MSEDElementaryPortfolioProjectSectionOne

TeacherCandidateIntroductiontotheElementaryPortfolioProject
Introduction,Overview,&Rationale
Educationisforever!Educationhasbeenaroundforcenturiesandwillcontinuetostay.
However,theroleofateacherisrapidlychangingwhilepreparingstudentsforjobsthatdonot
existtoday.Ivaluethatteachersshouldbewellroundedandbeopentolearnnewmethodsand
strategiesforeducating,assessing,andplanning.Teachersshouldalsohaveapositiveoutlook
on technology and update themselves frequently than ever done before. Becoming an
extraordinaryteacherismygoalwhichIknowwilltakealotofenergy,time,planning,and
effortwhichIdedicatemyselftowards.Ifindthatthemostimportantandmosthelpfultooltobe
successfulinhavingstudentslearnisgettingtoknowyourstudents.Knowingthestudentswill
notonlymakeforamoreculturallyresponsiveteacherbutwillalsoaidtheteacherinplanning
appropriately,whichinreturnwillhavestudentsmoreexcitedandcomfortablelearningand
beingaccomplished.
Usingtechnologyinaclassroomsistoexposechildrentohowtheworldistoday(aclick
away),andtoexposethemtoadifferentmodetolearning.Technologyhasbeenaroundforever
toobutnowitrapidlychangesandtherearevariousmodestowhichsubjectscanbetaughtin
manywaysfromtakingaquiztodevelopinganinteractivedigitalpresentation.Anothergreat
toolistohaveawelcomingorganizedclassroom,becausechildrenwillenterthatroomevery
dayandshowcasingorganization,anddirectinstructionwillmakethelessonsrunsmoothlyand
willcuttransitiontimeshort.Planningisalsoanessentialparttoteaching,andmustbedone
conciselyandthereshouldalwaysberoomforplanb,andreflection. Beingareflective

teachershowsthatyouareopentochange,andshowsthatonecaresandiswillingtoprovide
knowledgeinthebestwaypossible,andarewillingtomakeadjustmentsandbeaccommodating.
Engagingstudentsisthemostawaitedtimeinaclassroomforthestudentsandteacher,because
thisiswherecreativitytakesplaceinhowatopicisintroduced,andorhowtokeepchildren
engagedonatopicthatisbeingcoveredforaweekandsoforth. Findingwaystoengage
studentsincreativenewwaysisateachersjobwhichisalsomyfavorite.
Lastly, assessing students should be done in formative and summative ways with a
varietyofteachingstrategiesbecausestudentslearningneedsvary.Further,Ibelievethatways
ofextractingknowledgeneedstobejustasvariedasstudentscanbe.Mypassionforteaching
comes from my own motivating, hardworking, knowledgeable very passionate elementary
teacherswhohaveinspiredmetowanttoinspireyouthaswell. ThepassionIhaveworking
withchildrenthroughmyvolunteeringexperienceshavereassuredmeinchoosingthispathasa
profession. Alongside that being a part of the MSED program I have developed a deeper
passion,andunderstandingwhilebroadeningmyprofessionalskills,andknowledgetobetter
equipmyselfasafutureteacherandwanttopursuefurtherstudiesineducation.Thepurposeof
this MSED Elementary Portfolio Project is to provide information and an insight into my
ideologyforteachingandanopportunitytoviewmyworks.

PortfolioSectionDevelopment

SpecificallytheMSEDElementaryPortfolioProjectwillincludeaTitlePage,Tableof
ContentsandSectionOnebeingtheintroductionfollowedbySectionTwowhichwillprovide
my background information which will highlight my resume, philosophy and essential
informationtogettoknowmebetter,afterwardswillbeSectionThreewhereanopportunityto
viewmyartifactsshowcasingmypedagogicalknowledgeintechnology,lessonplans,unitplans
andotherdelightfulsurprisesthatwillenhancemycharacterandabilitiestoperformasateacher.
Section Four will highlight my effectiveness in connecting the curriculum with artifacts
showcased, and my knowledge of applying the Ontario and New York State curriculum
professionallywitheverythingthatwillbetaught.AreflectionwillbeincludedinSectionFive
takingthereaderthroughmyjourneyofbecomingtheteacherIamtoday.
Lastly,SectionSixwillbeavirtualinterviewvideowhereyouwillbeabletomeetme
andseemetalkandanswerquestionsrelatingtoeducation,andwhereIwillbeabletoshowcase
myartifactsandhopefullyshowmyenthusiasmforteachingthroughtheuseoftechnology.The
portfolioisagreatresourcetoview myteacherskills,pedagogy,practices,andmygrowth
mindedness. Additionally, this portfolio as my educational journey will serve my continued
growthanddevelopment.

Theories,Theorists,&ExpertsintheFieldofEducation

ThroughoutmylifetimeIhavebeenintroducedtomanytheoristinthedisciplineof
Social Studies from various backgrounds such as Economics, Sociology, Philosophy,
Psychology and Education, andin this portfolio I will introduce my favorite theorist which
includebutarenotlimitedtoHowardGardner,LevVygotsky,JeromeBruner,ErikErikson,
MichaelAppleandgiveimportancetoBehaviorism,Pragmatism,andPostModernismtheories
within.
Thetheoristabovehavebeeninfluentialinthefieldofeducationinvariousways,andI
finditessentialtolearnabouttheoristtobroadenourmindstothinkabstractlyandcriticallyand
keepinmindthevarioustheoriesandapplywhatisappropriate.HowardGardnerprovidedthe
field of education with vital information on multiple intelligences teaching teachers to use
variousinstructionalmethodstoteachallstudentsSmith(2008).Thistheoryappliestoallofmy
workincludedinthisportfolio.IhighlyagreewithHowardGardnerthatallchildrendolearn
differentlyandtoteachindiversewaystohelpmusical,bodilykinesthetic,interpersonal,verbal
linguistic,logicalmathematical,naturalistic,intrapersonal,visualspatiallearnerswillbenefitall
students.
LevVygotskyhasprovidedabasetoconstructivismandthesocialdevelopmentlearning
theory with his More Knowledgeable Other (M.K.O) theory Neff (2015). The More
Knowledgeable Other theory made my Lev Vygotsky refers to someone with a better
understandingofanydisciplineorsubjectthatanothermaynotknow,forexampleastudentcan
askanotherstudentversusaskingtheteacherforananswerortoknowhowtodosomething,or
andelderpersonaskingayouthhowtousetechnologyastheotherpersonhasmoreknowledge.
Anyonewhohasabetterunderstandinginahigherlevelthanthelearner,(Neff,2015)thisis

usuallythoughttobeateacheroranolderadultbutitcanalsobeapeer,youngerperson,or
evenacomputer(Neff,2015).Thistheorytransformsteachingwherewecanhaveaflipped
classroomwherestudentslearnathomeandaregivensupportandguidanceatschoolortaught
inmoredepth.Also,M.K.Oisseenwhenweprovidestudentstodogroupworkwheretheycan
discussamongsttheirpeers,andotherstoshareknowledgeandeducateeachother.
M.K.Oisveryprevalentinhowweteachtoday,becausealthoughweliketothinkthat
teachersknoweverythingitsokaytonotknoweverythingandtouseresourcesavailabletoget
toknowmore.M.K.Oprovidesstudentswithafriendlyatmospherewhereteamswork,and
findingtherightinformationissupportedratherthanskippinginformation,orignoringwhatis
notknown.IkeepinmindM.K.Owhendevelopinglessonplanstohelpmaximizegroup
learning,andreallyhavingstudentsunderstandandnotjustmemorizeinformation.Recently,I
wasintroducedtoanmoderneducationaltheoristnamedMichaelApplewhostandsoutforall
theworkhehasdonefromprotestingforequalopportunityandrightsforeducationtomaking
policiesandcontributingtocurriculumforeducationandbringingforwardtheissueofpowerin
education.HehasproducedTheCurriculum,Problems,Politics,andPossibilitiesin1988with
LandonE.Beyer,alsocompiledEducationandPower,aswellasedited
Power/Knowledge/Pedagogy:TheMeaningofDemocraticEducationinUnsettlingTimesin
1998withDennisCarlson,andalsohisarticleCulturalCapital&OfficialKnowledgethese
areamongstthepopularworksofMichaelAppleWilliams(1999). Histheoryoncurriculumis
quiteelaborateandmainlypointsoutthatitistoeliminateinequalitiesonthebasisofsocial
class,race,sexism,homophobiawhichwouldbringchangeinclassroombasedcurriculaand
policyinitiatives(Ward,2013).

Keeping Curriculum Theory in mind teachers are pushed to think of who sets the
curriculum,whatcountsasofficialknowledge,therelationshipofthecurriculumtopoliticaland
economic structures,the relationshipofideologyto curriculum,the formandtechnologyof
knowledgetransmission,andtherelationshipofcurriculumtotheproperlifeexperiences of
learners,lastlytherelationshipofcurriculumtoissuesofequityandjustice(Ward,2013).This
theoryhelpsmeunderstandthegreaterpictureofeducationandourgoaltohavestudentslearn,
and that each lesson can have a major impact on student development and future success,
thereforeonewillbeabletonoticeemphasisondetailsinmyworkwhichIfeelmakesthe
greatestdifferencesinstudentlives.Ateacherthatshowsthathe/shecaresaboutthestudentsand
teacheswiththeheartandnotmindmakesforapowerfulteacher.OthertheoristsuchasJerome
Bruner,famousErikEriksonandtheoriesofBehaviorism,PragmatismlastlyPostModernism
willbeseeninmywork.

Conclusion
ThisMastersofScienceElementaryEducationPortfolioprojectishighlyimportantasit
summarizesmyideologyandshowcasesmyartifactsfromwhichonecangainknowledgeonmy
teachingpractices,italsoprovidesavisualaidtomywritings,andlastlyexposeshiddenskills,
andachievements,whileshowingmydevelopmentfrombeginningtoendwhichcannotbeseen
duringoneinterview,conversationormeeting.Eachsectionoftheportfolioisimportantasit
spiralsintothenext.
Ihaveshowcasedtheimportanceoftechnologyforthe21 stcenturyclassrooms,andhow
important Howard Gardner is for his multiple intelligence, and Lev Vygotsky for the

knowledgeableother,andMichaelAppleforempoweringallstudents,andwhohasbrought
equalityintoclassrooms. Alongsidetheoristqualitiesofsuperbteacherswerehighlightedand
thattheyneedtobecaring,organized,knowledgeable,passionate,andlastlyenthusiastic.Fora
teachertobeabletoreadthecurriculumandworkwithittodeveloplessonplansisimportantit
givesasenseofcommunityandplatformforteachingacrosstheboards,forwhichIpossessthe
talentofusingNYSandOntariocurriculumwhendevelopinglessonplans.Forcurriculumitis
importantwhenworkingwithyoungergradedtograspontotheBigIdeawhichwillstickwith
themforeverastheirmindscannotgraspontosmalldetails.Myeducationbeingreceivedfrom
MedailleCollegeisequippingmewithgreatskillsandattributesforwhenIbecomeateacher.
Thenextsectioniswhereyouwilllearnalotaboutme,andpast.Eachsectionoftheportfoliois
importantaseachspecificallyprovidesdifferentinformationfromtheIntroductiontoproviding
informationonOntarioandNYScurriculum,alsoshowcasingartifactsandmakingconnections
totheoristandeducationwhileprovidingavisualvideowherethereaderwillbeabletoseethe
artifacts and hear myself describing how I am prepared to teach in the field of education
alongsideprovidinginformationonbestteachingpractices,myvaluableskills,philosophyand
pedagogy.
Lastly,thiscompilationprojectisnottostatethatIampreparedtoteachbuttoshowhow
I am ready to teach and enter the workforce in education to make a difference andinspire
learninginstudents,keepinginmindtheenrichingeducationIhavereceivedfromMedaille
CollegeinBuffalo,NewYorkwhichhasassistedmeinbecomingtheteacherIamtoday.