Standard 3: Content and Curriculum Expertise
Teacher leaders have a deep knowledge of the subjects they teach and understanding of curriculum theory and development. They value collaboration and the interconnectedness of disciplines. They understand the importance of curriculum relevance in engaging students in content. Indicators are:
- Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
- Model the integration of 21st century content and skills into educational practices.
- Develop relevant, rigorous curriculum.
Artifact #1 - IRA Standards Matrix
Context
This IRA Standards Matrix artifact was created as part of class RE 5525, Product of Learning, under the instruction of Dr. Woodrow Trathen. The matrix documents how the standards for Reading Language Arts from the International Reading Association have been met through my education in Appalachian's Reading Education Master's Program. I aligned each standard with artifacts from the master's program and accompanied a rationale statement as to how that standard was addressed by the artifact.
Rationale
This artifact shows I have gained a deep understanding of the reading and writing processes through the master's program in Reading Education at Appalachian State University and that I understand the importance of curriculum relevance in engaging students in content. Furthermore, the matrix demonstrates my in-depth knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment in reading, writing and spelling. It also demonstrates my ability to integrate the 21st century content and skills into educational practices. The Matrix shows the relevant and rigorous curriculum I gained through Appalachian's Master's in Reading Education Program. I have met the criteria to be deemed a highly qualified literacy teacher.
Artifact #2
– RE 5130 Literacy
through Photography Project
Context
This artifact was developed in RE 5130 (Teaching the Language Arts). In this project, I had to incorporate digital photography as a means to develop the literacy skills of my pre-kindergarten students. I also had to plan instruction on how to teach various elements of photography to the students. (For more detailed plans for the Literacy through Photography project, click here.)
Rationale
I chose this artifact for this standard because it effectively shows the interconnectedness of various areas of instruction. In this project, I was able to show how students could make use of technology and work on meeting goals and objectives contained within the pre-kindergarten course of study for social studies and language arts. This integration of technology into the “All About Me” unit has served to make the unit stronger. This unit, in the past, has been very relevant to the lives of pre-kindergartners because it had them think about who they are and what they consider to be important aspects in their immediate environment. It still does this, but the addition of photography into the mix has added a new motivation to participate in the activities within the unit. It has also strengthened the language arts component by providing students with the opportunity to make books that they can revisit throughout the year. The addition of photography to the unit has also put a focus on visual literacy. This has expanded the opportunities of the students to try to understand what is happening in a picture and why the photographer took the picture. By noticing details in photographs, the students have become more adept at constructing a story based on what they see in a picture.