Education Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education Began the Master’s of Special Education program in January of 2011 Professional After graduation Sorensen Elementary School (now Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities) Woodland Middle School Personal Family and how they have inspired me

Artifact “Statement of Philosophy” Fit with the Master’s of Special Education Program Knowledge of school programs, and how Special Education became what it is today and the direction it should be going Fit with College of Education Vision Cultural Proficiency Assessment, Teaching, and Learning Reflective Scholarship and Practice Engagement in Community Building and Partnerships My Professional Posture Awareness that learning never ends

Incredibly meaningful Huge personal achievement Ability to better meet my students’ needs Increased Alignment With College of Education Vision Supremely aware of what each component means and how they apply to the education of my students and my own philosophy of education Effect on My Professional Activities Completing the Master’s of Special Education program has allowed me to broaden both my educational strategies and my ability to effectively communicate with everyone within my professional sphere

Before the Master’s of Special Education Program Every student can learn, but how? What is the best school design? After the Master’s of Special Education Program I now have a collection of strategies to use and the capability to research new ones. The best school design is the one which keeps the students’ best interests at heart. New Skills, Dispositions, and Concepts I now have a collection of teaching strategies to use, the ability to communicate more effectively, and the capability to research new strategies and programs. New Language Vocabulary for expressing my educational philosophy, the history and present status of special education, and what I believe should be its future

Artifact “Curricular Approach or Model” Fit with the Master’s of Special Education Program Selecting curricula and interventions which are relevant to the needs and desires of my students Selecting curricula and interventions which have been proven through research Fit with the College of Education Vision Cultural Proficiency, Assessment, Teaching and Learning, Reflective Scholarship and Practice, & Engagement in Community building and Partnerships My Professional Posture Ultimately more prepared for being a knowledgeable source of information about appropriate choice of curricula

More Knowledgeable About How to Choose Curriculum Individual learner needs Interest and motivation levels Opportunities for social interaction Diversity Increased Alignment with College of Education’s Vision Ability to locate, use, and adapt research-based, relevant curricula and interventions Effect on My Professional Activities Clear strategies for selecting the appropriate curricula and interventions for my students Language to communicate which curricula and interventions to use and the ability to aid in their selection

Before the Master’s of Special Education Program Research-based curricula and interventions (Why?) Choosing the appropriate curricula and interventions (How?) After the Master’s of Special Education Program Reasons for using research-based curricula and interventions Strategies for selecting curricula and interventions New Skills, Concepts, and Dispositions Strategies for how and why to select certain curricula and interventions New Language Use of the language found in curriculum document Ability to explain why a certain curriculum or intervention is better than another

Artifact “Analyzing a Lesson” Fit with the Master’s of Special Education Program The selection of lessons which are tailored to the needs of my students physically, developmentally, and academically Ability to adapt lessons and choose specific interventions for teaching important academic, collaborative, and communication skills Fit with the College of Education Vision Adapting lessons to address academic & cultural needs and utilizing community partnerships for providing the best education possible The ability to reflect upon a practice and adapt it according to student need My Professional Posture Knowledgeable about selecting and utilizing learning opportunities which address the needs of my students

Creation, Selection, and Use of Learning Opportunities Ability to ensure that each student has access to the learning being provided Lessons which challenge students and aid them in using higher order thinking skills Increased Alignment with College of Education’s Vision Increased knowledge of how and what to teach my students in order for them to access as much learning as possible Effect on My Professional Activities Increase in reflective practice and skillful selection and implementation of physically, developmentally, academically, socially, and culturally appropriate learning opportunities

Before the Master’s of Special Education Program Desire to create lessons which were tailored to my students Little or no knowledge regarding how to create lessons which addressed all of my students’ needs, including how to attend to cultural needs After the Master’s of Special Education Program Concrete knowledge of how to create and deliver lessons which ensure that each student’s needs are met, whether they be physical, educational, social, or cultural New Skills, Concepts, and Dispositions Creating lessons, the use of universal design, and the patience for making sure lessons address all the needs of my students New Language Ability and vocabulary to explain how and why to create and/or adapt lessons to meet the needs of each student

Artifact “Using Multiple Assessments” Fit with the Master’s of Special Education Program The use and evaluation of multiple assessments The use of assessments for identifying, monitoring, and evaluating students and for modifying instruction Fit with the College of Education Vision Expert use of assessment for modifying instruction Utilizing assessment for self-evaluation and reflection My Professional Posture Prepared for creating, utilizing, and critiquing a variety of assessments in order to identify, monitor, and evaluate my students and modify instruction

Selection of Appropriate Assessments and the Evaluation of Results Ensuring my students receive what they need to be successful Confidence of knowing how and why to choose certain assessments and how to evaluate results Increased Alignment with College of Education’s Vision Acquired broader skills for selecting, evaluating, and utilizing assessments Effect on My Professional Activities Ability to expertly choose assessments Ability to use the results from assessments to plan and modify instruction

Before the Master’s of Special Education Program Some knowledge of curriculum-based measures Some knowledge of how to use CBMs for monitoring, evaluating, and identifying students and for modifying instruction After the Master’s of Special Education Program Ability to accurately choose appropriate assessments and use them Identification, monitoring, evaluation, and modification of instruction Use of curriculum-based measures, state, local, and national tests New Skills, Concepts, and Dispositions More accurately choose and utilize assessments Ability to use standards-based/norm referenced assessments New Language Vocabulary for knowing which assessments to use, how to critique them, evaluate the results, and use the information gathered from assessments

Artifact “Why should I, as a practitioner care about research to practice?” Fit with the Master’s of Special Education Program Use of educational research Role educational research to gather, analyze and share data Fit with the College of Education Vision Creating and planning effective, culturally responsive lessons and assessments Using research to modify instruction before and after reflecting on teaching performance My Professional Posture Ability to utilize research for ensuring my students get a solid education and knowledge for conducting my own research

No Need to Wait for Someone Else to Tell Me What “Research Says” Finding and analyzing research for myself Conducting research for testing my own theories Increased Alignment with College of Education Vision Tools for discovering and using teaching, learning, and assessment strategies which are effective for students and culturally appropriate Effect on My Professional Activities More prepared for providing a solid education Know where and how to search for research-based practices and programs and how to analyze them

Before the Master’s of Special Education Program Knowledge of the “push” for using research-based practices, but not why to do so Found some research-based programs to be restrictive and cumbersome After the Master’s of Special Education Program Practices and programs which are research-based have been shown effective for students through systematically discovering what works and what doesn’t Students are varied—what works for one student may not work for another, so the teacher must be responsive and reflective even when using research-based practices New Skills, Concepts, and Dispositions Using research for increasing effectiveness Analyzing research to determine its reliability Less reluctant to use research-based practices New Language Vocabulary for analyzing research and ability to explain reasons for using research-based practice

Artifacts “Collaboration: Professional Relationships” “Conflict Management” Fit With the Master’s of Special Education Program Using collaboration to foster inquiry and best practice Supportive communication using conflict management and prevention in the classroom and beyond Fit With the College of Education Vision Using collaboration and conflict management for being culturally responsive, creating effective lessons, and ensuring appropriate assessments Community partnerships My Professional Posture Prepared for communicating with students, professionals, parents, and community members in an effective, responsive manner

Ability to Communicate in a Collaborative Way While Also Keeping in Mind Conflict Management Increased Alignment With College of Education Vision Knowledge of how to use communication skills for creating and delivering lessons Knowledge of how to communicate with community members and build community partnerships Effect On My Professional Activities Using collaboration and conflict management in teaching practice Direct instruction and teacher-to-student interaction Ability to more effectively communicate with parents, professionals, and community members

Before the Master’s of Special Education Program Lacked the tools for collaborating and resolving conflict effectively Knew that collaboration was necessary, but not how to be a valuable member of a collaboration team After the Master’s of Special Education Program Know the principles of effective communication More prepared for providing a solid education because of ability to collaborate with students, professionals, parents, and community members New Skills, Concepts, and Dispositions How and why to collaborate Ability to communicate in a way that ensures personal respect and maximum effectiveness New Language Vocabulary for explaining how and why to collaborate Vocabulary for resolving conflict and maximizing collaboration potential

Artifact “How Can I Make Literacy Important to Struggling Readers?” Fit With the Master’s of Special Education Program Group motivation and self-motivation Social interactions and behavior Appropriate learning opportunities Fit With the College of Education Vision Creating learning opportunities which are culturally responsive and provide group and self-motivation Keeping assessments in perspective for students Use of community for providing motivation and as a basis for understanding My Professional Posture Ensuring a solid education Motivation and how to create and foster it Engagement in learning Ability to prevent disruptive student behavior

Knowledge of How to Create and Maintain Student Motivation and Learning Engagement Using student interest Tools for managing behavior Increased Alignment With College of Education Vision Ability to use student motivation and behavior management principles in the process of creating, conducting, and assessing learning opportunities Knowledge that using community-based organizations or ideas can aid in motivation, engagement, and understanding Effect On My Professional Activities More conscious of what creates student motivation Ability to use student interest to create lessons Ability to test, monitor, and manage student behavior

Before the Master’s of Special Education Program Aware of the importance of student motivation and engagement, but little knowledge of how to stimulate them Anecdotal knowledge of how to manage behavior After the Master’s of Special Education Program Concrete knowledge of how to create and maintain student motivation and engagement Knowledge of what causes student behavior and how to assess, monitor, and manage it New Skills, Concepts, and Dispositions Ability to determine the cause of student behavior and how to aide in ensuring that it does not continue to be disruptive Skills for preventing disruptive behavior Skills for eliciting student motivation and engagement New Language Vocabulary for behavior management Vocabulary for communicating, determining, and ensuring student motivation and engagement