STANDARD 9 Professional learning and ethical practice The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
Name of artifact: Child maltreatment workshop: Certificate of completion, IDEAS transcript, notes of class Course: Enrolled in FL 663 Applied linguistics in second and foreign languages TESOL/InTASC Standards Addressed: Standard 9.a., 9.b., 9.e., 9.i., 9.j., 9.m., 9.n., 9.o. Rationale: One artifact I chose to represent professional learning and ethical practice is a two hour workshop required by the Arkansas Department of Education through the IDEAS portal. The IDEAS or Internet Delivered Education for Arkansas Schools are courses to meet the need for professional development and educational opportunities in the state of Arkansas. I not only taught in Arkansas before because of its proximity to Memphis but I taught in the spring of 2013, following this workshop, at Palestine-Wheatley High School in Arkansas. I taught Spanish one, two and three at the high school and was renewing my license. The artifact represents a required course/workshop for renewal because of the Child Maltreatment topic. I was required to complete sixty hours of coursework, of which only thirty could be college classes. This requirement was met because I sent transcripts of two of my MATL courses, for fifteen hours each. The remaining workshops, or thirty hours, come from current courses on the IDEAS portal or local professional development. I chose the IDEAS workshops because my district was small and did not offer local workshops. I was enrolled in the MATL as a certificate student and awaiting all of my transcripts to arrive for admission. The workshop, Child maltreatment, is designed to provide educators with training in Act 1236. It is a two hour lecture video online, in which the teacher participant is required to take notes because there is a test to receive a certificate of completion and a score of 85 to pass. The topic covers recognition of physical and sexual abuse; duties of schools and teachers in recognizing if a problem exists, and management of disclosures. The artifacts I have enclosed are a transcript of my courses in IDEAS, notes, and a certificate of completion. The Child maltreatment training gave me specific items to look for in ascertaining abuse or neglect. The professional teacher is mandated by law to report suspected mistreatment so it is necessary to know what we as teachers should be observing. I was unfamiliar with warning signs presented and some of the responsibilities. I was not knowledgeable of needing to be aware of neglect also. I was more confident when they explained that a reasonable report is followed up by professionals in the correct departments. The teacher is only giving disclosure not being the investigator in the case.
Name of artifact: Integrating Podcasts in the classroom-Workshop:Podcast handout, Podcast class notes Course: Enrolled in TSL 692 Special Problems TESOL/InTASC Standards addressed: 9.a., 9.b., 9.d, 9.l., 9.n. Rationale: For the second artifact I chose to represent my knowledge of professional learning and ethical practice is a one hour workshop entitled, Integrating podcasts in the classroom. This was in partial fulfillment of requirements for licensure renewal. The course is offered through the IDEAS portal. The IDEAS or Internet Delivered Education for Arkansas Schools are courses to meet the need for professional development and educational opportunities in the state of Arkansas. I have taught in Arkansas, therefore; I was interested in renewing my license since I am still in Memphis. I was also completing the work I started to get sixty hours of coursework to renew my license because I received a provisional license and began the work in spring of 2013 while I was teaching. I have maintained reciprocal licensure in Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee because of my location. Teaching professionals need to grow and develop new ways to approach the lesson. This workshop on podcasts helped me learn about a new way of applying technology to the classroom. The standard suggests a need for continual development. I have always sought out new ideas to use in the classroom. I chose, Integrating podcasts in the classroom, because it gives me an idea I haven’t used before. I was enrolled in TSL 612-Special problems in the fall of 2013 when I completed this online workshop. I took notes and received a handout as well as listened to a video presentation from an online presenter. The handouts give an introduction, overview and real life examples using podcasts. The real life examples give detailed examples of how the podcast might be used in specific subject areas. There are thirty examples or suggestions such as “create a vodcast from Haiku,” and “poetry podcasts.” The online workbook ends with exercises which are suggestions. My artifacts include a page of the handout, my notes, and the certificate of completion. I can understand how podcasts would be very engaging in any subject area. I am always eager to explore new ideas, such as podcasts, and add them to a repertoire of techniques of teaching. I want to be a reflective practitioner and not, just one who uses the same methodologies repeatedly. There is a special need to use more technology in the classroom because students are in sync with greater levels of technology. As a teacher it is necessary to explore new teaching methods when possible. Students are more technologically advanced and the presentation of the lesson with new technology is more interesting to students overall. I was fascinated by the wealth of ideas and possibilities to use podcasts as part of the lesson.