EDUC 650 Content Reading Artifact

Artifact Description
To demonstrate professional growth gained from participating in the EDUC 650 Content
Reading course, I uploaded a powerpoint including lesson plans on a constructivist unit designed
to demonstrate my understanding of implementing constructivism within my classroom. This
powerpoint includes lessons using a balanced literacy approach where students are listening,
viewing, reading, and discussing the learning that is being constructed. Many of the instructional
strategies mentioned within the powerpoint are implemented from Doug Buells book,
Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines. Goals of this unit were as follows:
1. Synthesize learning gained from studying the constructivist approach to teaching and learning.
Specifically, how I will implement strategies into my teaching that promote students building
upon previous knowledge to construct and adapt new knowledge.
2. Implement instructional strategies documented within the lesson plans, with the goal of students
understanding and using different lenses for reading comprehension as read about in Doug
Buells book, Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines.
3. Create independent learners, teaching students about how they learn and different strategies they
can use to gain independence through reading, writing, listening, viewing, and discussing and
using those avenues as a means to constructing new knowledge.
4. Create an environment in which there is student autonomy within the learning process. Giving
students choice and freedom with their reading and learning how they demonstrate that they have
learned a concept or skill.
Improving instructional strategies is an area that educators should always strive to grow in, better
instructional strategies results in higher and deeper levels of learning and growth by students.
Improving personal instructional strategies was a goal within this constructivist unit, which is
what drove my synthesizing and planning within this project. Readers at all stages need quality
instruction from high quality teachers. This document contains lesson plans and procedural steps
in implementing these strategies to increase student growth.
Professional Growth and Development
I am currently starting my 5th year of teaching. I will be working as a 6th grade teacher for the
Fox C-6 School District. Prior to this position I taught 3-5 interventions, and 3rd and 4th grades.
Gaining expertise in reading instruction is something that has been a goal of mine. This
instructor and class provided many opportunities for professional growth. Some of the gained
knowledge is as follows:
1. Gained knowledge in Constructivism and Content Instructional Strategies throughout reading
Doug Buells, Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines. Within his book, Doug Buell
addressed what it means to be a disciplinary reader and writer. He provided instructional
strategies and classroom examples of creating academic readers and writers with a constructivist

approach. One method he described was bridging academic knowledge gaps by assessing where
students are when entering a unit of study and then filling those gaps where there is background
knowledge needed. This helped his students to construct knowledge and not memorize facts. He
also gave examples of how to appropriately front load students with knowledge they will need to
be successful within a unit of study or lesson and also focused on the importance of questioning
as learners.
2. Understanding of the importance to balance instruction, adapt to students multiple intelligences,
and the understanding and use of brain research and how it applies to reading instruction.
Through watching videos, reading articles, and classroom practice of assessing multiple
intelligences, I was able to learn more about how the brain functions and how to promote
multiple intelligences within reading instruction.
3. Explored websites, articles, technologies, and other resources to discuss with other professionals
and co-workers. Throughout coursework, I was able to discuss learning and perspectives with
other professionals. Seeing other educators perspectives on topics allowed for more meaningful
personal growth.
4. Ideas and practices to implement within my own teaching after each week of learning, such as
new approaches to graphic organizers, questioning, discussions, and multiple intelligences.
Before taking this course, I would say my brain understanding was somewhat rudimentary, after
taking this course, my understanding of the brain has improved and my interest in further
researching the brain and how it learns has been awakened. This knowledge will strengthen my
future teaching by giving students many activities that address all of the multiple intelligences
and teaching them how to construct new knowledge.
Impact on the PK-12 Learner
During and following participating in the Content Reading course, I have modified my teaching
practices and strategies. Student focused learning and discussions before learning, during
learning, and after learning using graphic organizers from the Doug Buell text have improved
student understanding and retention of new knowledge. Students independence in learning,
engagement within lessons, and reading comprehension have improved. Students are sharing
their new understandings, have shown growth in assessments, and are giving well rounded
responses to higher DOK level questions. Before taking this course, students may have given a
high level response 60% of the time, since taking this class and implementing new strategies,
students are responding at higher levels 80% of the time. I have gained and implemented the
following practices to impact my learners:
1. Use of graphic organizers demonstrating learning: Before taking this class, graphic organizers
were used as a learning tool, such as Venn Diagrams, sequencing charts, etc. Students were
using these organizers strictly to organize thoughts and strategies, but rarely to document their
own learning. After taking this course, my students are now documenting what they knew,
wanted to know, learned, and noting any adaptations they needed to make to their prior
knowledge. Students have gained understanding in the learning cycle and can implement this on
their own during independent reading and other literacy and curricula areas.
2. Brain Research: Before taking this course, students were exposed to instruction to multiple
intelligences, using kinesthetic, auditory, and linguistic learning, however after taking this course
students are exposed to all of these components within each and every lesson, sometimes all

within one lesson. For example, within reading lessons, students were able to view youtube
video about a text, read the text, discuss the text, and then write about that same text. Learners
of all styles are addressed through these lessons.
Alignment to WI Teaching Standards
Standard 1-Teachers know the subjects they are teaching
Throughout the Content Reading coursework, I gained further repertoire in reading
instruction. My synthesis of learning resulted in the constructivist unit as a culminating
artifact. Within these lessons, multiple intelligences is addressed, discussion and modeling of
reading through different content lenses is addressed, and students are taught how to gain and
apply new knowledge by using semantic maps and organizers. These newly gained
instructional strategies have improved reading instruction and resulted in accelerated student
growth.
Standard 4-Teachers know how to teach
During coursework of the Content Reading class, I have acquired, implemented, and
rejuvenated new, current, and past instructional strategies to improve student reading.
Throughout of study of Differentiation and Multiple Intelligences, several approaches to
teaching specific skills were discussed, such as use of semantic maps and levels of
questioning, which I then implemented. My use and implementation of multiple
intelligences has improved, students have shown more engagement throughout lessons, and
have stretched their own thinking and knowledge.
Standard 3-Teachers understand that children learn differently.
Throughout coursework, reinforcing my understanding of multiple intelligences and different
modalities of learning has improved my understanding of how children learn. These new
understandings and perspectives have also my improved my instruction. Understanding all
of the different types of learners within my class through interest inventories and student
interviews is a powerful tool that I have implemented since taking this course. My students
are now receiving a well balanced exposure to all multiple intelligences, which is improving
instruction for all types of learners.
Standard 7-Teachers are able to plan different kinds of lessons
This artifact demonstrates growth in my ability to plan different types of lessons.
Throughout coursework, constructivism was a centerpiece for learning. Using the
constructivist mindset I was able to plan for a variety of lessons using many different
approaches and modalities. Planning many different lessons while thinking about the
academic lenses readers, writers, viewers, and discussers would need stretched my teaching
and planning and gave my students a well rounded literacy diet.

Alignment to Viterbo Standards

-Service-as we work for the common good in the spirit of humility and joy
Teaching is a form of service to others. As I go to work each day I am reminded that it is
this service that I feel called to fulfill. Spreading the joy of learning is something that
continues to grow throughout all the courses I take. Giving students a love for
constructing and finding new knowledge is how I serve others. I truly view teaching as a
form of missionary work. I am reminded daily that you can be a force of spreading
Christs love and joy or a force of negativity, and that I should strive to be a positive
person and teach my students to find Christs love, positivity and learning in each and
every situation. Taking this course at Viterbo has reminded me that teaching every day is
a gift.