MSED Elementary Portfolio Project

Jenn Balcarek

November 18, 2020

An Elementary Portfolio Project submitted to the

Faculty of the Graduate School of Education of

Medaille College

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Science in Education

Jenn Balcarek
______________________________
Student Name
Medaille College Graduate Student

Belete Mebratu
______________________________
Faculty Advisor’s Name with Title
Project Director
 Table of Contents

Section One: Teacher Candidate Introduction to the Elementary Portfolio Project……..… 4

Section Two: Teacher Candidate Background Experiences………………………………

Section Three: Teacher Candidate Artifacts……………………... ……………………… 6

Artifact #1: Title ……. …………………………………………………………….

Artifact #2: Title……………… ……………………………………………………

Artifact #3: Title…………………… ………………………………………………

Artifact #4: Title…………………………………………………………………….

Artifact #5: Title …………………….………………………………………………

Artifact #6: Title ………………………………………. ……………………………

Artifact #7: Title ……… ……………………………………………………………

Artifact #8: Title ………………………………………..……………………………

Artifact #9: Title ……………………………………………………………………..

Artifact #10: Title ……………………………………………………………………

Section Four: Alignment to Curriculum & Professional Standards ………………………

Section Five: Teacher Candidate Reflection …………………………………………..….

Section Six: Teacher Candidate Interview Video ………………………………………..

References ……………………………………………………………………………….
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Elementary Portfolio Project.

Section One: Teacher Candidate Introduction to the Elementary Portfolio Project

Introduction, Overview and Rationale

Thank you for taking the time to review my Elementary Teacher Portfolio. I have

designed this in an attempt to showcase my skills, teaching methods, and practices that I have

learned throughout the last few years. This portfolio will contain six sections; the introduction,

background experience, artifacts, alignment to the curriculum and professional standards, as well

as a reflection and interview video. These six portions visually demonstrate my abilities and
experience as an educator, which will include the lesson plans that I have carefully crafted and

designed for my future classrooms. Each lesson plan is created in a manner that can be modified

according to a student’s particular needs or IEP. They also include detailed and diverse

summative and formative assessments.

In regards to my qualification as a modern educator, my knowledge in the use and

comprehension of technology can be showcase through my Bitmoji classroom lesson, which was

constructed in an attempt to take learning in the post Covid 19 world towards digital platforms in

order to maintain safety by allowing students to learn from the comfort of their own homes and

own devices. Additionally, my Weebly website which features my Screencast video will further

support my candidacy as a teacher with modern teaching strategies.

I believe that given the present circumstances, my ability to learn and utilize such

platforms has taught me that I can easily adapt under challenging circumstances. While the

pandemic has been quite challenging and has forced myself along with many others to cope with

the new reality around us, I have grasped many skills that showcase my ability to adapt under

difficult circumstances.

My resume, which will serve as a blue-print of my professional involvement in fields

related to teaching, highlight my commitment to professional and personal development. During

my undergraduate studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, I worked three jobs while taking on a

full course load. I did this in order to ensure that I could take part in AIESEC (an academic

internship program) that would allow me to teach in Thessaloniki, Greece and El Carmen,

Guatemala. Both of these positions fueled my desire to teach on a deeper and more serious level,

and so my quest towards becoming a certified teacher began. As you go through my portfolio
and my resume, I ask that you please pay attention to my experiences and what they entail, and

grasp how they have molded me into the professional that I am today.

Portfolio Development

This MSED Elementary Portfolio contains 6 segments, which will discuss: The

Candidate Introduction to the Elementary Portfolio Project, Teacher Candidate Background

Experience, Teacher Candidate Artifacts, Alignment to the Curriculum and Professional

Standards, a Reflection, and my Teacher Candidate Interview Video.

Section one, Teacher Candidate Introduction to the Elementary Portfolio Project of this

portfolio will examine and highlight how these samples are linked to my desire of becoming a

teacher. It will also go into detail about introducing three theorists that have strongly contributed

to my comprehension of education and teaching styles.

Section two of my portfolio; the Teacher Candidate Background Experiences will focus

on one’s teaching experiences, both academically and professionally. Examples, such as

classroom management strategies, lesson plans, perspectives on the curriculum, my resume, and

assessments will be discovered in this area. Through this section, you will gain a stronger lens as

to how my passion for teaching has been translated through my work and experiences, such as

my position as an Educational Assistant with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board in

Kitchener, Ontario.

Section three revolves around the ‘Teacher Candidate Artifacts’, which essentially are a

collection of pieces that I have designed throughout my academic studies. These artifacts, which

will be showcased through a website that I have created, will include lesson plans, teaching

techniques, classroom management tools and resources, as well as other content that can be

utilized within my classroom. Further, my ability to adapt to spontaneous and unpredictable

circumstances will be evident in this section, as my Bitmoji classroom design will be one of my

most prized examples. This artifact was constructed during the beginning of the Covid-19

pandemic, when there was a complete lockdown and teaching needed to be switched over to an

all online format.

As a result of the restrictions and the limited method of teaching, my Bitmoji classroom

takes learning online to a fun and visually stimulating way of delivering my lesson plan. By

having emoticons that appear similar to myself, as well as a Bitmoji of our classroom pet,

students are more likely to engage and participate as the content is appealing and suits their

interests.

Section four, Alignment to the Curriculum and Professional Standards, will take the

artifacts that were mentioned above and link them directly to the New York State Standards and

the Ontario Curriculum. In this particular section, I will go into detail about how my artifacts,

teaching methods, and other teaching content directly align and meet the requirements of the

Standards. By ensuring that I am meeting the requirements, I am demonstrating that I am able to

professionally and appropriately support my students and create a healthy and safe learning

environment for all of the learners in my care.

Additionally, taking part in the DASA seminar and becoming SAVE certified highlights

my ability to be entrusted to care and safely look after students.

Section five; Teacher Candidate Reflection, will be a transparent reflection of the

experiences that I have been bestowed with and how they have sharpened and shaped my skills

for the role of being a teacher.

Section Six; Teacher Candidate Teacher Interview Video, will allow you to see and hear

me. On the website that I have designed, there will be a recorded video segment of me
introducing my artifacts and pieces which align to the Curriculum and Standards. In this area,

you will also be able to witness my Screencast-o-Matic pieces, which features me answering any

questions that may be asked during potential interviews assessing my qualifications and skills for

becoming a teacher.

By being able to see my mannerisms and how I embody my professionalism through this

visual means allows viewers to gain a deeper insight on who I am as a professional and how I

have evolved into becoming a teacher that embeds differentiated instruction within her teaching

methods.

Theories, Theorists and Experts in the Field of Education

There are many theorists, theories, and experts and that have strongly shaped the

educational realm. The dominant ones that stick with me and with my teaching strategies are

Benjamin Bloom, Lev Vygotsky, and Howard Gardner.

Benjamin Bloom’s notorious ‘Blooms Taxonomy of Cognitive Learning Objectives’

serves as a strong foundation behind instructing students and setting objectives for the lesson

plans behind their learning. Bloom’s theory “differentiates between cognitive skill levels and

calls attention to learning objectives that require higher levels of cognitive skills and […] a

deeper learning and transfer of knowledge and skills to a greater variety of tasks and contexts”

(Adams, pg. 152). Bloom’s theory is one that allows for the diversification of objectives behind

lesson plans and learning, as it encompasses different skills that students are being taught.

Essentially, this theory is one that I strongly embed within my lesson planning and believe

should be considered at all times.

In addition to Benjamin Bloom and his magnificent theory, Lev Vygotsky is another

positive legend that has paved a strong mark in the realm of education. Vygotsky takes the belief
that language is the most critical tool, with verbal language being the primary means of

communication between humans the dominant tool for bestowing information to children from

adults (Lewis, 41). He also developed two facets revolving around ‘More Knowledgeable Others

(MKO’s)’ and the ‘Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)’ that are often intertwined within

education (Lewis, 41). Vygotsky specifies that learning begins with being exposed to individuals

who are more knowledgeable, such as teachers or persons with a strong expertise in the subject

at hand (Lewis, 41). I strongly believe that Vygotsky’s theory can serve as a reminder that each

and every student learns differently and uniquely, and that in order to accommodate their

learning style, we must create an environment for them that is not only applicable to the real

world, but can also support their differences.

Finally, Howard Gardner, a theorist that developed the ideology of “multiple

intelligences as the existence of several relatively autonomous human intellectual competencies”

serves as a critical influence in regards to my teaching foundation (Shepard, pg. 210). In order to

create an environment and atmosphere where students feel safe to express their unique

capabilities, it is critical to adapt the philosophy that each and every student has their own form

of intelligence and there is not one particular method of learning and obtaining information.

Students absorb learning in different and contrasting ways. Therefore, it is necessary to apply

Gardner’s theory, as it creates a foundation for educators to construct differentiated lesson plans

and create an adaptive and accommodating learning environment for pupils to succeed in

reaching their academic goals.

The contributions that these three theorists have made towards education has immensely

influenced me to become a stronger and more diverse educator. I strive to adapt these

philosophies in my teaching practices.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this MSED Elementary portfolio and the contents discovered within it

serve as a purpose of highlighting my competency as a teacher. They demonstrate that I can

work in any environment and challenging circumstances, I am adaptive and creative with how I

deliver and construct my lessons, and that I possess strong classroom management skills. I am

very passionate about my role as a teacher and my goal throughout this portfolio is for my skills

and drive to shine through the materials and elements that are addressed.

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