Domain 3:
Planning, Instruction, & Assessment
The candidate presents artifacts and accompanying descriptions that demonstrate his or her ability to design coherent, developmentally appropriate instruction with effective assessment.
InTASC #1
The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
InTASC #6
The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher's and learner's decision making.
~Context~
This online mini-course I created for my Mathematics methods course relates to these standards and domains because of the usage of multiple forms of learning and assessment through an online platform. For this course, I used Google Classroom because of its user-friendliness and easy access for all students. In my course, I utilized multiple forms of learning including Khan Academy exercises, Youtube videos created by myself, voiceovers, Zoom sessions, and fun interactive exercises. Since this course was geared toward younger learners, I desired to make this course as interactive as possible with multiple forms of learning approaches. The mathematics practices centered around learning basic, addition, subtraction, and understanding the meaning of greater than and less than. For every concept taught, there were multiple ways for this learning to be enforced. This was designed to cater to the different needs of students. Some students learn better through worksheets, others through presentations and guided Youtube videos. I designed my course intending to provide multiple facets for each concept. Further, the multiple practices also increase memory through continued practice which helps move the new material learned from short-term memory to long-term. Comprehension was assessed through multiple platforms such as IXL activities, Desmos activities I created, and Quizzes I drafted through Google Forms. Additionally, I also utilized Flip so students could record themselves demonstrating concepts like counting using manipulatives so they could share their thinking processes. Some of these forms of assessment were formative while others were summative. The organization of the course is laid out day by day and has automated reminders so students can stay on top of their learning. Additionally, I created a Curriculum Map and Weekly Checklist so students can stay organized and on top of their work. My instruction is clear through my detailed recount of each day of work, and the Zoom Sessions and Youtube videos I created for the students.
~Implications~
Reflecting on this project, I feel I created a course that is organized, well-planned, and utilizes multiple forms of assessment. The challenge of this project for me was creating a course that catered to the needs of my students through a digital classroom. However, I believe I was effective at maintaining order and establishing direction through the accommodation of the plethora of activities and assessments I embedded into my course. I worried that since this course was designed for younger learners they might struggle with the digital aspects of learning. However, I made this course very user-friendly by creating voiceovers, videos, and checklists that students could easily follow. Accommodating the developmental needs of students is essential for any future teacher. Understanding students’ capabilities ensures that the educator can provide the correct amount of challenge in learning that helps students to grow. My course effectively establishes an academic challenge that forces students to complete the work and exercises so they will grow in their knowledge of mathematics. However, if students struggle with comprehension, I provided many resources they can refer to that will help them with their difficulties. Additionally, I stressed in many of my videos how I, as the instructor, will regularly communicate with them to ensure they stay on track, and if they have any issues, I will always be available to them.