Teaching+Beyond+Boundaries

Two years ago, I completed a three year Communications Design Master’s programs at the University of Baltimore. My family sat through the ceremony excited about my accomplishments and the anticipation of continuing a successful career in the technology field. In their minds, I had satisfied expectations –they were proud. I on the other hand sat through the ceremony with an unusual feeling about my future. I felt less ecstatic about my accomplishments and eagerness to continue on the path of working in a field which re-event itself every twelve months. No longer did I feel excited about my future, the possibilities were simply unfulfilling. I was looking for a career with substance and teaching was a possible profession where I could utilize my talents. Three months later, I began University of Maryland University Colleges’ Masters in Teaching program –and it has been one of the most fulfilling learning experiences of my life.

I began the program with limited knowledge of the strategies, theories, and personal skills needed to be an affective teacher, educator, and facilitator for students to become engaged learners. UMUC’s Conceptual Framework (UMUC, 2011) provided me with the structure in which my learning would increase as I moved through each course throughout my program. Throughout this process, my understanding of teaching and leading beyond boundaries has been demonstrated by my individual and group artifacts that has shaped into a solid and quality portfolio. My portfolio represents the following areas: Learner Development, Learning Differences; Learning Environments; Content Knowledge; Application of Content; Assessment; Planning for Instruction; Instructional Strategies; Professional Learning and Ethical Practice and; Leadership and Collaboration.

The portfolio also indicates my artifacts, developed during the program, reflects the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC, 2012) standards, which was developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers and member states. UMUC’s conceptual framework for teaching and leading Beyond Boundaries (TLBB) are integrated within my portfolio. The rationales outlined reflect UMUC’s conceptual framework that provide understanding of the institutions alignment of vision, outcomes, objectives, standards and assessments (UMUC, 2011, p 4). Throughout this programs I have developed artifacts that includes the foundational values which knowledge, skills, and dispositions stem: (1) I know my students; (2) I know every student can learn at high levels; and (3) I know my work can promote high levels of learning for all students (UMUC, 2011, p 4). My artifacts also emphasize practices of teaching for learning; inquiry, research and continuous improvement; technology integration; adaptability and creativity in the digital age; leadership; and local, national and global community building. These six emphases of preparation are outlined in the TLBB (UMUC, 2011, p 4).

Though out my program I have been able to maintain a consistent practice for keeping abreast with the content in which I am teaching my students. By each course, I have also been able to increase my theoretical knowledge, concepts, ideas, facts, figures, and connect them with my current knowledge and the global society.

Within the area of Leadership, I participated in a department workshop where my lesson plan was chosen as a representation for the schools integration of reading and writing comprehension initiative. The lesson plan integrated reading and writing tasks that encouraged students to increase their comprehension through a serious of research, reading, reflection, and writing activities. Following UMUC’s TBB’s (UMUC, 2011, p 27) emphasis on critiquing colleagues ideas within a group project, I was given the opportunity lead my fellow teachers in an exercise that improved the quality of teacher instruction and increased student learning.

My growth within the emphasis area of the local, national and global community has been more with the local community than the latter two. I’ve made numerous connections with parents, staff and administrators with the goal of maximizing students learning. Using the information gather from all resources, I was able to develop activities and accommodations that assist students in their learning –something that I may not have engage in at the beginning of this program. Collaboration and community-building with teachers and students ultimately benefit students. Last it also celebrates student culture and community, and provides a sociocultural impetus for students to succeed (UMUC, 2011, p 4).

Though my course work, my field experiences, and working with my current schools technology department, I am satisfying the UMUC Departmental outcomes (2011). Who are my students? My students are made-up of many backgrounds and ethnicities. They consist of all kinds of customs and beliefs. I frequently ask my students to incorporate their cultures when working on projects that ask them to be creative. For example, though questioning, I allow my students to share some of their favorites with the entire class in order to expose other students to new ideas and concepts. During a programing exercise, my students shared some personal stories on their personal websites, including images, video and audio. Besides the students, I personally benefited from the experience. I incorporate diversity on my lesson plans where others are exposed to a global awareness from the cultures of their classmates.

One of the biggest concerns is how students learn content. During my observations, I noticed students could not recall information because they had no study habits. To maximize student achievement in my class, I provide tools for taking notes and give them note taking activities in order to recall information easier. I accommodate my instruction based on my students learning style. For example, some students like to take notes with a pencil and paper, while others utilize a word processor. More advance students keep their notes organized on their Wiki accounts. To assess their note taking, I do a series of questioning to see if they are recording the proper information. I can then make modifications to my lesson plans to fit all my students’ needs. Overcoming the boundaries with differentiated instruction meets the Teaching for Learning objective that requires me to draw and act upon academic content and skills, professional and pedagogical knowledge, and understanding of students to maximize student achievement (UMUC, 2011, p 15).

To satisfy I have been constantly, trying to find ways to motivate my students. My current research is based on increasing student attitudes about technology. I’m also focusing on improving their reading and writing comprehension skills. Technology integration has been a key tool in this process. Each week, I participate in a weekly conference with my fellow MAT students. While I contribute to discussion on various topics, I also read others responses for my own knowledge and peer-learning. This gives me the opportunity to improve in areas of instruction or assessment. Each day I discover new ways to improve my instruction based on students, my mentor teacher, and my reflection. This constant inquiry reflects UMUC’s emphasis area that promotes inquiry, research and continuous improvement (UMUC, 2011, p. 17).

Because my content area is in computer science, I have naturally integrated technology in my classroom. After observations and interviews with other technology teachers, student lack the information literacy skills needed to affectively access valid information on the Internet. My response were as series of activities where student are taught how to use Boolean searches using Boolean operators in order to find information. I’ve seen much improvement on the quality of their writing and informative content in their assignments. I have taken it a step further by encouraging students to complete most of their assignments online, using Wikis to work in groups or individually (UMUC, 2011, p. 22). My next step in this process is to use Webquests to focus on problem-solving skills.

Students are required to participate in groups to solve discrepancies in design solutions. In particular assignment, students investigate the topic of solar energy in order to redesign a common object that can be used more efficiently. Students are given a scenario and asked to redesign the object and integrate solar energy to produce a more sustainable project. Students research the advantages and disadvantages while also finding ways to integrate solar energy. Students are involved with extensive research an collaborate with each other to adapt products with new technology. Students benefit from real-world situations, real-world solutions, and skills that are connected to the global and digital community (UMUC, 2011, p26).

I recently took part in a professional development activity where I lead the school’s technology department in integrating the states Common Core Standards for reading and writing comprehension. A lesson plan I developed for my students was chosen by my colleagues for the integration. More importantly my colleagues discovered that most of my lesson plan had already integrated the standards. I lead the group meetings and finalized the revised lesson plan. This experience was valuable in many ways. I enjoyed being involved in a community of teachers to improve our own practices and increase our knowledge in order to become better educators (UMUC, 2011, p. 27). I gained the confidence of my colleagues. Finally, their confidence in my leadership skills increased.

As a teacher candidate of computer science, integrating technology is instrumental in the delivery and instruction of content in the classroom. The school where I am currently conducting my internship has major gaps in the use of technology, not in my current classroom, but throughout the entire school. This prompted new strategies for using computers as a major part of students learning experience, including the use of Web 2.0 technology. The results was a series lesson plans which integrated Web 2.0 tools such as Wikis, Blogs, WebQuests, and other file sharing applications as a base for finding, delivering, and receiving instruction. It also provided students with the capability to communicate in real-time with rapid response results. This increased students’ feedback and allowed for more instruction time. Students also utilized tools that were current and reflected real-world activities, which promotes life learning skills beyond the walls of the classroom and moving beyond the boundaries of time and space as emphasized in UMUC’s TBB (UMUC, 2011, p 6). The integrating of technology within my classrooms reflect UMUCs emphasis area that demonstrates selection, fluent use, application, maximizes students and foster digital citizenship (UMUC, 2011, p 21).

By the end of my observations and before the start of my research, it was obvious that students has one common characteristic, they perceptions of themselves and school, technology in particular, were low. Their interests, attitudes, and values were an Achilles heel to their development and growth as high level thinking students. The subject of technology alone was not the problem, it was however the lack of connection between their own experiences, backgrounds, and cultures. These observations were well documented from classroom observations and action research. UMUC’s TBB emphasis overcoming perceptions about students ‘limitations through encouraging effective practices, which teach and lead beyond traditional boundaries and provide students with the opportunity to meet their learning needs at the highest potential (UMUC, 2011, p 7). Others strategies such as differentiate instruction practices were conducted and reflected on within artifacts included in the portfolio.

Technology integration within the classroom created a learning environment that was personalized and individualized. Students within my classrooms were all given their own Wiki account where they organized, completed and submitted their assignments. Other content such as notes, and links to outside resources provided students with a one-stop electronic classroom where they could engage in not only individualized activities, but collaborative assignments where they could share information, edit, and revise assignments. The experiences of collaboration online allowed for an inclusion of all students by ease of use and rapid feedback capabilities. It also brought a new way of instruction to a group of teachers who were looking for innovative ways of capturing students’ attention and encourage students to engage in classroom instruction. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">