EDU 695 Week 6

Running Head: DEMONSTRATING COMPETENCY AS AN MAED STUDENT AND EUDCATOR: MY PERSPECTIVE AND EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY 1

Demonstrating Competency as an MAED Student and Educator 2

Demonstrating Competency as an MAED Student and Educator: My Perspective and Educational Journey

Name

EDU 695

Instructor: Dr. Sherry Leialoha-Waipa

November 23, 2014

Introduction

I am not a voyager like Christopher Columbus or Sacagawea, but I did just embark on a journey. No, I did not have a ship named The Santa Maria, nor did I journey with Lewis and Clark on an expedition into the American West. My journey was more about the discovery of me and what I could learn to become the best educator possible. Throughout the MAED program, my knowledge has increased and I have been able to leverage my skills as an educator. My development as an educator has been demonstrated through my scholarly writings and original lesson plans devised for students with disabilities. These documents have been synthesized to create a conclusive portfolio which demonstrates my competency and mastery of the MAED Capstone program learning outcomes.

ePortfolio Components

The artifact in the portfolio that best demonstrates mastery for each of the program learning outcomes is titled "Makeover Magic: A Compilation of Redesigned Lesson Plans." Each of the redesigned lesson plans, in addition to the action research study flyer/presentation, have been combined to construct one document that addresses each of the program learning outcomes. The portfolio has also been modified to include my blog of scholarly articles and assessments, and a short YouTube video, depicting how students with disabilities can learn and grow with the guidance of adults and with the inclusion of assistive technology. This is a meaningful addition because the concentration of my MAED program is special education. The order in which each assignment is presented in the portfolio is strategically place and is very purposeful, with the most relevant and significant documents arranged at the beginning of the portfolio. The link to the ePortfolio is here: https://pathbrite.com/portfolio/PYVYlPI0B/maed-capstone-edu-695.

Narrative-Ranking

PLO 1: The MAED graduate employs differentiated instructional practices aligned with learner strengths and differences, diverse cultures, and diverse communities to promote student learning in a safe, collaborative, engaging, inclusive, 21st-century learning environment.

"The role of the teacher is that of an educational technician who engineers instruction or arranges the environment so that the probability of learning is increased" (Vaughn & Bos, 2012, p. 18). There is a common saying often stated by educators; "No two students learn the same way." This is especially true in terms of students with exceptionalities, so differentiated instruction is critical. "Differentiated instruction is a prevalent strategy for promoting participation in and progress through the general curriculum. To differentiate means to make something different by altering or modifying it. Differentiated instruction modifies traditional instruction" (Turnball et al., 2013, p. 120). One document, "Lesson Plans for Students with Disabilities" that is comprised in my professional portfolio, is a compilation of five lesson plans I developed in a previous course (MAED 697: Characteristics of Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities). My current work setting as a substitute early childhood educator does not provide opportunities to develop differentiated lesson plans for students with disabilities, however as a mother with a child who has special needs, I do understand the importance of employing differentiated instructional practices and that is why this PLO is ranked first. My ten-year old son, fifth grade student in a middle school, has been diagnosed with specific disabilities in math and reading. He requires specialized instruction that differs from the general classroom population, or students without disabilities. Because my son's teachers create lesson plans to teach all students and that are simultaneously tailored to meet the needs and interest of my son, he is excelling immensely as a student. Last year, before the confirmed diagnosis, my son struggled in school. His grades and academic performance were at and just below grade level. This shows me how I, as a future special educator, can facilitate learning through differentiated instructional practices that are aligned to meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities.

PLO 2: The MAED graduate designs appropriate and challenging learning experiences informed by analysis of how learners develop individually across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical patterns to promote student learning and growth.

This PLO follows the first one because all lesson plans should not only be designed to meet the individual needs of every student, but they should also present opportunities for the students to engage in appropriate and challenging learning experiences. Educators need to "know about children and how they learn so that [they] can design and implement meaningful and appropriate learning experiences" (Feeny et al., 2010, p. 314). Although my current work setting is in an early learning center, I have confidence that the all learners are capable of completing higher order thinking learning activities. I am fortunate to work with a diverse group of children from as young as six weeks to as old as fourteen years, so I have built many relationships and know the children well. While my position as a part time substitute teacher does not require me develop the lesson plans, it does not prevent me providing appropriate and challenging opportunities or at the very least, suggesting to the other teachers the need to present their students with higher order thinking activities. When I do work in a classroom, I use the teacher's lesson plan, but I also improvise to ensure the students are receiving an enriched learning experience. During the past summer camp, the school-aged students studied the solar system for one week. The previously written lesson plan was basic, so I knew I needed to add to it by allowing the students to explore the topic further. First, the students had a large group discussion about their favorite aspect of the solar system. We explored each of their interests by researching things like moon rocks, meteor showers, and gravity. The students then collectively decided to continue to study moon rocks. They went outdoors to search for rocks that resembled the look of moon rocks. The students painted the rocks with glow-in-the-dark paint and wrote short essays about what they learned through their research. Their excitement for the project was evident when they began asking me to invite other students and teachers to come observe their projects. Challenging young minds to think critically brings about learning that obviously excites and motivates students.

PLO 3: The MAED graduate designs a variety of evidence-based assessments used for ongoing evaluation of student progress and to guide teacher and learner decision making.

Utilizing or creating appropriate and challenging differentiated lesson plans for a diverse group of learners is instrumental in making learning more accessible to all learners, especially those with exceptionalities. Educators must evaluate student learning to determine whether they are meeting the lesson objectives. In fact, Vaughn & Bos (2012) state that "Teachers who use a variety of assessment tools to determine what students know and don't know are more likely to adjust their instruction to meet students' needs and to have improved outcomes for students" (p. 19). The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) addresses four main principles: stronger accountability, greater local and state flexibility and control, more choices for parents, and emphasis on using methods based on scientific research (Eliason & Jenkins, 2014). Because of this legislative injunction, this PLO is ranked in the top three of most importance. It is difficult for teachers to be effective if they do not take the necessary steps to evaluate the students' learning throughout the instructional process. "Assessing progress means continually examining data from both formal and informal assessments to determine students' knowledge and skills" (Vaughn & Bos, 2012, p. 19). My future role as a special education teacher will require me to employ evidence-based assessments for ongoing evaluation of student progress. These assessments must be authentic and should be administered in various forms, including portfolios, journals, standardized tests, formative assessments, and unit-of-unit exams. In my future classroom, I would provide opportunities for the students to demonstrate their knowledge. A pre-assessment will allow the students to show their prior knowledge of a concept, subject, or topic. This information will allow me to construct a differentiated lesson plan with modifications, adaptations, and technology to ensure the students' individual needs are going to be met.

PLO 4: The MAED graduate designs learner-centered instruction aligned with Common Core State Standards, digital-age standards (ISTE-S), and 21st-century skills to promote learner achievement and growth.

Designing appropriate and challenging differentiated lesson plans must align with Common Core State Standards (CCSS), digital-age standards (ISTE-S), and 21st century skills to promote learner achievement and development. "The Common Core Standards have been developed with long-term outcomes in mind (e.g., College and Career Anchor Standards in English Language Arts)...It is imperative that educators understand the intent and structure of the standards in order to work with them effectively" (Burnaford & Brown, 2014). "ISTE Standards (formerly the NETS for Students ISTE Standards-S) are the standards for evaluating the skills and knowledge students need to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly global and digital world" (NETS for students 2007, 2012). Finally, "The Framework presents a holistic view of 21st century teaching and learning that combines a discrete focus on 21st century student outcomes (a blending of specific skills, content knowledge, expertise and literacies) with innovative support systems to help students master the multi-dimensional abilities required of them in the 21st century and beyond (Framework for 21st century learning, n.d.). When incorporating a balance of the three components, teachers strengthen their instruction while upholding the standards and requirements that are established in legislative laws like NCLB. This PLO is ranked fourth because it seems to naturally flow from designing appropriate and challenging differentiated lesson plans with embedded assessments. There is evidence of my competency of this PLO throughout the lesson plans I have designed in the document Makeover Magic: A Compilation of Redesigned Lesson Plans and in other documents which are included in my portfolio. Because early childhood classrooms adhere to a different set of academic standards and educational frameworks, I do not utilize CCSS, ISTE-S, or 21st century learning skills. In my future classroom, I would implement CCSS, ISTE-S, and 21st century learning skills in the same or similar manner as I did when redesigning my previously designed lesson plans. By combining each component, I can be effective in ensuring that the students with disabilities are receiving the same free appropriate public education as their nondisabled peers.

PLO 5: The MAED graduate uses knowledge of subject matter and central concepts of the discipline(s) to create technology-enriched learning environments that promote learner achievement and innovation.

Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Science--these academic subjects are synonymous with the subject matter we often associate with learning and school. This PLO is ranked fifth because it comes after the PLO which involves mastery of integrating CCSS, ISTE-E, and 21st century learning skills to learner-centered instruction. CCSS and 21st century learning skills stress the importance of core academic subject matter by drafting strict educational standards that tells what the students should know. These standards act as a guideline for teachers to follow to ensure student achievement and student readiness for college and careers. The link between subject matter and technology is substantial because technology "is a critical tool for adapting instruction in today's world and it is an important means for making last-minute adaptations in the classroom" (Murawski & Spencer, 2011). In other words, "technology makes curriculum more accessible for kids..." (Murawski & Spencer, 2011). When technology is used in correlation with subject matter, students are likely to understand the content better which subsequently leads to better academic performance. I imagine using subject matter and central concepts to create technology-enriched learning environments for students with disabilities since "various technologies have long been used to provide assistance to learners who have characteristics that can interfere with their ability to learn" (Armstrong et al., 2009, p. 296). I understand that my role as a future educator means that I will have to employ a variety to technologies to make core subjects accessible for future learners with diverse needs. Several lesson plans that I have created demonstrates my ability to link subject matter and technology. I will use the same approach in my future classrooms.

PLO 6: The MAED graduate effectively communicates and collaborates with various stakeholders through written communication, verbal communication, and a variety of current and emerging digital age tools to ensure learner growth and to advance the profession.

Communication and collaboration go hand in hand. If you think about it, educators communicate and collaborate on a regular basis. "Special educators often end up collaborating an co-teaching with various partners in the same year, and general educators may be expected to collaborate with a special education teacher, a Title I teacher, an ELL teacher, a math coach, and a speech pathologist" (Murawski & Spencer, 2011). Because educators can potentially work with several others during the course of one year, they are likely to share their ideas and expertise. For this reason, I chose to rank this PLO after the development of lesson plans, assessments, and frameworks for learning. Once a lesson plan is devised, it can be shared with others to gain another teacher's perspective and expertise on a particular concept or discipline. Before submitting the final lesson plan, collaborators can choose to make modifications for an effective redesign. When teachers collaborate, they must make time for one another and use technologies to ensure communication is sound. According to Murawski & Spencer (2011), communication is "exchanging information in a form that is mutually understandable." Communication can be executed in a variety of ways, including email, teleconferencing, Skype, telephones, and so forth. These types of technologies allow educators to collaborate more effectively. My competency of communication and collaboration is evident in my Week 5 assignment. My group members, Sara Grant and Andrea Johnson, decided to use email as our central method of communication. We brainstormed to determine our common interests and learned that we were all early childhood educators. Sara had a previously designed lesson plan for preschooler, so we agreed to use it for our redesign project. Acting as the group leader, I delegated sections of the assignment. Once the group members submitted their portion of the assignment, I put it together to make one cohesive document. I shared the draft with the group members to give them an opportunity to edit or share additional ideas. With their added input, I made the final changes and we agreed collectively to submit our document. This was a true lesson in collaboration and communication, especially with the challenge of long distance partnerships. In my current work setting, I communicate and collaborate mostly through face-to-face interactions. We do have an email system set up that allows us to communicate with the lead and assistant directors. The telephone is another way we communicate, but it is not used as often. The director holds regular staff meetings and in-service meetings so the staff can communicate and collaborate. The preschool teachers often collaborate to share their ideas about the curriculum and central idea for the month. Each preschool classroom takes a specific role in the lesson and teaches the entire preschool group. In other words, the teachers from one classroom will take their students to another classroom to learn a lesson in science as it relates to the lesson's topic. Another preschool classroom may agree to teach a math lesson, and so on. This type of communication and collaboration allows the teachers to share their knowledge and bring it to every student in the preschool program.

PLO 7: The MAED graduate uses a range of digital technology tools to research, organize, evaluate, and communicate information while exhibiting an understanding of ethical and legal issues surrounding the use of information technologies. 

Computers, laptops, tablets, and iPads--I own them all, so it is pretty apparent that I am not a stranger to technology. However, when it comes to my education and using these types of technologies to obtain information for scholarly purposes, I know that I must employ ethical practices when searching for references and resources that are relevant to my studies. Throughout my MAED program, I chose to use peer-reviewed articles found in the Ashford University Library and resources from previous classes, such as ebooks. The assurance of knowing the information I found was reliable made it much easier to complete assignments and to share new knowledge with my peers. This PLO was ranked seventh because exhibiting an understanding of ethical and legal issues surrounding the use of information technologies prevents unethical incidences of plagiarism and keeps me from using unreliable information. Using a range of digital technology will transmit into my future as a special educator as I strive to discover new information and new ways to improve learning outcomes for my future students. I plan to use digital technology as I execute action research studies. Over the course of my MAED program, I have acquired several resources that can be used to substantiate my future action research studies. For example, I own thirteen scholarly ebooks that I can refer to as I conduct an action research study. Within the ebooks are other links to websites that can be deemed as ethical and reliable and can be used to verify my position or findings. Finally, Mills (2014) suggests taking the following five steps when searching computer databases:

· Identify key words related to your topic.

· Select the appropriate databases--some databases using the same interface may allow you to search multiple databases simultaneously.

· Initiate a search using your key words selectively.

· Reformulate your search using appropriate subject headings or descriptors combining terms as is appropriate.

· Once you have found a relevant article, check the item record for links to additional subject headings or descriptors, author(s), cited references, times cited in database, or other references for finding additional related items using the features within the database (p. 75).

Ultimately, I demonstrated mastery of this PLO while composing my portfolio in Pathbrite. Designing the portfolio to be professional in appearance meant that I had to use various digital tools, such as uploading a YouTube video and linking a blog that I designed in a previous course.

PLO 8: The MAED graduate executes an action research study that draws on the research and methods of various disciplines to address local or global educational issues.

Although this PLO is ranked last, it does not mean I do not comprehend the importance of action research. In fact, action research is quite valuable because our findings can be shared with other education practitioners to improve our education system. According to Mills (2014), action research "is any systematic inquiry conducted by teacher researchers, principals, school counselors, or other stakeholders in the teaching/learning environment to gather information about how their particular schools operate, how they teach, and how well their students learn" (p. 8). I have displayed competency of this PLO by evaluating a peer-reviewed action research plan that was conducted by Jane Hollis (1995). In a PowerPoint presentation, I identified Hollis' data collection procedures, determined the action research questions, and described her findings as a result of conducting the study. My plan to conduct an action research study implementing a positive behavior support (PBS) plan to mitigate negative behaviors in preschoolers remains unfulfilled. I was not given the opportunity to execute my study, but I desire to do so because I do think the PBS plan can have a tremendous impact on student behavior. I want to know if the students' negative behaviors impede student learning, and if so, does the PBS plan allow students to learn in a more positive learning environment. The only way for me to determine the effectiveness of a classroom-wide PBS is to conduct the study in my own time. Referring back to communication and collaboration, I can share my action research proposal with willing teacher and family participants. We can all work together to devise a set of classroom rules, a reward system, and consequences to misbehaviors. As the study progresses, I can make observations and other data collection tools, like parent and teacher surveys, to help substantiate my findings. If the implementation of a classroom-wide PBS plan is successful, I can approach the other preschool teachers to ask if they want to create a more positive classroom climate by applying the same plan.

Narrative-Challenges/Solutions

The first approach I took when redesigning my portfolio was to decide which components best displayed my mastery of program learning outcomes, which could be omitted, and which could be added from other sources outside of the Capstone course. This procedure was challenging because I had to search meticulously for previous assignments that reflected my skills and competency as a MAED graduate. I also realized that I did not have one document that demonstrated each of the nine program learning outcomes, so I had to create a document to include each component. I retained all of the main assignments from the course because the lesson plan redesigns demonstrated various skills, abilities, and knowledge. I then thought about incorporating something inspirational that reflects my views of special education. I reviewed several YouTube videos that showed students thriving and learning in an educational setting. Once I selected the video, I had to upload it to the portfolio. This is where I encountered my second challenge. First, I clicked on the edit tab to add the video. Next, I clicked on the video icon to upload the feature. That is where I saw a YouTube icon. I clicked on the YouTube icon, and copied and pasted the video web address link and pressed enter on my keyboard. Nothing happened, so I tried again, and again, and again for a third time. Instead of getting frustrated, I took a closer look at the screen and noticed a search tab. This time when I pasted the web address for the video, I clicked on the search tab and the video uploaded immediately! To demonstrate digital versatility, I wanted to include my blog that I created last year. This blog is a compilation of lesson plans, assessments, and assignments related to special education. I did not encounter any challenges adding the web link to the portfolio because I learned from the challenge of uploading the YouTube video. Satisfied with the documents, blog, and video, I decided to modify the layout. The challenge with the layout was determining which articles were most significant to who I am as an educator and future special educator. I thought the mastery of the redesigned lesson plans were important because they demonstrate how I was able to modify my lessons to meet the standards of 21st century learning skills, digital-age standards (ISTE-S), and collaboration with other peer educators. These redesigned lesson plans were also designed for students with disabilities which is meaningful because my MAED specialization is in special education. I overcame the third challenge through trial and error. I simply had to navigate the explore the Pathbrite site to see which layout appeared proficient and presentable, yet engaging. The best layout for my portfolio was the pyramid format. This layout gives my portfolio a quirky appeal while maintaining a professional appearance. Feedback from my peers over this course was also instrumental in helping me to decide the layout and components. Their responses to my documents confirmed that my work was proficient enough to include in an overall professional portfolio.

Conclusion

My journey as an educator is unique. I have triumphs and tribulations, but I have made it to the end. I am now enriched and fortified with a vast amount of information that I have used and will use as a future special educator. As a proficient student, I have been able to demonstrate mastery and competency of each of the program learning outcomes. This proficiency is evident in the documents that I have submitted and included in my eportfolio. With my newfound knowledge, I will be an effective educator, ready to make mark in the educational system that brings learning to every student I teach.

References

Armstrong, D., Henson, K., and Savage, T. (2009). Teaching today: An introduction to education (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson

Burnaford, G., & Brown, T. (2014). Teaching and learning in 21st century learning environments: A reader. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc

Eliason, C. F., & Jenkins, L. (2012). A practical guide to early childhood curriculum (9th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

Feeny, S., Moravcik, E., Nolte, S., & Christensen, D. (2010). Who am I in the lives of children? (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Framework for 21st century learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21- framework

Mills, G. E.  (2014).  Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. 

Murawski, W. & Spencer, S. (2011). Collaborate, communicate, and differentiate: How to increase student learning in today’s diverse schools. Corwin Press. 

NETS for students 2007. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards-for- students/nets-student-standards-2007

Turnball, A., Turnball, R., Shogren, K.A., & Wehmeyer, M. (2013). Exceptional lives: Special

education in today’s schools (7th ed). Upper Saddle River. Pearson

Vaughn, S. & Bos, C.  (2012).  Strategies for teaching students with learning and behavior problems (8th ed.).  Boston: Pearson