Section Three: Teacher Candidate Artifacts

Introduction
Section three of my teacher candidate portfolio will provide samples of my work that I

have done throughout my time in the Masters program. These samples will provide evidence of

my teaching abilities that I have touched on in sections one and two already. In addition, my

hope is that the artifacts I have attached will demonstrate to the reader that I have the ability and

skills to plan, instruct, assess, and engage students in the process of learning while incorporating

math, science, language and technology into the classroom. This section will also highlight that I

am aware of economic, social and culturally differences that exist within the classroom and I am

able to accommodate for these differences and ensure that I continue to be a culturally

responsive teacher.

The artifacts I have chosen to include in my portfolio outline the following key

components that I have addressed previously in sections one and two: planning, instructions,

assessment, engagement, culturally responsive teaching, accommodations for ENL and IEP/ 504

students, literacy, math and science, professional development, technology, and dispositions.

Many of the artifacts touch on more than one of these key components and that is because in

planning to be in the classroom it is important to consider more than one aspect at once because

all of these components relate to each other as they are the key concepts in teaching. Some of the

artifacts that you will see in the upcoming section are assignments I have completed that have

real life classroom application and others are assignments that show things like disposition and

professional development which are components outside of the natural classroom setting that

teachers are still responsible for. My hope is that while you read my below artifacts you will see

my abilities as a future educator shine through and that you will also be able to understand my
uniqueness that I bring to teaching and how it relates back to my philosophy of education that

was discussed in section two.

First, I would like to provide a brief introduction to the artifacts that I have included in

my portfolio. I have included a total of nine artifacts that were completed over the last year

during my time as a Masters student at Medaille. I have included three different lesson plans as

artifacts because they all demonstrate multiple components including planning, instruction,

assessment, engagement, CRT, accommodations, math and literacy. I have also included my

classroom management technique assignment which shows my understanding of the importance

of classroom management. In our special education course we created a Pecha Kucha

presentation which I have included as an artifact because it demonstrates my abilities to use

technology but also my understanding of special education and accommodations and

requirements. As well, I included one example of my annotated bibliography because it shows

my research abilities and highlights my continued learning and professional development. I also

included a weekly planner for a course learning segment in mathematics because it displays my

abilities to plan for longer term class work in comparison to day to day planning. Lastly, I decide

to include my DASA (Dignity of All Students Act) certificate and my Child Abuse workshop

certificate because these show my qualifications but also more professional development that I

have already received.

Artifacts & Rationales

Artifact 1: Math Lesson Plan

The first Artifact I included is a Math lesson plan for grade two measuring unit. I chose to

include a Math lesson plan I wrote as an artifact in my portfolio for a couple of reasons. The first
 reason I choose this assignment was because the lesson plan covers a number of teaching

components including planning, instructing, and assessing and student engagement. It also I an

example of culturally responsive teaching and it aligns with the P-12 NYS Common Core

Learning Standards for Math. In addition, the lesson plan is aligned with many of the InTASC

standards; for example standard four of the InTASC standard which looks at the ability of the

teacher to teach the basic content to the students (CCSSO, 13, 2011). The math lesson that I

wrote is a stepping stone lesson that is meant to be one lesson at the beginning of a learning

segment. Overall, this math lesson plan I have created is an artifact that brings together a lot of

what I have learned throughout the program into one assignment.

Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidates Name: Ellen Fisher Date: June 20,

2017

Context for Learning (edTPA)

Where is the school where you are teaching located? City: _x__ Suburb: ___ Town:_____ Rural: ____

Grade level: 2 Number of students in the class: _32_

Students with IEPs/504 Plans

IEPs/504 Plans: Number Supports, Accommodations, Modifications, Pertinent
Classifications/Needs of Students IEP Goals
504/ ADHD 1 -Use of a large exercise ball instead of chair
-Fidget tool from classroom management box

Students with Specific Language Needs

Language Needs Number Supports, Accommodations, Modifications
of Students
ENL 1 -Visual aides to support language
-Frequent check for understanding

Students with Other Learning Needs

Other Learning Needs # of Supports, Accommodations, Modifications
Students
 Struggling Readers 6 -Leveled Text
-Targeted Guided Reading
-Ongoing reading assessment

Lesson 2 of a 5 Day Learning Segment

Teacher Candidates Name: Ellen Fisher Date: June 20, 2017

Subject and Lesson Topic: Measurement

Grade Level: 2 Lesson Duration: 40

Minutes

Central Focus of the Learning Segment

The central focus of this learning segment is for students to measure and estimate lengths using standard
units.

Knowing Your Learners

What do you know about your students prior academic learning as it relates to the central focus?
(edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 2a)

Students are familiar with the concept of length and know how to find the length of an object or distance.
Students are familiar with the units mm (millimeters), cm (centimeters), and m (meters).

How will you use this knowledge to inform your instruction? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt
3a)

Because students have already been introduced to measuring objects and distances with non-standard
measurements they will be able to use those skills to measure with standard units.
The students have already been introduced to the different units of standard measurement and will be
able to recognize the size different between mm, cm, and m.
The teacher will remind students of the previous activities where they used different sizes of non-
standard units to measure objects.
What do you know about your students personal, cultural, and community assets as they relate to
the central focus? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt 2b)
The teacher chose this activity because many of the students live within walking distance of the school
and it is important for them to understand distance and different forms of measuring distance. As well,
the school is just had a track and field day where the students all participated in different events like the
100 m race and long jump. These events involved measuring in different units so the students will all be
able to relate to measuring using different/ appropriate tools.

How will you use this knowledge to inform your instruction? (edTPA Handbook, Task 1, Prompt
3a)

This activity was chosen because it relates to all the students and to current events happening in the
school. The teacher will remind the students of the track and field day and the different ways the teachers
used to measure the different events.

Curriculum Standards
NYS Common Core: MEASUREMENT & DATA
Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter
sticks and measuring tapes.

Ontario Curriculum: Grade 3: Measurement

Estimate, measure, and record length, height, and distance, using standard units (i.e., centimeter, meter,
kilometer)

Objectives Assessment Modifications

to
Assessments
Students will be able to identify the Students will be formatively assessed Teacher will
appropriate measurement tool to use to during a classroom activity (See appendix put the
find length given an object or a specific B) where they have to measure different students in
distance (ie, the length of the classroom) objects around the classroom and choose partners or
the appropriate measuring tool. groups
ensuring that
the lower level
math learners
are with
higher level
students. The
teacher will
also leave
examples on
the white
board for
students to
reference.
Students will be able to record their The students will be formatively assessed The teacher
findings using proper units of during the activity (See appendix B) when will refer the
measurement after the number. (ie, the they are asked to record the length of students back
door is 50 cm long) each object they measured. to the anchor
chart to
remind them
of the different
standard units.

Academic Language Instructional Supports

Demands Strategies teachers provide to help learners
(edTPA Task 1, Prompt 4c) understand, use, and practice the concepts
(edTPA Task 1, Prompt 4d)
Function Identify The teacher will support the students to
identify the appropriate tool of measurement
to use by modeling examples to the class and
providing an anchor chart (see appendix A)
with examples.
Vocabulary Standard units of The teacher will activate prior knowledge by
measurement (millimeter referencing the three units mm, cm, and m.
(mm), centimeter (cm), The teacher will also review the short forms of
and meter (m) the vocabulary words
Syntax The students will record The teacher will model how to record length
their responses to the verbally and written
length of an object using a
number followed by a unit
Discourse The students will have the To support the students, the teacher will have
opportunity to use the them work in partners or small groups to find
vocabulary and language the appropriate unit of measurement
function while they
participate in a group
activity to find the length
of objects around the
classroom using an
appropriate form of
measurement

Instructional Process Accommodations and/or

Modifications and/or
Supports
Anticipatory Set/Motivator

The teacher will engage students interest and activate their prior -Building & activating
knowledge by starting the class with a small group activity. background knowledge
a. The teacher will divide the class into small groups of four to
five students in each group -Visual aid for ENL students
b. The teacher will give each group a different form of
measuring using a standard unit measuring tool (ie, ruler, -group work for lower level
meter stick, measuring tape etc.) learners
c. The teacher will say can one person from each group tell me
what unit of measurement their group has? Each group will
be given a chance to answer
d. The teacher will then say when I say go I want each group
to try and measure the length of the classroom using the
tool they have been given Because some groups will have
meter sticks or measuring sticks they will finish quicker and
then the other groups
e. The teacher will tell the groups to return to their desks
when they finish

Instructional Procedures
f. Once all the groups are done the teacher will discuss with
the class why it was easier for some groups to find the
length in comparison to other groups. The teacher will ask
questions like
Why did the groups with the measuring tapes and
meter sticks finish so quickly?
Why did the group with the small ruler take much -Student with ADHD will be
longer? sitting on the exercise ball
Did both groups find the same answer? and can get up and use the
g. The teacher will then explain that some groups had an tools in the classroom
easier time measuring the length of the classroom because management box at any
they were using the appropriate tool for measuring that time.
length
h. The teacher will define appropriate for the class - Modeling to demonstrate
i. The teacher will begin an anchor chart (see appendix A) how to use the measuring
j. To start the teacher will talk about the smallest measuring tools
tool the class has and that is the small ruler. The teacher
will model that the small ruler is a good measuring tool to -Frequent checks for
use for small objects. The teacher will provide an example understanding
by measuring a pencil using a small ruler and a meter stick
to show that it is easier to measure small objects using a
ruler.
k. After the teacher will move to a larger example like a desk
and will check for understanding by asking the class do you
think it would be better to measure the length of the desk
using the small ruler, the big ruler, or the meter stick? The
teacher will accept answers and then model measuring to
demonstrate that it is easier using the ruler. -anchor chart (see
appendix A) will provide
 l. The teacher will than measure the desk and model how to visual reminders for the
add more than one ruler together ENL student and the entire
m. The teacher will also model an example of measuring using class to refer to during the
the meter stick and the measuring tape activity
n. The teacher will then fill in the anchor chart (see appendix
A) with the students so that they have a visual to remind
them that small ruler is best for measuring little objects and
the big ruler is good for medium size objects and the meter -Student with ADHD can
stick and measuring tape and good for long distances. carry fidget toy with them
o. On the anchor chart (see appendix A) beside each form of during activity
measurement to teacher will include the short form (ie, -Teacher will pair ENL
centimeter cm) and a picture of an object that you would student and lower level
measure in centimeters learners with stronger
p. The teacher will then hand out the Lets Measure learners for support
worksheet (see Appendix B) and explain that the students
need to go around the classroom and measure the different -Frequent checks for
objects that are listed on the sheet. For each object the understanding
students and their partner need to choose which ever tool
they think is the most appropriate tool for measuring that
object or length. (ie, measuring the length of the white
board the students should choose a meter stick or
measuring tape)
q. The teacher will frequently check for understanding by
asking the partners questions like why did you decide to us
the small ruler for this object? or does the small ruler use
cm or m to measure objects?

Closure -Frequent checks for

To close the lesson, the teacher will ask a few partners to share one of the understanding
answers they found and tell the class why they chose that tool of
measuring. The teacher will then briefly review the anchor chart (see
appendix A) and the importance of choosing the correct measuring tool.
The teacher will collect the activities upon the completion of the class to
further check for understanding.
Materials/ tech tools:
Anchor Chart (see appendix A) , small rulers, big rulers, meter sticks, measuring tapes, white board
markers, markers
APPENDIX A: Anchor Chart
 APPENDIX B:
Lets Measure
Name:_____________
Object Measuring Tool Length

Desk _______________________ __________________________

Height _______________________ __________________________

of the
door

A _______________________ ___________________________
pencil

Shoe _______________________ ____________________________

Height _______________________ ____________________________

of your
Partner

White _______________________ ____________________________

Board
 Finger ________________________ _____________________________

Artifact 2: Literacy Lesson Plan.

The second artifact that I chose to include in my portfolio was my Literacy Lesson Plan

which focused on a Grade two Common Core standard in ELA. The topic of the lesson is

retelling using key details. The standards associated with this lesson align with the Common

Core standards and also the Ontario Curriculum. This artifact also displays my ability to bring

culture into the learning environment and to accommodate for students with an IEP or ENL.

Within the lesson I explained how I would often check for understanding as the teacher and

ensure students stay on task and engaged. This is very important because many students at a

young age can easily get distracted from doing their work. Much like the math lesson plan, this

lesson plan shows that I can plan lessons out in advance and that I am able to work with the

standards of both New York State and Ontario to ensure what I am teaching is relevant to what

they students need to learn. Furthermore, within the lesson plan the students are expected to use a

graphic organizer to display their thinking and to organize their thoughts. This displays an

instructional method that was created by Freire who believed that graphic organizers would help

students organize their thinking and relate common ideas (Freire Institute, 2017).

Lesson Plan: Retelling a Story

I. LESSON DATA:

A. Candidates First & Last Name: Ellen Fisher

B. Subject/Content Area: Language Arts
C. Grade Level (PK-12): Grade 2 (NYS); Grade 3 (Ontario)
D. Unit Topic: Understanding Text
E. Lesson Topic: Retelling using key details
F. Duration of Lesson: 40 minutes
G. Materials:
Chart paper
Markers
Book My First Chinese New Year
Extra copies of the book
Worksheet My Retell
Chinese New Year Parade Video Travel for Kids: Chinese New Year Bangkok
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC05N4lt_tA
Chinese New Year Decorations
Music Chinese New Year Full of Joy (Xi Yang Yang)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ojJsctMAqU
Spelling Words Handout Spelling Words
Anchor Chart Problem and Solution

II. INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS:

A. Standards:

1. NYS P-12 Common Core Learning Standards English Language Arts & Literacy in
History/ Social Studies, science, and Technical Subjects
Standard Strand: Reading Standards for Literature K-5
Grade: 2
Topic: Key Ideas and Details
Item Number and Statement: 2. Recount stories, including fables and folktales from
diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8: Language

Overall Expectations:
1. Read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literacy, graphics, and
informational texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning.
Specific Expectations:
1.4 demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts by identifying important ideas and
some supporting details (e.g., restate important ideas and some related details from an
informational text about early settlers; retell a story giving details about specific
elements of the text such as setting, characters, and theme)
B. Central Focus:

The central focus of this learning segment is retell a story by identifying key details including
characters, setting, and problem.

C. Objectives:

Objective Assessment
 1. Students will be able to retell a story using 1. The teacher will formatively assess the
key details such as characters, setting and students by having them complete a retell
problem, and sequencing words worksheet (My Weekend)
2. Students will be able to identify meaning 2. The teacher will formatively assess the
and spell four vocabulary words students by having them complete a
spelling test at the end of the week

D. Opening/Anticipatory Set:

1. As the students enter the classroom the teacher will have Chinese New Year Music
playing in the background. (Chinese New Year Full of Joy (Xi Yang Yang)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ojJsctMAqU
2. The classroom will be decorated with a few different decorations to represent the
celebration of Chinese New Year (e.g., a Chinese New Year calendar, colorful
decorations, pictures etc.)
3. ** Culturally Responsive: This is culturally responsive to the diverse group of students in
the class because some of the students recently celebrated Chinese New Year with their
families and it welcomes different celebrations and cultures into the learning environment.
4. The teacher will show the class a short video called Travel for Kids: Chinese New Year
Bangkok https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC05N4lt_tA
5. The teacher will say Today we are going to learn about Chinese New Year, which is an
exciting holiday that is celebrated around the beginning of February every year.

E. Main Body/Procedure:

1. Before reading the book the teacher will introduce the new vocabulary words that the
students will hear in the book and may not recognize (Ancestors, banquet, dumpling,
lantern)
2. The teacher will define each of the words for the students orally and will handout to each
student the Spelling Words handout that has the definitions including pictures.
3. Teacher will ask students to gather in a circle around their desks
4. The teacher will say today we are learning about Chinese New Year, but we are also
learning about how to retell a story, has anyone ever told a friend or a family member a
story about themselves? If you have you will remember that it is important to know lots
of information about what you are telling someone. So as we read the book called My
First Chinese New Year it is important to listen carefully.
5. ** Accommodations: The teacher will provide the ENL student a copy of the book to
follow along with as the teacher reads out loud.
6. The teacher will read the book from start to finish only stopping to point out the four
vocabulary words to the students (Ancestors, banquet, Dumpling, and Lanterns). As these
words appear the teacher will redefine them and show the pictures.
7. At the end of the book the teacher will explain that Gung Hay Fat Choy means happy
New Year in Chinese.
8. The teacher will then flip to the Go Chart that has already been created
9. The teacher will model for the students how to use a Go Chart to retell a story.
10. The teacher will first ask who were the characters in the story?
11. The teacher will write down the answers that the students provide in the section titled
Characters of the Go Chart
12. The teacher will then say can someone remind me what setting means
13. The teacher will reiterate the meaning of setting and then ask what were some of the key
details about the setting of this book?
14. The teacher will record the response under the section titled setting.
15. The teacher will then ask what was the problem in this book remember the problem
does not always have to be something bad.
16. The teacher will help the students with discovering the problem by turning to the first
page of the book and saying what was the little girl and her family trying to prepare for
at the start of the book?
17. If the student continue to struggle to find the problem the teacher will point to and remind
them of the anchor chart in the classroom for find the problem and solution (Problem
and Solution)
18. The teacher will explain that the problem in the book is that Chinese New Year is soon
and the family needs to prepare.
19. The teacher will then explain what the four boxes represent titled First, Then, After, and
Finally.
20. The teacher will ask does anyone remember one important thing that happened at the
start of the book? Before accepting answers she will flip through the first three pages to
help students remember.
21. The teacher will then write down one important event that happened at the start.
22. The teacher will then say after that what did the little girl and her family do to get ready
for the holiday?
23. The teacher will record the response in the second section.
24. The teacher will then ask what happened next in the story? and will write the answer in
section 3.
25. The teacher will then say what happened at the end of the story, what was the big
event? To help remind students the teacher will flip to the second and third last pages of
the book. Then the teacher will write the answer on the Go Chart under the section titled
finally.
26. The teacher will then say remember the problem that we talked about at the start? How
did the little girl and her family solve the problem?
27. The teacher will show the last page of the book and guide the students in answering the
solution section.
28. The teacher will then go over the Go Chart they have created as a class to review the
steps of retelling a story.
29. The teacher will then pass out the worksheet called My Retell and explain that each
student will retell their own story about something they did over the weekend.
30. ** Culturally Responsive: This activity is culturally responsive because each student is
being invited to bring part of their life at home and stories from their life into the
classroom. Therefore, the students are not expected to draw on experiences that they may
not be familiar with.
31. ** Accommodations: The two students with an IEP will be assisted by the special
education teacher at the round table to complete their assignments.
 32. ** Accommodations: The ENL student will draw pictures in each section to represent
the retell and accompany each picture with minimal words. The teacher will also label the
event books with numbers to help guide the student before they begin working. (e.g., 1.
First, 2. After, 3. Then, 4. Finally)
33. The teacher will circulate the classroom to check for understanding. While circulating the
teacher will ask questions such as Does anyone need any help, or what was the
problem in your weekend retell story?
34. The Go Chart that the class made together will be left at the front of the room for students
to reference.

F. Closing:

1. Before finishing the class the teacher will review the steps to retelling a story by saying
What are the steps to retelling a story? The teacher will ask multiple students for the
answers.
2. The teacher will also remind the students to practice their new spelling words they
learned today and will review each word by defining them as a class.
3. Before leaving a few students will be invited to share out the story they wrote.
4. The teacher will collect the Go Charts from each student to check for understanding.

III. REFLECTION:

1. Culturally Responsive Teaching:

Since this class is a very diverse group of learners from different cultures it is important to
include and represent the different cultures in the learning. This lesson is about the celebration of
Chinese New Year as many of the students in the classroom celebrate the holiday at home with
their families. The book helps to demonstrate a different culture and how they celebrate their
most important holiday. This lesson also allowed for each of the students to write about their
own experience or story as this allows them to bring their at home life and experiences into the
classroom. It is important to let the students express themselves in different ways in the
classroom and story-telling is a great way to share. In addition, by allowing them to write about
their own experience there is no expectation for them to recount and experience that they may be
unfamiliar with.

2. Accommodations:

This lesson provides accommodations for both the two students that have an IEP and the one
ENL student in the class. The ENL student was provided with an extra copy of the book during
the read out load to follow along with. This will allow the student to associate the words they see
with what they are hearing. The two students with an IEP will receive help during the activity
from the special education teacher at a separate table. In addition, the ENL student will be told to
draw pictures in each box to represent their story and can use minimal words like labels to
explain the pictures. The teacher will also label this students event books with the numbers 1
through 4 to help them understand the order of the words when the student is ready to begin that
section of the worksheet.

3. Prerequisite Skills:

In order to be successful in this lesson students must be able to identify the characters, the
setting and the problem in a story.

4. Anticipated Misconceptions:

Misconception Supports
Students may have trouble identifying the The teacher will use the pictures and pages in
problem in the story. the book to help the students understand
where and how to find the problem. The
teacher will also have anchor chart in the
classroom for identifying a problem and a
solution (Problem and Solution)

5. Academic Language:

Identified Language Demand Instructional Support

Function: Identify and Explain The teacher will model how to identify the
key details of a story and use them to retell a
story
Vocabulary: Students will learn vocabulary Vocabulary will be modelled throughout the
words that are seen in the book and are lesson, by first defining the words and then
associated with Chinese New Year: These pointing them out in the book when they
words are: appear. The student will also be given the
Ancestors handout Spelling Words.
Dumpling
Banquet
Lanterns
Syntax: The order of retelling a story. Students will be guided through the steps of
retelling a story using a Go Chart system.
Discourse: Students will have the Students will engage in discourse by working
opportunity to work together as a class to as a class in a group discussion about the
develop their understanding of retelling. book My First Chinese New Year
Old family members who have passed away.

A large party or gathering.

A type of Chinese food.

A beautiful light with different colors and designs
around the outside.

MY RETELL
Title: ___________________________________ Name: ________________________

Character
s

Setting Problem

First, Then,
After, Finally,

Solutio
n
 Artifact 3: Cultural Awareness Responsive Teaching Experience.

Thirdly, I included my cultural awareness responsive teaching experience because it touches on a

part of teaching that is very important and that is CRT (Culturally responsive teaching). With the

growing diversity in our school systems it is very important that each and every student in the

class feels welcomed and accepted into a safe place in the classroom. The assignment consisted

of reading a scenario and writing a lesson plan that was culturally responsive to the students

within the classroom. I choose to do a compare and contrasting activity between different

versions of the Little Red Riding Hood Story. I believe this lesson plan demonstrates not only

my style of teaching but my love for creativity in the classroom and my understanding of the

NYS Common Core Standards and the Ontario Curriculum. Furthermore, this lesson

demonstrates best teaching strategies because the lesson is aimed towards the interests and

experiences of the students in the classroom and children learn better when they are able to relate

to a subject.

Cultural Awareness Responsive Teaching Experience

Introduction
This year I have been awarded a job as a Grade 2 teacher at Urban City School #100.

This year I have a very diverse classroom made up of children of many different races,

ethnicities, religious backgrounds, learning abilities and many other differences. My overall goal

as a teacher is to improve the learning environment for all my students and make the classroom a

fun and welcoming place that incorporates all my students differences, strengths and

weaknesses in order to enhance their academic, emotional and social learning.

Standards / Expectations
 The following lesson plan is for my grade 2 class and will be focused in the field of

language arts and literacy. The lesson topic is comparing and contrasting characters, events, and

settings from two different childrens story books. The lesson plan meets the standards for New

York State Standards, Common Core and Ontario Curriculum as per below:

Common Core:
Standard Strand: Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to
build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
Grade: 2
Topic: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Item Number and Statement: 9. Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story
(e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures

New York Standards:

English Language Arts Standard 1: students will listen, speak, read, and write for information
and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas, discover
relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral and written
language that follows the accepted conventions for the English language to acquire, interpret,
apply and transmit information
Ontario Curriculum:

Grade 2 Reading
Topic: Reading for Meaning
Item number and Statement: 1.6 Extending Understanding - extend understanding of texts by
connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and experience, to other familiar texts, and
to the world around them

Explanation

The learning activity will be focused around reading comprehension and will be

developed based on the previous reading of Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH) that was done as a

class. Earlier in the week the class read the story of Little Red Riding Hood together and did

multiple other activities with the book but now this activity will be developing on from the

previous reading lessons. To begin I will ask the class what they remember about LRRH and as a

class we will make a list of characters, setting and events they remember. For the purpose of the
rest of the activity as the class develops the list of events I will write them on large stripes of

paper and have students post them on the board under the title Little Red Riding Hood. The

purpose of recalling the parts about the story is that next I will read them the story of Pretty

Salma, which is an adaptation of LRRH from African culture. I will read the book using an

overhead projector so that the students are able to see the pictures. Before I begin reading a will

ask that the students listen to the book the first time I read it and then I will re-read the book and

ask them to each remember at least one event, character or setting about Pretty Salma.

Once I finish re-reading the story as a class we will repeat the activity we did with LRRH

accept this time with Pretty Salma where students brainstorm what they remembered about the

story. I will ask the students What do you remember about Pretty Salma and I will write their

answers on strips of paper and post them on the board under the title Pretty Salma. Once we

finish the list there will be two list on each end of the board one for LRRH and the other for

Pretty Salma from these list I will ask the students Do you see any items or events that

happened in both stories? When they respond with the similarities I will ask the student who

responded to move the two strips that were the same into the middle (simulating a Venn

diagram). In order to keep the activity open to the students interpretations I will allow for

answers anywhere from character traits to setting or events.

To finish the lesson I will ask the students to count how many similarities there are, in the

middle board, or between LRRH and Pretty Salma. The students will be able to see that the two

different stories were very similar but also different. I will also point out that the two stories

come from two different cultures but that it is important to see that two different cultures can

have similarities and differences but they are both good. This idea about culture and culturally
differences and similarities is in some ways the cultural or social lesson whereas learning to

compare and contrast stories is the academic lesson.

Rationale
The overall purpose of this learning activity is to not only develop the students academic

learning but to also teach them about cultural awareness because in a school and classroom that

is so highly diverse it is important for the students to understand differences but to also make

connections. From an academic prospective the learning activity will allow for the students to

develop the important reading skill of comparing and contrasting but also relating to other stories

or even to their own life experiences.

This lesson also aligns with the Diversity for All Students Act because it does not only

take into account the importance of academic learning but it also develops emotional and social

learning skills. In the Dignity Act it states that there is a fundamental need to provide students

with instruction in social/ emotional skills as both an overarching prevention strategy and as a

primary intervention strategy for children whose toolkit of responses needs to be expanded in

include appropriate, pro-social strategies for effectively interacting with others (Dignity Act,

2013, 10-11). The learning activity allows for teaching these social skills because it opens

students eyes at a young age to the idea of differences and allows them to understand that other

students or other people they may interact with might act or look different than they do. By

teaching students about diversity at a young age it can work as a prevention method to stop

future discrimination or bullying at school and outside of school.

The learning activity was changed and modified in this case to relate specifically to some

of the pre-determined information that I had about my class. One of the largest issues in my

classrooms is that the majority of the students are below state standards and there are many
variations of abilities within the classroom. In order to accommodate for this I decided to the

story readings as a class and to use the overhead projector to show them the pictures. For some

students who are at a lower reading level reading out loud as a class will allow them to feel

comfortable and not be centered out for not understanding the story. This also helps for my

student who has an auditory impairment as he or she will be able to reference the pictures and

even read the words for his or her self if they cannot hear me read it. As well, there are 2 students

in my class that are learning English as a second language and by reading as a class and using

pictures they will be able to follow along with the story easier because they can connect pictures

to words. This simple change of teaching method will help many students in the class.

In addition, I choice to read them Little Red Riding Hood and Pretty Salma because I

think the two books do a good job of showing the same classic story line but also incorporating

unique cultural differences. Specifically in Pretty Salma the story talks about the different types

of clothing she is wearing like her stripy naima or her straw basket. This cultural aspects and

differences may relate to the students as they see themselves as different from other classmates.

Within my class 26 students are African American, 3 are Arabic, 2 are Caucasian, and one is

Native American, and this lesson, by using a story from a different culture, shows cultural

diversity as opposed to using another similar story that was also from North American or

Western culture. Therefore, in planning this lesson I kept in mind the below average learning

abilities of the majority of my class, my auditory learner, the 2 ENL students and lastly the many

cultures that make up our classroom.

Furthermore, the approach to teaching this lesson falls under the active teaching method

which allows for student participation in the learning and is also a culturally responsive teaching

method. By allowing the students to participate in connecting the novels and getting them out of
their seats to move the strips of paper around it keeps them engaged and excited about what they

are learning. As well, it also culturally sensitive as majority of the students are of African

American decent and may have some relation to the African story.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the main focus of this learning activity is to teach all elements of learning

including academic, emotional and social learning. The learning activity is also meant to expand

the knowledge of the class on important reading comprehension skills while also teaching the

importance lesson of differences within cultures.

Artifact 4: Pecha Kucha

The next artifact I choose to include was my Pecha Kucha presentation from our special

education course. The Pecha Kucha allowed us a great opportunity to not only practice using

technology but also to learn more about the different types of learning disabilities. The Pecha

Kucha Presentation is an example of an accommodation in its self as it could be a form of

technology used to assist a child who has a sight impairment. This aligns with the NYS Code of

Ethics for Educators because it is an example of an accommodation for a student. Mainly I

wanted to include the presentation because it shows my ability to work in technology in the

learning segments. This also shows my abilities to further my own learning and continue my goal

of being a active learner. This also aligns with the International Society for Technology

Education for teacher and Students because it demonstrates one way that teachers can bring

technology into the classroom and a Pecha Kucha presentation could be used for a variety of

lessons.
Dyslexia Presentation Transcript
(:00 :20) -The following slide show presentation is about the learning disability called
dyslexia. The slides to follow will outline: the definition of dyslexia, the behaviours and traits
associated with dyslexia, how teachers can help their students, how parents can help their
children, and additional resources about dyslexia.
(:20- :40)-The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development defines dyslexia as a
specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with
accurate and/ or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These
difficulties typically result (:40 :60) from a deficit in the phonological abilities and the
provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in
reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary
and background knowledge (International Dyslexia Association).
(:60- :80) In common terms, dyslexia is a condition that affects the way the brain processes
written and spoken language. For many people with dyslexia they mainly think using pictures
and therefore they struggle with words that do not create a mental image like: the, there, is, once,
and some of the other words seen in the slide.
(:80-:100)It is important to remember that if someone has dyslexia it does not mean they are
unintelligent, lazy, or have poor vision (Understood, 2014). These are all common
misconceptions about dyslexia. Famous faces like film director Steven Spielberg, athlete Tim
Tebow and actor Tom Cruise have proven that having dyslexia does not mean you cannot
succeed or are unintelligent.
(:100- :120) Students with dyslexia tend to show signs of struggle in the classroom when it
comes to reading, writing and oral comprehension. Some of the common learning characteristics
that exist in children with dyslexia when they are reading and writing are that they tend to: show
repetition, additions, transpositions, (:120-:140) omissions, substitutions and reversal in letters,
numbers and/ or words (Dyslexia Resources Canada). Other characteristics of students with
dyslexia include poor time management skills, struggle with hand writing, spelling phonetically
and inconsistently, struggling with memory of events that are not experienced, (:140-:160) and
confusion from letters, numbers, words, sequences, or verbal explanations (Understood, 2014).
Distortion is also a common struggle for those with dyslexia because many times when they are
reading some words can be misperceived in their brain which creates a number of problems in
comprehension (Dyslexia Resources Canada).
(:160- :180)For many years teachers have been working to help dyslexic students find success in
the classroom and in their learning process. For many students that are diagnosed with dyslexia it
is usually recommended that they receive a 504 plan or an Independent Learning Plan (IEP)
(Understood, 2014). (:180-:200) These plans help to create a unique learning plan that caters to
the needs of the individual and also help to monitor and track the process on a regular basis.
Prior to establishing a 504 plan or and IEP some teachers may use the Response to Intervention
method to better understand a students specific struggles (Heward, 2013).
(:200- :220) Some of the everyday ways that a teacher can assist their dyslexic students is to
ensure they are always seated close to the speaker because they can sometimes have trouble
focusing with background noises. Another way is allowing these students extra time for
assignments and tests. Teachers can also incorporate close (:220- :240) reading groups or guided
reading into the classroom to further assist and monitor students progress. In addition, there are
also many different assistive technology devices that can help dyslexic students with their
reading and writing skills such as word prediction software on computers, audiobooks, or even
special pencils (Understood, 2014). (:240- :260) Lastly, many common fonts like Georgia and
Times New Roman tend to appear obscure for many people with dyslexia so it is recommended
to use sans-serif fonts or other fonts that are similar to hand writing.
(:260- :280) Many students with dyslexia are able to function in a general classroom setting but
may require additional assistance or a quieter space outside of the classroom for reading and
writing. If it is possible, it may help students to be accompanied by a teaching assistant while
they read to ensure they are understanding what they are reading.
(:280- :300)Furthermore, when a child with dyslexia is working in a general classroom setting it
is essential that they feel comfortable in their environment and it may be important that the
teacher explain to other students what dyslexia is. Diane Burton Robb's book titled "the Alphabet
War: A Story About Dyslexia" (:300- :320) is a book about a boy named Adam who struggles
with learning how to read, but with the help of his teacher and hard work he is able to overcome
his challenges and win the Alphabet war (Google Books). This book is great for demonstrating
what Dyslexia is and also for teaching perseverance and determination. Another book (:320-
:340) that can be used is Jeanne Betancourt's book called "My name is Brain Brian" which is
about a young boy who struggles with Dyslexia (Google Books). These books provide a great
examples of children who have dyslexia and their abilities to succeed.
(:340- 3:60) Finally, it is very important that teachers and other staff members who are working
with a child with dyslexia understand what the learning disability entails and how it effects the
individual student. The following slide displays some great website links that can be used to
explore additional information and also to find out how to further help students. (:360- :380)
These websites are also helpful for parents and families to keep them involved in their childs
learning process at home.
 Artifact 5: Classroom Management Tool.
The fifth artifact I decided to include is one of my favourite artifacts because it has real life

classroom application and I was fortunate enough to see this used in a classroom. The artifact is a

classroom management tool called a class jobs board. The idea behind the classroom jobs is that

each student has a job every week and then the jobs change. This keeps the class in order,

provides the teacher with many little helpers and also teaches the students responsibility. As

Harry Wong stated it is very important to manage your classroom from day one because if you

teach them the rules and expectations up from they will behaviour better (Wong et al., 2013). I

believe that some of the battle of teaching is being able to manage your classroom and ensure

that they respect you and stay on task so that more learning can be done and one way to

accomplish that is to be a good class manager. This artifact is an example of one of the many

ideas I have about ways to manage a classroom with simple little tasks.
Artifact 6: Math Weekly Planner.
The sixth artifact that I included was a Math Weekly Planner. I mainly included this

because it shows my abilities as an educator to plan ahead and incorporate multiple learning

activities and multiple learning standards into a learning segment. My hope is that this weekly

planner will give the reader a good understanding about my abilities to tie together lessons and to

use a variety of instructional methods and assessments over time. The weekly planner more so

than the individual lesson plans shows the variety that I provide in my planning and how I plan

to keep the students engaged by sparking their different interests and including them in the

classroom. The weekly planner also aligns with the InTASC standard #8 which looks at

Instructional Strategies because it shows the use of a variety of instructional strategies in order to

keep the students engaged (CCSSO, 17, 2011).

 Artifact 7: Annotated Bibliography.
Next, I included one example of an annotated bibliography that I completed. The main

reason I chose to include this as an artifact was because it shows my researching skills. The

annotated bibliography demonstrates how I was able to find scholarly research about special

education and use the research to better my understanding of the content area. This is very

important to being an affective teacher because it links back to the idea of being an ongoing

learner. This is also an example of professional development because I was able to use the

research online to increase my knowledge on special education which increased my effectiveness

as a teacher. Professional development is not always about learning a new skill or finding out

about a new software it can also just be about improving the way you preform your job.

Therefore, I think the annotated bibliography shows my research abilities and that I am ready to

continue to learn more about the concepts of education that will make me a better teacher. As

well the annotated bibliography aligns with the NYS Code of Ethics for Educators principle #3

because it states that Educators commit to their own learning in order to develop their practice

(NYS Code of Ethics for Educators, 2017).

Annotated Bibliography Assignment

Article Reference

Jacobs, P., & Fu, D. (2014). Students with learning disabilities in an inclusive writing classroom.

Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 10(1), 100-113. Retrieved from

http://www.eric.ed.gov.ezproxy.medaille.edu/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno

=EJ1030717

Objective / Purpose

The objective of Jacobs and Fu (2014) in their research was to demonstrate through a

case study how inclusion classrooms benefit the growth and learning of the writing process for

students with a learning disability (LD). In addition, the authors aim through their research was

to see the whether or not the process approach to teaching writing was successful in improving

the writing skill level of students with a learning disability (Jacobs and Fu, 2014, 101).

Target Population / Participant numbers

The case study focused on two students in a grade four classroom at a kindergarten to

grade four school in a small rural town in north central Florida (Jacobs & Fu, 2014, 102). The

school was on average a high preforming school according to the test scores taken from the
standardized test scores in the State of Florida (Jacobs & Fu, 2014, 102). The class that the study

was done in was a grade four classroom with 23 total students of which 11 received special

accommodations and four students who had a learning disability (Jacobs & Fu, 2014, 102). The

authors chose the two students for the study, out of the four that were identified as students with

an LD, by selecting two that had common struggles with their development in writing and

literacy (Jacobs & Fu, 2014, 103). Julia lived with her grandparents because of her mothers

substance abuse problem and regularly attended church (Jacobs & Fu, 2014, 103). Tyrone was

quiet and lived with his mother and two brothers (Jacobs & Fu, 2014, 103). Both student were 11

years old and had been held back to repeat the fourth grade again because they were unable to

pass the year before (Jacobs & Fu, 2014, 103).

Research Method

The authors used a qualitative research method to gather the findings for their study.

They conducted a case study on two different students who each had a learning disability and

monitored the progress and development of their writing abilities in an inclusion classroom

(Jacob & Fu, 2014). They overserved the students progress in two different writing situations

and compared the results to see how the students improved. The compared pieces of work done

at the beginning of the year, the middle of the year and the end to see the progress that was made.

They compared two main processes which were the writing for test preparation and the writing

digital stories (Jacobs & Fu, 2014, 100). They also used the students final scores on the state

writing test to draw conclusions.

Article Summary
 The research article by Jacobs and Fu (2014) elaborates on the findings of previous

research that found that inclusion classrooms can benefit the progress of children with learning

disabilities. Within the article the authors illustrated through the progress of Julia and Tyrone

that they both benefitted from the writing process approach that their teacher incorporated which

allowed for them to review and revise their work (Jacobs & Fu, 2014). The article described in

detail the case study and specifically looked at the progress made from start to finish in each

student but it also touched on the different methods that were used in the classroom throughout

the year. The article breaks down the progress made by each student and provides examples of

their work to illustrate the growth from the beginning to end and the areas of writing which each

student found success in (Jacobs & Fu, 2014, 104-108).

Results / Outcomes

The research from this article found that inclusion classrooms can be beneficial for

students with learning disabilities because it allows them the chance to reach their full abilities

and it does not limit their instruction (Jacobs & Fu, 2014, 110). As the study supports both Julia

and Tyrone were able to see positive results in the writing process because their abilities were

pushed further and they were given opportunities to develop within an inclusive setting. The

biggest outcome of the case study was the finding that students learn best through the strengths

and therefore focusing on the strength of an individual and developing from their benefits the

student. Jacobs and Fu (2014) explain that the writing process approach to teaching writing

allows for students with disabilities to work at their own pace and develop the skills through

starting with their strengths (Jacobs & Fu, 2014, 110). They also found that providing a variety

of genres for teaching writing is effective in alleviating stress and allowing the students to find

an area of writing that they enjoy (Jacobs and Fu, 2014, 110-111). As well, in expanding from
the idea of enjoyment in learning, Jacobs and Fu (2014) found that incorporating students daily

life (outside of the classroom) into their school work allows them to connect with their work and

find further passion in what they are doing. Similarly, they concluded that because technology

has become such a large part of society the use of technology in the classroom can help students

with the comfortability in learning because many students are familiar with the devices from

their life at home (Jacobs & Fu, 2014, 111).

Jacobs and Fu (2014) concluded many findings from their research done in the case study

but there were some limitations to the findings, the most obvious being the small sample size.

Since they only observed two different students and one grade level it limits the results and how

they may apply to a broader range of students. In order to improve on the limitation research

would have to be done on a broader range of students and on students with differing IEPs so that

the results could be applied to more grade levels and more situations. Overall, the study was

strong because it was done over a long period of time and allowed for the results to show a

significant improvement. The length of the school year is a good measure of time for research in

the education field because it follows along with the expected timeline for progress to be made

between grade levels.

Classroom Application

This article is important to the field of education because education is continuing to see a

growth in diversity every year within the classroom settings including the diverse range of ability

in students. The research is extremely important because it supports previous findings in regards

to inclusion classrooms and their effectiveness on children with learning disabilities. In addition,

the article touches on the ever growing importance of technology education. Technology is at the
for front of the worlds culture and children are now growing up with so much technology that the

education system needs to adapt and find new ways to incorporate the tech into the classroom.

By implementing technology into learning it develops a since of comfort in students because

they are used to technology.

The information from this article can be applied in the classroom in many ways. For

example using the process approach in teaching writing could benefit all students. Another

option would be to incorporate students lived experiences into the classroom so that they are able

to form connections within their work. Overall, the article provides helpful research on teaching

methods and classroom inclusion that can be incorporated into the classroom or into a teachers

practice in multiple ways.

Artifact 8: DASA.
My last two artifacts are both certifications that I have received during my time at

Medaille College. The first is my DASA (Dignity of All Students Act) certificate that shows my

participation in an online learning seminar about being respectful to all students and ensuring to

be a culturally responsive teacher. The DASA certificate aligns with the NYS Code of Ethics and

the Ontario Ethical Teacher standards because it is a certification that highlights the importance

of being caring, respectful, trusting and honest teachers (NYS Code of Ethics for Educators,

2017). Both the NYS Code of Ethics and the Ontario Ethical Teacher Standards discuss that it is

standard that teachers are respectful and thoughtful to their students and my DASA certification

is one way that I have learned about the importance of being culturally responsive.

Artifact 9: Child Abuse Workshop.

Similarly to the DASA certification the Child Abuse Workshop certification that I have

attached as an artifact shows my commitment to professional development but it also aligns with
the ethical standards of teaching. The Child abuse workshop included many different scenarios in

which it explained the best way of handling the scenario and described the responsibility of the

teacher in each scenario. This was very important because in any job where you work with

children and are responsible for their well-being it is important to understand your

responsibilities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my hope was that this section provided the reader with proof of my

abilities and competencies as a future educator. I have provided examples of my work that show
my skills in planning, assessing, instruction, engagement, as technology while also showing my

knowledge of the math and literacy standards, professional development and the overall teaching

standards. The artifacts I have provided are just samples from many different work examples I

have that continue to show my strengths and abilities.