Reflective Journal
An effective teacher is a reflective decision-maker who is able to articulate a solid rationale for his or her deliberative teaching practices and professional actions.
Your objective in this Assignment is to provide a clear and concise philosophy statement describing your beliefs regarding how you would evaluate student learning.
As a degree candidate in the School of Graduate Education, one way you will reflect upon your knowledge, performance, and dispositions through the written Reflective Journal assignment.
Answer the following questions:
• What is your personal pedagogy about the role that assessments serve in evaluating student achievement? Be sure to cite your textbook, journal articles, and/or other resources to support your personal pedagogy.
• Does your personal pedagogy support one or more MAT program goals (listed below)? Explain why or why not.
• How does your personal pedagogy address knowledge of diverse learners, academic content and pedagogy, assessment, and professional responsibilities and relationships when considering how to most effectively promote student learning, development, and school achievement?
• What impact will your personal pedagogy have on students' short- or long-term learning? Or, if you were able to apply this pedagogy to your classroom, how did it impact your students' short- or long-term learning?
Use APA style for formatting, citations, and references. If you need more information on APA style, consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association Sixth Edition.
Your paper should be four to five pages long. For specific grading criteria, view the Rubric in the Rubrics link under Course Home.
This Assignment is worth 130 points and addresses the following course outcome:
ED531-6: Apply research on student assessment to a personal teaching philosophy.
MAT program goals:
1. Explain how students learn and develop, and provide developmentally appropriate learning experiences that support student academic, social, and personal growth.
2. Plan and provide equitable learning opportunities for students with diverse learning needs and for students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
3. Plan instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, curriculum, goals, research-based strategies, and the school/community context.
4. Select and implement a variety of appropriate instructional strategies, including appropriate instructional technology and effective communication techniques, in order to develop students' content knowledge, critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
5. Integrate understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior in order to establish and manage a positive learning environment that supports positive social interaction, self-motivation, inquiry and active engagement.
6. Select and implement appropriate formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure students' continuous academic, social, and physical development.
7. Pursue and integrate new professional knowledge and contribute to the knowledge base of the profession.
8. Develop a habit of reflective practice by continually evaluating the effects of choices and actions on students, parents/caregivers, and other professionals in order to improve instruction and support student learning.
9. Practice in a responsible, ethical manner and foster positive professional relationships with colleagues, school administrators, other professionals, parents/caregivers, and community agencies to support student learning.