ASTL REFLECTION POINT 3 1

ASTL Reflection Point 3

Allieh Kheradmand
George Mason University

The coursework and readings of EDUC 614 have deepened my understanding of

effective curriculum and its relation to my teaching practices. In EDUC 614 I also became

knowledgeable of what 21st century teaching and learning is. 21st century skills that students will

need to thrive in todays world include collaboration, digital literacy, critical-thinking, and

problem solving. Two particular assignments that led me to reflect on curriculum and my

teaching practices are the formative video analysis and the summative video analysis. In the

formative video analysis, I videotaped myself teaching a social studies lesson. In the summative

analysis, I videotaped myself teaching a writing lesson. After watching both videos and receiving

feedback from a critical friend, I analyzed the strengths and weaknesses present in each video.

Both of these assignments relate to the following ASTL principles: student learning, content

knowledge and effective pedagogy, and diversity.

ASTL REFLECTION POINT 3 2

ASTL principle number one, student learning, states that teachers are committed to

students and their learning. Through the video analyses, I learned that I am not always effective

in teaching higher level thinkers. While I differentiate well for English language learners and

struggling students, the same cannot be said for advanced students. This also relates to ASTL

principle number six, diversity. This principle states that teachers attend to the needs of

culturally, linguistically, and cognitively diverse learners. The video analyses allowed me to see

that my lack in differentiating for advanced students means I am not attending to the needs of

those learners. In order to effectively teach all students, I learned I must make a fundamental

change to my teaching practices. It is important that I spend time planning differentiations for

higher level thinkers so that I can attend to the needs of all learners in my classroom.
ASTL principle number two, content knowledge and effective pedagogy, states that

teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students. While I have a

strong understanding of the subjects I teach, the video analyses also broadened my perspective

on how I teach those subjects to my students. I recognized that I need to include more movement

in my teaching practices. Learning results from active sense-making. There are various was to

activate sense-making in students and one way is through movement. This is especially true for

first grade aged students. In order to keep my students engaged throughout the school day, as

well as activate their sense-making, I must include more meaningful movement in my lessons.
The coursework and readings of EDUC 614 have also broadened my view of

assessments. I learned that in assessing 21st skills, I need to design assessments that capture

students abilities to think creatively and critically. Of course, any formative and summative

assessments I design and administer should also check for student understanding. One EDUC

614 assignment in particular, the assessment design and analysis task, furthered my

understanding of how to create and analyze an authentic assessment. This assignment relates to
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ASTL principle number three, monitoring student learning. The principle says that teachers are

responsible for managing and monitoring student learning. I designed a differentiated assessment

related to computation, specifically understanding and solving story problems. After

administering the assessment to students, I analyzed the results. This assignment taught me that

assessments do not have to be the same across the board. Just as I must differentiate lessons to

attend to the needs of all learners, I also must differentiate assessments, and use a variety of

assessment methods, to gather evidence of student learning. I also learned that an authentic

assessment is creative, it is related to students everyday lives, and it can be collaborative.

ASTL principle number eight, technology, states that teachers use technology effectively

to facilitate student learning and their own professional development. One try-it assignment in

EDUC 614 required me to try a new technology with my students. I chose to use a creative

publishing platform called Wixie to check my students understanding of seasonal changes. I

created a chart with each season and pasted various pictures to the bottom of the chart. Students

were tasked with sorting the pictures electronically. In completing this assignment I learned that

technology is not as daunting as it seems. I also learned that I do not use technology effectively

to facilitate student learning because I do not often incorporate technology into student learning.

This is another fundamental change I must make to my teaching practices in order to teach

students 21st skills and prepare them for our technologically advanced world.