Artifact #2: Multigenre Project This artifact contains a multigenre project that detailed the life of Dorothea Lange.
Context: This artifact is a multigenre project that was created as part of RE 5130, Teaching the Language Arts. It was developed using a variety of texts as reference sources. The end product was a combination of a black and white ABC book, a recipe and a poem. This project allows for student choice while promoting the use of a variety of genres. Students are extending their exposure to print materials beyond written text by referring to photographs, video and audio recordings, and technology. This is beneficial for struggling readers because they are learning to access information via alterative formats. While they still rely on print material to obtain information, this research process supplies them with a variety of options which can increase their motivation. Writing is an important aspect of this project in that the students relay the information in a written format of their choice.
Alignment:
Standard A: Instructional Expertise
The candidate demonstrates instructional expertise by applying the theoretical, philosophical, and research bases for educational practice in P-12 settings to improve student learning.
The multigenre project provides students with the opportunity to self select materials, as well as choose the format to exhibit the information they have learned. Current research shows that the more choices students are able make in regard to their learning, the more motivated and involved they will become.
Standard B: Knowledge of Learners
The candidate incorporates knowledge of the nature of the learner, learning processes, variations in learning abilities and learning styles, and strategies for evaluating learning into the planning, delivery, and evaluation of instruction.
This multigenre project is an example of designing and delivering instruction that is responsive to differences among learners. The choices given to the student allow the student to produce artifacts of their learning. The choices they make reflect their learning styles, as opposed to requiring the whole class to complete one standard assessment, thus being responsive to differences among learners.