Standard 1
INTASC Standard 1: Making Content Meaningful
The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.
Rationale: The below artifacts demonstrate my understaning of inquiry to create learning experiences that make subject matter meaningful for students. Students learned about the Rock Cycle through literature, viewing artifacts and participating in a visit from the Utah Museum of Natural History. Students learned the Rock Cycle Song which allowed for deeper understanding and engagement. Students then went digging for rocks. This same format was used to introduce fossils. Students learned a song, read books, looked at a variety of fossils, created fossils, and went digging for Dinosaur bones. This unit helped build background knowledge, allowed for student inquiry and provided meaningful learning for students.

Standard 2
INTASC Standard 2: Child Development and Learning Theory
The teacher understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social and personal needs.
Rationale: The below lesson was developed for a reading lesson on an expository text called, "From Solid to Liquid Again." Students participated in a variety of experiments to help build a solid understanding before reading the text. Students were then asked to look at the diagram on the text, "From Solid to Liquid Again" and understand the information that was being presented. Students were then asked to develop their own diagram to present to the class. As a class they watched the below commercial, which was related to our original text, and we then discussed what the media was trying to portray. Students then read the below article on Polar Bears and were asked to create a diagram that would tell a story to the reader. This lesson demonstrated my understanding of how my students learn and develop, and provided them with an opportunity that supported their intellectual, social and personal needs.

Standard 3
INTASC Standard 3: Learning Styles / Diversity
The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
Rationale: This artifact was selected because it demonstrates how students differ in their approaches to learning and how it adapts to diverse learners. The below pictures come from a vocabulary powerpoint presentation.  Each week vocabulary was introduced by integrating technology through powerpoint which helped increase their ability to describe and demonstrate the new words. Using powerpoint for vocabulary instruction also helped my English Language Learners because I was able to utilize pictures and video clips to help build background knowledge and understanding of each word. Students stayed engaged during vocabulary each week because not only were they able to participate in the presentation they were also asked to fill out a graphic organizer to demonstrate their understanding of each word.

Standard 4
INTASC Standard 4: Instructional Strategies / Problem Solving
The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
Rationale: Readers Theater is an integrated approach for involving students
in reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities.  It involves students in sharing literature, reading aloud, writing scripts, performing with a purpose, and working collaboratively. Readers Theater helped increase comprehension, critical thinking, and performance skills. It also engaged students, created confidence and improved self-image of students and provided a real purpose for reading.

Readers Theater scripts were selected based on reading levels of each group. Groups were put together based off of DIBEL scores. This Readers Theater script was used during our Water Cycle Unit. This script reinforced what was being taught in science as well as increased critical thinking, problem sovling and performance skills.

---

Standard 5
INTASC Standard 5: Motivation and Behavior
The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
Rationale: This artifact was selected because it demonstrates how I created a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. Students were engaged because they were given an authentic task. They were asked to prepare a television news broadcast. Their group was given a multiplication strategy and they were asked to summarize their strategy, develop visual aids and create a story problem. They interacted with their group(s) positvely and stay engaged throughout the entire project. Their final projects were recorded and then viewed by our class to be assessed and scored. Overall, it was a fun and engaging project.

Students were asked to prepare a television news broadcast on 3 digit by 2 digit multiplication problems. They needed to have a written copy for the news broadcast summarizing multiplication, decide which visuals or graphics they will need in the broadcast; and select someone in the group to deliver the broadcast on air. Their group also created a real world story problem related to their problem. The broadcasts were recorded and viewed by the class at a later date.

Multiplication Strategies:
Partial Product
Lattice
Traditional

 Standard 6
INTASC Standard 6: Communication / Knowledge
The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
Rationale: Students created powerpoint presentations for Parent Teacher Conferences in March. Students were given a formal instruction on how to use powerpoint and then students had the adequate tools to begin creating their own presentations. Students were asked to explain and discuss things they have learned, graph and interpret data, and set goals. During parent teacher conferences students showed their presentation to their families and answered any questions their parent(s) had. This was such a great opportunity for the students to communicate with their families about their schooling, grades, homework completion and test scores. The parent(s) were also thrilled to view their student's presentation and were impressed with their creativity and technology skills.

Standard 7
INTASC Standard 7: Planning for Instruction
The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.
Rationale:  Students were asked to learn about their own heritage by filling in an outline and then creating a poster. By the end of the lesson students will understand that each person's background is diverse and contributes to Utah's culture both past and present. Students will understand that they will enjoy a much richer culture because of the diversity of our heritage. This lesson met the following curriculum goals: Social Studies- 4th Grade Standard 2 Objective 1 and Language Arts- 4th Grade Standard 8 Objective 6. This instruction was planned to help build background knowledge to help students understand an upcoming unit on "Changing America."
Outline of Lesson:
1. Students were given preactivity questionnaire and responses were shared with class.
2. Students became familiar with vocabulary such as: heritage, ancestor, ethnicity, culture, diversity, tradition, and background.
3. Students were asked to do research on how ethnic groups have impacted Utah i.e. Italian miners, Chinese railroad workers, Jewish shop owners, etc.
4. The Family Heritage Outline was introduced. As a class wee discussed topic questions and how to change that into topic statments and adding supporting details. We then discussed the poster expectations and due date.
5. After posters were finished, students wrote three questions that could be answered from their poster to be used in a class scavenger hunt.
6. Posters were displayed and students had adequate time to read them and answer questions from the scavenger hunt information sheet.
7. Students then filled out the Postactivity Questionnaire and responses were shared with class.

Idea developed from www.uen.org

Standard 8
INTASC Standard 8: Assessment
The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social and physical develoment of the learner.
Rationale: The below artifacts show how I used informal assessment strategies to ensure student understanding. Throughout the year I used a variety of assessment strategies such as: students answered, both factual and higher order questions; choral responses by the class; group work to review information; and short written exercises. I would also use formal assessment such as YPP scores, Acuity and DIBELS to drive instruction and to plan and organize individual exercises for each student. Almost every day my students had a "ticket out" this ticket came in a variety of forms such as: 3-2-1 graphic organizers, KWL chart, think-pair-share, ABC brainstorming, etc. this "ticket out" was then given to me to critque and evaluate my instruction which was then used to plan future lessons.

Standard 9
INTASC Standard 9: Professional Growth / Reflection
The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
Rationale: Reflective thinking is the process of making informed and logical-decisions on educational matter, then assessing those decisions. The below artifacts are weekly goal sheets that were filled out by myself and site teacher each week. I reflected and evaluated my choices and actions that would help me grow professionally. I reflected on engagment with students, instruction, assessments, conversations, and interviews. I would also look ahead to the next week and discuss what my focus and goals would be. Each week I would review my weekly goal sheet with my site teacher and we would discuss and collaborate for the upcoming weeks. I took any suggestions and idea that could improve my teaching and with this positive attitude I was able to refine my craft and create a student-centered classroom environment where active learning takes place.  Educators must continually study their practice if they are to grow. They need to concentrate on developing those practices that help them deliver their best work.

Standard 10
INTASC Standard 10: Interpersonal Relationships
The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and well being.
Rationale: Students learned to be leaders, responsible, organized, flexible and patient. Many of my students became more apt to view social or community problems as systemic rather than personal, and they became more action oriented and realistic in their solutions. Students learned about soil nutrients, deciduous and coniferous trees and the secret life of a tree. Students learned about watching media and forming their own opinions, wrote persuasive essays, and used artwork to carry a message.