Running head: PORTFOLIO REFLECTION

Portfolio Reflection Elizabeth Brito James Madison University

PORTFOLIO REFLECTION My goal for the semester has been to learn how to properly differentiate in a classroom of mixed learners and provide appropriate resources for those struggling. The portfolio serves as documentation of my progress toward reaching the goal. My portfolio contains my goal plan and update, mathematical interview analysis, knowledge menu, and lesson plan The goal plan is the basis for my portfolio since the purpose of my portfolio is to

demonstrate my processes and growth toward achievement of my goal. Outlined in the goal plan are things I wish to learn as a future educator and different ways I will work toward achieving said goal. Some items found in the goal plan, such has how to teach decimals in a way that is not just memorization, are very content specific, while others, such as finding valuable resources to help my students outside of school, serve a more general purpose. Without the goal plan, my portfolio would not have a common thread tying its components together. Each assignment aids in the development of my goal. The update of my goal plan discusses differentiation for a child with behavior problems. I kept a tally of how many times the student made a negative comment or had an outburst in class in order to have an idea of how frequently his behavior disrupts the classroom. I then recorded various techniques used by teachers throughout the day and how effective the action was on the childs behavior. Compiling this data allows me to see which techniques are most effective for this student in order to better differentiate for disciplinary actions. In addition to differentiation for discipline, it is important to differentiate instruction by content, process, and product. The mathematical interview analysis worked to provide insight into student thinking. Interviewing students allowed me to see where

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misconceptions were occurring and what content students seem to need more instruction. I cannot differentiate without knowing what concepts my students struggle with due to misconceptions. Once that information is apparent, I can follow the steps for conceptual change to correct the issue(s). The purpose of knowledge menu assignment was to further develop knowledge and understanding of one mathematical concept. Number sense is a concept that extends from preschool all the way beyond the bounds of elementary school. This concept develops over a long period of time and encompasses many different skills. Working on the knowledge menu allowed me to research the concept of number sense and see the extent of its reach not only in the classroom, but also in daily life. I created a concept map that connected number sense to place-value and operations. This graphic organizer helps depict some of the many connections among number sense, place value, and operations. Such organization can help plan instruction and differentiation. Aside from the sequence of curriculum, the order in which the curriculum should be taught, making connections among the content can help increase interest. A student is more likely to be engaged in materials that are relevant to their life. Being able to show students how the content all connects and how it is used in daily life will help provide context for the content. The last portion of the knowledge menu is a compilation of resources. This section addresses my goal (from my goal plan) of finding valuable resources to help my students outside of the classroom. Not every resource is ideal for all learners. For example, providing students with a list of links to online games will not help a student that does not have access to the internet at home or a student that does not prefer to learn via games.

PORTFOLIO REFLECTION This list compiles books, visuals, games, media, non-fiction, and community-based resources. Teachers who have a wider variety of resources from which to pull have a greater chance of finding one that matches the readiness and interests of a student. The last item I chose to include in my portfolio was my lesson plan. The differentiation section of my lesson plan addresses the implementation of what I have learned thus far, as a pre-professional teacher, about differentiation. In the plan I

differentiate content by readiness and process by both readiness and interest. The content by readiness section I discuss how I would address a student that is ready to extend their knowledge beyond the bounds of the required material located in the Virginia Standards of Learning, and I discuss varying the difficulty of the problems students work on depending on their needs. For process by readiness, I discuss reviewing with students the individual skills needed to be successful in division (division, multiplication, subtraction, bringing down, repeat (or remainder)), followed by combining the steps together as students are ready. Lastly, for process by interest, I discuss differentiating based on learning preferences. Different strategies are used for students who prefer hands-on learning, linguistic learning, visual/spatial learning, and students who have a knack for recalling information. I make the choice not to differentiate by product. In my experience as a third grade classroom aide and as a practicum student, students who do not have the same product as the majority of the class get discouraged and lose pride in their work. Children have an idea of who does well in school and who struggles to be successful and notice the work of other students, having different products might make this more obvious. The process and

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strategies might vary from student to student, but it is important for students to have pride and confidence in themselves and their work. My portfolio represents the culmination of a semester of learning new skills on how to effectively differentiate in a classroom; however, it is not complete. As I gain experience throughout my career, documents will be added and others will be taken away to match my growth and skill set. The goal plan and update, mathematical interview analysis, knowledge menu, and lesson plan all serve as evidence in the progress and development of my differentiation skills for fall of 2013. There is no one perfect way to differentiate in a classroom and the way in which differentiation needs to occur changes yearly.