Portfolio Part Two

Portfolio Part Two

Content Knowledge and Instructional Practice

Meghan McGurl

Vermont State University- Castleton Campus

Spring 2024
Portfolio Part Two: Content Knowledge and Instructional Practice

Students A, B, and C- During this portion of my educational portfolio I will be analyzing and

reflecting on the work of three students I selected to follow during my student teaching

experience. In order to protect their identity, they are simply referred to as Students A, B & C.

This description is to provide the reader with background knowledge of who these students are

as individuals and their learning strengths and needs.

Student A

This student is very bright and would like to be a Social Studies Teacher when he is older. He is

thirteen years old, and in eighth grade at my student teaching placement in a Jr./Sr. High school

in rural New York. He is very interested in learning more about History (especially World War

II) but, he does need redirection often. The student moved to the school district this year and had

a difficult time at first fitting in but he has begun to find his group and thrive within the school.

This student is also in foster care, the foster mother is very involved within the students life and

advocates for his education. This student does not receive special education services, but he does

receive access to a counselor.

Student B

This student is thirteen years old and in the eighth grade. She is behind in reading and language

arts, but has made major improvements over the past year. This student struggles with motivating

herself and getting work done without extra prompting. She often needs redirection when

working on assignments but completes assignments when redirected. We encourage this student

to complete her work in a timely manner. She participates in sports within the school district and

has very positive peer relationships. The relationships she has with her peers and teachers are
very strong. This student is always very friendly and ready to work despite her need for

redirection. She does not receive special educational services.

Student C

This student is thirteen years old and in eighth grade. He excels in writing and is a very

motivated student. The student does need directions broken down and repeated in order to fully

understand the assignment at hand. Once the student understands the directions, he thrives in the

learning environment. This student does receive special education services and is classified

under Other Health Impairment. He has very positive peer relationships and enjoys being with

friends while in school.

Introduction:

Throughout my experiences within the classroom as a learner and a teacher, I have

learned how to better my students within their knowledge in the classroom while being able to

support students' specific needs. Ensuring students' needs are being met while all students remain

actively engaged in their learning is the goal of all educators. Although this can be a difficult task

to achieve in the ever changing school environment, it is important to strive to continue

supporting all students. Supporting students can be shown in a variety of ways, for example,

differentiating instruction, working 1:1 with the student, breaking assignments down into smaller

tasks. Each of these supports can greatly help students thrive within the classroom and better

understand the content at hand. Creating positive environments for students will better all

students' ability to work in the classroom thus providing students with the opportunity to better

themselves within their post high school life.

Performance Criterion 4- Content Knowledge

PC 4.1 Candidates accurately communicate central concepts of the discipline.

Description:

To ensure the proper communication of the central concepts of social studies, possessing

a deep understanding of the central concepts of history is imperative to fostering critical thinking

and reflection skills in students. The story telling of history can serve as a lens through time and

can show the past actions, decisions, and consequences that have shaped the present day. By

thoroughly understanding key concepts this will allow students to become far more aware of the

importance in the history we learn today. Providing up to date historical concepts and continuing

to remind students how this continues to affect us today will allow for a complete understanding

of historical concepts.

Becoming a great teacher, something I will strive for, is achieved not only through the

mastery of historical knowledge but also a complete understanding of how to engage and inspire

students throughout all lessons. By storytelling while teaching history students will be able to

further grasp the historical events at hand. Educators must challenge students to think critically,

question, and develop their own informed perspectives about complex historical events.

Moreover, great teachers will foster a collaborative learning environment where students feel

safe to explore diverse viewpoints. In doing so, students not only develop necessary academic

skills but will also become conscientious global citizens as they continue through school and

beyond.
Salient Evidence & Analysis

Creating content to benefit students and further teach them about the world to live in will

help students to better understand major historical concepts on a much deeper level. In an article

entitled Community in Context: Professional Development for Teaching Historical Inquiry

(2019), it states, “In this study, we responded to the challenges of both understanding content

knowledge in history and developing ways to teach it through a professional development (PD)

model for teachers, using the concept of community as a guidepost”(Halvorsen, 2019).

Throughout this study it explains the importance of using professional development to better

understand the concepts at hand therefore benefiting all students.

In addition and article entitled, Disciplinary knowledge and its role in the school

curriculum (2021) provides more context to the importance of content knowledge and

developing curriculum. Developing a curriculum based around the knowledge of the teacher is

imperative, however, if the knowledge of the subject is lacking the curriculum will also lack. If

the curriculum is not up to par, students will begin to struggle as they continue on in their history

education. Developing a thorough understanding of historical concepts and learning to accurately

communicate these concepts will greatly benefit students and create a great educator.

In my personal experience, developing my own knowledge of the content at hand has

been incredibly beneficial when teaching my students. One lesson I performed was discussing

the causes of the Civil War ( Causes of the Civil War.pptx ). This presentation was very

beneficial for students' understanding of how the Civil War came to be. The knowledge I had of

this topic came from my own research as well as a class I took to develop this knowledge.

Learning about various historical topics and concepts has allowed me to become a much more

developed educator thus aiding to student performance. In addition to the development of

knowledge, being able to accurately communicate historical concepts to students is imperative.

Creating classwork that will engage students and ensure proper learning is a necessity.

While teaching, I have been able to teach key concepts to students thus allowing for

interactive activities. For example, to end a unit on World War II and the Holocaust, I created a

Jeopardy review game to ensure students were prepared for the test the following day

(​​ World War II Jeopardy Game ). During this lesson, students were very engaged and excited

to work with one another to win the game but, they were also helping one another to remember

content they may have forgotten since the beginning of the Unit. Creating this game for students

was a fantastic experience to see how students can get excited about their education while

supporting one another and reflecting on what they had learned for the past three weeks.

Reflection

In the future, I will continue to grow my knowledge of history and events happening

throughout the world that I will have to teach. Gathering and fostering this knowledge will allow

me to better all of my students thus providing a well developed understanding of the world in the

past. Also, I will continue to push my students to research events happening within the world

today in order for the students to better understand the ways history continues to affect us and the

world around us today.

Performance Criterion 5-Application of Content

PC 5.1 Candidates engage learners in applying perspectives from varied disciplines in authentic

contexts (such as local and global issues).

Description

Making connections to the real world allows students to better understand the content at

hand. In doing this, students will become more actively engaged in their learning while learning

about the world in which they live. In addition to helping students learn about the world they live

in, this will enable students to become lifelong learners and continuously grow in their curiosity.

Creating this curiosity and excitement for learning is a focal point of my educational philosophy.

Creating comprehensive lessons relevant to students' lives and what they are experiencing

greatly helps to grow students' understanding of specific concepts being taught. The goal of any

teacher is to have the content become a part of the permanent learning of the student and for

them to not only learn content, but to develop skills including critical thinking, reasoning and

collaborative problem solving that will carry them into life.

Salient Evidence & Analysis

In an article titled, Implementation of an Andragogical Teacher Professional

Development Training Program for Boosting TPACK in STEM Education: The Essential Role of

a Personalized Learning System(2021), I was introduced to more information on teaching

through STEM education. This article explains the importance of STEM education and how

personalized learning systems can better students' understanding and overall learning

experiences. This approach keys in on interests and topics with personal significance to the

student and uses them as a planning tool for exploration and experimentation. Personalized

Learning Systems have been around for decades in education and have been used in many

different formats. What all researchers seem to agree on is that content by itself is nowhere as

impactful or meaningful as when it is linked to experimentation and real world applications.

 The second article I found discussing students learning in unique ways is titled, Learning

Mathematics through Everyday Play Activities: Enhancing Exposure and Mastery(2019).

Although this article discusses the use of play to expose young children to mathematics, the same

basic concepts discussed can be used for students in middle and high school grades. By creating

lessons that are relevant to students' lives, their interest in the topic will increase drastically. In

addition, the article shares that adults as well as children continue to learn through play. As

adults we choose topics, projects and activities we want to engage in. Often the learning from

these activities is stronger and has deeper meaning. Lastly, math for some students is easy and

for others it is a roadblock in the school process. Using games and play formats doesn’t stop

working when you age, it actually can help teens and adults who struggle with math concepts to

see their relevance and applicability.

While student teaching as an 8th-grade Social Studies teacher, I have worked to make

real-world connections for students. I have done this by having students learn about current

events each week ( The World A to Z ). This lesson takes place either on Fridays or in tandem

with the lesson at hand if there is a news story that coincides with the learning taking place. In

doing this, I have noticed the students' interest within the topics increase drastically. Adding

current events into the lessons has expanded the students' knowledge of topics while increasing

curiosity. In turn, they discuss and analyze events in the world and look at it through the lens of

different perceptions because of geography, politics, economics, religion and more.

While teaching social studies, continuously referring to how specific topics still affect the

world we live in today helps students make connections, thus providing a more profound sense

of learning. When teaching about World War II and The Holocaust, I used recent survivor

testimonies to help students understand the lasting implications we see today

( Meghan McGurl 2024 UNIT PLAN). Concentration camp survivors have posted the

testimonies I will share with the students via TikTok. This has helped to catch the attention of

students while providing primary documentation of what occurred and how trauma has been

persistent within survivors' lives. I believe using social media to support historical context will

support students' knowledge of the real world and the various ways we can learn about the real

world.

This unit was not only highly interesting to the students, but it brought them face to face

with the reality that genocide is not a tragedy of the past, but also a reality in the present. It

changed forever their understanding of world events to realize and discuss attempted genocides

that have gone on in the world since World War II and to examine what motivates rational and

educated people to stay silent or support what history later shows as murder.

Reflection

In the future, I will continue to find new and creative ways to better engage my students.

I will continue to grow my knowledge of new technology in order to better support and

encourage students' learning. In addition, helping students to make connections within the

content to the world around us aids in their understanding and interest in each topic. Students

will become more actively engaged, especially at the middle school level, if they can relate what

they are being taught to something happening in the world. Teaching students to understand the

real world and the implications our actions can cause in the world can help create students who

will lead by example in the future. By doing this, I will be able to help learners grow their

curiosity in new ways, adding to their success in the future.

Performance Criterion 6- Assessment

PC 6.2 Candidates analyze an individual student’s work over time using multiple methods of

assessment to adjust instruction.

Description

Using multiple methods of assessment helps to ensure that students are properly making

progress and understanding the content at hand. Creating various forms of assessments that align

to different types of learners will help educators understand each student's knowledge while

adapting to the students preferred styles of assessment. For example, some assessments such as

tests and/or quizzes work well for some students while posters and more creative assessments

work better for others. Analyzing assessments while keeping each student's strength in mind is

incredibly important in order to best understand the learning that is occurring. In order to support

all learners we must give students differentiated instruction in order to better understand the

effectiveness of the instruction and adjust as needed.

Salient Evidence & Analysis

The first article found discussing the importance of differentiated assessment is entitled,

An Exploration into the Value of Formative Assessment and the Barriers Associated with the

Implementation of Formative Strategies(2019). This article discusses the importance of various

formative assessments in order to better understand students' learning. However, the article also

discusses the barriers associated with differentiated assessments including, self-efficacy and

limited time to teach specific subjects.

 Teachers are under incredible demands of covering an immense amount of content in a

calendar year, preparing students to take state and national exams, and at the same time

promoting creative and reflective learning by allowing student choice in assessment models.

What I have seen in my observations and student teaching is that choice alone is not enough. If

students are being given different options for assessments, there must be clear directions, a

sample or model of the product, and communication of expectations and steps. Over time,

different models can become a part of classroom choices, but to simply assign them without

differentiation or support often turns off the student due to frustration or lack of understanding.

The second research article found is entitled, Analyzing Teaching through Student

Work(2005). This article discusses the importance of analyzing students' work in order to better

understand how instruction can be improved or adjusted to better support specific students.

Educators must create differentiated assessments while reflecting on each student's work to better

understand the usefulness of instruction being given. In doing this, students will be able to

achieve much more within the classroom. Each assessment model is best used for a specific

purpose. The teacher must not only decide what assessment models they will provide for

students, but what the desired end result is. Differentiation teaches that the support needed for

student success must be a part of the plan, the directions and the support for the students.

Throughout my student teaching, I have created differentiated assessments in order to

better understand the way my students learn ( MMcGurl Sample Student A, B.C ). In doing

this, I choose three students to track during these assessments. The first student (Student A) is a

high performing student, the second student (Student B) is an average performing student, and

the third student (Student C) is a student with an Individualized Education Plan. Analyzing these

students has helped me to ensure my instruction is up to par and my students are actively
learning and growing from the instruction throughout the class. The project that surprised me

most was the Out of the Dust poster project. Each student thrived with this project and was able

to complete fantastic work receiving exceptional grades. Some students were able to show their

artistic abilities while other students stuck to their writing content but all did great. I was very

surprised that many of the students decided to work in groups rather than complete the individual

project. I was very impressed with the test that was assigned. Student C generally tends to

struggle with test taking, however this student worked very hard when studying and stayed after

school to do so. Doing this has helped me to better understand these students strengths and

weaknesses and how I can specifically target the areas of weakness.

Reflection

In the future, I will continue to analyze students' work to ensure my instruction is being

received by all students. In doing this I will also create differentiated assessments in order to best

support all learners in the classroom. It is important to best support all students and create

assessments that will support them. In the future I will be creating assessments with all students

in mind that will help everyone to fully flourish in their education. Being a reflective teacher is a

necessity because in a classroom of learners there is a broad scope of skills and needs. One size

learning does not fit all. While planning for the class, the teacher must not forget the individuals

that make up the community of learners.

Performance Criterion 7- Planning for Instruction

PC 7.2 Candidates plan instruction by drawing upon knowledge of learners to meet rigorous

learning goals.
Description

Creating a plan in which rigorous learning goals are met is imperative for the students to

grow as learners. Ensuring to set rigorous goals while understanding the needs of each student is

very important for the overall learning of the student. This planned instruction can help to build

key knowledge for students thus providing beneficial instruction throughout all school subjects.

Setting goals with the end in mind can be incredibly helpful and will provide clear goals to be

met. Continuing to push students to achieve higher goals in order to grow into a lifelong learner

will benefit students for years to come.

One goal I would set for students would be to grow students' literacy skills. Literacy is of

the utmost importance in terms of learning. Without the basic knowledge and learning of literacy

at a young age as a child gets older their literacy skills will struggle. Although I will be teaching

at a high school or middle school level it is important for me to understand why a student may be

behind with their literacy skills. The varying stages that students will go through before they

become proficient readers/writers which include: emergent literacy, alphabetic fluency, words

and patterns, intermediate reading, and advanced reading are incredibly important to consider

when developing a lesson. Teachers must understand the process of students becoming proficient

readers/writers so they are able to use data to track students' development throughout the school

year and more importantly their entire schooling process.

Salient Evidence & Analysis

In the article, titled Improving Black Students’ College and Career Readiness through

Literacy Instruction: A Freirean-Inspired Approach for K–8 Classrooms(2019), the importance

of literacy instruction specifically for black students is discussed. This article discusses the
importance of literacy goals in order to grow students' knowledge ultimately making students

prepared for post secondary education. The second article discussing literacy goals for students is

titled, Collaborating With Teacher Librarians to Support Adolescents’ Literacy and Literature

Learning(2019). This article continues to discuss the importance of collaborating with other

teachers in order to set common goals to ensure students achieve these goals.

One strategy I would implement into my lessons to promote literacy would be creating

vocabulary sheets for students ( WWII Vocab ). In doing this, I would have students mark

unknown words while reading and then research the word to find the part of speech, definition,

and connotative meaning. This process will allow students to grow their vocabulary while the

connotative meaning will help the students to relate the word to their prior knowledge. I believe

this would drastically improve literacy skills for students at all grade levels.

The second strategy I would like to use to promote literacy involves the usage and

knowledge of root words ( Greek and Latin Roots Lesson Plan .pdf ). During a lesson I

conducted, students learned about Latin and Greek root words specifically, vis/vid and phon.

This lesson was developed in order to help the students better understand the definitions of

words they encounter while reading which will help their overall reading comprehension skills.

For each root word the class came up with three words that use these root words (ex. video,

visual, and vision). With each word the students then came up with their own definitions to

remember the words and see how they connect through the root word. Finally, the students drew

pictures that correlated to the words in order to gain more understanding. If working as a

resource room special education teacher, I would like to implement this within the resource room

schedule to further enable the understanding of new language for students

( Student Presentation.mov ). Setting literacy goals for students to help them better

understand language usage will help to grow the knowledge of all students.

Reflection

Creating and fostering an environment in which students learn new literacy strategies will

greatly improve understanding throughout all subjects. Honing in on the skills needed to become

a proficient reader will take time but time in conjunction with consistency will ensure students

are making strides to become proficient readers. Setting literacy goals and implementing them

into daily lessons by helping students better understand unknown words is something I will

implement in the future. Setting literacy goals will greatly improve students' skills throughout

every subject and will allow for students to become lifelong learners who have the skills to

discern meaning and make informed decisions.

Performance Criterion 8- : Instructional Strategies

8.1 Candidates use a variety of instructional strategies to make the discipline accessible for

diverse learners

Description

Creating differentiated instruction and using various tools to do so greatly benefits the

children being taught. Technology can be a great tool to make education more accessible for

students with diverse learning needs. Creating lessons while keeping options for adaptable

instruction in mind will help to support all learners in the classroom. In addition to supporting

students of diverse learning needs, using various instructional strategies can also help to motivate
all students and capture their attention. For example, if the students learn via PowerPoint

everyday, they may stop paying attention. However, adding differing instruction will further keep

students engaged and ready to participate in the classroom.

Salient Evidence & Analysis

The first source I found entitled Investigations into How Differentiated Instruction in

Social Studies Can Improve Classroom Equity(2023), discusses how we can bridge the gaps of

inequalities within school systems. This presentation speaks of the importance in asking and

surveying students on how they learn best in order to properly support students in the classroom.

This presentation specifically speaks about the use of differentiated instruction within a social

studies classroom to make sure students better understand the global climate.

Another article I found to further understand the importance of differentiated instruction

is entitled, Artificial Intelligence Applications to Support K–12 Teachers and Teaching: A Review

of Promising Applications, Opportunities, and Challenges(2019). As artificial intelligence has

become much more developed within the past five years, it is important to understand its

challenges while embracing using this resource within the classroom. Using differentiated

instruction methods will greatly improve student learning and development within and outside of

the classroom.

Over the past two years, I have created an Instructional Toolkit to have as a reminder for

which teaching strategies and technology has worked best for me and those around me

Meghan McGurl 2024 Instructional Tool Kit . Creating this Tool Kit as a reference tool has

been incredibly beneficial and allowed me to better understand how to differentiate instruction in

various scenarios. Continuing to find new methods of instruction and new educational
technology for both students and educators has helped me to better support students' individual

needs. Finding new ways to support students' needs directly allows for students to flourish in

their education and grow as learners everyday.

Reflection

In the future, I look forward to learning more about differentiated instruction and new

ways to support all students of varying needs. Continuing to research new models of teaching

and instructional strategies will continue to grow my knowledge of the every changing

profession of education. I will most definitely continue to reference and add to my Instructional

Toolkit in order to grow my knowledge of resources available for students. Being able to create

lessons for students of diverse needs to ensure they are successful in the classroom is a priority I

will continue to have throughout my career as an educator. Differentiated instructional strategies

must be developed in order to support all students within the classroom.

Portfolio Part 2 Final Reflection

In the future, I will continue to grow my skills of content, planning, assessments, and

instruction in order to provide the optimal educational experience for students. I will ensure this

by attending district and non-district professional development, continuing to research new

strategies, learning content further in depth, and speaking with colleagues to learn new and

beneficial assessments being used. In doing this, students will benefit greatly and be able to

thrive in their educational journey ultimately aiding their future as lifelong learners. Working

with students to create curiosity ensuring they will strive to continue learning throughout their

lives is imperative as students leave the high school level. Whether students decide to go to

college, trade school, the military or the workforce, fostering curiosity and developing informed
questioning of the world around us will provide progress within the future. I will continue to

work with each student to develop their knowledge of history and better their education as a

whole.
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