Content Area and Pedagogical Knowledge

Artifact Description: This is a collection of 10 lesson plans created for EDUC 380: Diverse and Learner Ready Teaching, a course at Trinity Christian College. I designed these lesson plans for Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 classes during my pre-student teaching experience at Lincoln-Way East High School.

IPTS Connection: This collection of unit plans shows that I "understand the relationship among language acquisition (first and second), literacy development, and acquisition of academic content and skills" (2H). The lesson plans provide evidence of this through a variety of activities that support vocabulary acquisition, grammar application, and Spanish literacy development.

What I Learned: Through these lesson plans, I learned how to involve students in interactive activities that foster meaningful language acquisition and content comprehension. By integrating a variety of activities, I was able to create engaging lessons that made learning Spanish both enjoyable and effective, enhancing students' overall interest and participation in learning a new language. 

Artifact Description: These are a few of the lesson plans I created for my Spanish 2 classes during my student teaching at Lincoln-Way East High School. The lesson plans cover various topics such as holidays, foods, and injuries, and different skills, including vocabulary, grammar, and cultural components, designed to build comprehensive Spanish language skills among high school students.

IPTS Connection: The lesson plans show that I "understand the relationship among language acquisition (first and second), literacy development, and acquisition of academic content and skills" (2H). This is evident in the varied activities that aim to help students acquire new vocabulary, understand grammatical concepts, and improve Spanish literacy. 

What I Learned: Through these lesson plans, I learned to engage students in interactive activities that promote effective  language acquisition and content comprehension. By integrating games, group projects, and multimedia resources, I was able to engage students in a way that made learning Spanish vocabulary both enjoyable and effective. 

Artifact Description: This interdisciplinary project-based unit plan was written for EDUC 312: Middle Grades Literacy, a course at Trinity Christian College. It is a unit plan I created with a peer from a different discipline, where we integrated content and skills from an art class and a foreign languge class. The collaboration between the art and foreign language disciplines provided a unique and engaging unit.

IPTS Connection: This interdisciplinary project-based unit plan shows that I "understand the relationship of knowledge within the disciplines to other content areas and to life applications" (2D). The unit's structure and approach demonstrate a clear connection between artistic creativity and foreign language learning, encouraging students to think critically and apply their knowledge across different subjects.

What I Learned: Through this unit plan, I learned how to incorporate knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines. Working with a peer from another discipline taught me the value of collaboration and how different perspectives can enrich the learning experience. I gained experience in creating lessons that merge content from various fields, resulting in a more comprehensive educational approach. 

Artifact Description: This is a discipline-specific literacy research annotated list for EDUC 311: Literacy in the Disciplines, a course at Trinity Christian College. This is a collection of research studies that explore various aspects of literacy development, with a focus on bilingual education, Spanish language learning, and the impact of language acquisition on literacy skills. The studies offer insights into effective teaching strategies, support systems, and the relationship between literacy in one language and its transfer to another.

IPTS Connection: This literacy research shows that I "understand the relationship among language acquisition (first and second), literacy development, and acquisition of academic content and skills" (2H) and "understand the theory behind and the process for providing support to promote learning when concepts and skills are first being introduced" (2G). The literacy research shows evidence of this by highlighting the transfer of literacy skills between languages and the need for specific support when introducing new skills or concepts. For example, Briceño's article explores how literacy in one language can support the other, suggesting that dual language instruction fosters a holistic approach to learning.

What I Learned: Through this literacy research, I learned the importance of understanding the relationship between first and second language acquisition and how it affects literacy development and academic content. I learned about various teaching strategies that support bilingual literacy, such as utilizing the similarities and differences between languages to enhance learning. Additionally, I learned about the broader social and cultural factors that impact literacy development, emphasizing the need to address discrimination and create inclusive learning environments for all students.