (Schrock,

2018). As technology continues to play a major role in our society, it is crucial that we as

educators provide our students with the tools they need in order to succeed in our ever changing

world. By emerging technology within the curriculum, we are teaching students how to use

technology to strengthen their knowledge and skills in accordance with their own abilities and

learning style(s) in addition to providing the necessary tools students will need to prepare them

as successful young adults.

The final theorist I will be discussing is Geneva Gay; Gay created a framework that

draws on Gloria Ladson-Billings theory of culturally relevant pedagogy and is known as

culturally responsive teaching (“Culturally Responsive,” n.d.). Gay’s theory of culturally

responsive teaching focuses on the idea that all students learn different and this occurs because

all students have different life experiences, socioeconomic status’ and cultural identities and

family ties that mold student’s into the learners that they are (“Capacity Building,” 2013). As a

result, children’s cultural backgrounds as well as social and familial differences are seen by

educators as strengths that each individual brings to the classroom environment (Capacity

Building, 2013). The uniqueness each student has is encouraged to be utilized and merge with

the way educators provide class learning, teaching methods and materials as well as

implementing curriculum (“Capacity Building,” 2013). As a result, students’ learning

experiences integrate their personal life experiences and backgrounds where an increase in

positive educational experiences and growth in personal mindfulness is developed (“Culturally

Responsive,” n.d.).

Conclusion
 As an educator, it is my passion and goal to provide a quality learning experience for all

young minds. Providing a successful learning experience means providing a safe space for all

young students to thrive. My responsibility as a teacher is to provide the tools all students need

regardless of any dispositions so that all individuals flourish into successful young adults in our

ever-changing world. Within our constantly shifting society, education is always progressing.

More specifically, tools for applying education and implementing assessment, materials used to

administer quality learning and educational experiences are constantly changing and upgrading.

It is my responsibility as an educator to stay updated with new strategies and concepts for

learning in addition to implementing innovative material and learning that is engaging and all-

inclusive.

It is with these beliefs and understanding that I trust in myself to be a successful teaching

candidate for the M.S Ed Elementary program. I am a passionate individual and I will provide an

educational experience that will allow all young minds to demonstrate their knowledge and

understanding in multiple ways that best express the child’s unique style(s) of learning. It is with

this passion and dedication to all young minds that I will provide my future students with quality

learning and an enriching educational experience. As a result, learners of all abilities and

learning styles will be prepared and equipped with the proper tools they need to succeed in our

ever-changing society.