Definition
Educator utilizes a variety of instructional approaches that provides students with opportunities to communicate their thinking, orally and in writing, to both educator and other students.
Educator provides ample opportunities for all students to demonstrate and reflect on their learning inside and outside of the classroom.
Educator promotes different levels of understanding and discussion as well as high levels of analytical thinking.
Educator is a leader in connecting subject matter to meaningful, real-life contexts.
Rationale
In order to engage the students entrusted to my care, I believe in activating prior knowledge in order to allow them to connect what they already know to the new material. This usually involves connecting the students' life experiences and cultural backgrounds to classroom learning. The relevance of the curriculum to real-life contexts is paramount if the students are to see any value in spending the time necessary to extend their understanding. (see, for example, domain 3, subdomain C)
Because the students come with a diversity of knowledge and experience and because they also have a multiplicity of learning styles and ways of knowing, it is important for me to differentiate my instruction and to give students an opportunity to work in meaningful contexts. Finally, I try to engage students to think critically, creatively, and carefully about what they are learning and how they can, in turn, use that knowledge to become change agents for the common good.
As mentioned before, I use blogging as a way for students to create an ongoing portfolio of their work. I provide regular anecdotal commentary via email to students as a way of providing informal feedback and as an opportunity to suggest alternative ways of thinking and reflecting. I may point to additional resources readily found on the web, or I may “dig deeper” and ask follow-up questions in order to broaden their thinking on the subject. The blog allows for ongoing conversation about the subject matter at hand.
Evidence
Screenshot: Blog Example: Religious Studies 2: Shane OHare
Email: Blog Feedback to Student (Glynnis)
Email: Blog Feedback to Student (Keith)