InTASC Standard:

Standard #1: Learner Development. The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences (InTASC, 2013).

 

Brief Description of Evidence:

In the spring semester of 2023, in my EDUC 233 Literacy Development through Children’s Literature class, I created a reading fair project. The project consisted of making a poster board covering topics like main characters, plot, theme, and setting of a book of our choosing. I chose the book Holes and added the necessary elements to the poster board. I then created three different lesson plans/activities for the board. The activity I laid out for the reading fair involved three tubs of sand with gold coins and lizards buried inside. Students were to dig for the treasure just like in the book Holes, but their game was over if they came across a lizard.  

 

Analysis of What I Learned:

​In EDUC 233, I learned the importance of recognizing how learners grow and develop. I also learned that a book fair can promote learner growth. I knew that when planning a lesson plan or activities to accompany a book, it needs to cover topics to ensure that students go above and beyond in their learning. I learned that doing a book fair puts the students in charge of their education, giving them a more thoughtful learning experience.

 

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the InTASC Standard:

This demonstrates my competence in standard #1 by understanding that learners grow and develop differently. By choosing a book and making a poster board over it, I tap into the cognitive level of learners as they look over the board. I asked students different questions during the reading fair to challenge their linguistic learning. The activities that I came up with to go along with this book allowed room for students to be social and interact with their peers. Emotionally, I asked the students and their parents if they had ever heard of the book and how they felt about the movie if they had ever seen it. Physically, students stood as they used a spoon to dig through sand to find gold coins. I designed and implemented an activity that was age appropriate for the book holes. I believe John Dewey’s philosophy goes well with this: “That learning process can only be useful when children are provided with sufficient learning opportunities to connect their prior experience with the current knowledge” (John Dewey’s Theory, n.d.). This fits because I was able to provide students with a learning opportunity through a hands-on activity to connect what they knew about the book holes.