SECTION THREE

Teacher Candidate Artifacts

Introduction
This Section provides written and visual representations of my educational highlights,
including artifacts demonstrating abilities in planning, reflecting, and professional development,
to name a few. The previous Sections were set up to provide a background for this particular
Section, therefore, this Section is the main element of this portfolio. There are connections made
to a number of Standards, as well as to theorists that continue to develop my own professional
practices and teaching pedagogies. These artifacts are recent accomplishments, however, they
come with their share of flaws, which continually supports the notion that we as educators are
lifelong learners. There will be a constant shift in our teaching practices, in our methodologies,
and so on, due to the fact that teaching is a revolving door of ideas, exemplars, and professional
development strategies. Each artifact is substantiated with a rationale as to why it is a keystone in
my educational career, as well as the supporting standards that adhere to it. The artifacts are
foundational to my growth as a teacher, as most of these are just the beginning of many other
tasks that will be similar to the ones represented in this Section.

Artifacts & Rationales

Artifact #1: Weebly Website
This artifact is presented to you first because of the multiple purposes that it serves. It
was made with the intention of creating a virtual classroom environment that facilitates the
ongoing activities within the physical classroom. The teacher can use the website as a way to
acquire knowledge about the students interests and present inquiry-based learning practices into
the classroom. Students will be engaged in what is happening in the classroom, and the families
of the child will also have insight into what is taking place in their childs classroom. As I created
this Weebly website, I tried to incorporate various different components that would offer the
students additional resources to concepts that are covered in the classroom, and to enable them to
invest their own time for items that they need to spend more time on. The website presents a
monthly calendar for the classroom on the home page, all the way to having a page dedicated for
virtual field trips, which is an idea of something that can be integrated into the classroom to
promote culturally diverse concepts. The website offers more than just additional resources, it
can also be used as a gateway for the teacher to post video lessons and provide a brief activity for
the students to work on while at home, which will result in having more class time to discuss the
activity and work through any difficulties or misunderstandings that the students might have.
This imitates the concept of a flipped classroom, where the students are committing some of their
own time to learn through the online lesson piloted by their own classroom teacher, and then in
the physical classroom, the teacher acts as a facilitator to help the students understand the
concepts being taught by allowing them to take on more accountable roles. It exemplifies Jerome
Bruners beliefs regarding learning and education, which asserts that curriculum should foster the
development of problem-solving skills through the process of inquiry and discovery (Jerome

Bruner http://study.com/academy/lesson/jerome-bruners-theory-of-development-discoverylearning-representation.html). Bruner was a big proponent of discovery learning, and using this
method of teaching will prompt students to take a more active role in their learning. This
classroom website opens doors for many opportunities, all of which promote a more cohesive
environment for learning.
As the educator, it is important to recognize that there are many frustrations that a student
confronts, especially in a classroom setting where they are around several other peers of their
age. There may be many students in the classroom who are embarrassed to ask for more time or
they are frustrated to work within a given time limit on various projects. Other students may
struggle understanding individual strands of a subject, and therefore they would benefit from
having resources offering them additional practice. However, they ought not be limited to doing
everything within the physical classroom, and that is where the virtual classroom/classroom
website comes in. This website will encourage students who need that extra support. This
adheres to the Principle 2 from the New York State Code of Ethics for Educators, which states
Educators create support and maintain challenging learning environment for all. It also
embodies the Ontario Ethical Teacher Standards, namely the ethical standards of Care, which
includes compassion, acceptance, interest and insight for developing students potential. This
artifact also maintains links to several of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment Support
Consortium Standards (INTASC) standards, namely standard 1k, which states, The teacher
values the input and contributions of families, colleagues, and other professionals in
understanding and supporting each learners development. As well, it also abides by standard
4g, declaring The teacher uses supplementary resources and technologies effectively to ensure
accessibility and relevance for all learners, and last (but not least), standard 3n, The teacher is

committed to working with learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive
and supportive learning environments. The above standards are key aspects of creating a
supportive learning environment engaging the students, advocating for them, nurturing their
desire to learn and appealing to their interests, and finally, involving their families in keeping
them accountable. This artifact draws on standards 3a and 3b under the New York State Learning
Standards, which respectively state, Students will demonstrate mastery of foundational skills
and competencies essential for success in the workplace, and Students who choose a career
major will acquire career specific technical knowledge/skills necessary to progress toward
gainful employment, career advancement, and success in postsecondary programs.
This artifact also draws standards from the International Society for Technology in
Education (ISTE). It starts with standard 3.b, which emphasizes to Collaborate with students,
peers, parents and community members using digital tools and resources to support student
success and innovation. Similarly to other standards mentioned above, it also supports the ISTE
standard that states, Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal and ethical use of digital
information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the
appropriate documentation of sources. Among the many benefits to having a classroom website,
it also caters to students with exceptional capabilities as well, which supports principles enforced
by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). It engages in standard C Promoting meaningful
and inclusive participation of individuals with exceptionalities in their schools and
communities, because the additional resources provided are not only for students in need of
extra support, it is also intended for students who have grasped a firm idea of different learning
concepts, and would like to engage their minds further to promote learning at their level as well.
In light of all the considerations that have gone into the design, intent, and organization of this

website, this artifact supports the Teacher Education Accreditation Council competencies for
Medaille College students, namely Claim 2 and 3, which confer that Medaille College graduates
meet the needs of diverse learners through effective pedagogy and best teaching practices, and
more importantly, that we care.