Content Knowledge
A basic requirement of any educator is knowledge in the content they teach. According to the Alabama Continuum for Teacher Development, educators should be able to demonstrate deep knowledge of subject-matter content as well as the ability to organize related facts, concepts, and skills.
The following artifacts each demonstrate my expertise in content areas such as elementary mathematics, educational psychology, technology, and writing.
PRAXIS I and II
The Praxis® tests measure the academic skills and subject-specific content knowledge needed for teaching. Click here to view my score report.
Mathematics
Below is an assignment prompt given in an elementary mathematics class.
In my response, one will note that not only are my answers well-developed and correct, I demonstrated them using Microsoft Word software.
Educational Psychology
Below is a presentation I created with a partner to teach the content from a chapter in our textbook to the rest of our class. The content includes such topics as physical development, effects of parenting styles, popularity in school, types of abuse, identity, morality, and several slides to apply the viewers' learning to teaching. My partner and I utilized the tools present in Google Slides to embed videos, create tables, and display content only at appropriate times through the use of transitions.
Technology
Although much of the work I complete in other areas demonstrates my knowledge of technology, they are often limited to the software in Google Suite and Microsoft Office. Below is an example of a lesson I created using SMART Notebook software. This presentation is interactive, with moveable windows (covering information until needed), an embedded video, a motional fill-in-the-blank, and a review question activity for students to participate in physically (standing at a SMARTBoard) or digitally (using personal, connected devices).
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Try clicking and dragging some of the elements within the slideshow -- they move! Please note, however, that some slides will appear incomplete or faulty; to gain full access and view every feature, download the presentation here and open it with the SMART Notebook program.
Writing
For many, writing is a difficult task. Sometimes it is boring, and sometimes that boredom stems from the writer not knowing what or how to write. Fortunately, I have always enjoyed writing and feel equipped to teach it to younger students. Below is an essay I wrote in which I analyze an excerpt from a novel and share my predictions and inferences based on literary elements. Take note of my organization (each paragraph begins with a topic sentence, followed by evidence, then ends with a conclusive sentence), grammar, ability to pose questions, acknowledgement of the excerpt's many possible interpretations, and vocabulary.
Teaching
Aside from knowledge of content and subject material, educators must know how to teach. Click here to view some of my lesson plans as well as a few videos of me teaching.