(1) Differentiation Theory and Strategies. EDU 610. August 2016. Powerpoint Presentation.  "Differentiated Instruction in Mixed-Ability, Culturally Diverse Classrooms" 

Rationale: Managing and monitoring student learning is more than just 'herding cattle.' It involves creating opportunities for learning through an in-depth understanding of each student. Differentiated instruction is one 'best practice' in teaching that can be used to create opportunities for students according to their (1) readiness, (2) student learning profile, and (3) interests. Students can be grouped according to these three dimensions, each important for learning. We are mostly familiar with readiness groups, such as below-grade, at-grade, and above grade learners. But there is more. We can also group according to learning styles and interests. It is important that groupings are highly targeted, flexible, and numerous to avoid problems associated with older style 'tracking' in education. 

I researched the underlying principles of differentiated instruction for mixed-ability, culturally diverse classrooms, which most classrooms are today. There is alignment between DI and NBPTS Proposition Three - management and monitoring of student learning - given that DI promotes optimal learning through dedicated teacher management and monitoring of student needs, interests, and learning styles.  

Reflection: Looking back nearly two years after first creating this Powerpoint, I was also at the beginning of my teaching career and had little to no experience differentiating lesson plans. Over the two years in the MSEd program and while also teaching, I gained experience as a substitute teacher working with lesson plans developed for different grades and subjects, many of which had differentiated material. I learned different ways that teachers implement DI in their classrooms. I found that it is rare for students not to have some awareness of their placement. It is in fact desirable for teachers to share this information with students to promote self-knowledge, responsibility, and both social and emotional intelligence. Students awareness of their level can be positive (as opposed to stigmatizing) provided there is flexibility in ability grouping (by subject not grade and open to change as needed) and provided additional opportunities exist for students to work together by learning style and/or interests. Another point that is very important both in theory and in practice is that whole class goals are the driving force behind DI. Every student is encouraged to meet the same goals in a way that is most suitable to their learning. 

(2) Teaching and Learning in Inclusion Settings. EDU 723. May 7, 2017. Class Paper.  "Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction: A Reflection"

Rationale: Understanding by Design (UbD) involves two main principles: (1) fostering understanding and transfer of knowledge, and (2) a lesson planning technique called 'backward design.' It is a method that manages student learning by helping teachers organize lesson plans in conjunction with larger curriculum goals and assessments, and it is a method that allows teacher to monitor student learning through implementation and evaluation of the lesson plans and assessments. When combined with differentiated instruction, it allows each student in the classroom to maximize their learning potential. 

Reflection: Since learning about UbD one year ago, I have developed several lesson plans for my e-portfolio using UbD principles. This method helps teachers avoid 'busy work' and promotes student work that is closely linked with curriculum objectives and goals. It can also facilitate administrative review of subject area goals and objectives.  

(3) Teaching and Learning in Inclusion Settings. EDU 723. May 28, 2017. Class Paper with UbD Template. "Understanding by Design: Unit 1 Template for 8th Grade English Language Arts" (Please note: This paper is presented here in two parts, due to formatting constraints. The first part has the body of the paper plus References and Appendices A-B. The second part has Appendix C.) 

Rationale: A fully completed UbD template for Unit 1 of an 8th grade English Language Arts curriculum demonstrates how teachers manage and monitor student learning. The three stages of UbD are completed in the template with references to the textbook and additional resources. Managing student learning involves planning such as is used in UbD, and monitoring involves review of assessments and other evaluations. Both are provided through the UbD design template. 

Reflection: At the time I developed this unit design, I was not using any templates for lesson planning. I like the use of a template and expect to utilize my own modified template for future UbD planning. The primary modification I will use is adding standards to ensure that a breadth of standards are used during the year.  

Proposition Four