Standard 3: Middle Level Curriculum
Standard 3: Middle Level Curriculum
Standard 3. Middle Level Curriculum
Middle level teacher candidates use their knowledge of the distinct nature and identities of young adolescents when planning and implementing curriculum and instruction. They understand and use concepts, standards, and research to design, implement, and evaluate curriculum. Candidates’ understanding covers the broad scope of content standards within their subjects and reflects a thorough grasp of those standards and major concepts. Middle level teacher candidates demonstrate their ability to assist all young adolescents in understanding the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge and skills.
Components
Component 3.a. Context for Middle Level Curriculum:
Middle level teacher candidates use their knowledge of the distinct nature and identities of young adolescents when planning and implementing middle level curriculum and when selecting and using instructional strategies.
Component 3.b. Subject Matter Content Knowledge:
Middle level teacher candidates demonstrate a depth and breadth of content knowledge in the subjects they teach. Candidates demonstrate competence with the broad scope of content standards corresponding to the subjects they teach. Candidates also have a sufficiently deep understanding of the major concepts of content standards such that they are equipped to teach in an engaging manner and to guide students in applying knowledge and skills to real-world problems and transferring knowledge and skills across disciplines.
Component 3.c. Middle Level Curriculum Standards:
Middle level teacher candidates use their knowledge of local, state, national, and international standards to frame their teaching. These standards include academic content standards as well as other standards that address the holistic needs of young adolescents (e.g., socio-emotional learning, college and career readiness, technology skill development). They draw on their knowledge of these standards to design, implement, and evaluate developmentally responsive, meaningful, challenging, exploratory, integrative, and diverse curriculum for all young adolescents.
Component 3.d. Interdisciplinary Nature of Knowledge and Skills:
Middle level teacher candidates demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge by helping all young adolescents make connections among subject areas. They facilitate relationships among content, ideas, interests, and experiences by developing and implementing challenging, exploratory, integrative, and diverse curriculum. They model and develop in young adolescents the skills needed for success across diverse settings. These skills include such things as written and oral communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, cultural competence, problem solving, resiliency, digital literacy, information literacy, and citizenship.
Personal Reflection:
AMLE Standard 3 addresses the importance of crafting curriculum and instruction to meet the various and unique needs of young adolescents. This standard also highlights the need for educators to have deep understanding of middle level curriculum standards, content knowledge and the interdisciplinary nature of learning. This standard reinforces numerous responsibilities of an educator (to create an engaging, meaningful and holistic curriculum that supports all pieces of development).
Throughout my educational journey, I have been granted the opportunity to be engaged in a variety of coursework that has not only enhanced my understanding of middle level curriculum, design and implementation, but brought new views and perspectives into the realm of education. With this, I have been able to display capabilities in aligning the curriculum with standards that are relevant. I have also designed challenging and exploratory learning experiences for students. I will be able to continue to grow in my professional life as well as continuing to expand my knowledge and skills on curriculum development and instruction through constant feedback and reflections. I will also stay updated and current on research and additional methods to improve as an educator.
Alignment with each component:
(Component 3.a) I have expressed an understanding of the distinct nature and identities of young adolescents by recognizing varying levels of cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and moral development as a student myself, intern and student teacher. Through these experiences, I have applied this understanding when planning and implementing middle level curriculum, ensuring that it is appropriate and responsive to the needs of young adolescents. More specifically, I have been able to apply what I have learned in various courses as a student, and utilize them within the classroom. Differentiated instructional methods, being a great example!
(Component 3.b) I have demonstrated an understanding of subject matter and content knowledge within my educational career at the University of South Carolina and my concentrations of Science and English. Within courses at UofSC, I have been able to demonstrate my ability to connect content knowledge and apply that knowledge through my internship and student teaching. When cultivating lesson plans, I have been able to better my instructional methods and create engaging and relevant learning experiences for students.
(Component 3.c) I have used my knowledge of local, state, national, and international standards to frame my teaching and curriculum design when planning my 12-day unit in my internship and student teaching. In addition, I have also assisted in creating a curriculum that is developmentally responsive, meaningful, and diverse. This was done by incorporating academic content standards as well as standards related to socio-emotional learning, college and career readiness (SC State Standards), and technology skill development (differentiated instructional methods). Throughout this, I have also applied knowledge and practice accumulated with coursework at the University to better prepare me for my educational career.
(Component 3.d)I have facilitated interdisciplinary connections among subject areas in my curriculum design and instruction. I have helped students make connections between content, ideas, and experiences, and have modeled and developed essential skills for success across diverse settings. More specifically, I have been able to model interdisciplinary thinking and problem-solving skills for students by demonstrating how concepts from one subject can be applied to another subject. Using real-world examples and teaching essential skills that are transferable across diverse settings (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity) is also a great demonstration of this standard and component.
Relevant Artifacts:
(Component 3.a) I have demonstrated this component from AMLE Standard 3 by completing Mental Health Training through the University of South Carolina. During these sessions with the UofSC College of Education, Counselor of Education and Supervision, we held ongoing discussions regarding the distinct nature and identities of young adolescents by recognizing varying levels of cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and moral development. This better prepared me when planning and implementing middle level curriculum and when deciding and selecting various instructional strategies.
(Component 3.b)
Throughout my time as an intern and Student Teacher, I have been able to grow in my content knowledge for Science in English for Middle-Level Education. The knowledge obtained through work experience is something that I will carry with me into my own classroom in the future. When cultivating lesson plans, I have been able to better my instructional methods and create engaging and relevant learning experiences for students. This too, has enabled me to not only pass my Science 5-9 Praxis Exam (official scores submitted), but cultivate lessons that enrich the learning and knowledge gained throughout lessons. (See Photographs & Memories page for more examples)
(Component 3.c) I am presenting my full 12-day lesson plan that I created as an artifact to demonstrate my understanding of component 3.c. While cultivating lesson plans, I have been able to better my instructional methods and create engaging and relevant learning experiences for students. When looking at my lesson plans, you can see the
use of my knowledge of local, state, national, and international standards to frame my teaching and curriculum design when planning my 12-day unit. In addition to this, activities and lessons created, address the holistic needs of young adolescents throughout the entire unit.
(Component 3.d) I have demonstrated interdisciplinary connections among subject areas in my curriculum design and instruction as a student, intern and student teacher. It is vital that young adolescents have real-life examples presented, effective and proper modeling and connections across various contents. As an example of this, I and 3 other classmates collaborated on an integrated unit on Space Exploration covering three various content areas with 10-day lesson plans for each content.