ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY PORTFOLIO

(formated for word)

 

This portfolio will be reviewed by your faculty members as one step toward Candidacy for the Master in Teaching degree.

 

DUE:  December 2, 2005. 

 

PURPOSES: To reflect about, and document: 

 

1)    your prior learning in your endorsement areas (undergraduate work, community work, and life experiences) as this knowledge relates to the State of Washington Essential Learning Requirements’ benchmarks for which you will be responsible;

2)    the development of your knowledge and understanding of theories of learning, the learning process, and the relationship of learning and teaching;

3)    your understanding of how social/personal filters, attributions and belief perseverance influence collaborations, group process, group development, and interpersonal relationships; 

4)    your ability to do graduate level work.

 

Each of the areas outlined on the next pages must be addressed in your portfolio.  The portfolio must be:

·      clearly organized, 

·      contain a table of contents, and

·      contain Reflective Essays about each area of documentation along with the appropriate documentation.  

 

What does it mean to include a Reflective Essay for an area of documentation? 

 

Example: If you include a note from a colleague, written feedback from your seminar facilitator, and a poem you wrote as documentation of your ability to work across differences, you would accompany these pieces with a reflective essay that indicates:

·      why you chose them as evidence,

·      why they are good pieces of evidence,

·      what you learned from them, and

·      how they might affect your future decisions.

 

REQUIRED COMPONENTS OF THEADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY PORTFOLIO

 

Below you will find both requirements and suggestions about types of documentation. We invite you to bring individuality and life to your portfolios through the inclusion of art, poetry, song, drawings, photographs, etc. 

 

 

I.  WHO AM I AS A COLLEAGUE AND ACADEMIC LEARNING COMMUNITY MEMBER?

 

 

Purpose: To demonstrate your engagement in, and contributions to, our learning community, as well as your understanding of group development, collaboration, and group process.

 

 

Using five to seven pieces of evidence, this section should showcase your:

• Awareness of how your beliefs impact your engagement with new information and other people.
• Awareness of your strengths and weaknesses as a community member (knowledge of your personal biases; your ability to self-reflect and learn from experience; ability to collaborate)
• Knowledge of the process of community building, group formation and group process
• Knowledge of your own learning/teaching preferences
• Interactions with your colleagues that supported, or contributed to, successful learning for the community.

 

Sample portfolio evidence:

·      self-assessment statement/essay/story/poem referring to issues listed above

·      quarter self-evaluations and faculty evaluations demonstrating reflections on these areas

·      written notes and reflections from program workshops, assignments, learning log entries

·      evidence of participation and contribution to our learning community

·      sample feedback you provided to colleagues on WebX

·      papers reflecting on experience with community building and the learning that resulted

·      analysis of your own roles and behaviors in groups

·      analysis of your responses to learning information that challenges your beliefs and assumptions.

 

 

Your documentation must be accompanied by the Reflective Essay described on the previous page.

 

 

 

 

 

II. WHO AM I AS A LEARNER IN THIS GRADUATE PROGRAM?

 

Purpose:  To demonstrate graduate level academic skills and knowledge. 

 

Required Evidence: 

1. An evaluation of your ability to help children and adolescents achieve the appropriate EALR Benchmarks along with a plan for your own professional development.
   
   
2. Your final seminar paper (your emerging TLS paper)

 

Using five to seven pieces of evidence in addition to the required evidence, this section should showcase your ability in all of the following areas:

·      Evaluate your academic strengths and areas of need (i.e., engage in useful reflection about your academic work and plan for and implement strategies for improvement)

·      Write clearly and employ standard conventions, including APA conventions 

·      Apply appropriate technological skills effectively (webpage, web-x, library research)

·      Reason and engage in professional discussions (identify, discuss, compare/contrast, and critique major themes and theses in professional books and journal articles)  

·      Demonstrate a graduate-level understanding of the theories of learning, models of teaching, and an understanding of the social construction of knowledge explored through the Master in Teaching Program.

 

Sample portfolio evidence:

·      Successful completion of Fall Quarter work as demonstrated by faculty evaluations, written work, exams, or projects

 

·      Excerpts from weekly MIT seminar papers that demonstrate specific areas of development in the ability to identify themes and theses and provide adequate text support of themes

 

·      Excerpts from papers that show progress in development of specific ideas and ability to compare/contrast diverse concepts

 

·      Excerpts from MIT papers that demonstrate knowledge of learning theories and social construction of knowledge

 

·      The 6 models of teaching lesson plans with revisions

 

·      A reflection about learning Web Page design and/or using WebX

 

Your documentation must be accompanied by a Reflective Essay.

 

 

III.  WHO AM I AS A TEACHER/RESEARCHER?

 

 

Purpose: To demonstrate graduate level skills in identifying and pursuing library research that relates directly to improved teaching and learning.  

 

 

Using the required documentation and any other pieces you choose to use, this section should showcase your ability to:

·      Pose viable, relevant library research questions

 

·      Locate and annotate professional literature related to your library research interests

 

·      Identify the personal filters and biases that will affect your interpretations of your library research

 

·      Analyze and apply theory to practice, and differentiate between your own projections and assumptions AND description and observation

·      Appropriately integrate music in your content area

 

 

 

Required portfolio evidence:

 

·      Two or three possible questions for your Master’s Paper 

 

·      Annotations for several articles found in professional journals that relate to your library research interests 

 

·      2-3 of your best fieldnote entries

·      Notes from web research on integrating music along with (i)annotation of teaching resources; and (ii) notes on how to multiculturalize the strategy.

 

 

 

 

Your documentation must be accompanied by a Reflective Essay.