UTeach Natural Sciences Preliminary Portfolio · UTeach Natural Sciences Preliminary Portfolio ... assignment with instructor ... a variety of instructional, laboratory,

UTeach Natural Sciences Preliminary Portfolio Spring 2009 1

UTeach Natural Sciences Preliminary Portfolio

Instructions and Sources & Resources

Mathematics and Computer Sciences

Section 1 Personal Profile Information Rubric: Has/Has Not Met Requirements

a. Teaching Philosophy

Instructions Requirements Sources and Resources

Include responses to the following in your

philosophy:

What led you to become a teacher?

What do you hope to accomplish as a

teacher?

What major concepts guide or shape your

views on being a successful teacher?

at least 350 words

clear, expository prose

proof-read

readings from Knowing and

Learning

readings from Classroom

Interactions

reading from Perspectives

b. Cover Letter for Employment


State your future goals for employment in the form

of a letter that accompanies a résumé to a potential

employer. This letter should be tailored to the job

you are seeking, making clear to a future employer

that you have specific information about his or her

organization that makes you a good fit.

Your cover letter may be addressed to a school at

which you have had a field experience or a school

where you would like to seek future employment.

Even if you’re unsure about whether or not you

want to teach, the cover letter should be as

professional as possible.

clear and error-free

demonstrates control over

the basics of grammar,

spelling, and punctuation

College of Natural Sciences Career

Services Center

faculty

mentor teachers


c. Résumé


This is a presentation of your work and educational

background. The audience is a principal or other

professional who hires teachers.

clear and error-free

up-to-date

demonstrate control over

the basics of grammar,

spelling, and punctuation

include UTeach field

experiences at all levels

indicate that these

experiences are short term

include team-work

experiences

College of Natural Sciences Career

Services Center

faculty

mentor teachers

d. Academic Record


The academic record helps to provide the portfolio

evaluator with an understanding of how far you

have progressed in the content area.

all UT course work

all transfer course work

all grades

do not use an advising audit

A free copy of your entire record is

available from Registrar’s Office in

the Main Building.

Ask for an ―academic summary‖


Section 2 Subject Matter Knowledge – Mathematics and Computer Sciences

Rubric: Students must earn a score of at least a 1 on each section.


a) State a mathematical theorem or conjecture and

apply both informal and formal mathematical

reasoning to the same conjecture.

Evidence must include an

assignment with instructor

comments and grade

an example of a challenging proof

from a specific mathematics course

from Functions and Modeling:

showing versus proving statements

relating to the triangle inequality,

specifically for complex numbers


proving different field properties of

the complex number system

M 333L (Structure of Modern

Geometry)

M360M (Problem Solving)

any Moore Method class

b) Describe a mathematical concept that can be

represented in multiple ways and articulate the

connections between its representations in clear,

expository prose.



comments and grade


connecting the distance formula,

equation of a circle, and the

Pythagorean Theorem – pictorially,

verbally, and algebraically

evaluation of student artifacts from

CI

c) State a computational problem and an algorithm

for solving it. Apply both informal and formal

techniques to evaluate the algorithm in terms of its

clarity, efficiency, and correctness. Describe the

benefit of being able to apply both formal and

informal reasoning to the same problem.



comments and grade


d) Describe a scenario or problem that can be

improved or solved by the creation of a software

system, and formalize that system using multiple

representations, including: descriptive prose, a

graphical representation (UML, flowchart, etc.),

code or pseudo-code.



comments and grade

e) Generate a model of a natural phenomenon or

describe an already existing model and evaluate

how well the model represents the situation.



comments and grade

an analysis of a model you

designed yourself

an analysis of an inquiry from

Research Methods

Perspectives

appropriate laboratory or lecture

course

f) Describe a topic in the subject area and describe

the connections with prerequisite topics, future

topics, and other subjects.



comments and grade

Any lesson plan from Step 2, K&L,

CI, PBI, Perspectives

an essay in which you explain how

material in a lesson plan you have

prepared depends upon material in

previous years, or lays the

foundation for material in the

following years.

paper from Perspectives


g) Show how you bring out the historical

importance of your subject material, its

contribution to large ideas, and its significance in

today’s society.



comments and grade

Include a brief discussion

in your reflection/analysis

of the importance of

helping your students

understand the context of

the information you

present.

Refer to a specific lesson

plan that incorporates the

general history of modern

science or mathematics as

called for in national

standards.

Step 2 lesson plans

Teach 1 and Teach 2 lesson plans

in CI

CI video

paper from Perspectives

lesson plan from Perspectives


Section 3 Equity and Inclusive Design


Instruction Requirements Sources and Resources

a) Demonstrate an awareness of student diversity

while preparing lessons, presenting lessons, and

assessing students.

Include instructor

comments

Include the demonstration

of an awareness of

consistently addressing

student diversity needs in

their interactions with

students and parents

Include a discussion of how

you create an inclusive and

assessable learning

environment for students

from different backgrounds,

students who have different

interests, students of

different genders, students

for whom English is not a

first language, and students

who legally require

accommodations and/or

modifications.

Step 1 readings

lesson plan with comments from

Step 1, Step 2, CI, PBI

discussion based on reading from a

specific UTeach course

K&L generative lessons

CI lesson plans, written analyses,

poster presentations, responses to

forum prompts, video clips

PBI—modifications for special

populations in the lesson plans and

formative assessments

permissions in Spanish and English

for field trip in PBI

CI, annotated video permission

CI word chart


Section 4 Teaching Preparation



a) Describe and document your process for

developing a learning experience. Illustrate the

connection between the state/national standards,

the selection and evaluation of resources and

technologies, the creation of student activities, the

adjustments and modifications for students with

individual needs, and the development of student

assessments.



comments and grade from a

UTeach course

CI lesson plans in draft,

intermediate, and final stages, with

discussion

b) Explain how you design lessons that encourage

all students to participate, that connect the content

to the interests and experiences of your students,

and that make learning assessable and meaningful

for students of all ability levels.

Include in your

reflection/analysis a

description of your

selection and adaptation of

a variety of instructional,

laboratory, and community

resources to support student

learning

Include how you assessed

the validity of those

resources.

CI lesson plans

PBI – project development

PBI – lesson plan for field

experience and project

c) Connect a state and a national standard to a

lesson you have taught in the secondary schools.

Explain how the lesson activities are related to

those standards and how you assessed those

standards to demonstrate student mastery.



comments and grade from a

UTeach course

Include the lesson plan for

which you would use that

particular assessment

commentary on a lesson plan you

have written.

Step 1 and Step 2 lesson plans

Teach 1 and Teach 2 lesson plans

in CI

lessons in PBI


Section 5 Classroom Environment



a) Present your overall classroom management

plan. Explain your experiences that have

contributed to this plan.

Include rules, policies,

procedures, time

management strategies,

rewards, and consequences

Step 2

CI

PBI

other appropriate courses

b) Describe how you manage student behavior and

create rapport with and among your students to

maintain an effective and respectful learning

environment.


you create a culture of

learning in your classroom.

CI classroom management plans

CI observation-form comments,

video clips

PBI group contract

field experience in PBI (especially

the Blanton Museum and

McKinney Falls)

c) State explicitly how you consistently maintain a

safe learning environment for students, both

emotionally and physically.

Include a lesson plan in

which you specifically

discuss safety with your

students

Step 1

Step 2

CI lesson plans


Section 6 Instruction and Delivery



a) Describe and provide evidence of how you have

engaged all students in meaningful learning

experiences.

NOTE: The final portfolio requires

a video clip for this section. A

video is not required for the

preliminary portfolio, but you are

encouraged to include one here.

Step 1 or Step field experience

CI lesson plans

CI video

lesson plans for PBI

standards-based project and videos

of teaching

b) Describe and provide evidence of your

questioning and assessment strategy(ies). Include

a description of a teaching experience in which

you had to respond flexibly to students during

instruction using formative assessment.


your assessment strategy or

instrument effectively

measured the learning

objectives.

Address in the reflections

how you used assessment

data to identify successful

parts of the lesson, to make

revisions to improve the

lesson.

Step 2 final project

CI analysis of questioning

effectiveness in the major analysis

assignments and article-prompted

forum posts

CI Teach 1 and Teach 2 analyses

lesson plans for PBI with multiple

formative assessments

weekly calendar for PBI project

c) Discuss how you have used or plan to use

technology to create and enhance the learning

environment.

Include in your

reflection/analysis an

assessment of the

appropriateness of that

technology in reaching your

instructional goals.

Step 2

CI lesson plans

PBI – video production

use of Probeware in PBI

syllabus from PBI highlighting

time spent during the semester on

technologies


Section 7 Professional Responsibilities



a) Describe your professional development plan

for remaining current in your subject and best

teaching practices. Explain and give evidence

about how you will continually grow

professionally. Demonstrate your ability to assess

the validity and reliability of print and online

sources.

material from UTeach

course(s), including

instructor comments and

grade

Step 2 lesson plan, including

content corrections

journals used in CI

reading in PBI

faculty

mentor teachers

b) Describe evaluation feedback you received from

an observer and, if possible, from your students.

Explain what you learned about your teaching

from this feedback and how you adjusted and

enhanced your teaching based on it. The reflection

should be generated from the point of view of a

professional, not a student.




grade

Step 1 and/or Step 2 reflection on

lesson progress

CI interview and response

CI ―Teaching Round Robin‖

written analysis of feedback in CI

c) Present your overall plan for communicating

with parents and caregivers of your students and

describe your plan for including them in the

education of their child.




grade

Step 1/Step 2 – letter home to

parents

CI readings

CI customized video permission

letter

PBI letter to parents introducing

project

d) Describe and reflect on interactions you have

had with parents and caregivers of your students.

Include a discussion of why it is important to

involve families in their children’s education.

plan must reference either

an actual experience and/or

reading, videos, etc. from

CI

faculty

mentor teachers

a lesson that requires parental

involvement


e) Present your overall plan for contributing to

your school, district, and community. Explain

how your experiences, as a student in a classroom,

as a teacher in the field, or both have contributed

to this plan

Include an example of

clear, constructive feedback

on a colleague’s work,

either observed on in the

form of comments on a

lesson plan

CI feedback on teaching round

robin and poster session

CI group contracts

reflections on CI equity readings

and assignment

PBI peer evaluation of projects and

lesson plans

PBI grant proposal

f) Reflect on a specific ethical standard as it

pertains to your classroom. Refer to a specific standard

from the ―Code of Ethics

and Standard Practices for

Texas Educators‖

PBI project requirements for

Driving Questions and the ethical

properties of the Driving Question

Documents

UTeach Natural Sciences Preliminary Portfolio · UTeach Natural Sciences Preliminary Portfolio ... assignment with instructor ... a variety of instructional, laboratory,