Mary Hawkins

InTASC Standard: The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation (InTASC, 2013).

 

Brief Description of Evidence:  

The evidence I have chosen to support this InTASC standard is the classroom library assignment that was completed in my EDUC 233 Literacy Development Through Children’s Literature class during the spring semester of 2021. This assignment challenged me to find thirty or more books that would be fitting for a fifth-grade classroom. The books were to include a variety of genres, subjects, and representations of different home lives, ethnicities, and more. After designing a list of books for the classroom, we were also challenged to design what we would like our library/reading area to look like. I chose to incorporate alternative seating options such as upholstered chairs, reading mats, a rug, and floor pillows. I wanted the area to be a comfortable, quiet space in the classroom that allowed the students to relax and focus on their readings. 

​

Analysis of What I Learned: 

From this assignment, I was able to see how important it is to represent a variety of lifestyles and cultures within the books the students are reading. When the students see books that they see themselves in it creates a sense of representation as well as an understanding of what another student's perspective may be. It’s also important to include books that allow the students to “forget” about any stress that’s  going on and that can allow them a sense of escapism for a short period of time to kind of reset. I also found that it is important to include books that may be targeted for a grade below and a grade above the class, to accommodate the different reading levels the students are at, and along with the “levels” of the books, it is also important to include different types of books such as graphic novels, picture books, and chapter books. Through this assignment, I was able to discover a wide range of books in different genres that I would have otherwise not known about.

 

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the InTASC Standard: ​

I feel this artifact represents my competence by exemplifying my desire to find representation for my students' individualism. Each student will have a different background and when they see themselves represented in a book they are able to feel proud and share that book with their classmates, then show their classmates that different backgrounds make us each special. This will also open opportunities for students to go out and find their own books to bring in and share with each other, and me, giving them a sense of motivation to share books they find intriguing and continue the desire to find them. Having a wide variety of book types also allows each of the different types of students to be accommodated, reminding me of Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. According to Mcleod (2020), “...children acquire their cultural values, beliefs, and problem-solving strategies through collaborative dialogues with more knowledgeable members of society.” In this case, the students are socially interacting with each other and comparing books they are reading, as well as getting guidance from a teacher.  This artifact also relates to Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development because the students are able to share what they know with each other, thus improving each other’s knowledge. By sharing all of this information with each other, the students will also help build a more positive environment.  

 

Citation: 

McLeod, S.(2020). Lev Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development. SimplyPsychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html

​

Council of Chief State School Officers. (2013, April). Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards and Learning Progressions for Teachers 1.0: A Resource for Ongoing Teacher Development. Washington, DC: Author.